Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

So we're just abut ready to do this.

We've only got 500 cu ft of stuff already packed in a UHaul store but the cheapest way seems to be to take a 20ft container via RINKENS, who will allow me to pack it myself and will collect and send to Felixstowe.

Price quoted though is ex:

Felixstowe port fees (THC)
Import customs clearance charges in the UK
Handling of the container after arrival at port Felixstowe
Storage/Detention/Inspection/Demurrage charges, if any apply

and I'm trying to nail down those costs.

The other option suggested, Wheaton Wordwide, sent me to Crown. They're saying that our stuff needs to be repacked for international shipping, which doesn't cost too much more ($300) but their total price is a lot more than Rinken's (current) quote.

o Are there any particular requirements for packing for international shipping?

o Does anyone have any suggestions on what we could do to prevent items going missing during the shipment process?

o How detailed does the inventory have to be?

o Any thoughts on the pros & cons of container hire v door-to-door service?

ian

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

I only know the answer to this one: The cartons they use for interntational shipping are *a lot* thicker cardboard than ordinary removals/storage cartons.

If you think about 9ft waves, I guess it makes sense that everything has to be wrapped really well.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

While I packed the individual boxes for our move, the company we hired had to stack them on pallets for transport. They then shrink-wrapped the pallets to prevent shifting and make the stacks stronger. Then they told me once they took them to be loaded everything would have to be fumigated for the transport on the container ship.

So basically, there's several things that your transport company will have to do to the items once they are in boxes.

On your other points: pay for the insurance. It's worth the peace of mind to know that you're covered if anything is damaged. Check with each company though, because some of them have exclusions if you have packed the boxes yourself.

As for inventory, I numbered each box myself (& put a label with that number on the plastic bins, etc) and on a piece of paper I had each box number with a brief description of what was in it. Example: Box #2 - pans, spices, kitchen items. The shipping company took a copy of my sheet.

Door to door service? Definitely worth it as far as I'm concerned. There's too much else going on for you to deal with.

Best of luck with whomever you choose. ;)

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

I have a question. What if you don't know where you are going to before you leave, therefore don't know final address beforehand. Any way of still doing door to door? For instance, is it possible to give the shipping company the address after it is shipped, say when it arrives in dock?

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

I'd check with the shipping company on that. The "destination", as far as the actual transporting ship is concered, is a port of entry. Once the container ship arrives the items have to clear customs. Then they are picked up by the transport company you have hired (or someone they have subcontracted to) and the items are delivered. So technically there is time to change an address...:confused:

I do know that the transport company contacted me once the items had arrived in port to go over the customs procedures. I had to verify the delivery address at that time.

Hey, if you get a solid answer from the transport company be sure to post it here so we know for sure!

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Thanks, will do, but won't be going yet as I have to sell my house here first.:thumbdown::fingerscrossed:

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Going through the same thing, they told me as long as you have an address to ship it to (I'm using my parents for now) then it is ok you can change it en route.
If the address is further away than the original address then additional costs may apply.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Hmm, have to think more on that. I don't have anyone near where I am planning on going.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Doesn't matter my parents live in the northeast and I'm going to the midlands.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Good luck with the move you'll need it. Only advice I can give you is prepare, prepare, prepare.
If there is only you then it won't be bad, if you have a wife, kids, animals lots of stuff it is STRESSFUL.
Good luck selling your house I sold mine in around 6 months so I was fortunate otherwise I wouldn't be going back now.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

That's exactly what I'm doing.I'm using Kents and I'm paying for the goods to be shipped from Oz to the UK and cleared in the UK. Once that happens then the UK agent (in this case Bishop's Move) will contact me and I'll tell them where to deliver and arrange payment just for the UK overland sector.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Where are you going in the Midlands?? I lived near Birmingham (Kenilworth?) for a year back in the day. My sister lives outside Middlesbrough (Nunthorpe), I think it will be too cold for me there, having lived 26 years in South Carolina!!! So I thought I would try the South Coast (Bournemouth area) to begin with, but it all depends on where I can find a job. Well, you may have stress this end, accomodating all those people and animals - but at least you have comfort and support once you get back home!! I shall probably feel like Robinson Crusoe coming back from a far away land!!! Which actually I am doing!! :rofl:
I have had my house on the market since June and no luck yet. Granted, I did have it overpriced and have reduced it twice now - any lower and I will be paying to sell it!!! Really sucks, I am almost ready to give up, but can't bear the thought of waiting another year or more with no guarantee on prices going up.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

If you don't have too much and only boxes, have you thought about airfreight? There is another thread on here under USA/My shipping/airfreight experience. Very informative and a good option.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Thanks. There's quite a lot of books and other heavy stuff though, so I don't think weight-based pricing will work. Thanks for the pointer though.

i

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Going to Derby, been in North Carolina for 6 years, this last week is killing me getting so frustrated with the process. We are getting there one step at a time but each step has about 5 other steps attached to it lol.
I used to live in Middlesbrough, VERY close to Nunthorpe (Normanby).
I put my house on the market early May and we finally closed and moved out the end of October so we were quite fortunate even though we had 3 contracts on the house in that time.
We "made" some money on the house, unless you count in the upgrades and maintenance we put in over the years out of our own pocket rather than financing then we about broke even.
Finding a job will be the hard part, but I will say one thing the UK seemed to pick up in about September and I had been applying for jobs since January.
I could have took lower paying jobs but I had to think realistically especially with the price of houses etc. and a family to support.
In the US I haven't seen the jobs pick up yet, I was laid off in April and have not had one single interview over here despite applying to dozens and dozens of jobs in this state and even surrounding states, yet I've had 5 in England and got one job and I'm not even living there yet.
I am like you another year and I think I would crack, but I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel after what has been a LONG year.
Can't wait for Christmas in England and a Happy New year

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

I went to Eston Grammar School (don't think it is there anymore), used to go to Normanby on a Friday night to a pub (don't remember name) and listen to Irish folk singers, all drunk of course. Then end up in fish and chip shop (the good old days they were sold in newspaper!) before getting the bus back home (address was South Bank, but wasn't that far). What a small world!!!

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

We used Rinkens when we moved over. We had no problem with them. We packed the container ourselves...........we packed everything in both proper moving boxes and other boxes we managed to scrounge up. We packed and loaded the 20 foot container very carefully and tied down anything we thought would go bouncing around the container. We put a padlock on the container and brought the key with us. Customs didn't touch the container because I unlocked it with the key when it arrived at our house in Wales (The moving crew was within about 5 seconds of cutting the lock off when I ran outside in the pouring rain with the key, lol).

Be warned, the 20 foot container is going to be about 4 1/2 feet off the ground when they drop it at your house in the States. Make sure you have some system set up to get all your worldly possessions up and into the container......we slid a lot of things up makeshift ramps with 2 by 4s......and called on some neighborhood muscle to help with the really big things.

Since we packed outselves, the only insurance available was coverage for if the container somehow went overboard off the ship. We took that for peace of mind.

While we loaded the container in the States, Rinkens did unload here in Wales and it took them only what seemed like an hour or two. They were fast.....and nothing was broken in the move.............but a couple of weeks later I dropped a boxes of my dishes that had made it all the way across the Atlantic entact and every damned dish shattered.........I had a big boohoo after that one, lol.

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

Thanks Scout. How detailed an inventory did you prepare fro customs?

ian

Re: Shipping US to UK: repacking required??
 

I numbered every box, with the contents of each box listed........ie....books, kitchen pots and pans, dishes, clothing, etc. This was all sent to Rinkens via fax (I think) before we loaded. I had no problems with customs, and as far as I am aware they never opened or inspected our container. I think they probably only spot check containers anyway.