We're currently deciding between Allied Pickfords and John Mason. Both are offering a shared container at a similar price (we're waiting for a complete cost before we try to haggle them down).

Has anyone used a shared container before? Can you offer any advice/suggestions/horror stories?

Ta.

From what I have read, shared containers can be slower as they have to handle to contents more.

They send a furniture van to the house as opposed to 'the' container. The boxed and wrapped goods will be moved to storage and then into a container when there is enough other 'stuff' to fill it.

Is speed a factor in your move??

Just give http://www.fnworldwide.com/ a try, they were great for us and our family just moved recently and also found them very competitive.

Thanks. Speed is not a major factor, as our house will be fully furnished when we move in. But I don't want it dragging on forever!

On the 11th May John Mason collected my stuff Perth bound in a shared container. In terms of packers & packing it went without fault. My stuff came to 245 cubic feet.

The main downside is that I have to wait for someone who also wants to share a container with John Mason and ship to Perth so it takes longer. As h2oskineil mentioned if you have a sole container then the container comes to the house and it immediately goes out for shipping. With shared a lorry comes to the house and it is kept in a warehouse until they have a conatiners worth of shared goods ready for dispatch.

Oh great. So it could take months.

It depends how lucky you get, you might time it right and find someone wants to share a container the same time as you with whoever you decide.

I sent my stuff off a month a half prior to flying out as I was able to. I was told 12 weeks but I am preparing myself for it to be 16 hopefully from when my stuff was collected not from when I arrive in Perth but we'll see.

I have a friend who used shared use container. It left her house mid december and only got here in April!! That was England-Perth. Company said they didn't have many people shipping that way, so that's why it took so long!!
We were sole use - picked up on 5th Nov, arrived 15th Dec!!
There is also a lot more 'handling' with a shared use, so more opportunities for things to get broken or go walk abouts!

We used a shared container with Pickfords without any problems, you might find your half fills someone elses so no wait, ours took about 12 weeks door to door

Looks like it all comes down to the luck of the draw.

Our stuff left our house in UK on 24th Jan this year and went to John Masons and sat there until 1st May when it was shipped, it arrived in Perth yesterday and will probably be another couple of weeks until it clears quarantine & is shipped the 450km to our house - don't ship anything this way that you may need quickly as it does take it's time!!

Don't do it mate... If there's anyway you can afford a full box for yourself then do it... 25 years in the transport industry in the UK before moving over here and I've my fair share of horror stories for you... basically there's a lot more handling involved with a shared box, at both ends, and all the problems that can go with it in terms of breakages, pilferage, etc... Pick a quiet time for your chosen shipper and your stuff can sit for weeks in a dirty warehouse... Although it can be a bit of a lottery in the shipper stakes, John Mason and Doree Bonner would be my pick of the bunch... just my 2 c...

Thanks for that. It'll all come down to cost, unfortunately. We might have to go with a shared container whether we like it or not. But I'll remember your tip about John Mason.

Vash i have been with Allied pickfords here in Adelaide for 6 months now, after 27 years at GRACE , Allieds are high volume movers from UK and europe so a shared "can/box" will not besitting in the Uk for very long.
But a FCL is the way to go if you can afford it, the other aspect is you get A,P in the UK ,and you get A/P in Adelaide,.
With most other companys it is luck of the draw who delivers your box here, except for CROWN who have a depot in Adelaide.........good luck with what ever you chose....................mm

Another great recommendation, thanks mm!

We're looking at September for the move. Is this a busy or quiet time in the removal industry?