Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We are moving back to the UK at the beginning of April. We've had removals quotes from all of the above companies and they are all around the same price - apart from ATO who are the most expensive by ca $1200 but are looking at reducing it in order to get our custom.

I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has used any of the 3 companies. Hoping to make a decision this week so any help/opinions would be great. :)

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

Chess are part of the same global network (UniGroup Worldwide UTS) as us and they provide services to our customers moving to or from Australia so I can definately recommend them.

I know that Chess and Kent are both FIDI FAIM certified so are independently audited which demonstrates their quality and international shipping abilities, I can't see ATO as a member on the FIDI list though? http://www.fidi.com/index.html?page=49

Are they all offering like for like service?

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

Yes, all offering a door to door full packing and unpacking service.

ATO as in Across the Ocean.....?

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

I'm afraid I haven't heard of them and they are not a FIDI member.

Just looked at their website and see they have an office in the UK too? Do they use agents to do the moving or do they have their own vehicles and crews? If they use agents you might want to ask if the agents are FIDI FAIM or BAR Overseas certified just to make sure.

Hope that helps!

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We used Kent. The packed everything very well and loaded the container so tightly you couldn't get a sheet of paper between the boxes. They use PSS at this end who, by contrast, seemed a bit slapdash. Although very polite and keen to help.

One thing you might want to consider is that they did use a LOT of packing materials (miles of bubble roll, chip shop paper and cardboard boxes) and we have found it very hard to dispose of this sustainably back here in the UK - recycling is fine for the paper and card, but the bubble roll has to go in landfill and the multiple trips to the dump get you down after a while.

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We used Kent from Aus back to the UK & found them to be fine. They used Bishops on the UK end who we thought were better than Kent's.
Regarding disposal of packing materials, Bishops took the majority of it away anyway, and apparently they do recycle/reuse (so they say).

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We have used Chess and it arrives in UK next week :thumbsup:

They were good on the Melbourne end. This end is being handled by Britannia who have been good in their communications, so fingers crossed for the delivery.

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

Our problem was that they were delivering to a rental so we didn't unwrap everything there and then (only about a 1/4 infact). Had we been moving to our permanent home, they would have unwrapped and taken everything - and the recycling problem would have been their's. Strangely, on the way over to Aus we used PSS and Kent in the opposite direction and Kent did a complimentary box and packing pick-up a week or so after they unloaded us but PSS didn't on the way back.

I also forgot to mention that we got stung for an extra week on the docks at Harwich as the container waited to clear customs which neither Kent, nor PSS anticipated or warned us about. Might want to hold onto an extra 100 quid for such eventualities...

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

Used Kent in 06 and last year. very good both times, in 06 it didn't get unpacked (long story!) Last year there were no issues at either end, from memory Kents used a company called something like 'International Removals' but I can't exactly remember. But they were very good. I had to use Kent's storage for 4 weeks and it cost £25pw but we only had about 7 cu mtrs.

Anyway, none of that matters, the point is my time trial bike and spare race wheels arrived intact. :thumbsup:

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We used chess and although we were initially happy with their move etc when we arrived home we had a few things damaged (either expensive or sentimental items) we had taken out their full insurance and that is when it became a pain....the company wanted me to first get repair quotes...hard to do when it's chrome fridge and freezer doors damaged and the company/make not widely known in the U.K.....an expensive lamp stand that has seperate fancy light bulbs as shades and not available in the U.K and also I have found out not in Aus either....having to email all this evidence etc was a pain and to be fair Chess were (well the insurance company they use) were not a great help in the end after much wrangling and stress I did not need at the time we settled for a much smaller settlement which really did not cover the damage to our lovely coffee table (another item damaged)....thats just our case though....1000's might of used chess with no problems....not heard of anything like that though from my friends who used Kent's.....ironically when we moved out to Aus same thing happend and we said we would not bother with insurance if we were ever to move overseas again.....all the best and your arriving home in the Spring as we did and it was lovely

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We had similar insurance hassles when we moved to Australia. Letton P's insisted on written quotes, from their approved people. It took ages and ages, and eventually, we took a lesser amount and just decided to get on with life. TBH, I am not convinced the insurance is worth bothering with.

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

We didn't insure either time. they wanted 3.5% of the value. All turned up fine and undamaged, save for one small tea plate that was chipped.

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

I think the relatively low cost of LP's insurance, coupled with the relatively high excess (£500 iirc) makes it a good option for total loss, rather than cups and saucers. Given your whole life is probably in that container, it is a good safeguard against the sort of thing in the pic below.

http://www.hollandtrade.com/htddocs/...n/image002.jpg

Re: Kents, Chess or ATO
 

That's a fair point....
We did the insurance thing on the way there, and on the way back decided to only go with total loss coverage. Worked out fine for us, no damage or breakages.