kirstyp

One of the most frequent questions I read on this forum is 'can anyone recommend a good shipping / international removal company', this is always well answered by the members based on their own experience of the mover they used or the ones they asked to quote, but sometimes those companies might not cover the original poster's area, might be unavailable or might not represent all the companies that they could choose from etc etc....

Back in May the British Association of Removers (the UK's leading professional association for moving companies) launched the Trusted Mover website. This basically combines a directory of their members with independent reviews directly gathered from their previous customers (which means you can trust that they are unbiased and genuine) with comments and rated scores in certain areas of their service.

A quick note...Not all BAR members are part of the overseas group (which you should make sure they are for international shipping) so when you check the member page look out for both the BAR badge AND the BAR Overseas badge too.

We'd definitely recommend the site if you're looking for an International Mover in your area, here is our member listing to show you the kind of information the site provides. http://www.trustedmover.org/details/472/bournes

darbydoo

Sorry to jump on this thread.

How far in advance of your move date should you arrange shipping? And how long should it take to arrive?

Does it matter if you don't have an NZ address when you book it, can you send this when available to the shipping company?
Thanks

kirstyp

that's what the forum is here for

Most people arrange shipping 3-4 months in advance, to give time to get a couple of quotes, make decisions on what they are taking, arrange necessary paperwork etc, but if you have less time it's not a problem, that's just the ideal.

A sole use container would take around 8-10 weeks door to door, or a groupage (shared container) would be about 12-16 weeks.

You don't have to have an NZ address when you book, as long as the shipping company has it before your goods arrive in NZ it will be fine.

Hope that helps?

darbydoo

Yes thank you, that's really helpful.

So I'd be without any possessions for around 2 months?

kirstyp

Yep, it can be quicker depending on the sailing schedules and how quickly it clears customs and can be arranged for delivery, but that is a realistic timescale.

Many people send a few urgent things by airfreight as a separate shipment for when you arrive if you're going to be in temporary accommodation, then have the non-essentials to follow by sea.

tfirth

Which is the cheapest and fastest?

kirstyp

It depends on the volume you have to move really and your destination.

The 'break point' on whether it's cheaper to ship groupage, LCL or sole use container varies by destination.

Groupage is usually the slowest option but usually the cheapest if you're not moving much. Airfreight is usually most expensive but always the quickest. Sole container is the quickest by sea.

Where are you headed?