kizbut1

Don’t really know where to start with this one. I really hope that no-one else has had this happen to them.
We had 2 shippers, both registered with BAR, give us quotes. We chose the one we wanted to go with and told the other that we wouldn’t need them. They asked us who we were using so I told them. No problem. Why would there be?
Today I got a call from the ‘Credit Department’ of our chosen shippers, asking for the full amount to be paid, upfront, to secure the quoted price. This is 8 weeks up front! Apparently the autumn price rises were due in next week and if we didn’t pay, there and then, by credit or debit card, the price would go up a further £200 on Wednesday. I didn’t know what to say, I certainly didn’t give him my details, but said I’d ring him back once I’d spoken to my husband as this was totally unexpected since everyone else needs paying 7 days prior to shipping. I was very shaken by it.

10 minutes later the Shipper we had decided against, rang and said how disappointed he was that we hadn’t gone with them and maybe he could make some adjustments to his figures, he reassured me that they were a reputable company who only ever charged what they quoted unlike ‘some’ companies who once they’d got your stuff would then up the prices and you’d have to pay the extra to get it back, also that there were so many going bankrupt (and he gave me a long list at this point) that ‘some’ companies were even resorting to asking for payment weeks ahead to stay afloat, whereas they would only ever ask for payment as we were getting on the plane. I was really freaked out at this point because it sounded as though he could have been in the room while I took the previous call! I said as much to him and he changed the subject reassuring me that they would take the very best of care with our stuff and reduced the price to almost that of the shippers we’d originally chosen. I spoke to my husband about the calls when he got home, and thinking it was a ‘bit off’ I called the number I had been given to tell them to stick their quote but the person who answered said I had the wrong number. The alarm bells that were already tinkling in the background turned into a claxon at that point.

I quickly rang our first choice shippers and told them of the call requesting payment. They were as confused as I was and explained that no-one of that name worked for them, that they would never, ever operate like that and it all sounded highly suspect and could they call us back. We had a call from their head office, very apologetic for our distress and very shocked that this had happened. They were very good, reassuring us that they wouldn’t operate in this way and that their quotes stood for 30days till signed etc etc. She thought it so serious that she would be telling the MD straight away. I then had a call from him. Again the MD was mystified and shocked that his company had been involved, that they were a member of BAR and being a member meant that they had to operate by rules and regulations to prevent things like this happening. He wasn’t happy with the idea of anything like this bringing the trade into disrepute let alone involving his company’s name in scaremongering prospective clients, he was very apologetic and totally understood if it we put the job out to other companies and started from scratch. He completely understood how this must have shaken our trust in the whole trade but wanted to reassure us that it was something he had never come across before and was at pains to underline that he did not believe his security had been breached. He said he knew the trade was feeling hard times, but nothing that should make companies do this to each other. He also said that the peak times for the trade were the summer months and prices were set to fall if anything. Talking it through with him, it all began to stink a bit...actually it began to stink a lot. The brighter ones of you will probably already be there. The person in the 'Credit Department' had effectively been trying to either intimidate me into
a) giving out my credit card details to secure a price that was in ‘danger’ of going up or
b) being upset enough to call our shippers to tell them where to stick their price and early payment so that I would go back to our discarded shippers.

It’s a bit of a long one isn’t it? I don’t want to scare anyone else, but I think you should be aware of this. Never give your details to anyone over the phone unless you have rung them, you don’t know who you are speaking to. Read the small print on your contract, even if it is boring. Above all, if you get a call like this, ring the company back and ask them what the heck is going on, you could be being scammed too.

The good news is the MD of our chosen shippers happens to be on the Board of Directors for BAR and he will be bringing it up with them. When I told him off the record who the other shippers are, he didn’t sound surprised, just disappointed. It puts us in an awkward position because of naming and shaming at the directors meeting if we have been the only ones they have tried it on with.

What I am interested in, as is the MD of our shippers who has said he will be watching out for this post, is if anyone else has had this happen to them? I am certainly NOT asking you to name and shame on this site, but feel free to PM me as BAR will be extremely interested.
Thank you for reading

tartankoala

Do you still have these details? I assume you're passing them onto the Police or relevant authorities?

moneypenny20

That's appalling but I have no doubt you were not the first it's happened too, it sounds too pat for you to be the first. Some people who have been scammed may be too embarrassed to admit it but certainly not heard of anyone posting on here with that issue.

Well done on going the distance. Obviously you can't name and shame on here but if anyone has had this happen then it's fine for them to contact you. You just have to be really careful of litigation as all shippers have someone looking on these boards on a regular basis.

Good luck with your move, when you make it.

Rudi

Wow, that's shocking. I am so glad you didn't get caught out with this scam. Thank you for posting it as a warning to other people.

Love

Rudi
x

Zenshin

Hello
Thank you so much for bringing this to everyone's attention. I am still in the process of deciding between 2 shippers and since we are not sure on our exact dates we have been unable to confirm which one we will use yet. I have let both shipping companies know this is the reason why we have not decided, however one of the shipping companies calls me every 3 weeks to ask if I have made a decision on who I am going to use. I tell him that firstly we haven't got a date and that secondly I hadn't decided to definitely go with his company. He has pressured me to reveal the competition which I refuse to do as I don't need to hear him slag them off. He then usually starts begging that I choose his company since he has put so much effort into the quote and answering all our questions.

This has seriously put me off the company. I can't stand whiny needy people. He has also stated he can come down on price if that will secure the deal but at this point I don't feel I want to even deal with him even if it means a slightly better deal. I am wondering if this may be the same company you are referring to as they sound pretty desperate.

kizbut1

Hi, Zenshin, I've PMd you

Mrs Vash

Please let me know who the companies are by PM. I have twice told one company that we aren't using them and have given them the name of the company we are using. Forewarned is forearmed. Thanks!

fudgeangel

Hi Kizbut1

Thanks for bringing this to our attention and thank goodness you weren't ensnared by the dodgy deal..

I'd be really grateful if you could PM me this shipping company with its 'credit department'. We are also getting quotes in, and one of the firms is very persistant - has got to the point now where I'm using the answerphone to screen my calls and there's enough stress going around as it is..

thanks (and good luck to everyone trying to get good shippers!!)
fudgeangel

kizbut1

Hi fudgeangel
I've pm'd you

freckles1970

Could you pm me the name of this firm please. I am about to start getting quotes for shipping my stuff and really don't want to be dealing with a company that is going to hassle me. Many thanks for taking the time to write the message

ray2gill

If you think it's a scam then tell the company that you have cancelled all your credit cards due to going overseas but will give them a cheque. If they are a bonified company this will be perfectly acceptable.

I refuse to deal with companies who give a quote and when they don't get the contract offer to reduce their price. It means that they were ripping me off in the first place!

asprilla

Great post kizbut1 - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has their fingers crossed that the company in question will be punished.

Perhaps it might be worth doing a similar post on other expat forums, to get the word out.

Deutschmaster

What I found when collecting quotes is to check that the are actually quoting correctly.

I sent over 5 x 3cuft boxes and a bike carton. I emailed several shipping firms with that and got a load of quotes back. A couple of them looked too cheap and when I had a look at what they had quoted for they had left either the bike carton off or one of the other boxes.

It crossed my mind whether they had made a genuine mistake, surprising as it the quote was requested in writing, or if they would charge me then ask for more money later saying 'that was never included in the original quote'

kizbut1

Good point as I know they send stuff to other places too, I just posted here because its where we're going.

ozhappy981

Reminds me of the scam BA had going many years ago, when Virgin flights became serious competition.

They'd phone up Virign customers pretending to be Virgin staff and telling them that their flights had been cancelled (hoping the enraged customers would then book with BA and never fly Virgin again).

When Virgin found out about this they took BA to court and won the case.

In tough economic times, this sort of scam becomes popular with unscrupulous/desperate operators.

It was a good thing that the OP decided to phone the company back - thereby realising it wasn't them that had made the call to ask for payment.