Originally Posted by Sue2

Hope you get it in time, we had to buy loads of new bits anyway so we are managing ok without it all....just would be nice to have it As long as I get it before Xmas as I dont want to buy another tree Our forms have just been sent back to Crown/Brisbane ...so fingers crossed.

All the best

Sue x

Originally Posted by bloofox

We self packed and used Damco Sea and Air to move a 20 ft container. It has turned into a nightmare. Here's the sketch...

Asked for a quote in August.
They said £2485 for a 20 ft. Door to door.

Asked for details of all Australian Charges.
They took 5 days to receive a quote from ACA in Brisbane and advised us of $1126 AUD.

We paid the bill in total.

The container arrived at the house. We packed it and off it went.
We left a week later and got to Aus on September 29th. Langkawi is a good stopover for families incidentally (Malaysian airways and Sherraton deals from Dial-a-flight for the not-yet-commited....) Like Bali but no haggling/suicide bombers...No surf either but a week without is hardly gonna kill anyone on the way here....

So, we got to Australia eventually...Then we contacted ACA in Brisbane....

"We don't do Personal effects" they said. "Too much Trouble" they explained.

I told them I'd paid Damco on their quote... $1126 and they were amused but still not interested.

I called Damco. We talked. They called ACA.

ACA called me and said send all documents and a Unnacompanied Personal effects form ( wich they sent to me by courier) as soon as possible. They were, it seemed, going to deliver the container after all.

I sent all documents, passports copies as requested and declarations to ACA.

They called me back to say they had the documentation but were definately not interested now...could I go collect my paperwork and find another agent...

It seems that personal effects are really not easy at this end and my motorcycle will be a problem, even though I told Damco all about them,have Import permission and Damco simply advised me to drain all fuel and oils out , I am not sure why the bike has come as a surprise to anyone but that is only a minor irritation at this point....

firstly ACA want $2500.00 , plus Customs fees, Quarantine fees, Port Storage if needed ( due to crap new Customs system jamming up the docks as mentioned in your posts..). A conservative estimate of quotes found with other agents is all we can get. They range from $2,800 plus all charges to $5,000 if the port charges on storage. It is not expected that Aussie Dockers Unions will miss the oportunity to rake it in for the bosses then demand a cut...but either way we end up a long way from Door to Door for £2485.

Damco offered a refund of $485. AUD to cover delivery from Brisbane to Currumbin. We told them we woudn't accept a part refund and all the problem, we told them that we'd concider recovery of any extra costs in the UK County Courts. They blamed ACA. ACA blamed them and at the moment we have ACA agreeing to do it again but only as a special favour to me and still for an extra $2500. Or thereabouts depending on Dockyard charges and anything else they can imagine before Novermmber 9th !!

Anybody think I should bill Damco for the hassle/phonecalls/ACA charges ?
I speciffically asked them to list Aussie costs separately after my brother had similar nightmares with furniture last year but they were adamant that $1126 was enough..I now know that it cost $400 to take the container from the boat to the dock and leave it there, $150 to move it from the dock to a warehouse, $600 to unpack it, $160 per hour for a quarantine inspection, much more if there is anything they have to destroy,then you have the delivery to organise at whatever a removal man ( removalist apparantly)
feels reasonable...probably about $900-1100 with duty and GST on top.

Damco now insist that thier quote was based on no inspection or unpack at Brisbane...Why they imagined this is what happens with personal effects is beyond me, and the basis for my belief in a case for the courts, but I know that every agent I have spoken too here laughs at the notion and they have all said that all personal effects are always unpacked and examined thouroughly...It seems our agent is initially negligent and ultimately responsible for a vastly increased cost....Any lawyers out there need a job ??

Anyway,I am hoping we will have all our things soon as second hand Buells and Triumphs are very expensive here. Oh, I forgot to mention that an official valuer may be needed to value the bikes. "Only another $200 though, so no worries there mate" as they happily informed me....

( By the way,if anyone is thining of bringing a motorcycle in my adice is to do it and double your money if you can bear to sell it.. anything 3-5 years old in the uk, owned for a year, with average mileage is gold dust.Actually average mileage is low over here, Even after the customs value it and take 10% ( plus $200 !). Bring your receipt and a value from any UK garage for bargaining power and if it's a Speed Triple from 99 on I'll buy it myself...)

Some people will self pack and take on the paperwork, I don't mind a few forms myself, and some will just pay "The Man" but when things go wrong it's hard to know where to go next either way....Make sure you ask stupid questions instead of wishing you had....

Finally, whatever goes wrong, and however much it costs to fix we are all lucky to have the problems we have instead of the problems facing thousands across borders around the world every day.

I don't mean to go all Hippy but I've been here a month now and it's hard to stay angry once you see the kids swimming in the creek...one of the reasons we're all trying to get here I suppose...

See you in the Sun, and when your driving your 4.0ltr injection gas-guzzling Falcon or Commodore at 40p a litre please.... Think Bike !!

Bloofox.

Originally Posted by Sue2

FANBLOODYTASTIC!!!!! Ship docked on Friday 4th Nov....just had a call from Crown, when do you want your stuff.....getting it tomorrow!!! we've not seen it since 12th August I cant wait!!

Sue x

Originally Posted by Timber Floor Au

Sweeeeeeeet all ya stuff before XMAS !!! huh

Hope it goes well...

Steve

Originally Posted by Sue2

Cheers Steve you coming to the Gold Coast meet then?

Sue

Originally Posted by Sue2

FANBLOODYTASTIC!!!!! Ship docked on Friday 4th Nov....just had a call from Crown, when do you want your stuff.....getting it tomorrow!!! we've not seen it since 12th August I cant wait!!

Sue x

Originally Posted by lynnlovessun

Crown have been true to their word on 10-14 days for us too - our stuff cleared a week ago and it gets delivered on Wednesday when we move into our new house!!! Will let you know if everything is in one piece!

Lynn

Originally Posted by Timber Floor Au

Why , are ya roping us all IN to do ya UNPACKIN ???

LMAO !

Depends when , where , what time, whos allowed, etc etc etc.. I did want to go, but kinda havent kept up with the thread. lol

Weve never met any expats, an would like to goto a meet, bit like alchoholics annoymous , dya all sit round in circles, n stand up n say IM TIMBER FLOOR AU lol...

Steve

Originally Posted by BettyBoop

So pleased for you..ours docked on the 11th Nov. Just received a letter from Crown saying it should only take between 10-14 days...Xmas is coming early...don't think I've been this excited since getting the Visas

Good luck for tomoro
BB

Originally Posted by Sue2

Hi all just thought I'd let you know everything went well, the guys from Crown were really nice and helpful. We had a couple of broken bits, apart from that we're happy with the service from Crown, start to finish

Sue x

Originally Posted by lynnlovessun

Oh thats great news Sue - Crown are coming to us on Wednesday. We have been booked in for a 'full days un-pack' - in your experience did the men unpack all your stuff on the day then take the packaging materials away? I hope so as don't want the hassle of being left with all the boxes to unpack and all the packaging materials. I'll be quite happy if they unpack the stuff and leave it in the approperiate rooms for me to sort and put away properly.

May I ask what stuff was broken? I suppose you've got to expect a few things to be damaged.

Enjoy having all your stuff back again!

Lynn

Originally Posted by Sue2

They are more than happy to unpack we only wanted them to unpack the stuff that was wrapped in cardboard and brown paper, they also opened most of the boxes and took out the extra paper. We didn't want them to take away the boxes as we'll be moving out of here in March, so need the boxes for that....we've just flat packed them in the garage

All the best for Wednesday

Sue x