Kaye5

Thanks for the update, Izzi - you've gone for some of the same firms we did.

Also spoke to Matthew today at Moving Partnership. We have an assessor coming out on Monday and then I think that will be our last quote.

I'm coming round to Moving Partnership, I think, unless there is something that tips it at the last minute. Don't know why - no-one stands out above any other and I think at the end of the day, in the absence of anything else it's maybe just luck of the draw. You can see good and bad reviews about most firms - GB Liners and Moving Partnership seem to have fewest bad experiences reported on this forum - but who knows the real level of customer satisfaction from everyone they have moved?!!

If we had lots of valuable stuff, I think I would be more concerned, but as most of our stuff is old tat, not sure it's the end of the world if they break or lose a few IKEA glasses.

Don't forget the insurance, though!

Kitslane

Matthew from Moving Partnership has been busy today - I've also been in touch with him! haha...we're coming around to them too, Matthew has been v helpful. Just waiting on a revised quote.

Kaye5

Where are you in northumberland, Kitslane? We're just up the road (across the border).

Shame you're going to the west - we could have shared a 40ft-er.

Kitslane

That would've been handy! We're just North of Morpeth so not far from the border!

Kaye5

Well if you change your mind and decide the east is for you - let me know. We're heading out around 3rd June!

izzi81

2 companies in for surveys today, and I've decided that 2 in quick succession is the most I can manage! First thing in the morning we had PSS, and then GB Liners. Both seemed very nice, very knowledgeable. I liked the guy from PSS - least like a salesman, and he actually does the packing and removal work as well as surveying - but they have no option for any kind of self-packing.

On the packing front, I had really hoped this would be somewhere we could make a saving, as I really don't mind doing a lot of it. However, I'm beginning to wonder if this is actually possible, and am starting to think this shipping malarkey is going to cost an arm and a leg Matthew from the Moving Partnership got back to me, and unfortunately although he thought he could save us a lot, turns out he can't! And he also mentioned the 3hr loading window as well. I think we can load, but not in 3hrs.

GB Liners said we could do some of the packing to save some cash, though how much I don't know, depends on the quote when it appeared. They were the first to come out and say that their quote is negotiable, which surprised me!

Also got a quote by email from Fox Moving. They've not done a survey, and their quote was quite pricey.

Updated quote from shipit.co.uk, including packing and loading, and discovered from the quote document that our container would come via Montreal!! Which is bizarre, because every other company has made a point of saying that because we're going to NS if we take a sole use container it will go straight to Halifax. So no surprise the shipit.co.uk quote went up quite a bit when they added delivery, because the delivery is from Montreal! Interesting they didn't mention that before when they were happy to quote up to arrival at the destination port... I'd not be too pleased if I paid then found I had to go and get it from Montreal!

So this whole process is becoming rather tiring... no company stands out so far, and I'm thinking we have no hope of saving money by self-packing/loading which means it's going to be expensive.

Must keep optimistic lol!

still no quote from ewepack, my last resort on the self-packing/loading front...

Kaye5

Izzi, that is pretty much how I feel.

BTW - they should ALL be negotiable, even if they don't mention it. And if they aren't - others are! Though I wouldn't be banking on more than a few hundred.

Ewepack will give you a quote over the phone - they can Googlemap where you live and streetview it to see access. I had to phone and then chase up by email I think. They DID work out cheaper, but as I think I said, we were given a window of hours to load - not days - and the savings lessened as we added on cost of boxes and packaging and of lowering the container. I know from experience moving ourselves in the past that it always takes us longer than we think, so - for us - I think the stress isn't worth it.

A few of them are starting to annoy me as they keep emailing me, even though I have told them I will get back to them when I know the date.

MP on Monday - then next week I will see whose final price is best then work it from there. Need to get something booked in so we know a firm date to work to.

AberystwythGirl

Does anyone have any experience of using Shipit/1st Move????

The shipping companies are certainly being kept busy - we are getting quotes to ship in April to Kelowna.

Our cheapest quote so far is shipit/1stMove straight to Vancouver! Quotes came straight through without any need to visit, extra quotes for transport of our 2 cars to Tilbury came through within hours.

Each removal firm I seem to meet have different little things that they don't like - some its mud, one had the horrors over our lawn mower, their face is picture when I show them the kids toys and the wind surfer but the best one is when I tell them about the 7 saddles and the rubber stable mats I want to pack!!!! lol:

energysolutions

Is that looking like its going to be cost effective, ie cheaper than selling what you have now and what you could replace with in Canada? What age are the cars?

AberystwythGirl

The cars are 2005 Porsche Cayenne and 2007 BMW M3 - doubt that we would get much for them, even if we can sell them over here. I tried to sell the BMW last summer but had 1 viewing and no offer!

To replace the Porsche with another 4x4 would surely be 25kCAD so under £3000 to ship the two seems a good deal.

energysolutions

I thought you couldnt import anything that was under 15 years old?

AberystwythGirl

We're not importing we are "settling" and therefore the cars we are using over here now are our possessions so to speak and one of the exceptions they allow in. Some of the removal firms don't understand the difference.

izzi81

Are you sure that's right? It still has to have the required paperwork from what I've read, its not as simple as saying you own it now so you can bring it with you... The canadad border services agency has a doc about importing vehicles which applies to people emigrating?

Bucks_Family

I can see in our beloved Wiki (http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Goods_To_Follow#Vehicles) that there is this line:

If you, as a new settler, have owned and used a vehicle abroad, you may import it into Canada without paying customs duties or federal GST. In some cases, however, you will have to pay provincial sales tax (PST).

However, that might relate to someone being allowed to import a car without paying customs duties or tax (apart from some potential provincial tax), as in cars are not prohibited items.

Seperately, a car which is to be imported from a country other than the USA should meet the conditions set out in this document:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/s...-index-446.htm

I don't see that being a settling immigrant is a special circumstance on that page.

It would be very interesting to know if I and other posters are misunderstanding the rules. AberystwythGirl, is there a webpage somewhere that shows settlers are "immune" from things like the 15-year-old rule?

AberystwythGirl

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...f5048-eng.html states:-

“You can import a vehicle into Canada on the condition that the vehicle is designed, manufactured, tested and certified to meet the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, bears a statement of compliance label affixed by the original manufacturer, has not been altered, and the certification from the original manufacturer is still on the vehicle in any of the following situations:- You are a first-time settler to Canada and you owned, possessed and used your vehicle before your arrival in Canada.