Just to let folks know that we got our container last Monday.
We cleared customs last Thurs and talk about being guilty till proven inocent!!
No, it wasn't that bad but you are just waiting for them to say they are inspecting your container. Having said that, if I were to do this again I would bring absolutley everything and rsik it being opened, cos the $800 they charge is small change to some of the stuff we have had to replace. We knew we would have to replace things but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
We used Fox International and the service was excellent, both in the Uk and over here. Not one thing has been damaged or chipped.
We had our own sealed 20ft container that cost £3380
I just wish we had put more in
Hope this helps
jo

Congratulations bear-diesel, it must be great to have your own familiar things around you.

Stupid question, what were you charged $800 for?

I wasn't charged $800, but this is roughly what they charge at customs IF the decide to open your container for inspection. this said I would risk the inspection if I ever had to do it again as this is a small amount compared with replacing items we have left at home
there is so much advice on what you can and can't take
sorry for the confusion

Just me being thick, sorry.

Hey, congrats, that is great progress. I can well imagine it felt like christmas opening up all your familliar things. HOpe it is a great feeling tongiht to sit on your own furniture, etc.

I HOPE mine arrives soon, it has made it as far the shippers bonded warehouse in Vancouver, now just needs to make it thru customs and up the sea to sky highway to me. I have been camping out in my new home for 4 weeks now, and would dearly love some furniture!!

So if you ship your container with all the correct paperwork and canadian customs decide they want to inspect it for what ever reason YOU would have to pay $800 for the Privilege
of them messing you around...


Why is this?

If they don't find anything untoward can you claim the $800 back...prob not eh?

We were 'lucky' enough to have our container inspected in June.

It cost us just over $700 for the pleasure. This was levied by the removal company, who's guys had to unload the container all over the warehouse floor, wait for customs to do their thing, then load it all back up again into a lorry to deliver it. Time equals money !! Our money !!

And for info, this is where the damage occurred to most items - not a lot - but enough to be miffed about, and to submit and insurance claim

Well done bear-diesel - welcome to you and your container !!

Hope you arn't waiting on AMJ Campbell

No, Williams International this end.

But, my boat was supposed to have landed on Aug 16th, and didnt land until 24th apparently, and container has been at their bonded warehouse for a week already, so am fairly fed up.

And thats the big swindle,they charge you for something the do any way ie, offload the containers contents into a removel truck. But this way they can put the blame on customs

I nearly had a heart atack when I read about the $800 - going to claim my container on Wednesday but as we are moving into new house on October 12th we want to store for 6 weeks - shipping handlers want $800 for the privelege of doing this for us

Great news about getting your own furniture, must be nice. How did you find it, trying to do without while you waited for the container?

We have been debating it, whether to take it all or leave some behind and try and sell it. What is your advice about the white goods, kitchen stuff, is it worth packing it all and seeing how long it lasts when it's unpacked. I have noticed when we had a look at some properties, that a lot of them came with washing machine and tumble dryer.

Cheers for the info,
regards,
Carl

Hi Gaynor,

that's a bit of a bugger about your container, now you have to put it in storage, roll on getting your moving in date.

Let us know how you are getting on, me dears,
Carl

Hi Carl

THere have been lots of threads on this, but in my opinion, dont bother with white goods or electircal stuff (except computers) but bring as much else with you as you can. Furniture, books, knicknacks, etc.

From what i have seen, appliances are usually included in a sale. (Mine were, certainly)

Having your own stuff around you will be really nice (i dont yet speak from experience, still waiting...) and although it ought to be fun, shopping for all the things you need for a new home gets to be very trying, very quickly.

Also, as homes here seem on the whole to be a bit bigger, you will need some new stuff anyway, so your existing stuff can always go into the lesser rooms, and new stuff in to the main ones.

I bought some basic bedding, towels, etc with me which was totally the right thing to do. Had to buy cheap sets of kitchen stuff to tide me over which was fine (you know, $20 for 16 piece place set, $30 for 3 saucepan set, $10 for 16 glasses,etc) the one thing that bugged me was couldn't find cheap worthwhile cutlery so wished i had packed some and it wouldnt have taken much room.

HTH.

Yes and no ! I was told that the container would be delivered in its entirety to my new home in Canada, ie, never unloaded at all. So, if customs had not chosen us (and we feel soooo special now!), I was anticipating that the container would have turned up exactly as it had left our house in the UK. I was not expecting or budgeting for an extra layer of unloading/manhandling.