Shipping company
 

Can anyone recommend a reliable shipping company please.

Re: Shipping company
 

Crown, did door to door for me and everything arrived intact and on time

cant ask for more than that


Play companies off against each other for the best price. I had quotes from allied , pickfords and crown.
I told them all the other two had beaten their price and asked if they could do anything to improve on their original quotes
Crown and Allied both dropped their prices by hundreds of pounds

Re: Shipping company
 

I concur with that.

The people that you pay to ship your stuff do the part that packs your stuff into a container. They then hand the container over to a shipping company to move it around the world. You get no choice about that part. On arrival at the port the container will be handled again by another company that handle the officialdom in the port and arrange onward delivery to the final destination. You get no choice about that part either.

With that being the process I can't see how one can really offer a point-of-difference over the others so the best thing you can achieve is to play them off against each other.

Re: Shipping company
 

hello :)

A great place to start for shipping is to check out FIDI website for a list of FAIM certified international removal companies that serve your area. This is the leading professional certification for international movers giving you peace of mind that your chosen company is fully qualified, licensed and independently vetted in over 200 risk areas for overseas moving. You can also look for members of the BAR overseas moving group which also means they provide an advance payment guarantee.

Depending on which company you use at origin you may also have some say over who they use at destination, as a minimum, ask who they use and why. Are they also using FIDI members at destination?

It's a good idea to get 3 quotes - this allows you to more easily check if they have all included the same things - check volume of goods, transit time (because although they will choose the shipping line, you'll choose your preferred sailing), method of shipment, any special packing, other inclusions/exclusions.

Customer service and communication is another big area companies can vary, you've already made the first step checking for recommendations but you could also use independent review sites to read more and get overall ratings. Try Referenceline (reviews for British Association of removers members), Which? Trusted traders or even the facebook pages of the companies you're shortlisting.

There are lots more tips about choosing reputable removals companies, including a buying guide, and your different options for shipping over on our vendor forum for International Removals advice.

Hope that helps!

Re: Shipping company
 

Thanks everyone. Will have to shop around.
Just don't want all my staff to arrive to New Zealand damaged.:(

Re: Shipping company
 

I second crown relocations they were excellent door to door. kept us updated and include all port charges.

Re: Shipping company
 

Thanks valleygurl. I'll give them a call.

Re: Shipping company
 

We used Pickfords. They have an office in Wellington which makes it easier as you can go and see them to sort out any details. They also inspect goods in their depot in Wellington so you don't have to pay for extra inspections. They don't subcontract their delivery work at the NZ end unlike other companies. Crown don't either, but we found them a lot more expensive.

Re: Shipping company
 

Crown ended up being the cheapest for us as they took £500 off of what pickfords had quoted x Just play them at their own game and fo with the beat price out of these 2 as they are def the best out there!