Yes!! It's another shipping thread

[Jeraly 3]

What I have done for my own sanity is to box things up I want to take so I could clear out my room. Some companies will let you pack yourself but you need to have boxes that will be ok for customs (I just stuck mine in banana boxes which aren't all that great! Will need to re-pack). Other companies will pack for you. As I live with my mum I only had my room to clear out, so if you are shipping a lot of furniture then this might not be so easy. I would move all the things I want to take into one room so it was all together but that is just me.

As for shipping companies - a lot of them have web forms you can fill in rather than call - you can find a list of them in the first post in this thread. Also just try googling for international movers or something like that

Good luck! I'm waiting on some calls back today!

[Jeraly 3]

Had this e-mail from MoveMe - they seem very competent although have a minimum volume charge of 2 square metres.

If you would like to talk to me about your quote please call me

My name is Mark, call me on FREEPHONE 0800 3890784.

Customer testimonials

There is often no better recommendation than comments from people who have had first hand experience themselves in moving overseas. We have posted some of the feedback from clients who have used our services on our web site, please click here to read our customer testimonials. All of the comments on our customer testimonials page are as received and unedited.

Packing your goods for shipment - IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

For full details and pictures follow this link - CLICK HERE - To see how we pack your goods for shipment

All goods moved on our shared container services are safely and securely packed on to pallets for shipment. Other removals firms will pack your belongings loose along with other peoples loose items for shipment. This greatly increases the likelihood of loss, pilferage and damage being sustained by your belongings during transit and can also cause delay in the UK prior to shipment while they amass enough cargo to fill a container. Before being loaded for shipment your goods are:

* Packed to pallets by our team of professional packers to best minimise the size of your shipment. Where safe to do so we shall use all space in cupboards, drawers, wardrobes etc.

* Shrink wrapped to ensure that your goods do not move during shipment to your new home.

* Thoroughly wrapped using cardboard and bubble wrap to further protect your goods.

* Given a durable outer layer of black wrapping to further ensure that goods are both protected and out of sight from any prying eyes.

* Lastly goods are fully marked / labelled, strap banded to the pallet(s) and given a unique pallet seal number.

With the exception of Customs and Excise, should they wish to, no one at any stage of your move has the authority to open your sealed pallets which will give them access to your belongings. By the virtue of the method we employ to pack goods we have access to weekly departures to the vast majority of destinations that we serve.

Booking your shipment

In order to book your shipment please feel free to contact our offices, however please note that to formally book your move we need you to complete our on line booking form. Our on line booking form is available here - CLICK HERE - for 1st Move booking form

Your Quote

The rates above are based on the initial information that you have provided us with. Once your goods have been packed to pallets ready for shipment and check measured our price may need to be adjusted. If your final packed volume is less than your above quote, charges will be adjusted accordingly on a pro rata basis. By the same gesture if you have underestimated goods being shipped, their volume or if you have included additional items in your shipment your charges may be higher. For further advice on volumes please click the following link - ADVICE ON VOLUMES or to use the VOLUME CALCULATOR CLICK HERE

FREE moving boxes

If you are packing your goods yourself and need boxes, you can take advantage of our FREE moving boxes offer. See details by clicking the following link - FREE MOVING BOXES - Click here

Insurance

The above rates do not include insurance cover for your shipment, we are however able to provide insurance cover for your goods should you require. Insurance premiums are calculated at a rate of 4% of the value of goods you wish insure. Insurance will cover you against loss, theft and includes damage cover for any goods packed by 1st Move International. For further details regarding insurance cover please click the following link - Please CLICK HERE for insurance terms and printable forms.

Important notice regarding insurance from the Financial Services Authority (FSA):

New UK Government regulations require all UK removal companies to be registered with the UK government body the FSA, before they can sell you any type of moving or removal insurance. 1st Move International are approved by Lloyds of London and registered with the FSA to sell insurance products. Our FSA Registration Number is 314930. Is your mover registered? You can quickly check our, or indeed anyone else's, registration by clicking the following link - Financial Services Authority (FSA)

When do I pay for my shipment?

When you ship with 1st Move International there is no payment up front or deposit required. Your goods will be collected from your UK address and brought back to our packing facility where they will be packed to pallets for shipment. Once your goods are packed and ready to go we shall raise your invoice and e mail a copy to you. We then require you to settle your account before we can physically ship the goods from the UK.

Accepted methods of payment - We can accept payment by any of the following means: Credit card (Visa or MasterCard), Debit Card (Switch or Delta), UK Cheque (must be from a UK account), Bank Transfer, Cash deposit into our account. We regret that if paying by credit card we have to pass on the credit card companies' charge to us of (2%).

Additional information

All shipments to America are subject to a minimum charge based on 2 cubic metres.

Important note on America customs regulations:

Please ensure that you clearly label ALL packages that YOU have packed with confirmation of YOUR NAME and DESTINATION in America. We shall label all items that are being professionally packed at time of packing for shipment. All shipments of personal effects entering America are subject to both Customs Clearance and Quarantine inspection. It is important that individuals are aware of current regulations on prohibited goods, please view the current regulations by clicking the following link - American Customs

Exclusions

If your rate is to our overseas depot only, you will have to pay the destination agent for certain services they supply. All overseas agents make these charges, which cover them for handling and holding your goods pending completion of customs clearance formalities. Examples of these are: 1.Terminal/Warehouse handling charges at approx. £ 22.00 to £ 30.00 per cubic metre and may vary depending on final destination. 2. An administration fee of approx £25.00 to cover telephone calls, non customs paperwork written or general advice. 3. Local delivery fee from the customs depot to your door, or you can of course collect the goods yourself. 4. A customs brokers fee to handle your customs paperwork. (In many cases it is more prudent and economical for you to deal direct with overseas customs. We have the relevant customs forms for Australia, Canada and USA which we will send if required. Dealing direct with overseas customs means you do not have to pay a brokers fee, our overseas agents will give you further advice on how to do this and avoid the brokers fees. The charges above CAN be prepaid in the UK but by paying them direct to the overseas agents, in local currency, you avoid additional costs relating to currency exchanges, bank charges and administration costs associated with 1st Move transferring funds on your behalf.

General information

We aim to make your move a stress free experience, please help us to help you and ensure that you note the following:

Your collection charge unless otherwise stated is based on a two man collection. If additional man power is required on collection this can be arranged at an additional cost of £80 per man. Are your packages easily lifted by one man, if not please tell us. For security reasons our drivers can not leave the vehicle out of sight of your property. If you are not on the ground floor, please ensure that goods are ready for collection at ground level. If you have any serious parking or access restrictions please inform us, parking tickets incurred due to failure to provide parking permits where applicable shall be applied to your account. Please also note that if you are packing your own goods please ensure that no one box is more than 25Kg in weight to ensure it can be safely lifted. If your boxes do exceed this weight 1st Move International reserve the right to re-pack your items into smaller, manageable boxes. If re-packing is required this will be charged at our standard rate of £40 per cubic metre. Please also ensure that you complete an inventory of items that you have packed yourself as we will need a copy of this list for customs purposes. Please advise us of any restrictions whatsoever that may hinder us from collecting your goods. If your goods are already packed we can usually collect anywhere in the UK within 24/48 hours of your advice. If we are packing your goods for you please advise us at least 5 days prior to your requested removal day in order that we can allocate our packing team for you. Professional packing is charged at a rate of £40 per cubic metre and £20 per cubic metre for furniture items. Packing charges do not include the provision of wooden packing crates unless otherwise stated, these can be provided at additional cost.

YOUR QUOTATION IS VALID FOR 60 DAYS.

If you wish to book your shipment after the 60 day validity period please do not hesitate to contact our offices and we shall be happy to advise if your above quote is still valid. If your requirements have changed we shall also be more than happy to provide a revised free of charge quotation.

Useful links - Please note that all of the below links will navigate you back to the appropriate page on our web site

* BOOKING YOUR SHIPMENT. To navigate to our on line booking form - Please click here

* FREE BOXES. How to take advantage of our special offer - Please click here

* INSURANCE - For details of available insurance and confirmation of insurance terms - Please click here

* PACKING - For details of how we pack your goods for shipment - Please click here

* CAR AND BOAT SHIPPING SERVICES ALSO AVAILABLE - For details of our car / boat shipping services - Please click here

* CUSTOMER FEEDBACK. How did we do? We love customer feedback, please let us know your comments or opinions... Please click here

Again may we thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide a quote for your move. If we can assist you further please do not hesitate to contact our offices on FREE-Phone 0800 389 0784 or you can click here to book your shipment on line

Mark Gwinnell

1st Move International Limited

Email: mark@shipit.co.uk

Websites at: http://www.shipit.co.uk and www.moveme.co.uk

Tel No. +44 ( 0 ) 117 9828123

Fax No: +44 ( 0 ) 117 9822229

Freephone from the UK: 0800 3890784

Associated Companies and Services:

Car and boat shipping from UK www.autoshippers.co.uk

Car shipping from the USA www.autocarshippers.com

[Jeraly 3]

Just called them as well - they are based near me which is cool and they seem really good if a little pricey - it is only to Los Angeles (but can pick up ourselves) and there would be about $100 extra charges at that end for processing etc - the quote they gave me was £582 based on a minimum of 2 cubic metres. Have Pickfords coming to visit on Thursday so will keep updating info

£580 seems to be kinda standard for me though

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

If you're happy to pick up from the port, have you checked with all freight?

[Jeraly 3]

I contacted them but haven't heard back yet. Would be best to get door to door if we can but obviously if that works out much more expensive then we will go for the cheaper option. Pickfords coming out on Thursday should be interesting - I think that is who StP used and she said they were really good

[Jeraly 3]

It's the Jeraly spamathon shipping thread! Had quote from John Mason for £585 door to door - not sure if this includes packing and materials but have sent another e-mail to clarify

[Jeraly 3]

John Mason price includes packing and materials so is looking to be the favourite so far out of those that have got back to me at least - having to wait til Thursday though for Pickfords... I just hope it is easy enough for mum to get it all sent off if I don't get it organised before I leave!!!

[Jeraly 3]

Doree Bonner appear to want a Social Security number which I found interesting...

[pandora 0]

This is a quote i got yesterday from virgin - which i thought was interesting cost wise, i thought i would check out there prices as there excess baggage charge is £60 per bag upto 25kg.

I was thinking of shipping between 4 -6 tea chests so this one seems cheapest quote i've got so far look like makin it upto 101 kg is worth the saving of £1.48 per kg

___________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Virgin Atlantic's unaccompanied

luggage service to Washington DC.

I am pleased to offer you the following rates:

-100Kgs = £3.04 per Kg

+100Kgs = £1.56 per Kg

+ £56.00 Admin fee

Please note the following:

1.Our minimum charge is £150.00

2. We only offer a Airport to Airport service.

3. You would need to telephone us on 08450 701701 to make an appointment to

deliver your items to our Heathrow cargo facility.

4. You would need to deliver your items to our warehouse at Heathrow at

that appointed time.

5. Payment can be made by cash, credit card or UK cheque supported by a

cheque guarantee card.

6. You must not send any hazardous items (such as aerosol sprays, flammable

liquids (includes nail polish & nail polish remover), fireworks, batteries

or matches) with your goods.

7. You are required by Customs to provide us with a packing list of your

goods that we need to forward with your shipment.

8. We do not accept plasma televisions, petrol generators or freezers /

refrigerators.

9. All items must be suitably packed for airfreight.

10. All items will be charged by weight or volume whichever is the greater.

11. You are responsible for arranging Customs clearance of your goods at

destination, we do not offer a Customs clearance service.

12. We will not accept goods destined for re-sale, commercial or exhibition

use, please contact a freight forwarder to ship these items.

[Jeraly 3]

Well, Pickfords just quoted me £975 including insurance

I am so p*ssed off right now - I just don't know what to do. I am so so fed up with all of this.

[Jeraly 3]

Owel - panic kinda over - I got super stressed then went back over all my other shipping companies and tried to get revised quotes and clarification of details.

Turns out that John Mason are my guys - they were the first to call me on Monday morning and their correspondence and help has been excellent. Quote is £595 door to door although insurance is on top but at this point I don't care anymore!! Roll on normality ><

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Glad to hear it!

[pandora 0]

Owel - panic kinda over - I got super stressed then went back over all my other shipping companies and tried to get revised quotes and clarification of details.

Turns out that John Mason are my guys - they were the first to call me on Monday morning and their correspondence and help has been excellent. Quote is £595 door to door although insurance is on top but at this point I don't care anymore!! Roll on normality ><

Glad you sorted one out

[Jeraly 3]

Turns out that Pickfords used the "industry standard volume" of fruit boxes which is 4cuft, making the estimation of my belongings 60cuft - I measured and it is no more than 36cuft...

SO if anyone uses Pickfords - make sure you check the volume they quote you for

The guy is going to give me a revised quote tomorrow so am holding off on sending other forms back - might see if I can knock the other guys down if Pickfords come up trumps on cost...

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Thank you for the feedback, Aly. Sorry it's turned out to be so stressful.

That's two high recommendations for John Mason so far. I did like their website.