Hi all, wanted the dust to settle before posting.

pls see my earlier thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...jaye944&page=2

SO...

went with Anglo-Pacfic.

dates and times arranged, I packed boxes myself, completed all paperwork, all the customes and other paperwork.

dealing with AP was ok, they where a bit picky on the weight iof the boxes, but none the less, one lad turned up and loaded all my boxes on, paid a deposit to secure the date and on loading , paid in full including insurance.

stuff was picked up one week (towards end of june) before I left the country.

AP says there website gives an update of shipping so you can track it, but it never ever worked so had to resort to phone calls from canada.

Asked several times about ETA's none could be given, as it was due to be loaded into a container when one was ready.

Eventually, from Canada, after chasing and emails I got an ETA, of around September.

Was finally contacted by coburns worldwide who was handling the job here, TBH when you could actually get hold of somone they where polite and helpfull.

Was given at ETA again and made plans to turn up at customs, (about 75kms away from me in Mississauga),

again delays and eventually it landed but as customs had a backlog, there was more delays, then I was advised that I didnt need to turn up in person, just send the original paperwork and there people would clear it with customs.

More delays, more delays, and promises that "anyday now"

Eventually my cargo was delivered by EVL, and the first thing the guys said

"Hi mate, sorry but each and every box has been squashed, crumpled, damaged, oh and it looks as if somone's walked over them as there are bootmarks." and "no we didnt open or check for damage"

unloaded the boxes and noted damages, but luckily, due to the quality of the plastic boxes I got and the cardboard boxes all packed carefully, NOTHING was damaged except one 7x5 picture frame, where the glass was broken.

After advising AP, was advised "thaks for bringing it to our attention, but it could not have happened in our wearhouse" and Coburns advised "Oh thats not too bad"



so.............. here's the bare facts and suggestions/comments,


1> Originally dispatched from House (UK) end of June, arrived October
(Wife was pregnant and it was a close call from her delivery day of 1st october)

2> All boxes squashed and walked over, (probably played TETRIS with them in the container)

3> Even though a full customes mannifest was taken, all packaging intact and I could have got away with a few more items and should not have worried about quoting EXACT entries

4> Use "unbreakable plastic crates from B&Q" !!!!

5> Boxes should not be heavier than 30 kg's, (if classified as NOT a full house move), though there is some leeway

6> FILL ALL EMPTY SPACE AND TO THE TOP with bubble wrap or shreded paper (which is cheaper) even use linen/towels

7> wrap any electrical items in black plastic wrap (available form Big Yellow Storage)

think thats it

Why did you have to go to Customs 75 Km away? you could have gone to Front Street or even the airport.

The reason your shipment took so long is because you chose to send it as groupage, a very cheap way to get you goods here, but the price you pay is having to wait for a container to become full, as you now know this can take weeks/months.

Not just groupage - we had our own 20 foot can which went weeks beyond 'guaranteed' delivery date - apparently some companies have priority of loading, so cans can get bumped. (sigh) It missed a few boats, and then the same happened in Montreal with the trains. Never mind, all here now (and in time for Christmas, which was the real disaster waiting in the wings given we had said 1 Oct!) The tracking system worked for us - although they kept changing their mind about which ship it was getting loaded to, so we had tracked a couple all the way before they told us it hadn't made that ship after all.

We paid £5100 before insurance.

You gets what you pays for

No such thing in shipping as gauranteed delivery date. As you said can's get bumped, ships get delayed, all sorts of things can hold a ship up. The company that shipped it for should have been able to tell you for definate which ship it was on, after all, they have to write a Bill of Lading for it.

Glad it all arrived safely though - thats the main thing.

It was Oshuwa, that was where the ship landed near. So that was the port
and yes I understand the about the container, (LCL) - sorry its all coming back to me now.

Oshawa! ships from the UK come into Montreal. Was the recieving agent based in Oshawa? That is a bad service. They should have emailed you the manifest for you to go to the airport or Front Street to clear. Oh well you live and learn as they say.

as i said, I couldnt get any intelligible info outta them at both ends despite asking, couldnt check on line, manifest, bill of lading, ship etc.

all I know is they finally said, i had to go to Oshawa to clear.

but yeah as ya said,

just wanted to give any brits thinking of using these guys my experiences

overall for the money and (no damages) it was ok.
luckily I was living with OH and had somewhere to sleep etc