MrGreen

Has anyone had any experience of shipping just a few boxes of personal belongings etc rather than doing to big container move??? We're not taking any furniture other than a couple of large pictures that need packing. I'm hoping it's a lot cheaper - anyone???

TLB

Just an idea to which I know nothing about, (but would be interested to know!! ), but what about FedEx-ing or sending a smallish crate by freight - I know that ZOOM do freight.
Tracey

stubby1974

look at frieght companies ratehr than removals - then you might get a better deal....

try Gaz

Advance Forwarding Ltd
Castle Lane Industrial Estate
Melbourne, Derbys,
United Kingdom DE73 8JB

Tel: (+44) (0) 1332-865656, Fax: (+44) (0) 1332-865657
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.advanceforwarding.com

Atlantic Xpat

20 boxes of personal effects including two mountain bikes and three crates made by yours truly to carry various paintings/pictures. Door to Door Essex to St John's NL. Cost around GBP500 IIRC. I used a freight forwarder called Frans Maas UK through their Felixstowe office. Any freight forwarder should be able to do a similar move. I bought the boxes from Big Yellow Self Storage.

HTH,

AX

TLB

How long did the shipping take? And where were your boxes collected from?
Tracey

Buchan6

Same here, tight a***d Northerners for you !!

Seriously though, we are in a similar position shipping from Manchester to Southern Ontario. 6 - 12 meduim sized boxes containing kitchen plates, CD'd, photo's, that kind of stuff. No furniture or electricals.

Any advice / experiences appreciated.
Cheers

Atlantic Xpat

About 2mths - If you are sending less than a container (whats known as an LCL or groupage shipment) then the freight forwarder will hang onto your freight until he can combine it with other shipments to fill a container. Our shipment went by ship to Montreal and then was trucked to NL. Collection was from my door in Maldon, Essex.

TLB

Thanks for that. We were told by Pickfords a year or so ago it would take that length of time for a 20ft container!! And for about 5 times the cost!
Did you have to go to Montreal to clear your goods through Customs?
Tracey

Atlantic Xpat

No. The theory was that the shipment would be made in bond to St. John's where I'd have to pitch up with my goods to follow list and form from landing. What actually happened was that the shipment turned up out of the blue and was delivered to our door and I didnt have to do anything with customs!

TLB

What luck!! We're hoping to move to southern Ontario so we wouldn't be too far away from Toronto where shipping would land!! I suppose the likelyhood wouuld be we'd have to collect from there!
Tracey

Buchan6

Tracey, Have PM'ed you.

Canada Jane

We are in a similar position and did look at a company called Excess Baggage, who specialise in smaller shipments.

They quoted 2 x 9cft cartons (78x55x55 cm) door to door from Northamptonshire to Ontario at £376 - seafreight.

Airfreight from Northants to Toronto Airport £343.

They supply the cartons, packaging materials free and have many sizes etc.

Has anyone used this company?

Tidge

Thanks for the info - I have contacted Fraans Maas and Advance Forwarding regarding shipping a number of boxes and a rowing machine! I will post the results as they come in.

allie2

I booked my flight with BA as they allow 2 X 32kg as standard and then charge 90GBP per item of excess baggage. I had to keep the boxes under 32kg so I bought some shipping scales from Ebay but I found that as long as I could comfortably lift the box, it stayed under 32kg. I used 1 metre cube boxes and pre-warned BA that I would have 5 boxes of excess baggage. They told me on the phone that I could book someone to help at the other end and that it was included in the price of my ticket. At Manchester Airport they had no idea what I was talking about, there were no notes of that particular conversation and they do not offer that service. It stressed me out a little since I was on my own. At the other end, you can hire porters to help you with your stuff, though I didn't as I didn't think they would wait whilst I went through immigration.

I landed in Vancouver and though the signs said no trolleys in the immigration centre, it was so empty that it didn't matter. It would have been easier if I had been coming over with someone else but I managed it on my own.

The customs people weren't interested which I find bizarre, even though I had a complete inventory with me for each box.

I could have done it cheaper I guess, but for me it was the most simple route. It could have gotten stressful if customs had stopped me, or a box had gone missing, but it didn't happen.

This method worked for me as I figured I would rather have all the stress on one day. As as it happens, it was not at all stressful, apart from having to handle 3 trolleys on my own!

Wannabe

I shipped my stuff by air cargo - sent it off a couple of days before I left the country, and picked it up the day after I got here.
It cost me around $1,000 for 170-180 kilos, I think.