tiger mama

They were itemised (kind of, although the labels they wrote on the boxes did not correspond to the ones they wrote on the form in many cases, and both labels were often not representative of the items inside the boxes - they did an absolutely terrible job). But when they were reading all the numbers out at me each guy would read 4 or 5 random numbers out at me in a string and I'd be left flicking through reams of pages trying to find these numbers to tick them off and then the next guy would do the same before I'd find them all so at some points we lost track. But then at the end I did a walk around to tick off all the boxes I'd missed, and I still didn't find them all so the men did a walk around themselves to do the same, but even after that there were still boxes left unticked.

Then they pressured me into signing it anyway and buggered off. Anglo also promised us that our payment included them unpacking the boxes (not putting the things away though) and taking the boxes with them, but on the day they refused to do it.

That may sound pretty petty but there were so very many other enormous (far more serious) balls ups along the way. We finally wrote out our full list of complaints yesterday and it was 11 pages (6000 words) long - every line necessary to cram in every piece of cr@p they put us through.

Unfortunately our only evidence about our lost items is our word and the fact that things were left unticked. They also promised us that, with the exception of a "possible but very unlikely" (which turned out to be a mandatory and far more expensive than AP said it would be) MPI check, our container wouldn't be opened between it being packed and arriving at our door, thus promising us complete security. In addition they repeatedly promised us that there would be no chance of any hidden or unexpected costs, our payment was the full door-to-door service to anywhere in our region. Then when the goods arrived we were told that actually we're "too rural" (we live 25 minutes from the city centre down an easy-to-navigate single road) and so needed a different container and were held to ransom for an extra $560 if we wanted our stuff. And so without our consent our boxes were unpacked from one container and placed into another when we had been told that the customs seal wouldn't be broken under any circumstance. At least we think that's what happened, we asked them to explain in further detail and they were completely evasive, wouldn't explain and just demanded the additional payment.

So as far as we're concerned that is a place the things may have gone missing (unless they were stolen by the packers at the UK end, which I hope and pray is unlikely but it is a suspicion as most of the stuff that went missing were of a certain theme and some of our nicer belongings), but when we asked them to search the location at the time they refused point blank so we lost any opportunity to find our missing items.

I am not sure off the top of my head how high up we went with the complaint but we were batted away very firmly by whomever we spoke to. They offered us £50 as a "good will gesture" in compensation for the items they insist they hadn't lost (which is as good as admitting they know they have messed up, otherwise why would they have offered anything at all?) which then after arguing became an absolute maximum £95. They said they couldn't go any higher because they were running on a small margin - implying that they know they should go higher but their profits are more important, and asking us to believe that they were working at a roughly 2% profit margin - highly unlikely. So that was something, but still not a fraction of what we have actually lost, not to mention the hidden charges that were lied about, nor the services that were promised to us that we never received (eg unpacking, box removal), nor the fact that about 50% of our boxes were packed between 1/5th and 2/3rds empty, meanwhile we ended up having to dispose of a couple of large items because they wouldn't fit on the container while we've paid to box up and ship all that thin air.

The cherry on the top is that, after we got here, we found out that they never processed the insurance application we made with them and so our goods travelled all the way around the world without a jot of insurance so we couldn't claim if we wanted to.

Sorry to rant - I'm not sure where all that came from! There is a lot more besides all that ^ too but far too long to get into and it's making me feel very negative and disgruntled - time to think of some happy thoughts!!

TommyLuck

Wow - I'm very saddened to hear of your experience with Anglo Pacific.

I must say, they were excellent for us. Nothing lost and no damage - your turn of events of course is very disappointing.

Maybe I missed something in reading all of this, but did you pay to include the service for them to pack your stuff before shipping, or did you do it?

Also, for the unpacking and getting rid of boxes at this end isn't this something that should be taken up with (through Anglo Pacific, you'd think) NZ Van Lines, or whoever delivered the stuff when it got here?


As an aside, an American friend of mine moved from the UK back to the States and had 20-odd boxes shipped. One went missing. Just the one - the one that was full of her collection of designer handbags ... Strange, that.

j19fmm

Do you mean you had the actual medical forms that were completed for your NZ Visa? We sent ours with our application and didn't get them back. Should we have? Worried now!

tiger mama

Sorry for the late reply, I had to bow out of this for a few days as I was stressing myself out with all the ranting, lol!

Tommyluck it certainly seems that you can find good reviews and bad reviews about any company doesn't it, I know we'd dug up a heap of good reviews on Anglo before plunging ahead with them, though I'd seen bad ones too but I'd seen bad ones for them all! It's just our luck that we ended up with one of the horror stories. I suppose it could have happened with anyone. Nonetheless I will tell everyone I can get my hands on to steer clear of them just because that's what you do when you've been burnt isn't it.

We paid for them to pack our stuff at the UK end, which they did (very, very badly).

Part of our complaint with Anglo is that they lied to us and told us that they'd handle the entire door to door move, so it came as a total shock when we were handed over to the subcontractors. The subcontractors insisted that it wasn't part of their job description to do the unpacking, box removal etc. so as far as we're concerned it's more lies from Anglo to make a sale.

Anyway trying to move on from it and cut our losses. We're submitting our EOI tomorrow so please cross your fingers for us as I'm bricking it LOL. I can't think why we'd be declined but it's just a case of "this is really it, isn't it" and it still COULD be a no which is bloody nervewracking - I don't think I could ever go back to UK life.

j19fmm I wouldn't worry about it. They did return our forms to us, just in with the big parcel of relationship evidence etc. but having since talked to them now they've said it doesn't matter that we can't send it to them as they have that on record. So same will be the case for you no doubt.

tiger mama

PS. We're not telling anybody this but it's driving me crazy keeping it to myself, I'm so bad at keeping secrets, this may be a safe place to blab! We got some exciting womb news last week, all being well we may have a kiwi baby in 2015! ;-)

Clappy

Congrats!

I won't tell anybody!

Toodles23

Congrats

Persephone

Tiger mama, I am so sorry to read about your disastrous start I have been away so missed this. I hope you get everything sorted out as much as you can.

Many congratulations about the little one. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me

MrsFychan

wow great news, don't worry just you and me can see this

tiger mama

Thank you everybody!

We have finally submitted our EOI about ten minutes ago. My god I'm nervous now!

moonie2011

We are also on WTR and would love to apply early but alas hubby doesn't earn enough yet and we don't have enough points, so we will just have to wait another 10mths

Whoop whoop congratulations on the wee kiwi