Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Jul 17th 2012, 6:12 am
#31
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Hi all,
For those of you that have sorted your own shipping to the US, can I have a little bit of advice please?
We are planning on selling all of our furniture and electronics before we move to LA at the end of summer. We will therefore only be moving our belongings (clothes etc). I have given a rough idea of the items we’ll be moving below.
Has anyone had any experience of moving a similar volume of stuff?
Who did you use and if you don’t mind me asking, do you remember roughly what it cost you?
We will be paying for it ourselves and we will be in no rush to have it delivered. (We’re looking for the cheapest option)
I am also happy to do the packing myself if people have found that this can make a difference to the cost?
Items:
Clothing and shoes for 2 people (4m of wardrobe space).
5 big framed pictures.
Kitchen utensils, crockery (8 sets) and glasses (40).
About 50 books.
10 vases and about 8 other ornaments.
Skiing/snowboarding equipment for 3 people.
About 8 sets of bed linen.
10 sets of towels
4 duvets and 13 pillows.
one tool box
one flat screen computer monitor.
1 CD player.
2 big filing cabinets worth of paperwork.
Thank you all in advance for your help, it’s really very much appreciated.
Laurie
For those of you that have sorted your own shipping to the US, can I have a little bit of advice please?
We are planning on selling all of our furniture and electronics before we move to LA at the end of summer. We will therefore only be moving our belongings (clothes etc). I have given a rough idea of the items we’ll be moving below.
Has anyone had any experience of moving a similar volume of stuff?
Who did you use and if you don’t mind me asking, do you remember roughly what it cost you?
We will be paying for it ourselves and we will be in no rush to have it delivered. (We’re looking for the cheapest option)
I am also happy to do the packing myself if people have found that this can make a difference to the cost?
Items:
Clothing and shoes for 2 people (4m of wardrobe space).
5 big framed pictures.
Kitchen utensils, crockery (8 sets) and glasses (40).
About 50 books.
10 vases and about 8 other ornaments.
Skiing/snowboarding equipment for 3 people.
About 8 sets of bed linen.
10 sets of towels
4 duvets and 13 pillows.
one tool box
one flat screen computer monitor.
1 CD player.
2 big filing cabinets worth of paperwork.
Thank you all in advance for your help, it’s really very much appreciated.
Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 7:00 am
#32
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,104
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
You are bringing so little, is it really worth shipping it? Everything there could easily be bought here, bring the computer, important papers and clothes as luggage. You could then work out if it's cost effective to send the skiing equipment by air. Ozzidoc had some good info: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ht=air+freight
Jul 17th 2012, 7:04 am
#33
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
Posts: 69
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
You are bringing so little, is it really worth shipping it? Everything there could easily be bought here, bring the computer, important papers and clothes as luggage. You could then work out if it's cost effective to send the skiing equipment by air. Ozzidoc had some good info: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ht=air+freight
Ozzidoc’s wiki page has been invaluable - i’ve applied to the people she mentions for shipping quotes! Fingers crossed it’s not extortionate!
Thanks
Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 7:04 am
#34
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 5
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Hi,
I recently made the move from Basel to NJ. I didn't have as much stuff as you and managed to bring most stuff with me on the flight (using an upgrade voucher for a business class flight allowing 3 suitcases up to 50lbs). I've still left some things with friends and will have them shipped to me by post. Have you looked at the cost to ship items by the swisspost? Depending on the weight and dimensions, this can be relatively inexpensive. You can use their calculator to workout the costs of shipping this way here and compare to any quotes you receive from shipping companies.
Hope it helps
I recently made the move from Basel to NJ. I didn't have as much stuff as you and managed to bring most stuff with me on the flight (using an upgrade voucher for a business class flight allowing 3 suitcases up to 50lbs). I've still left some things with friends and will have them shipped to me by post. Have you looked at the cost to ship items by the swisspost? Depending on the weight and dimensions, this can be relatively inexpensive. You can use their calculator to workout the costs of shipping this way here and compare to any quotes you receive from shipping companies.
Hope it helps
Jul 17th 2012, 7:08 am
#35
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
Posts: 69
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Fingers crossed! -Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 8:14 am
#36
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,174
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
You do need to find out who is contracted on the local US end because it won't be the company on your end and if they're vague, avoid. With a definite name, you can check the outfit out against the scam moving site.
Jul 17th 2012, 9:15 am
#37
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
Posts: 69
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Hi,
I recently made the move from Basel to NJ. I didn't have as much stuff as you and managed to bring most stuff with me on the flight (using an upgrade voucher for a business class flight allowing 3 suitcases up to 50lbs). I've still left some things with friends and will have them shipped to me by post. Have you looked at the cost to ship items by the swisspost? Depending on the weight and dimensions, this can be relatively inexpensive. You can use their calculator to workout the costs of shipping this way here and compare to any quotes you receive from shipping companies.
Hope it helps
I recently made the move from Basel to NJ. I didn't have as much stuff as you and managed to bring most stuff with me on the flight (using an upgrade voucher for a business class flight allowing 3 suitcases up to 50lbs). I've still left some things with friends and will have them shipped to me by post. Have you looked at the cost to ship items by the swisspost? Depending on the weight and dimensions, this can be relatively inexpensive. You can use their calculator to workout the costs of shipping this way here and compare to any quotes you receive from shipping companies.
Hope it helps
Amazingly helpful! Thank you
I hadn't even thought to look at SwissPost, as I just assumed it would be mega pricey. Will have a look at your link and see if that could work for us. Thanks so much
On a side note, when you moved from Basel, did you have a Swiss driving licence? I’m wondering if it’s going to cause problems when we try to get our Californian licences!
Thanks!
Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 9:20 am
#38
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Thousand Oaks, California
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Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
That's where the bigger scams come from, because you don't know who or what brought on the inspection and how they split up the cost between who shared the container compared to if you had the container to yourself.
You do need to find out who is contracted on the local US end because it won't be the company on your end and if they're vague, avoid. With a definite name, you can check the outfit out against the scam moving site.
You do need to find out who is contracted on the local US end because it won't be the company on your end and if they're vague, avoid. With a definite name, you can check the outfit out against the scam moving site.
Cheers,
Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 9:21 am
#39
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,104
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Hi there,
Amazingly helpful! Thank you
I hadn't even thought to look at SwissPost, as I just assumed it would be mega pricey. Will have a look at your link and see if that could work for us. Thanks so much
On a side note, when you moved from Basel, did you have a Swiss driving licence? I’m wondering if it’s going to cause problems when we try to get our Californian licences!
Thanks!
Laurie
Amazingly helpful! Thank you
I hadn't even thought to look at SwissPost, as I just assumed it would be mega pricey. Will have a look at your link and see if that could work for us. Thanks so much
On a side note, when you moved from Basel, did you have a Swiss driving licence? I’m wondering if it’s going to cause problems when we try to get our Californian licences!
Thanks!
Laurie
For instance...when my daughter was 17 her driving test was in an empty car park. Lasted all of 5 mins...she had to drive forward for a few hundred yards...then reverse back between 2 cones placed about 50 ft apart. When one of our member's daughter took her test she went through a red light and still passed...Illinois I think. She wrote her car off within a couple of weeks.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Jul 17th 2012 at 9:24 am.
Jul 17th 2012, 9:23 am
#40
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Location: Thousand Oaks, California
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Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
No use asking someone who lives in NJ about anything to do with driving in Cali. Each state has it's own rules and regs. Best bet is to take a look at the website of the DMV, California. Even if you have to take a practical test as well as a written one...you will find it very easy. You only have to see the standard of driving to know that.
Thanks for the advice, i’ll search out the DMV website when I get a chance!
Oh, now that sounds like my kind of driving test!
-Laurie
Jul 17th 2012, 9:29 am
#42
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Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Jul 17th 2012, 11:05 am
#43
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,174
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Only difference being able to drive on your foreign license until you take the test. Though if the Swiss license isn't in English, this might be worth getting a IDP.
Jul 17th 2012, 12:46 pm
#44
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,104
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
Check with the DMV...it should tell you how long you are allowed to drive on a foreign DL. Although you may want to get a Cali DL sooner rather than later as it should reduce the insurance premiums. The driving test is nothing to lose sleep about.
Jul 17th 2012, 1:47 pm
#45
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Paying to ship our belongings to LA…! Your experiences?
In California you are supposed to get a CA license within 10 days. However, you can't get a license until you get a social security number (or an exemption). You can't get a SS number for a couple of weeks usually, which means it's virtually impossible to get the license in time! So long as you pass the written test within a couple of weeks of getting a SS, you should be okay. You then have up to 90 days to take the behind-the-wheel test. See other threads about the driving test for experiences, and for getting the correct interim license - some DMVs give you a learner permit instead of a temporary full license because they don't understand that full foreign licenses are grounds for doing so.
