dreamfish

Hi there

My container arrives this saturday, and i need storage for a couple weeks. I understand i need to pay storage handling fees and storage (there are 200 boxes after all and i dont want to be lugging them around)

However i have a query about the MAF fees. Moving company are charging me $378 inc GST

I asked if i could pay MAF direct and they said no because all the paperwork goes through them.
I asked if they charge a premium on top of the MAF invoice and they said yes because MAF will only deal with them and they have to cover their costs etc

Can I pay MAF myself?? I cant seem to find a phone number for MAF on their website - anyone have one?

Thanks kate.

Their telephone number is 4 894 0100

UKNZAUS

NZ vanlines tried to charge me for MAF, I told them to stick it and I'd deal with them myself. They would have overcharged me $150 if I'd have not told them where to go. MAF came, opened up my boxes, took cash and gave me a receipt and left ... all in 30 mins!

I'm not sure about yours though as you will be storing it with them. MAF WILL deal with you though so thats a blatant lie! I still have the number for MAF somewhere I think, so I'll have a look and pass it on.

dreamfish

I just spoke with MAF and they advised to just go through the moving company because its a lot of running around and leg work to get all the forms completed.

its cheeky isnt it

dlmckay

Of course you can pay MAF yourself - we did and paid about $60 or so... It seems to be a common scam to get money out of immigrants by bumping up minor MAF fees into something a little larger
check out this past thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...light=MAF+fees

dreamfish

so is it a lot of effort - or straight forward?
i am kinda put off having to trapse from one office to another with two kids in tow.

Joshlin

This is so hit and miss - we used NZ Vanlines, had things like golf clubs, bikes, some outdoor stuff that we expected to have checked - and didn't need checking at all - no fees to MAF or NZ Vanlines - i'm sure there's been a number of people who've dealt with MAF directly and it's all been pretty straight forward from their experience.

Nerine

What extra work? You've already paid for them to act as your import agent, ask what they've done that's been in addition to that.

I could understand it if it was like Oz where they have to unload everything into a warehouse, be present for the inspection and then repack stuff that's been examined before it's delivered. That's work.

dlmckay

There shouldn't be any traipsing whatsoever... tell MAF what day your container arrives at your house (when it is opened for the first time). MAF will want to know if there's any "hot" items in there for them to look at (garden, outdoor stuff, dried flowers et al) and they arrange a time with you to turn up.

Instruct the Moving Company to put these items off to one side for MAF to inspect when they arrive.

MAF arrive, inspect, wander off with dirt or give the all clear and ask for a cheque.

End of.

Tell the Moving Company you've had this discussion with recent immigrants and that you're not happy paying MAF fees through them. If necessary, speak to a manager further up.

Stick to your guns kid, you may be pleasantly surprised how much you save in the end. Immigration is such an expensive process - visas, flights, shipping all just hemorrhage money - don't let this cost be an unnecessary one!

RobClubley

The charged us a very similar amount in advance. The MAF bill was actually just over $100
I got a copy of the MAF invoice and went back to The Moving Company and they said they'd "made an error" and gave me a refund of the difference.

dreamfish

thank you for that - but if my stuff has to go into storage first because i havent yet moved into my new house, then my belongings have to be cleared at the point of storage - on moving company's premises.

I cant take them for another few weeks - i think thats where my problem lies - i cant take receipt of them and thus deal with MAF direct.

be a different story if they were being delivered straight to my house.

dlmckay

Ah. If the container is being opened and unpacked into storage, then this is where you may strike a problem. If you still wish to oversee the MAF inspection, then you may have to do it at the docks or at the storage facility. Probably might be a good idea to oversee this anyway as I have a feeling movers would be a little more gentle if the owner is hovering

If you're on your own and have no day care, it might be worth contacting a local private playcentre and asking if they'll have the kids for a day. Then organise to go and supervise your crate being opened, unpacked and oversee the MAF inspection without having to drag kiddies about. Playcentres usually charge about $4 an hour, and if they have a casual vacancy, they're pretty good for day long babysitting

BEVS

All the above advice is spot-on. Please try not to give in and pay this ransom money. It's a bloody cheeky scam & makes me cross to think it is still going on. The MAF inspection of our container did not happen at our rental but at Nelson port. We were not there.

Moving Company posted us the forms to complete , so we in effect did the paperwork ourselves. We posted them back. Anyway you should fill in your own forms and sign the declarations. You just list what you think may be of interest to MAF and what the items are. Moving Company cannot really know this information and they certainly shouldn't speak for you in this. It is youor container and your goods.

They charged us $378 NZD. When I checked back with the MAF office at Nelson and insisted on the MAF invoice , it turned up that there had been no physical inspection and therefore no charge & no invoice.

The MAF inspection invoice is YOURS and you are entitled to a copy. Its a receipt that your goods went through the process.This should not be withheld from you. Make sure you get it.

If a third party is present to hand over paperwork & open the containers seal, then MAF levy a charge to the third party of $27.50, if my memory serves me correctly. I will try and find the old correspondence later.

Go back to your shippers and complain long and loud about this.Tell your shippers that you will expect them to pay MC invoice as you have already shelled out shed loads of £££.
Speak only with the Moving Company branch manager and threaten to take it further.
Did you pay for door to door service with a certain amount of storage included ? Even if your contract states that MAF fees are extra, then Moving Company are still out of order completely. There should be no further services charges of any sort. You have already paid for this.

Be canny with the business of storage with this company. I have read of people being charged extra days compulsory storage when Moving Company have stated they were unable to deliver a container on the day requested.

GGrrrr !

Jac&Adie

HI ya,

We let Van Lines do ours - cos we didn't know any different at the time, found our had been over charged later once I got all the paper work from Van Lines. If you do let Van Lines do it, when you pay it make sure you get and keep a proper receipt. We paid ours via bank transfer, as the wouldn't accept cash, and we don't have NZ credit card or cheque book. They later tried to say that they had not recieved payment and we would have to pay again + fees. I HAD to Prove payment had gone in to there account. They then said sorry, "it was a mistake". So just be very carefull with them.

Adie