Re: our shipping company search
 

Whites quoted us £5050 for 20ft to Manitoba, no deposit to pay, no payment required until delivery from storage is requested. This price includes full pack and un-pack.

Regards

Andrew

Re: our shipping company search
 

Can I ask you guys on this thread that have been getting quotes. If the company's you saw told you how long the quote was valid for. We guarantee ours for 30 days, any increase we would absorb for the 30 day life of the quote. I am curious as to what other company's are doing.

Re: our shipping company search
 

Can't honestly remember validity of quotes although we were told by all the companies that it wasn't valid after 1 March.

But I agree wholeheartedly that ALL should absorb any increase for the validity of the quote and certainly after it has been accepted! Otherwise we're left open to unlimited increases forever....

Re: our shipping company search
 

I know that Maersk & Hap Hag increased shipping costs in March. I f I am understanding some comments correctly, you were all aware of this, and the companies who quoted changed their quotes once they knew what the additional charges would be? Am right in thinking that some people have been told there will be an additional 350 over and above the shipping line increase? I am curious to know, if this is the case how they are justifying the extra cost.

Once the quote has been accepted and the contract formed the only additional charges should be for things that cant be forseen, such as customs inspection, the customer wanting to ship more that the volume on the accepted quote, or a heavy piece of furniture, such as a piano going to a floor other that the main floor, these things should be listed in the exclusions on your quotes. If the customer cant take delivery of their container for what ever reason as soon as it has cleared customs then there could also be off load and warehouse handling fee's, but this would be at the Canada end not in the UK.

I understand that all you guys are new to the shipping world, but it is so important for you to hammer out the fine details of each quote, ask the companys quoting as many questions as you like to get the answers, if they are not comfortable with you drilling down the fine detail of a quote, then I would say move on to the next. I am sorry to say that there are companys out there that give low quotes to get the job, and then the additional charges start popping up.

Good luck to you all. I am "in the trade" but the shipping of my home was still the most nerve wracking part of moving to Canada. One thing I didnt do, which I will certainly do next time, is take a selection of family photos with me on the airplane, times of stess like this make you forget what you could potential lose, and cant get back.

Re: our shipping company search
 

Our quote was after the 1st March increase, we have used Whites 3 times previously (But we didn't foot the bill) in our case they did give us a £450 discount. Apparently the cost for shipping to Manitoba is more than other provinces due to the in line shipping (Road haulage). I know of other's who moved to MB last year and paid around the £6000 for a 20ft.

Regards

Andrew

Re: our shipping company search
 

OK, here's what the MP T&Cs state (almost identical to GB Liners I think - without saying for sure as I haven't got their paperwork to hand).

Comes under the heading of "Quotation" and mentions price can change if it isn't accepted in writing within 28 days (bcmama says she accepted by email - not sure how that would stand in law, or if she would have had to actually sign the contract).

Also:

"we may change the price or make additional charges if circumstances are found to apply which have not been taken into account when preparing our quotation and confirmed by us in writing. These include:..." [goes on to say various stuff that you mentioned, but also] "...Our costs change because of currency fluctuations or changes in taxation or freight charges beyond our control".

That to me reads that they can charge whatever they like if freight (is that shipping?) charges increase - after the quotation has been accepted and contract signed.

So far, only bcmama has been told of an increase and she hadn't signed the contract, but says she had accepted by email. All quotes (I think) were "finalised" post March; mine certainly took into account shipping increases, so I am not sure why a further shipping increase has now been raised for bcmama's shipment. I also don't know who we are going with - it's via Grangemouth to Rotterdam, then Rotterdam to Halifax, so could be the same ones (which makes me worry that I'm about to get a call).

MP for us weren't the cheapest and we did go through the contract(s). The two we got it down to (based on a combination of reputation and price) were so similar, I quite honestly thought they all had the same standard T&Cs and didn't look further. Lesson learned, maybe. Reports are on the forum of GBL adding on further costs post quote, but this is the first I heard of MP doing it.

As if this weren't stressful enough!

Re: our shipping company search
 

Just dug out the cancellation terms for MP - over 10 working days before date of removal - no charge. So bcmama can cancel without any problem and go elsewhere, which is what I would do.

What worries me is if they contact me after that time and increase the cost!! :eek:

Re: our shipping company search
 

We've just accepted White & Co as our shippers, the guy called me a couple of hours ago to confirm that their quote to us, made back in late February, so more than 30 days ago and before any March 1st price revisions, will still stand as "the change in cost after March 1st is practically nothing, a matter of pounds" so he is happy for us to proceed based on the price he initially gave.

This is £7150 for a 40' container from Manchester to Calgary in August.

MP were a few hundred pounds more expensive and GBL were £1000 more, even after they reduced their initial quote.

Re: our shipping company search
 

Just out of interest, could you check the T&Cs when you get them and see if they are the same as MP's and GBL's? (Well, the bit I quoted anyway.)

I'm wondering if they can all increase, but in practice, usually don't.

I didn't get a quote from Whites - rang a few times and they didn't answer the phone. I think at that point I was losing the will so didn't take much to make me not bother getting another quote from another company...

Re: our shipping company search
 

I noticed the same thing with the T&Cs, they all looked almost identical in wording, between GBL, Whites and MP; clearly an industry-standard thing. Whites have the clauses about the customer agreeing "to pay any reasonable charges arising from the above circumstances", those circumstances being 11 situations, including one about costs changing due to currency fluctuations, changes in taxation, freight, fuel, ferry or toll charges beyond our control".

I suspect if I try to have those clauses removed I'd never find a shipper who'd agree. I'm of the opinion that life is too short, I've got too much still to do, and I'll just fight them over this if the need arises. Nothing I've heard from Whites so far gives me cause to be concerned that this is something they might try (hiking the costs during the course of the removal).

Re: our shipping company search
 

Pretty much my take on it.

Although I also didn't have cause to be concerned that MP might try it, until bcmama posted!!

I suspect if any firm does this after the contract is signed, bad publicity and the mention of "unfair contract terms" might be enough to put them off going through with it.

Right, I'm off to worry about something else (of which there is lots). Will report back if I get any threats of increased prices!

:)

Re: our shipping company search
 

[QUOTE=Miss Clinique;10659925]I know that Maersk & Hap Hag increased shipping costs in March. I f I am understanding some comments correctly, you were all aware of this, and the companies who quoted changed their quotes once they knew what the additional charges would be? Am right in thinking that some people have been told there will be an additional 350 over and above the shipping line increase? I am curious to know, if this is the case how they are justifying the extra cost./QUOTE]

Yes it was me that was given a quote already including the March 1st increases - allegedly valid for 28 days only to then be told the quote was going up by £350 due to another increase in shipping costs from Scotland. Haven't been given any further explanation as to why. Funnily enough the two other companies GB & Fox don't know anything about these increases - but then MP said they must be using different shipping lines?

Re: our shipping company search
 

[QUOTE=bcmama;10660274]I have the same unpleasant experience with MP as they have advised me that the price will go up but not yet told me by how much! As my goods are already in storage with them I don't think there's anything I can do about it.

Re: our shipping company search
 

[QUOTE=bcmama;10660274][QUOTE=Miss Clinique;10659925]I know that Maersk & Hap Hag increased shipping costs in March. I f I am understanding some comments correctly, you were all aware of this, and the companies who quoted changed their quotes once they knew what the additional charges would be? Am right in thinking that some people have been told there will be an additional 350 over and above the shipping line increase? I am curious to know, if this is the case how they are justifying the extra cost./QUOTE]

Yes it was me that was given a quote already including the March 1st increases - allegedly valid for 28 days only to then be told the quote was going up by £350 due to another increase in shipping costs from Scotland. Haven't been given any further explanation as to why. Funnily enough the two other companies GB & Fox don't know anything about these increases - but then MP said they must be using different shipping lines?[/QUOTE]

Sorry, this made me laugh. Of course, GB, Fox, Whites........ all use the same shipping lines. There has been one increase by Mearsk and Hap-Hag. Sounds like most companys have absorbed the cost of the increase if they have already quoted.

Re: our shipping company search
 

[QUOTE=Theoldfields;10660320]Was this because you went into store pre-March, and the usual increase was anticipated, or have you had a call in the last few weeks to say it will be more than you signed the contract for after the March increase was included?