Waiting for our container
 

We arrived in Toronto on the 11th. Yeah! But our container full of stuff is stuck in customs in Montreal and we can't get any response as to why or when we might have it. It has been in Canada since the 6th of August and we're getting a bit fed up to say the least.

Anybody else have similar experience or suggestions? Thanks

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Hi sorry havent got any advice as we have not been through it yet. We have decided not to ship any furniture over when we go, we dont have anything of great value and not alot of furniture as most things built in at this house.

I dont fancy making do either till it arrived. Its a great excuse to get all new stuff hee hee!! Which will suit me fine!! Hope your stuff gets there soon!! You renting or have you bought straight away?

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Hi

No advice either, except to keep chasing the company. We moved to Nova Scotia from France, and the French Relocation Company gave us the name of the company in Halifax to deal with along with address and phone number. Wrote down all the numbers on the container for us too. Gave us the name of the ship, it's departure date from Le Havre, and arrival date in Halifax. We were able to call the company in Halifax before the arrival date. However we left France the same day as the container, and had to pretty much make do until the container came. The company called for customs clearance, and that was straighforward, and they released it, and was delivered a couple of days later.

Can you contact the company you used at the departure end to get the customs side followed up, as since it is stuck in Montreal, maybe a little difficult to get them to understand the problem. Are you going to have to go to Montreal to get it cleared? We were told in France that there would be no question of releasing the container to the agent this end, we had to go in person.

We also had to fill out the lists for customs - one in French for the departure side of things, and one in English for when we arrived here. We had the dictionary out for most things.

If you came across from the UK, then someone that end must be able to deal with getting the container released to Toronto, and then for you to get it cleared through customs in Toronto. Our removal company in France were debating whether to send ours to Montreal or Halifax, we said don't you dare send it anywhere other than Halifax.. I think they got our message.

Let us know what happens

Re: Waiting for our container
 

I just spotted our deliberate mistake, we are no longer in Central France, but in Nova Scotia.

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Our Canadian agent can't get any information and either can the company who shipped it over from the UK. All we know is that it is bonded through to Toronto but it has been held up in Montreal for 10 days waiting for a Customs inspection. We have a number that just says to leave a message so can't talk to a human being at Customs.

Frustrating!

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Finally spoke to Customs today. They say the container is in line for inspection and that they're very busy and it might be another 2 weeks.

They don't want to see any of our paperwork documenting what's in the container - until we told them, they weren't even aware it is personal effects. They don't seem to care.

I just didn't expect this and never prepared myself for living without my stuff for 2 months- specially warmer clothes!

Re: Waiting for our container
 

That's terrible! :mad:

It's a shame you can't go out, buy everything you need, and forward the bill to the people holding your stuff! :cool:

Re: Waiting for our container
 

We are in the same situation. We arrived on 4th August our stuff arrived Montreal on 10th August and apparently it didn't leave Montreal until 22nd August.

We have since been told that it is now here in Toronto, so we are now waiting for the customs forms to be posted and then have to go down to customs office to have it cleared (what a nightmare) :scared:

We have also been told that we will probably not get it delivered until beginning of September because it's the end of the month and they are really busy WTF.

Glad I am off to Vegas on Thursday for my birthday and I have not intention on giving it a second thought.

Raine

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Hi
our container was stuck for unknown reasons for just over a week in montreal, the shipping agents said it was probably just due to a backlog.
cheers
Jerry

Re: Waiting for our container
 

we have the opposite, our container arrived in toronto before we had left teh UK, and we were expecting it mid october. We are living with friends and so have nowhere to store everything too so are currently in dispute with robinsons over that and other matters


--- if you are short and fat like me you could have my clothes!

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Hi
I feel for you struggling with the system here.. we paid much more for our relocation from France. We paid 5,300 equivalent in sterling so much more expensive than from the UK, but now realise that they were much more efficient in getting our 20 foot container over in double quick time, and although it was a 3 hour drive to Halifax to get customs clearance.. all in all I think it was worth the money. From reading other threads, shipping from the UK seems to go to Montreal, and then on to Toronto, whereas from Le Havre, it was direct to Halifax. Although we emphasised that to them.
Gemma

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Heard today from a helpful soul at Customs in Toronto that the container is being inspected by the end of this week, then fumigated and then sent to Toronto so we may have it by next week! Of course, the kids will be in school by then so getting to Toronto to clear the blooming thing is going to be awkward.

I'll believe it when I see it....

This whole long drawn out delay is triggering waves of homesickness and doubts about our decision to move here.

Thanks for the sympathetic ears here.

Re: Waiting for our container
 

We finally got our container!!!!!

It arrived yesterday - 6 weeks since it arrived in Canada.

The car had been taken out and washed but when it was put back in they didn't strap it down again so it had obviously had a good roll around between Montreal/Toronto/Peterborough as one of the headlamps was smashed and all the stuff closest to it was bashed around.

But hey - we're so happy to have our stuff finally. The house doesn't echo anymore. Our neighbours came out in force to help us off load. We couldn't have done it without them.

Would I pack and move my own container again? Well, we certainly saved money. It only cost £2,300 door to door for 40' of stuff. I wish we'd been told it could take up to 6 weeks to wait for stuff though! And we relied so heavily on the good will and strength of friends and neighbours both sides of the Atlantic to help us unload. We had teams of 7-9 people both ends.

Thanks for all the moral support I've received from you lot while we waited in limbo.

J

Re: Waiting for our container
 

great news J, you can finally make the place feel like home now with all your things around you.

Re: Waiting for our container
 

Similar experience, yes - arrived in Canada 07 Oct 05, container received 31 Dec 05!!!! Spent the last month of that in a rented house with borrowed bed, 2 office chairs and an ironing board for a table!!!
It will be like 20 Christmases rolled into one when the container arrives!!