MAF costs
Oct 21st 2016, 12:16 am
#1
Welly bound
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
MAF costs
Hello fellow expatters 
Our 20' container has arrived and has been scanned. There are 23 items (including christmas decorations and fishing gear.) listed for quarantine whatever that means..assume it means bio security check.
Anyone have any idea what it is likely to cost? The stuff is all pretty clean and tidy. We used PSS/NZ Van lines and the price said it included Customs Clearance, haulage of container and unloading but not Biosecurity.
Our 20' container has arrived and has been scanned. There are 23 items (including christmas decorations and fishing gear.) listed for quarantine whatever that means..assume it means bio security check.
Anyone have any idea what it is likely to cost? The stuff is all pretty clean and tidy. We used PSS/NZ Van lines and the price said it included Customs Clearance, haulage of container and unloading but not Biosecurity.
Oct 21st 2016, 3:30 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2013
Location: NZ
Posts: 59
Re: MAF costs
Hi Munchkjn, hope you're settling into Wellington okay. 
A friend's just had her 40 ft container checked by MAF and was charged $30 for some pinecones. Fingers crossed yours will be fine too!
We also went with PSS, due to arrive 7 Nov. Can't wait!
A friend's just had her 40 ft container checked by MAF and was charged $30 for some pinecones. Fingers crossed yours will be fine too!
We also went with PSS, due to arrive 7 Nov. Can't wait!
Oct 21st 2016, 3:54 am
#3
Welly bound
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
$40 doesn't sound too bad. I was expecting 10x.
We are in Wellington alright, the wind and baltic temperatures are telling me that. My mind is playing tricks on me thinking winter is coming as it's actually colder now than when we arrived in August. Not sure about settling though, we've been on borrowed air beds and eating on a camping table for 5 weeks now. We had a furnished house for the first 4 weeks but that seems like a lifetime ago now.
PSS took our furniture away 11 weeks ago in UK, it arrived 2.5 weeks ago in Wellington and we are hoping it will be delivered the week after next. Seems a bit excessive to me, but there we go. Especially as NZ is full of mice, rats, possums and blackbirds already! We just want our beds mainly. Back's killing me...
Ah, the whinging pom.
Oct 21st 2016, 3:55 am
#4
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: MAF costs
sorry to say that it will all depend on the person doing the inspection.
We had bikes and a tent pulled out for inspection, which was done whilst the movers were delivering us our container. The bikes he had a quick look at and he saw I had used the preferred cleaning fluid and the tent he just looked at how it was packed, I told we had only used it once - which we had - and he just said ok and then left, and that was that.
But then I have heard that people have had cobwebs found on a car, from being in the container, and had to pay for it to be cleaned.
We had bikes and a tent pulled out for inspection, which was done whilst the movers were delivering us our container. The bikes he had a quick look at and he saw I had used the preferred cleaning fluid and the tent he just looked at how it was packed, I told we had only used it once - which we had - and he just said ok and then left, and that was that.
But then I have heard that people have had cobwebs found on a car, from being in the container, and had to pay for it to be cleaned.
Oct 21st 2016, 3:57 am
#5
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: MAF costs
why the hell has it been sitting in Welly for the last 2.5 weeks? Ours came to us in under a week. except for the car
Oct 21st 2016, 4:03 am
#6
Welly bound
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Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
Oct 21st 2016, 4:51 am
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2013
Location: NZ
Posts: 59
Re: MAF costs
Yes, alcohol a basic necessity at the moment! Rude awakening today with that icy blast.
We're lucky we have some stuff from storage, but kids on borrowed mattresses and it feels very much like we're camping. We're also on a mattress because we haven't found the bolts for our bed yet!!
Discovered our ancient (1980s) 14" telly works fine with cable, yay. Also discovered we stored a lot of crap.
We're lucky we have some stuff from storage, but kids on borrowed mattresses and it feels very much like we're camping. We're also on a mattress because we haven't found the bolts for our bed yet!!
Discovered our ancient (1980s) 14" telly works fine with cable, yay. Also discovered we stored a lot of crap.
Oct 21st 2016, 5:14 am
#9
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Joined: Dec 2013
Location: NZ
Posts: 59
Re: MAF costs
That is a long time to wait for clearance 
Oct 21st 2016, 5:35 am
#10
Welly bound
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Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
Its supposedly at the port somewhere. NzVL say it usually takes 8-12 working days to clear. Ours has been 12 working days today and weve still got next week. They have just advised that MAF have scanned it and its on a waiting list for quarantine. Nothing I can do I was told.
Oct 21st 2016, 5:38 am
#11
Welly bound
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
Yes, alcohol a basic necessity at the moment! Rude awakening today with that icy blast.
We're lucky we have some stuff from storage, but kids on borrowed mattresses and it feels very much like we're camping. We're also on a mattress because we haven't found the bolts for our bed yet!! Discovered our ancient (1980s) 14" telly works fine with cable, yay. Also discovered we stored a lot of crap.
We're lucky we have some stuff from storage, but kids on borrowed mattresses and it feels very much like we're camping. We're also on a mattress because we haven't found the bolts for our bed yet!!
Discovered our ancient (1980s) 14" telly works fine with cable, yay. Also discovered we stored a lot of crap.Nice to know we are not alone! Good luck with your container. Have a great long weekend
Oct 22nd 2016, 9:30 am
#12
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Joined: Dec 2013
Location: NZ
Posts: 59
Re: MAF costs
There seem to be quite a lot of us arriving at the mo. At the kids' school there have been several families joining in the last month, has made it a bit easier I think.
Oct 26th 2016, 7:42 am
#13
Welly bound
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
"Only" $380....
That's the cheap wine for us for a fortnight then.
That's the cheap wine for us for a fortnight then.
Oct 27th 2016, 10:00 pm
#14
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Joined: Dec 2013
Location: NZ
Posts: 59
Re: MAF costs
*ouch*
Could have been worse....?
Could have been worse....?
Oct 28th 2016, 2:32 am
#15
Welly bound
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Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Wellington
Posts: 170
Re: MAF costs
Not particularly impressed with NZ Van Lines. Not very forthcoming and very difficult to contact. PSS were decent at the UK end but then we dealt with them and paid for everything through them. NZVL not interested in the slightest, feel very low down their list of priorities only contacted me when they wanted paying. Wouldn't use them on the way back.