Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Jul 18th 2019, 2:45 am
#1
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Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
We’re (hoping to be) moving to KL sometime in early September. Can anybody give us any idea of how long it might take for our half container/container of belongings to clear customs? I understand that this is one of those “how long is a piece of string” questions but any ideas at all would be helpful. Thanks
Jul 19th 2019, 2:00 pm
#2
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Looking back it seems in 2016 our shipment took 2 weeks from arrival in KL to delivery in Penang.
Jul 19th 2019, 6:24 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Thanks very much. If that timing works the same for us that would be a result!
Jul 20th 2019, 1:02 am
#4
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Ours took about four weeks to clear customs after arrival last September. But that’s because there are many (4!) public holiday weekends last year, and a similar amount this year
Jul 20th 2019, 4:26 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
OS, many thanks to you, too. We’re not expecting to ship until towards the end of August so we’ll just have to see how things go. Four weeks doesn’t sound unreasonable and I can think of worse things than having to stay in a serviced hotel apartment while we wait!
Jul 20th 2019, 4:13 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
I don't know if still an issue, but I got advised to not to ship (or declare) books, other pritned matter, recordings and videos as that may cauuse delays.
This was 10 years ago.
This was 10 years ago.
Jul 20th 2019, 7:26 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
gunnar45, thanks for that. Had the same going from UK to Dubai and from there to Muscat and mrs hnd’s cookery books didn’t seem to cause too many problems. Hopefully our shippers here in Muscat and the receiving agents in KL (Allied Pickfords) know what they’re doing. Pickfords have looked after us for our last two moves so hopefully they’ll do the same this time � ����
Jul 20th 2019, 11:54 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Oct 6th 2019, 12:24 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
An update for those who may be interested
Our container left Oman on 11th September and arrived in MY last Friday, 27th September. We were contacted by Allied Pickfords on Wednesday, 2nd October to say that it had cleared Customs and our belongings were delivered to us in KL on Friday, 4th October.
On the subject of books, we had two boxes of books which were itemised as such on the manifest and it doesn’t appear to have been an issue at all. A couple of our boxes had been opened for inspection (one contained a dismantled shelving unit, another clothes) but neither if those with the books had been touched.
Our container left Oman on 11th September and arrived in MY last Friday, 27th September. We were contacted by Allied Pickfords on Wednesday, 2nd October to say that it had cleared Customs and our belongings were delivered to us in KL on Friday, 4th October.
On the subject of books, we had two boxes of books which were itemised as such on the manifest and it doesn’t appear to have been an issue at all. A couple of our boxes had been opened for inspection (one contained a dismantled shelving unit, another clothes) but neither if those with the books had been touched.
Oct 6th 2019, 10:18 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Many thanks for the update hnd, I would be interested to know your experience with Allied Pickfords?
Your container seemed to arrive pretty quickly was that by choice (extra payment?) or just a standard timescale from Oman?
How long did you have to book them in advance?
Your container seemed to arrive pretty quickly was that by choice (extra payment?) or just a standard timescale from Oman?
How long did you have to book them in advance?
Oct 7th 2019, 2:48 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
We have used Allied Pickfords (or their local associates) for our moves from UK to Dubai (2005), from Dubai to Muscat (2012 - associate companies used in Muscat, most recently Golden Global Logistics) and now from Muscat to Kuala Lumpur. On each occasion we have been more than happy with the service. Their crews are extremely professional and polite and in all three moves we have had no breakages or losses.
Our container did arrive rather quickly - it surprised us, too. It wasn’t by choice ... I guess we were just lucky with the shipping schedules and space availability. We were also surprised, but thankful, that Customs clearance was so swift.
We booked GGL in Muscat about three weeks in advance. For various reasons we had to delay packing/shipping by a week but this didn’t seem to pose any problems. AP aren’t the cheapest but they are a well known international company and as such appear to have a good knowledge of local requirements and Customs formalities which I am sure was a factor in the swift delivery of our belongings.
Hope this helps.
Our container did arrive rather quickly - it surprised us, too. It wasn’t by choice ... I guess we were just lucky with the shipping schedules and space availability. We were also surprised, but thankful, that Customs clearance was so swift.
We booked GGL in Muscat about three weeks in advance. For various reasons we had to delay packing/shipping by a week but this didn’t seem to pose any problems. AP aren’t the cheapest but they are a well known international company and as such appear to have a good knowledge of local requirements and Customs formalities which I am sure was a factor in the swift delivery of our belongings.
Hope this helps.
Oct 7th 2019, 7:38 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Many thanks for the information hnd and I hope the rest of your move continues successfully 
Jan 22nd 2020, 5:08 am
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
Just wondered if anyone has had any recent shipments through and if so the current delays?
Long story short I shipped some more gear when I was in the UK in September, obviously that should have arrived long ago but the company went bust and the goods were eventually shipped yesterday with an ETA of mid February. For me it's now a waiting game but in my shipment is my bike kit which I planned to take too China at the beginning of March. I'd sort of prepared myself to try and buy locally because it wouldn't be here in time but now it maybe or may not.
Long story short I shipped some more gear when I was in the UK in September, obviously that should have arrived long ago but the company went bust and the goods were eventually shipped yesterday with an ETA of mid February. For me it's now a waiting game but in my shipment is my bike kit which I planned to take too China at the beginning of March. I'd sort of prepared myself to try and buy locally because it wouldn't be here in time but now it maybe or may not.
Jan 29th 2020, 6:46 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
We have used Allied Pickfords (or their local associates) for our moves from UK to Dubai (2005), from Dubai to Muscat (2012 - associate companies used in Muscat, most recently Golden Global Logistics) and now from Muscat to Kuala Lumpur. On each occasion we have been more than happy with the service. Their crews are extremely professional and polite and in all three moves we have had no breakages or losses.
Our container did arrive rather quickly - it surprised us, too. It wasn’t by choice ... I guess we were just lucky with the shipping schedules and space availability. We were also surprised, but thankful, that Customs clearance was so swift.
We booked GGL in Muscat about three weeks in advance. For various reasons we had to delay packing/shipping by a week but this didn’t seem to pose any problems. AP aren’t the cheapest but they are a well known international company and as such appear to have a good knowledge of local requirements and Customs formalities which I am sure was a factor in the swift delivery of our belongings.
Hope this helps.
Our container did arrive rather quickly - it surprised us, too. It wasn’t by choice ... I guess we were just lucky with the shipping schedules and space availability. We were also surprised, but thankful, that Customs clearance was so swift.
We booked GGL in Muscat about three weeks in advance. For various reasons we had to delay packing/shipping by a week but this didn’t seem to pose any problems. AP aren’t the cheapest but they are a well known international company and as such appear to have a good knowledge of local requirements and Customs formalities which I am sure was a factor in the swift delivery of our belongings.
Hope this helps.
Hi there
We are moving to Malaysia in August from Muscat. I'm looking at shipping options and wanted to know if GGL were any good at the Muscat and? Also, we won't be shipping a large amount, but items of value - Omani coffee table, lamps and nice photos in frames and pictures etc together with expensive guitars. Were they good at packing your items and what levels of insurance are available?
thanks
Jan 30th 2020, 11:49 pm
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Re: Moving to KL - Customs Clearance
@ MCT2KL, we were more than happy with GGL in Muscat and with Allied Pickfords at this end in KL. As I explained above, we used GGL in Muscat because they are/were (don’t know if they still are) AP’s local associate company and we figured that if they were good enough for AP they were good enough for us, too. We had a 4 bed villa and took almost all of our belongings with us - nearly a full 40’ container - and they packed it all up in just over four days. That was just short of 200 boxes or ‘packages’ as all furniture was wrapped/boxed in made to measure packages. Everything arrived in KL in one piece.
As for insurance, we took a calculated risk and didn’t bother, despite having some antique furniture and valuable artwork and rugs. The problem was that the insurance company that GGL used then insisted on absolutely everything, and I mean everything, being valued and itemised. If just one item wasn’t properly accounted for that invalidated the insurance. As we have some antique furniture and other items which are nigh on impossible to value we decided to take the risk and keep our fingers crossed that our container wouldn’t fall off the ship en route.
For our previous two moves we did take out insurance which almost doubled the cost of the move. However, the process was much easier - only high value items had to be itemised and other items could be lumped together, such as kitchenware, china & glassware etc. This was not the reason for not insuring this time as explained above. Perhaps it may be possible to arrange your own insurance for any high value items?
The contact details we have for GGL are as follows:
<snip>
Hope this helps
As for insurance, we took a calculated risk and didn’t bother, despite having some antique furniture and valuable artwork and rugs. The problem was that the insurance company that GGL used then insisted on absolutely everything, and I mean everything, being valued and itemised. If just one item wasn’t properly accounted for that invalidated the insurance. As we have some antique furniture and other items which are nigh on impossible to value we decided to take the risk and keep our fingers crossed that our container wouldn’t fall off the ship en route.
For our previous two moves we did take out insurance which almost doubled the cost of the move. However, the process was much easier - only high value items had to be itemised and other items could be lumped together, such as kitchenware, china & glassware etc. This was not the reason for not insuring this time as explained above. Perhaps it may be possible to arrange your own insurance for any high value items?
The contact details we have for GGL are as follows:
<snip>
Hope this helps
Last edited by christmasoompa; Jan 31st 2020 at 8:59 am.