thefinneys

Hi

We are moving to Ottawa and Foxes (clockwork I think they are now called) are booked to move us out next Wed and Thurs and have already been paid.

They called today to say the price has gone up another £200 due to freight costs and we will need to pay this before they move us.

Just wondering if this is standard practice and if they can do this. I know it's not a lot of money but when you are working to a tight budget every unexpected cost is a pain.....

To be honest I have been less than impressed with them having spoken to them on the phone a couple of times and beginning to wish I had booked Robinsons..too late now i guess...

Melanie

Silverdragon102

If already paid in full then I can't see how they can ask for more, you had a contract and fulfilled your end and made payment

SimoneT

Check what your contract with them says, sometimes these things are included in the small print. If the contract does not state that they have the right to increase the fee once you have paid in full, then they really have no leg to stand on and you should phone them and point out that this is not part of the contract and ask them to point out where in their opinion this is covered. Hopefully be pushing back like this they will drop their request. If you need more help just PM me as I am a commercial manager and deal with contractual terms and conditions every day Good luck!!

thefinneys

just checked the small print which says'
our quotation may change is our costs change because of currency fluctuations or changes in taxation or freight costs beyond our control'

Also we are using a groupage service they have quoted on a basis of 651 cu feet and the other quotes we had all said 560-565 cu feet. When I mentioned the discrepancy they said that they would prefer to over estimate and if they volume was less than expected they would refund the difference. I am just wondering if there would be an easy was for me to calculate the volume when it's all packed and loaded in the lorry, to try and get some money back!

Moggiemiss

I used Fox and the quote they gave me was valid for 3 months, subject to any major changes in freight costs. As it happens there were no additional costs.

I thought Fox were absolutely superb and the guys that delivered at this end said that everything had been very thoroughly packed. Nothing arrived broken.

The service this end was adequate, but not as good. Tippet Richardson were the contact in Toronto. Globe Moving in Winnipeg took receipt of the goods and communication could have been better. They tried to get the goods out of the container in Winnipeg (without my paperwork) and wasted a couple of days.

The delivery from Winnipeg to T Bay was handled by a sub-contractor, who was workiing to a tight time schedule. We met up at Customs (with the container parked outside) and that was a doddle. The sub-contractor said he had never got through customs so quickly and easily. Well it was 22nd December - perhaps minds were on other things.

He worked fast but a lot of boxes were stacked in a bedroom. One of my beds couldn't be put together because of the boxes and he couldn't work out how to put the large wardrobe fitment together.

I had the wardrobe in bits in a bedroom and on the landing and had to wait for after the New Year for Globe Moving to arrange with a local removal firm to send someone out to put the bed and wardrobe together. I had to chase them up. The local firm had to send someone out twice as the first time the guy didn't have his metric wrench - once more I had to chase up as I suspected it had been forgotten.

The local removal firm took away the empty packing cases, which I emptied myself, although I had paid for an unpacking service - it is much easier to do it yourself. I had to wear gloves to unpack my kitchen stuff on the day it arrived as it was sooooo cold, having travelled half-way across Canada in December!

At the time it was stressful. I did provide Fox with feedback about what had happened this end - I think it was an exception rather than the norm.

rach_woz99

Can't offer advice, but just wanted to say, what a sh***y thing to do to you when it would be nigh on impossible to change packing agents now.
I would be on the phone to the manager causing an uproar if nothing else.

Good luck with the move!

Coffeepot

Tell him your a memeber of this forum and you will report the outcome to all of us that are still waiting to go

wish you luck

Monkey Puzzle

Sound like you're at their mercy a wee bit, what with the wording of the contract. Make sure you very carefully measure for yourself the exact cubic feet you end up using ...then demand your refund as promised if you're owed it.

Grrrr. We negotiated quite hard on our price but it was only a couple of weeks before the stuff was to be sent. Luckily it was honoured. Perhaps these companies see this as additional charge as a "legitimate" (read "sneaky") way to make a few more sheckles in these hard times when they have to be competitive with their quote to get the business in the first place.

PaulandDawn

I have been getting quotes all week from shipping companies for the impending move. When finally got talking to someone who appeared to really know what he was talking about he did mention that if the exchange rate changes dramatically it will change the price. All because the shipping cost goes up so they have to charge you more.

He didn't mention anything about the price going up once you have already paid, he just said that the quote was valid for 28 days. I would check the small print.

I'm sure they would not give you a refund if the exchange rate went the other way!!!

Paul

Auld Yin

Well with a few days to go before the move they truly have you by the short and curly's. Their quote seems to allow them some pricing latitude and other than canceling them and getting a full refund it appears you have to accept it. Then, of course, you would have to restart the whole process. As another poster advised, you could threaten them with exposure on this site but as to any effectiveness, ?????

destinationnovascotia

We used Fox and we had a call from them a few days before the move. They said that they didn't have a container ready to bring to our house so they would be packing all our stuff into a truck which would be held overnight at their depot and then be packed into our container. They assured me that this was just as secure as having it packed at our house.

I was not happy with this at all and told them point blank that if they hadn't got a container then could they kindly send me my money back and I would arrange to go with another company who had.

When I said it I thought OMG, where am I going to get another company at this late stage, but obviously they must have thought that it was possible as they called me back 10 minutes later having miraculously found a container.

So, if I were you I would try to call their bluff. Tell them that they weren't the cheapest quote (even if they were), so there is no room for manoeuver here and that you are willing to go elsewhere. I have a feeling that there will at least be a compromise offered.