Shipping Options
Oct 8th 2018, 10:39 am
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 96
Shipping Options
We're currently planning shipping of all of our stuff from London to Connecticut ahead of moving in the next few months, and looking to hear of others experiences if possible please?
It is just my wife and I, and we only have a small 1 bedroom flat worth of items to move. We are not taking any furniture or electronics, so most of our packing will be clothing, shoes, books, and smaller miscellaneous items. But we're finding it difficult to picture roughly how much volume this would be - does anybody have any advice on the easiest way to do this without actually test-packing it in to boxes just for the sake of obtaining a quote?
We are happy to be without our stuff for a few weeks, so presume sea shipping is fine as I'm told it is much cheaper. Does anybody have any good/bad experiences to share so that we are a little wiser and more well informed regarding the process? Can we pack all of our items ourselves or does it need to be done by the shipping company to support customs? The only initial quote we have requested so far was only for door to port - what is the required effort on collecting from Port once we are in the USA - is this more complicated than one might envision?
Any recommendations as well regarding companies to use?
Many thanks BE
It is just my wife and I, and we only have a small 1 bedroom flat worth of items to move. We are not taking any furniture or electronics, so most of our packing will be clothing, shoes, books, and smaller miscellaneous items. But we're finding it difficult to picture roughly how much volume this would be - does anybody have any advice on the easiest way to do this without actually test-packing it in to boxes just for the sake of obtaining a quote?
We are happy to be without our stuff for a few weeks, so presume sea shipping is fine as I'm told it is much cheaper. Does anybody have any good/bad experiences to share so that we are a little wiser and more well informed regarding the process? Can we pack all of our items ourselves or does it need to be done by the shipping company to support customs? The only initial quote we have requested so far was only for door to port - what is the required effort on collecting from Port once we are in the USA - is this more complicated than one might envision?
Any recommendations as well regarding companies to use?
Many thanks BE
Oct 8th 2018, 12:31 pm
#2
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Joined: Mar 2015
Location: NC, USA (ex Yorkshire)
Posts: 4,375
Re: Shipping Options
Will it not fit into extra suitcases?
Oct 8th 2018, 12:43 pm
#4
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 96
Re: Shipping Options
Oct 8th 2018, 1:14 pm
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 96
Re: Shipping Options
We always done well with Seven Seas: https://www.sevenseasworldwide.com
Also we don't have our own driveway, so unsure if it can be left on the public street parking outside our home. Im going to give them a call to understand more. Thank you
Oct 8th 2018, 2:56 pm
#6
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,194
Re: Shipping Options
This looks like a really good idea potentially. I presume that it is never opened until collection - though unsure how this would work to get through customs?
Also we don't have our own driveway, so unsure if it can be left on the public street parking outside our home. Im going to give them a call to understand more. Thank you
Also we don't have our own driveway, so unsure if it can be left on the public street parking outside our home. Im going to give them a call to understand more. Thank you
Oct 8th 2018, 3:06 pm
#7
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: State College Pa.
Posts: 1,585
Re: Shipping Options
Its declared as personal effects which are not subject to duty, but customs MAY inspect at their discretion
Oct 10th 2018, 7:16 pm
#8
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 4
Re: Shipping Options
We're currently having our stuff shipped with www.shipit.co.uk/ so far the process has been quite simple. They quoted me a cost based on a meter cube and once they collected the boxes etc, arranged it in the most space saving way sealed/ water proofed the load.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
May 5th 2019, 10:49 am
#9
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 4
Re: Shipping Options
We're currently having our stuff shipped with www.shipit.co.uk/ so far the process has been quite simple. They quoted me a cost based on a meter cube and once they collected the boxes etc, arranged it in the most space saving way sealed/ water proofed the load.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
May 5th 2019, 11:36 am
#10
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 4
Re: Shipping Options
Hi JBQ,
The team came and collected our stuff from the house, took it away packed it and sealed it really well.
We were able to track our stuff through the various terminals etc.
There were some additional costs due to handling fees at the different shipping hubs, those were unexpected by us but probably because everything was done in a rush when we finally got our Visa’s we didn’t have time to ask the questions.
We only shipped 1.5m cubed and our shipment had to be collected from a depot, about 20mins away so it was ok to fit in the big US car. We may have had to hire a van if it was much larger.
All of our stuff turned up just as it was shipped the way it was packaged and wrapped was excellent, they even took our kids handle bars off their bikes to save space. The fork lift driver at the pick up depot even commented on how well they had sealed the shipment.
In short, my only issues were: ship it could have used a single point of contact (a project manager) and could have let us know about the additional charges (approx $200) we encountered.
we are actually doing the same thing in reverse now as my placement is up, so let’s see how that goes
The team came and collected our stuff from the house, took it away packed it and sealed it really well.
We were able to track our stuff through the various terminals etc.
There were some additional costs due to handling fees at the different shipping hubs, those were unexpected by us but probably because everything was done in a rush when we finally got our Visa’s we didn’t have time to ask the questions.
We only shipped 1.5m cubed and our shipment had to be collected from a depot, about 20mins away so it was ok to fit in the big US car. We may have had to hire a van if it was much larger.
All of our stuff turned up just as it was shipped the way it was packaged and wrapped was excellent, they even took our kids handle bars off their bikes to save space. The fork lift driver at the pick up depot even commented on how well they had sealed the shipment.
In short, my only issues were: ship it could have used a single point of contact (a project manager) and could have let us know about the additional charges (approx $200) we encountered.
we are actually doing the same thing in reverse now as my placement is up, so let’s see how that goes
May 6th 2019, 7:11 pm
#11
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 473
Re: Shipping Options
We're currently having our stuff shipped with www.shipit.co.uk/ so far the process has been quite simple. They quoted me a cost based on a meter cube and once they collected the boxes etc, arranged it in the most space saving way sealed/ water proofed the load.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
we should be receiving our stuff in a month so we'll have to see how well they have done.
the only issue i have found is you don't have one point of contact so I've had to speak to a few different people and give the same information to each over the last month or so.
They quote based on volume and are very good at packing things as tight as possible. They are then protective wrapped and put into a container. A full container would be pretty expensive (I 3.8 cubic metre pallet from Bristol to Indiana cost me about $1500 plus an inspection fee for $465 plus a handling fee at the warehouse of $165.
OP: To answer your questions. Yes you can pack items yourself into boxes, but you then my provide an inventory list for the shipping company to present to customs. Regarding collection, you can arrange to have the package delivered to your door for an extra fee but on both occasions I just picked it up from the shipping warehouse (2hrs away when I was in WA State, and an hr away now I'm in Indiana). For the cost of getting it delivered to your door, you might want to consider renting a uhaul and collecting it.
