stengee

This is a "warning" for anyone looking at shipping companies and getting quotes from them!

Check every detail of their quote!

Avoid "Allied Pickfords", thieving gets, well they tried to rip us off!!!

We looked into the different shipping companies available and decided to get quotes from 3 of them, these were "Crown Relocations, Allied Pickfords and White & Co".
We received a quote from each of them and they varied by quite a lot. White & Co were the cheapest by far, their rep was friendly enough, just he didn't stay very long or go over the process in depth like the others. As we didn't know to much about them or find any feedback regards their service, we disregarded them, purely on that basis alone!
We went back to Crown and Pickfords and told them we had received a cheaper quote else where and could they match it?

Baring in mind, we explained to them that we did not want the unpacking service at the other side and could they include "ALL" the cost's we would have to pay (Container cleaning, security clearance and quarantine inspection), except for fumigation (separate and payable to Aussie Goverment).
Crown, no problem, they already include this in their price and thats why they are a bit more expensive.
Pickfords, no problem, couldn't understand how Crown was able to include these cost's, but they would include it in our price and "not charge us for unpacking", we asked the rep and he said "not a problem".

After some thought, we decided to go for Pickfords, only because they were a couple of hundred pounds cheaper and it was the same deal being offered by both. We called Pickfords rep and told him and asked for the quote in writing then we would send them confirmation from the forms they provide you with. We received there quote in writing and looking it over, we noticed unpacking was listed in the price, so we rang him to find out why, he was well snotty with us - saying "unpacking was a compulsory part of the service, so like or lump it!!!". This p****d us off big time, so we looked at the quote in more detail and discovered they hadn't included container cleaning, security clearance and quarantine inspection!!! So it's like, what the hell are you playing at, called Pickfords office and he confirmed they wasn't included, so we told them to shove the quote up their arse and they had just lost our business!!!!!!!! "The rep totally lied to us, led us believe it was included, just to get a sale, would of been paying out money in Oz for something we thought already paid".

So we give the business to Crown, their rep was always very helpfull and honest through out, we felt bad when we gave it to Pickfords -
He told us after, that Pickfords do it all the time and what are you going to do about it when your stood at a port in Australia wanting to get your things back after 12 weeks, you just pay it don't you!!!!

If your looking for a shipping company to use, choose "Crown", they do what they say and they are very professional, highly recommended!!!

Our rep was Andrew Heeley, top bloke, we are so glad that we gave him our business, he wanted it the most and it showed in the effort he put in and more so, how humble he was when we first told him we had gone with Pickford.

"One thing though, GET YOUR OWN INSURANCE, shipping company insurance isn't worth a carrot".....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hutch

Not suggesting Crown are a bad company or that anything will go wrong ... but ... don't count your chickens!

stengee

Why is that?

What do you know that I don't???????

I trust them more than Pickfords.....

Pootle

We used Allied Pickfords and had no problems whatsoever.

They can't charge you upfront for Quarantine fees because you don't know until you get here how much they will want to inspect or how much the fee will be. Our container didn't require cleaning nor anything fumigating either. The quarantine fees were only a couple of hundred dollars from memory.

Maybe the rep you had didn't fully understand what couldn't be included?

I would recommend them and would certainly use them again (not got any plans to go anywhere mind you...)

stengee

He did know, we made a point of it. Crown include these cost's in the price and it shows up on their quote, plus we asked him not to charge us for unpacking and he said he could do that..

At the end of the day, he's the "Manager of International Sales", he knew what he was doing..

Hutch

I was simply pointing out that lots of things can go wrong once that lorry's disappeared off down your drive with all your worldly posessions in it and that simply because you found the service agreeable at the UK end does not mean it'll all run perfectly in transit and when it gets to Oz. Not saying it won't, just saying you can't judge the company when they've only down 1/3rd of their job.

stengee

Everyone can tell a different story, some good some bad, just highlighting my own..
You don't expect to be ripped off like that, Pickfords were are first choice before getting any quotes.. Well shady to come into someones house and do that to them, you have to able to trust them, they are shipping your personal goods to the other side of world for you!

stengee

I know things go wrong and go missing, but it doesn't look good if the first 1/3 goes wrong, you don't feel to confident about the other 2/3..

Hutch

Yep. However we used Excess Baggage and everything went wrong at the start (inept packers, massive lorry they couldn't get up the drive etc etc) ... but all went perfectly for the transit and subsequent delivery.

cra1gm

spoke to pickfords yesterday, after getting transfered 4 times to different people, they ended up quoting me for only 1 sofa when i clearly told them it was 2!, if they cant even get that right, im not going to trust them with my stuff - can imagain it now, "well sir you did get half your stuff there in one piece!"

Louise M

Unfortunately, I think they are all greedy Bas***** and once they have you in their clutches, they couldnt care less about your stuff!!
Speaking from experience..........

Dorothy

How much did they quote you for quarantine? I think you will find that either a) you got a very good deal because your entire shipment will need to be inspected, or b) you got royally screwed because nothing was inspected. Our shipment came with Allied and customs never opened a single box. It cost me $67 when our container arrived and I think that was for the customs guy to sign the papers saying it arrived.
Just because someone has a fancy title "manager of international sales" does not make them an expert. I have a fancy title at my job "learning and development coordinator" but that doesn't mean that I know the first thing about learning or development.

CathnPaul

I agree with everything you have said here. Andrew also dealt with us and I have passed his details on to quite a few people.

I have also had the same experience of the costings from pickfords (in fact identical in parts). I was told by crown of the 'extra charges' with pickfords so rung up pickfords to check and was also told that they were included in our price. i then rung back an hour later after someone pointed it out in the small print, for them to stand by their earlier advice of it being included in the price - until i got someone else on the phone who admitted they would be charged at the other end the staff in the call centre werent willing to admit it.!!!

Also agree with the insurance, we used letton percival in the end. Saved tons.

chris and farideh

I personally wouldnt recommend Crown, now that we have used them, the rep seemed very professional, so thats what attracted me to them, , the packers were very friendly & helpful, but did they pack such small amount of stuff in the boxes.
so when the lorry came with the container, of course that's another story, he want into the next door neighbor wall, while reversing, then he said he wont pay for the damages through he's insurance, of course he drove off and park the lorry five street away from our house, so the packers had to pack one little white van with our boxes drive off 5 streets away, unload them into the container, it went off until 9 o'clock @ night they were suppose to be finished by 3 o'clock.
so that was that, then the packers tell us @ 9 o'clock , that there isnt enough space in the container, so they will have to take the rest of the stuff back to their warehouse & shipped them separately, fine, how long does it take we asked, packers said not long, it would come at the same time as the container.
ok we get here, to find out if they both left UK , they said no, if you want them, you pay for them to come, so cut the long story short, we have everything unpack at this end ourselves, because ozzie packers dont unpack any of your boxes, they will only put your bed , & anything below the waist, that has to be put togather.
so dont believe half what they say over there, so we are still waiting for half our kitchen stuff, all the hinges that they flat pack in UK, all we have is the wood of the 4 wardrobe, we cant put them to gather, we cant claim the insurance for them until we get all our stuff, & most of my fragiles stuff wasnt wrapped properly it broke.
but the mangers who helped us to get our stuff shifted from UK, in Adelaide was first class, & she said she cant believe how much lies they tell the people back in Britain.
so your choice to go for them, but they will charge you extra, eventually, I would never recommend them.
hope you make the right choice, it is the most stressful time, good luck.

Farideh

Disco01

I actually work for a shipping company unfortunately with people's personal effects the above problems do seem to crop up a lot.
I have to agree that a lot of people in this industry do tend to take advantage of people shipping their effects to other countries. The problem with companies that specialise in effects shipments, is that rep's are all comission based therefore they often tell you what you want to hear when quoting you.