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Removal firms (from UK to US)

Removal firms (from UK to US)

Old Aug 25th 2003, 8:37 am
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Default Cost of Small Moves (no furniture)

What removal company did you use and were you pleased with it?
I've arrived in the USA! The Seven Seas (www.sevenseas.co.uk) pick-up man came within the one hour slot specified, and I got my invoice by e-mail. Here's how the rates worked out, for any of you needing a rough estimate of cost for SMALL moves by AIR freight to the US.

Basically, it works out to 100 GBP fixed fee + 2.3 GPB/kg of stuff + insurance.

In my specific case, I had 5 tea chests (61 cm x 51 cm x 41 cm), each weighing the maximum allowed 30kg, so it cost me 100 + (2.3 x 5 x 30) = 445 GPB + insurance. Considering that my quote from AP was 750 quid and I would have had to wait 6 weeks instead of 2 for my things, I think I got a terrific deal.

Mari

Sep 16 update
Well, it's 15 days after my stuff was picked up in Glasgow, and still no sight of my boxes! I was told to expect delivery in approximately 10 days. I called last week, and they told me my stuff was still in London. Seven Seas blamed it on increased security at the airports, but surely the increased security didn't happen right after I got a quote and estimate of delivery time from them 3 weeks ago... Neither have they replied yet to my e-mailed query on Sunday, although every time I've called them, they've asked me for my e-mail address. Right now, I'm disappointed with them. Taking 50% longer than promised is rather a lot.

TIPS for filling boxes:
A. You need at least a bathroom scale so as not to go over the 30kg limit (although the penalty came out to 1.90 GBP/kg in my case). I think the boxes Seven Seas give you for free, weigh about 2 kg each.

B. I put most of my things in archival bxes (39 cm x 33 cm x 25.4 cm) from an office supply store, and stacked 2 archival boxes each in a tea chest. There are three advantages to this box within box approach. 1. It's easier to weigh archival boxes than a whole tea chest. With the archival boxes, you hold each box to your chest and stand on the scale, then subtract your body weight from the total. 2. You can protect fragile things from the weight of stuff above it. 3. It's easier to retrieve specific things and to mix and match box weights.

C. Then I stuffed clothes, shoes, linens and oversize things (calendars, trays, etc) into the space between the archival boxes and the tea chest. To weigh those extra items, I made a makeshift balance by placing a metal rod over a doorknob, hanging a plastic water bottle with a liter of water (= 1 kg) from one end, and my stuff at the other end of the rod in a plastic bag. I marked the pole where the weights balanced, and measured the distance from the mark to the ends. Weight of your stuff in kg should be equal to Length to water bag / Length to stuff

D. One archival box full of paper weighs about 15 kg, full of books, about 20 kg.

Last edited by mariawatanabe; Sep 17th 2003 at 3:07 am.
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Old Aug 26th 2003, 7:43 am
  #32  
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Default Re: more removal firms

Originally posted by Jo Brayne
I'd like to revive this topic. Anyone else had any memorable experiences with a moving company? Any one in particular? Did your move go smooth or was it problematic?
I have very little furniture to move (2 or 3 small pieces only). The rest is personal effects - clothing -- I can't possibly fit it all into two suitcases!! -- as well as books, CD's, 43 years of memories. What I am wondering is:-

1) Does the price the movers charge depend on weight, or volume?

2) Would I have to have everything assembled in one room for them to come and estimate the cost?

3) What sort of insurance is best, do the movers insure or do you arrange it separately?

Thanks for any advice.

Debbie
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Old Aug 27th 2003, 2:51 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: more removal firms

1) Does the price the movers charge depend on weight, or volume?
If you're shipping by sea, it goes by volume. If you're 'shipping' by air, it goes mainly by weight. Small removals companies have a limit on size, so it may be best to give away your furniture unless you're really attached to them. Get a quote from Excess Baggage as well, they do student moves and send by sea.

2) Would I have to have everything assembled in one room for them to come and estimate the cost?
No, most companies come, walk around your house, and are good at estimating volume from visual inspection. But for my own case, I put everything in fixed size boxes from OfficeDepot, so I had a very good idea of the volume, and also weighed everything, so I knew for certain whether it would be cheaper to send by sea or air.

3) What sort of insurance is best, do the movers insure or do you arrange it separately?
The movers arrange it, but they're not the ones who actually do the insuring. Allied Pickford won't allow insurance on individual lots, unlike Seven Seas. Who can say what insurance is best? It mostly depends on what risks you are willing to take like any insurance. Some things are worthless but priceless, like your photo albums, but getting compensated for 'replacement value' is no consolation.

My two bits.
Mari
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Old Aug 28th 2003, 12:58 am
  #34  
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Default Re: more removal firms

Originally posted by mariawatanabe

3) What sort of insurance is best, do the movers insure or do you arrange it separately?
The movers arrange it, but they're not the ones who actually do the insuring. Allied Pickford won't allow insurance on individual lots, unlike Seven Seas. Who can say what insurance is best? It mostly depends on what risks you are willing to take like any insurance. Some things are worthless but priceless, like your photo albums, but getting compensated for 'replacement value' is no consolation.
We took the AP insurance - worth negotiating even this with them, as they started at 3.5% and we ended up paying 2.5%. The salesman told us that they paid any claims less than $1000 themselves, and a friend told us that they never even queried anything below that figure. In the end we had a claim for about 700, on which they offered us 400ish. I repeated our original claim (which was genuine) and they paid it without any further hassle, and without sending anyone to verify it.

You're dead right about the photos and things though. Some friends lost all their stuff when their container went over the side. They got the material posessions replaced, but lost all the personal stuff. We now make sure we scan and back up everything of personal value before we move, and carry the back up cd's with us. I also leave a copy of the cd with my mother, just in case....paranoid? probably. peace of mind - definitely!
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Old Aug 31st 2003, 10:29 pm
  #35  
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Default PSS

Originally posted by ladyofthelake
We used a company called PSS International Removals
They deal only with international moves, so all their employees are very experienced with international moves. The quote (which arrived 2 days after the assessment) we had was the cheapest of all, but we chose them because we felt the most comfortable entrusting them with all our possessions. The packers were very good, prompt and efficient, nothing was broken when it arrived, and unpacking was included in the price. The container arrived in Miami 3 weeks after it left our house, so we were very pleased with the speed and ease that it all went through.
In a fleeting flash of inspiration, to get a quote from someone besides "the big 3" , I invited PSS to survey my 'shipment'. They came wednesday and will get a quote back to me early this week.
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Old Sep 1st 2003, 6:28 am
  #36  
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Default Re: PSS

Originally posted by Jo Brayne
In a fleeting flash of inspiration, to get a quote from someone besides "the big 3" , I invited PSS to survey my 'shipment'. They came wednesday and will get a quote back to me early this week.
Ok Jo, being fairly new to the shipping thing, please can you tell me who the "big 3" are? I was thinking of trying Allied Pickfords and Simpsons. Are they part of the "big 3"?

Confused

Thanks

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Old Sep 5th 2003, 4:06 pm
  #37  
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Default visa surcharge

Originally posted by Yorkieabroad
Just had a quick look at www.visa.com. In their Ask Visa section:

Quote
If you run into a problem like this with a merchant, please notify the financial institution that issued you your Visa card. These institutions have access to the appropriate Visa rules and regulations and can help you document and file your complaint.

Unquote
I just moved with SevenSeas (see post on page 3) and they also have a surcharge for using Visa, so I went with debit card, which has no surcharge. I initially considered complaining to Visa after reading your post, but reconsidered. If I complain, won't the moving company just raise their prices all around (even for people who pay with check or debit or cash)? It's in Visa's interest to get more people to use their services, so they'll crack down on merchants who bill you extra, but aren't we the ones who lose if the merchants raise their prices to absorb the cost? Any opinions out there?
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Old Sep 6th 2003, 1:14 am
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Maybe, but its also in Visa's interest to get people to pay by CC rather than switching to another form of payment because of a surcharge....

When we've moved, we've normally found it a fairly competitive and price sensitive market, so if the moving company raise their prices to 'build in' a surcharge, they run the risk of losing out on business.

Personally, I always advise a trader who tries to levy a surcharge for paying by credit card that they are not allowed to, and if they won't drop it, I report it to the Credit card company and then avoid using that trader. Fortunately it happens very rarely - it has only happened to me a few times that I can think of - with moving companies and with travel agents, and once with an online booking agent.

The vast majority of businesses manage to charge the same prices whether paid by cash/debit/credit, so why do a few think they should be able to get away with charging extra? Especially IF they have signed a contract with Visa or whoever saying that they won't.
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Old Sep 7th 2003, 10:32 am
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Hi folks.

Thanks for this thread - some excellent pointers in here.

My question is, I will only be taking around 600 or so cds, maybe 50 books (at the most) and my cd-recorder, amp & speakers. Has anyone else shipped so little and would it be cheaper/easier via airfreight or sea? I know the 600 cds won't take up too much volume but they will be kinda heavy.

Thanks

Andy
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Old Sep 8th 2003, 4:32 pm
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Originally posted by Haggischomper

I know the 600 cds won't take up too much volume but they will be kinda heavy.
It sounds to me like Andy has so little he's better off putting everything in his suitcase. The suitcase weight limit is probably about 30 kg, and you get to take two. What doesn't fit, he can send by post, surface. I was quoted approx 20 GBP per 5 kg for printed matter via Royal Mail. As for CDs, jewel case weights and volumes add up. I suggest donating all of the jewel cases to Oxfam etc, and buying fresh ones (K-Mart, Targe) on arrival. Finally, there's Excess Baggage Removal company who might be economical if EVERYTHING you want to send will fit in their bookboxes. Otherwise, the charge for the first box is determined by the size of the largest box you use.
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Old Sep 8th 2003, 7:18 pm
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Thanks. I guess that gives me another option to ponder.
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Old Sep 8th 2003, 7:32 pm
  #42  
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My husband used Seven Seas as well, earlier this year. We had some problems on this side with miscommunication from UPS, but the boxes finally got delivered, and everything ended up okay. He wrote up his experience here: http://k1fun.envy.nu/emigrating.html.
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Old Sep 18th 2003, 9:27 pm
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Default Final Report Card 7 Seas Removal

FACTS

Time promised -- 7-10 days
Time taken from pick up to delivery -- 25 days

Price quoted excepting insurance for 5 x 30 kg boxes --
Invoice excepting insurance--

Condition of boxes on arrival:
Battered. 3 boxes with repaired bursts. One box with unrepaired hole the size of a clothes iron. Some things were dented, but nothing was broken including an expensive camera. The UPS delivery man rolled the boxes end over end to get the boxes up stairs despite the giant red arrows and wine glass symbols on each of the boxes. Nothing was missing from the boxes, despite all of them having been opened by customs (unlike US security people at the airport who will confiscate, i.e., steal, things from your suitcase without telling you why or what they took).

Communication:
Always friendly and polite.
Always called back, even internationally, if they promised to.
Did not reply to e-mail inquiry.
Did not keep me informed of where my shipment was and head office never knew either. They always needed to call their warehouse to get such information.
Did not warn me at all before trying to deliver shipment. Just rang doorbell one day.
FACTS

Time promised -- 7-10 days
Time taken from pick up to delivery -- 25 days

Price quoted excepting insurance for 5 x 30 kg boxes --
Invoice excepting insurance--

Condition of boxes on arrival:
Battered. 3 boxes with repaired bursts. One box with unrepaired hole the size of a clothes iron. Some things were dented, but nothing was broken including an expensive camera. The UPS delivery man rolled the boxes end over end to get the boxes up stairs despite the giant red arrows and wine glass symbols on each of the boxes. Nothing was missing from the boxes, despite all of them having been opened by customs (unlike US security people at the airport who will confiscate, i.e., steal, things from your suitcase without telling you why or what they took).

Communication:
Always friendly and polite.
Always called back, even internationally, if they promised to.
Did not reply to e-mail inquiry.
Did not keep me informed of where my shipment was and head office never knew either. They always needed to call their warehouse to get such information.
Did not warn me at all before trying to deliver shipment. Just rang doorbell one day.

Pick up and delivery:
Pick up was 5 minutes later than the end of the hour promised.
Delivery was up to my 2nd floor flat, despite the contract stating that delivery would only be to front door of apartment building.

SUMMARY

They were cheap and faster than shipping by sea for the amount that I wanted to move. I would use them again. However, if there is a next time, I would make sure to use a lot more tape, esp. around the middle of the boxes to lessen bursting, and pack my things snugger so they wouldn't be damaged even if someone rolled or threw the boxes. Shipping by air is a lot rougher than shipping by sea, it turns out.

Last edited by mariawatanabe; Oct 15th 2003 at 5:15 pm.
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Old Mar 16th 2006, 10:49 am
  #44  
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Default Re: Brittania

Originally Posted by Jo Brayne
well we got our quote from Brittania-Appleyards today, more than a week after they came to survey. Their base quote is £3,068 which is right around where I was expecting it to be. And it doesnt include a £200+VAT cancellation waiver and £25 +IPT + VAT (yep) premesis insurance and 3% charge for credit OR debit cards! Talk about scandalous, debit card transactions only cost them 50 pence!! That's for 306 cubic feet "groupage" consignment. For our own small container, they quoted us about another 8 percet. I also expect that trying to trim down wont help the cost much either. They all said that if it ended up being less volume than quoted they'd adjust it but I'll wait to see that! I suspect they'll all be like this with their own quirks. I'll keep you posted on the other 2 as they come in.
I used Britannia Appleyards and I would never recommend them to anyone. The insurance they offer actually works against you - for instance if they think something might be damaged when they move it they will just refuse to touch it (I had to leave some furniture behind), if something is actually damaged in transit they will try to cover it up or just refuse to fill in a report form so you can't claim compensation afterwards. If you do complain about their service afterwards they will just ignore you or just keep quoting their terms and conditions (I got threatened with a counter-claim if I wanted to take things to court - not exactly a nice way to treat customers).

Don't be fooled by their slick sales people and glossy brochures.
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Old Mar 16th 2006, 2:33 pm
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Default Re: Removal firms (from UK to US)

Hi all.....well I’ve been lurking here for long enough so i guess its time to make a contribution

I used "Abacus" in Southampton and cant recommend them enough......got my stuff yesterday after shipping it from the UK over Xmas...total charge was 1086 GBP including insurance....that was for around 1200 cubic foot, packed and wrapped by the shippers
Didn’t have to pay until everything was packed and loaded and they were quick and friendly both sides of the pond...and they kept in touch during the whole operation even down to the exact time they would arrive at the door this end

The thought of shipping my stuff was causing me more stress then any other part of my move here and at the end of the day it turned out to be the smoothest
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