Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Pickfords moved us over and provided us with a list and an advisor was on hand to iron out any difficult ones. The biggest heartbrake for me was leaving with my brother-in-law to be my collection of malt whiskey!!

Don't worry too much when our things arrived we found all sorts of cosmetics we had forgotton about in the bathroom drawers, teabgs and herbs left in the kitchen cupboards. Time passed us by and when the Pickfords guys arrived they do not hange around. If it's not nailed down it will end up in a box!!

Good luck

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

We just packed out last week.

Perfumes are perfectly allowable as toiletries. (They are even listed on insurance, if you want to add them.)

Batteries are perfectly allowable - if not inside something to make it work. All batteries from our clocks and children's toys were removed by our packing crew. (We used Clark and Rose.)

We did talk to Pickford's and they, nor C&R, said 80% of all containers are checked. We heard more like 5-10%. And that can get expensive...paid by the content's owner, not shipper.

You can take more than 2 bags on the airlines - the cost of excess luggage is not unreasonable, and cheaper than consigned air freight - so why not consider that option for more?

However, everything you need is available in the USA and most likely cheaper, but for kid's things and items to help transition in the first weeks are very nice to have.

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

I am just starting the process of getting quotes to move our house items from ~London to San Francisco.

This has been very useful just wanted to ask if they will be many problems with packing tea bags, I have an addiction to Sainsburys Earl Gray and intended to take a whole box of them.

My other question is how does it work when they have to come in and pack all your items for you? Do they literally go through your drawers or can you pack stuff and show them the box?

Many thanks in advance

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

There seems to be some confusion about things that might be construed as weapons, and things that actually *are* weapons. Scissors, sharp knives can be taken in your shipment without any problems.

Bromley Girl, I think your shipping people at Pickfords are not advising you correctly. Toy weapons are *fine*, I don't know why they think they can't ship them. They should have provided you with a list of prohibited items (which does not include toy swords:) ) this is fairly standard and we were given this before we started packing.

See if this document will help you, http://www.doreebonner.co.uk/upload/...lation_usa.pdf

And remember to use the maximum amount of checked luggage on the plane, we are a family of four so we had 8 bags and 4 bits of hand luggage. Normally we don't travel with that many bags but it allowed us to take food (digestives, tea bags and so on) and enough toys and clothes to do until our shipment arrived.

Badger, I brought a years worth of tea bags in my checked luggage, perfectly allowable and didn't take up much room. we had two maximum sized hand luggage bags packed with digestives :)

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Badger, see above post about t-bags. :)

They did have large upright 'wardrobe' boxes and simply lifted the clothes on hangers in there. I think we put all our smalls in the suitcases, but I don't remember.

if you've organised and decluttered it shoud be easier for you to direct them re packing, you may be able to pack the clothes when they are there, ask the guys that come to give you the quote what they will allow.
We used Dorree Bonner (Dartford) as we were quoted the same price for a sole use container as Pickfords and some others had quoted us for a shared container.

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

BadgerNaboo. When Pickfords moved everything for us they were very thorough. Everything was carefully removed from cupboards, wardrobes, drawers etc packed safely and loaded directly into a container. This is when we missed some items that should probably not have been shipped but our container was only scanned and not fully inspected. I think there is a lot of paranoia surrounding restricted items and there is some understanding as to shippong of household items.

It was only when emptying boxes did the humiliation kick in about what we left in the bedroom drawers that a burly Yorkshireman carefully packed away!! :o

I'm sure we're not the on y story he could tell.

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Our packers sent someone to see us who guestimated how many boxes we'd need and how big a container we'd need. When the packers came we went round the house again pointing out the stuff to definitely pack and the stuff to definitely leave. Then they went at it and in two half days they'd completely cleared the place. They knew what could be packed legitimately and checked to make sure there were no nail varnishes etc in the sea or air freight.
I wasn't allowed to pack perfumes either, all mine had to come in our suitcases.

The advice we got from the guestimator was worth noting - make sure anything you don't want packed is either is a room that nothing is going to be removed from or removed entirely from the house. The packers are ruthlessly efficient, if it's not nailed down then it gets packed. Clothes from drawers all went in boxes, clothes from the wardrobes were packed hanging in wardrobe boxes.
I took my good jewellery in my hand luggage which is just as well as my not so good stuff in one of the suitcases was searched through (I think the big tub of Cherry Lips in the suitcase might have raised the sniffer dogs suspicions).

I'll let you know round about 9/11 when my sea freight is estimated to arrive on how much stuff arrived in one piece :)

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

we've just been packed, and it nearly broke my heart too, to leave all my single malts behind. :(

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Better crack on and drink them quick then .....:drinkwine:

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Thank you so much for all the advice it was very helpful.

I have Robinsons coming to quote on the 5th August and I am still waiting for a call back from Anglo Pacific but hopefully they can come pretty soon.

Peter n Catty you made me laugh :thumbsup:

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Thanks everyone for all the advise so far..interesting that some say perfumes are considered toiletries and some are saying prohibited.

As for Pickfords, seems they just want to do the paperwork but as for any real advise they just say they don't know and when they submit the question to their central office the answer back is always to use my discretion - not very helpful!

I'm packing my own boxes as I'm moving myself and need to try and cut the cost of shipping and actually I think I prefer it this way anyway as then I know exactly what has been packed and the thought of other people packing my things:blink:

As for checked baggage it seems now since Sept 09 several airlines are now charging for the second checked bag which I'm happy to pay so we will have a total of 6 plus our carry ons and then we are allowed a personal item as well so my children will both have their sleeping bags and I will have my laptop bag.

Can anyone think of anything else I am missing/need to consider??

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Hi

I really wanted to pack my own things like you the thought of someone else doing it fills me with dread but I have been told that for the US it is not allowed and it will not be insured.

Can anyone else advise on this?

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Yes. You've been lied to. Removals firms do that.

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

I think they don't mind you packing soft clothes and the like, as they can't get damaged no matter how you pack them. I packed a lot of my own clothes, books and journals (I had to pack them in about 20 boxes to bring them home from work, so it didn't make sense to then unpack them so the shippers could pack them ...) every time I did the US-UK-US-UK trip and none of the shippers had a problem insuring my shipment.

It's things like bikes, electronics, etc., that they won't insure if you packed them.

Re: Shipping - what not to pack!
 

Thanks for the info I have also heard that if we pack the stuff ourselves the chance of customs opening it is very high which then of course incurs further charges.

Is anyone able to confirm this?