jleroux

I was reading about shipping companies on the forum and a central review page would be really handy.

Please copy and paste and fill in.

1. Shipping company name:
2. Would you recommend them:
3. Shipping time:
4. Door to door: Yes/No
5. Insurance added - if not with who did you insure:
6. Professional packaged/Any damaged goods:
7. MAF issues/Were you ripped off:
8. Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road:
9. Anything you want to add:

Lexylou

Used Crown to go to NZ and they were super fantastic
Used Vanlines back and they were crap (only used them as we had lost so much money in our year in NZ That we tried to save money, wish we had gone with Crown)

jleroux

I have had contact with a few agents so far for quotes and found most of them friendly and helpfull.

I have to say that the local Crown agent needs to sort herself out. She was here last Friday and today is Thursday (6 days). I phoned the branch to chase up my quote and they said they'll phone me back. Guess what, I had to phone again and I phoned the agent directly. When I was on the phone with her I could hear that she didn't want to talk to me and I had to force answers out of her. She eventually said that she will get me my quote later today. Man I feel like writing to her boss and letting them know that if it wasn't for the good review on this forum I wouldn't bother using them thanks to her bad attitude.

sarahw

Shipping company name:PSS (but they use NZ Van Lines in NZ)
Would you recommend them: Not really
Shipping time:2 months
Door to door: Yes/No Yes
Insurance added - if not with who did you insure: Yes including electrical derangement - proved worthwhile too!
Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: UK packers not great - didn't put down carpet protectors on a wet day(:curse and when we unpacked we found boxes full of items that weren't individually packed - just shoved in a box! Our insurance claim was about GBP1500
MAF issues/Were you ripped off: Small charge I couldn't be bothered to argue about, so potentially yes!
Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road:N/A
Anything you want to add: If you pay a GBP250 deposit, make sure it's deducted from your final bill. It took me a while to notice amid all the chaos and then some time to claim back from them. Nice little earner I'm sure

RobClubley

1. Shipping company name: John Mason
2. Would you recommend them: Yes
3. Shipping time: about 8 weeks for house stuff, 12 weeks for car
4. Door to door: Yes
5. Insurance added - if not with who did you insure: Used their recommended insurer
6. Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: one 50p Ikea wine glass broken!!
7. MAF issues/Were you ripped off: The local agent (Moving Company) tried to!
8. Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road: See my other thread!!
9. Anything you want to add: Not impressed with the Moving Comanpy but JM are great.

1. Shipping company name: Golden Arrow
2. Would you recommend them: YES!
3. Shipping time: 2 cats - they boarded them for 3 weeks then flew them over
4. Door to door: drop off at Manchester airport (convenient for us) Pickup at Wellington airport
5. Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: Excellent custom made travelling crates
6. MAF issues/Were you ripped off: Nope.
7. Anything you want to add: Lovely people, great to deal with

BEVS

[*]Shipping company name: Curtiss of Portsmouth. Part of the White and Co franchise
[*]Would you recommend them: Yes
[*]Shipping time: 6 weeks
[*]Door to door: Yes
[*]Insurance added - if not with who did you insure: Took out marine insurance recommended by Curtiss.
[*]Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: Yes. Professional packaged at the house . One wooden chest lid a bit skewed. That's it
[*]MAF issues/Were you ripped off: White and Co/Curtiss use a third party - The Moving Co. or White Van lines to deliver the containers this end. Yes. The Moving Co. tried the MAF fee scam. Tried to charge $375 dollars. After investigation we obtained full refund as there were no MAF fees.
[*]Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road: Not applicable
[*]Anything you want to add:
Shop around for your shipping quotes and play one off against the other for the best price. You will save a few hundred pounds that way.
Be clear about MAF charges with your shipper .
If you wrap your own, that item may not be covered by your insurance - check !
Make and keep a list of anything you feel MAF will be interested in. Tools ;garden tools; camping gear; wood items . It will help with your MAF forms.
Use Jeyes fluid to clean items
Get a copy of the inventory so you can check out all items against this at the NZ end.
Don't take the shippers word for it when it comes to what they say you cannot take with you. Check on the MAF website or ask here.
Note what possible storage days are in with the quote.

JoB

Shipping company name: Anglo Pacific (later found out they had a nick name called **************...........I now know why)
Would you recommend them: No way
Shipping time: 8 weeks
Door to door: Yes/No Yes
Insurance added - if not with who did you insure: yes
Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: yes Van lines nz side slashed the leather settee when unpacking..........was told it wasn;t packed properly uk end
MAF issues/Were you ripped off: No we ensured we paid maff direct
Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road:
Anything you want to add: Anglo PAcific changed their insurance small print and when we tried to claim for the settee they tried to weedle out of it saying they had sent everyone a new insurance contract. They checked their records and they hadn't informed us thankfully.

dreamfish

Boy am I ready to take these guys on!!! I have had numerous conversations with them regarding this $375 I have to pay for them dealing with MAF

MAF charge $27 for dealing with a third party and then $40 or so for getting everything cleared plus any other costs for cleaning.

Moving Company want to charge me $375 PLUS any additional cleaning charges because "they are supplying a MAF accredited agent and it costs them to get this accreditation/ongoing training etc etc"

A letter from John Masons says that the money I paid covers the agent Moving Company to receive, clear with MAF/customs, and deliver to my address on JM's behalf.

Therefore my argument will be - I have already PAID Moving Company to receive, clear and deliver to my address so therefore all that I should pay are cleaning costs if required.

So yes I shall be stamping up and down and will advise that my experience with them is already plastered over expat forums for all to read!!!

Grrrrr at these robbing bar stewards

BEVS

That is their problem & company decision, not yours. It's their choice to offer this service in addition to delivery , not yours.
They should take that up with the UK shippers and increase their prices to them to include this poxy $375 'service fee', not add a surcharge to you.

:curse: or is that for their continuing bloody cheek.

lardyl

Shipping company name: Britannia (Coventry Franchise - http://www.ericdeloremovals.co.uk/ )
Would you recommend them: Yes
Shipping time: erm...cant remember?
Door to door: Yes
Insurance added - if not with who did you insure: letton percival
Professional packaged/Any damaged goods: yes/minor damage at this end by unpackers - no claim
MAF issues/Were you ripped off: nope - got overly worried about failure to steam clean ladders - MAF chap was finae about it!
Motorcycle/Car costs to bring and get on the road: N/A
Anything you want to add:
brian.naughton@lettonpercival he's the man, got us extra insurance period whilst the goods were stored for a fortnight before we got the keys to the rental - but no claims experience to compare though
packers (except for one lazy so and so) were very good, from the same company, albeit a little over-enthusiastic (should have moved everything they didnt need to touch out of the building!!)

jleroux

Spoke to Crown twice yesterday after I posted here. Agency told the agent to contact me, she didn't and I had to call twice to finally get some promises out of them that I will get my quote.

I ask it to be on a email, their posting it to me?????? Don't they listen. 1 week to get a quote sorted out. I got the call this morning after they promised I will get it yesterday. Now I think they will f me over because I gave them grief about the customer service I'm getting. Crown Livingston wake up, your losing customer due to bad service!!! They quoted me 130cu ft more than the other company did and I guess I will have to get another agent out to give me a quote on container space I will need.
At least the motorcycles will only be a extra £400 each. To be honest if it going to cost me £3433 in total for the 55% without the bikes then I might as well take the whole container at £4000 and fill it up with other things I wasn't going to take.

lardyl

TBH take all the stuff and sell it on TradeMe or trade it with us impoverished Kiwis for something useful.......