Lisa Maree

We are gradually progressing with sorting our shipping, movers booked for 20/21st October, today they have asked if we would like the additional disinfecting spray on bikes / golf clubs, which could be worth it, waiting for quote but this container cleaning indemnity fee is making me very uncomfortable, seems ludicrous that the owner of the goods inside the container is liable for the poor state of the actual container, its not like I can pop down and clean it myself at any time??!!! Again no actual fee quoted so waiting on that.

Starting to feel like PSS are working on the basis that they have us over a barrel now we've spend the time discussing and negotiating to get to this point... basically taking the piss really.



EXTERNAL CONTAINER CLEANING
Upon arrival quarantine inspection can now include a check on the external condition of the shipping containers for
dirt, soil, bird droppings etc. This is a random check and we have no way of knowing if this will apply to your container .
However, the shipping lines exclude liability for this and the charge which can be expensive, is passed on to the owner
of the goods and is in addition to the normal quarantine inspection charges that may be levied against you for the
inspection and treatment of your Household Effects. PSS feel that it is unfair that some of our Customers have been
forced to pay this charge upon arrival of their containers, we are therefore offering our Clients the option of paying an
indemnity fee. If you elect to add this indemnity fee to your removal settlement then in the event that your container is
ordered for external cleaning the PSS indemnity fee will pay this charge. This only applies to external container
washing and not to any other quarantine charges relating to your Household Effects .

Kotare

PSS tried that on us and we declined - never heard of it being needed but like all insurance part of lifes gamble. I must dash out and get insurance aginst a satellite fallin n my head :-)

MrsFychan

thats new, wonder how when that inspection was introduced?

Not really the shippers fault as its an inspection requested by MPI.
If they were the ones having to factor in the possibility of any of their containers needing to be cleaned would raise the cost for all clients, so a small indemnity seems the fairer way to go, but as you say you don't know the costs yet.
Try and speak to Letton Percival, a independent insurer for cost for insurance and if they know of this indemnity insurance.

Bo-Jangles

Perhaps the question to ask is exactly how many of their customers have been presented with such charges; I reckon it would be a very rare occurrence for customers of professional UK shippers to be charged but may be more pertinent to containers arriving from origins where the cleanliness of containers may be less than desirable at the outset.

Assuming your container arrives at the ship relatively clean I expect it would expect it to stay that way, as it will either be stacked under a mountain of other containers or exposed to elements and receive a good wash everyday.

Damson

That's like a taxi driver asking you to pay him insurance to make sure your seat in his car is clean!

Surely the customer has NO control over the cleanliness, whereas the shipping company does. Perhaps you should ask them to tell you exactly which one it is so that you can go and clean it yourself!!!

MrsFychan

the containers get moved on and off ships and left on dock side during the travel over, go through extreme temperatures from heat to cold.
You have to pay if MPI find cobwebs on things and obviously if they find unclean items in boxes.

You are the person wanted to ship things into the country, MPI have rules to stop undesirable elements entering the country and this is one of the way they do that so you pay.

sarahw

Hi - slightly off topic but we shipped with PSS back in 2005 and they 'forgot' to deduct our deposit from the final invoice. Fortunately I noticed in time but I wonder how many people might not spot such an error with the stress of moving overseas!

Kotare

Doesn't work - we still get Brits whinging about tomatoes/cucumbers :-)