shipping to australia,quotes,questions etc

[bwatt99]

Hi guys well finally started the ball rolling yesterday on our move to australia,by booking our flights one way,yes i know have had my visa a while now,but time is running out so need to make the move before august 2013.

 

I still to sell or if i need to rent my house plus lots of other stuff so its time for me to get its all into place,lets hope it all works out and i dont run out of time before we are due to fly.

 

Anyway its regarding shipping,i am planning on using an agent to ship our stuff over and right now i have a list of these companies:

 

angio pacific

john masons

bonners

bournes

pss

crown

pickfords

britannia

white and co

 

I know this question has been asked many times but who is still around above,who is highly recommended and who always comes up with best prices.

 

I know many have had issues with some and not with others and i wonder what these where.

 

I was wondering of these companies who the use the other end,same company or a suncontractor if so who and are they ok.

 

When getting quotes,price matching etc etc how long does this all take and how much in advance do these guys need to know,lets just say we are not flying till 30th may 2013 but that sure does come along quick,and was just not sure when the right time would be in seeing about this.

 

I have many items which are stored away right now,still packed in there boxes from new,i would plan on taking them out of there boxes before shippers was gonna give us a quote as these items having there boxes make them look bigger,more space up,so getting rid of there boxes before then would be an idea as for now they are just used to keep them new and clean etc.

 

I do have many flat packed items also stored away and i feel that leaving them this way will save on space,i take if shippers feel they need more packing to them they will.

 

As i have items stored away in another location and some stuff in my house going would it be best to have all in one location,would the costs go up if they needed to load from another location as well as our house.

 

Im from the aberdeenshire area,do any of these shippers have places up here if so who and if any of the shippers dont in the list above,do most or are most willing to come to your location or are you better to get one from the list who has someone not far.

 

As in the guys coming to pack,are these guys employed by the company or subcontractors,are most very trusting,could you leave them to get on with it or would you need to keep or try and keep a close eye on them when they are in the house.

 

When they have packed your container,do you see a sea/lockl going on the door and is this still the same seal until it gets to the other side,or do these shippers take stuff out while say in warehouse etc

 

What is todays costs for 20ft container and also a 40ft,anyone been getting quotes recently and what had they been quoted, i suppose every quote is different and depends on the volume and stuff you have getting shipped but give me an idea.

Do these cost go up very year and when is best to get this done before it does?

what other costs are involved when shipping your stuff is the quote they give you all costs or are there extras.if so what

 

As in the insurance cover to they ask what the value of your shipment is,i had been thinking of letton percival for this,why,are the much cheaper and can they be dealt with online etc.

 

When getting your quotes do you get them to fight it out so you get best prices,and why do most end up picking a certain shipper by what they have heard,read or they just feel right or very friendly.

Do they come to your house and look to see what you be shipping.

 

I stay in a town,pretty much just off the centre of town where the main road is busy and can be hard to get parked,will this add to the costs of they giving me a quote,there is a bit of ground next door off road parking where they might be able to put container but i would need to ask owners,do they need a certain width to park into etc and do they use large lorry or one just big enough to hold a container.

 

When they pack up your stuff and it gets to australia,do they unpack this as well or do some just pack this end and leave you to unpack in australia,as in taking all the stuff out of the boxes or does the unpacking mean with them just putting the boxes into your garage.

 

So say as we was going 30th may 2013 when is the best time to have container booked and shipped for,would it go straight to boat or does that depend on if the boat has just left,how many weeks average does stuff take to get over there.

 

When shipping your stuff over is there anything you just would not bother taking over,no point,does not work etc etc like a dab radio cant remember stuff at this time or as many say just take the lot.

 

I take these guys are very carefull with your items as in packing and also when they are moving things out of the house.

 

Has anyone had too much stuff to send thinking a 20ft would be ok,do the shippers know what is required for the stuff you want to take,no after phone calls,etc etc saying you need bigger,price is more etc.

 

How long does a quote last for when you get one from them.

 

I hope i have covered everything in the shipping questions i have asked,as im soon to be doing this anything you can help me with above you be great as many of you will have already been through this,in the stages of doing so or have many times over.

[Kev Rad]

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread as we are in exactly the same position. If you find out any super helpful stuff be great if you could let us know. We are going to be using all the same shipping companies for quotes so I will let you know how we get on.

 

Kev

[ali]

We used John Masons alomsot 6 years ago and they still enjoy a good reputation, they use Wridgeways at this end who were also excellent. I have friends who migrated a couple of years ago and used John Masons and were also happy with the service.

 

Re Cost - get some quotes - you can say to company A that company B have quoted you a certain price and can they match or beat it - often they can. I would ask your specific questions to the companies directly - Our quote was very precise and I was convinced it wouldn't all fit into the 20ft container ... but it did.

 

You will have quarentine fees to pay at this end.

[Avalonia]

We are also looking at quotes so I can't answer all you questions but the companies will, eg quote expiry (usually 30days). We're also planning on going late May 2013. The lowest for an almost full 40ft container was £6600, another said £6950 for a full 40ft, doesn't include car. I don't like their unfair liabilities (eg max £40/item broken, or max £75 house damage) and silly cancellation / date change fees, and I think they should be coming in lower than this. At least they provide an all inclusive service of collection and drop off, our main challenge is getting the car over there, it's a horrendous paperwork challenge, with lots more silly fees and permissions, but still seems to be worth taking - anyone have advice on this?