Shipping personal effects abroad

juvenal

In the next month or so, I'll be shipping some personal effects to either US or Canada. I've been looking around the previous threads, and also at the excess baggage policies on various airlines.

I'll probably have a set of golf clubs, some scuba equipment (that will be boxed/bagged), and perhaps three or four cardboard boxes (tayto crisp/medium sized) filled with books/dvds/bits & bobs.

I've looked at the following companies:

PostNet - http://www.postnet.ie/
Seven Seas Worldwide - http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/
Baggage/Shipping worldwide - www.baggage.ie / www.shippingpersonaleffects.com

Does anyone have any experience in shipping with any of these companies to North America, or anywhere else for that matter? I've also looked at the excess baggage charges and it looks like it could be cheaper to just pay the airline charges and bring this stuff with me on the plane.

Any advice/experiences/ideas? I think €200 for a single box is a bit steep (but appears to be the going rate).

Cheers,

J

Ruu_Old

I brought all my stuff with Aer Lingus (8 suitcases between the wife and I) and they didn't charge me even though I had the cash, there was some computer error and they let me off without paying. Sorry don't have any experience with shipping companies. You do see a lot of people bringing their golf clubs with them, not uncommon to see them circling around the carrousel.

juvenal

Ruu wrote: »

I brought all my stuff with Aer Lingus (8 suitcases between the wife and I) and they didn't charge me even though I had the cash, there was some computer error and they let me off without paying. Sorry don't have any experience with shipping companies. You do see a lot of people bringing their golf clubs with them, not uncommon to see them circling around the carrousel.

That was a lucky one - Computer says no As a matter of interest who did you fly with?

I think that's the route I'm currently looking at. I think I'll only need one suitcase for clothes, as I've some stuff in storage over there. So if I can take another box as a second piece of luggage, and some carry one, perhaps I can get away with another couple of boxes and the golf clubs as additional luggage, and pay whatever the charges are.

Thanks for the info.

Teamhar

Hi,

My family used a company called DJ Hanley Removals to ship their house contents to Canada a few years ago. I'm thinking about following them over soon so I've recently contacted this crowd for a quote on shifting boxes of dvds, books, few framed paintings, objects, linens and a chair. They need to come by and do a survey but a rough quote so far is just over a grand. I have to check around to see if this a lot but I trust my Dad when he says they're good value. He would have checked out a lot of places before they moved. Everything is insured, they pack it all for you which is great, and supply the materials along with a complete inventory which will be necessary for customs.

If you're pretty sure you're going to be staying there its worth it- you don't feel so out of your depth and far away when you have your personal items around you. If its just for a year, maybe self-storage would be a better option. You can hire a space and keep everything boxed up there securely while paying monthly. DJ Hanley does this as well and if you decide you're staying abroad, they'll ship your stuff to you.

http://djhanleys.ie/

Good luck,
T.

juvenal

Cheers for that, I might see if I can get quotes off the shipping companies.

The more I research it, it appears that the air excess baggage might be the way to go. All I have is a couple of boxes, and golf clubs; nothing like furniture or anything that could not pass as airline luggage. The rest of our bigger stuff like furniture is already in storage in the US.

I suppose it also depends on who I book my flights with as well, and what their baggage policies and charges are. I'll keep you posted on any developments.

dyldam

juvenal wrote: »

In the next month or so, I'll be shipping some personal effects to either US or Canada. I've been looking around the previous threads, and also at the excess baggage policies on various airlines.

I'll probably have a set of golf clubs, some scuba equipment (that will be boxed/bagged), and perhaps three or four cardboard boxes (tayto crisp/medium sized) filled with books/dvds/bits & bobs.

I've looked at the following companies:

PostNet - http://www.postnet.ie/
Seven Seas Worldwide - http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/
Baggage/Shipping worldwide - www.baggage.ie / www.shippingpersonaleffects.com

Does anyone have any experience in shipping with any of these companies to North America, or anywhere else for that matter? I've also looked at the excess baggage charges and it looks like it could be cheaper to just pay the airline charges and bring this stuff with me on the plane.

Any advice/experiences/ideas? I think €200 for a single box is a bit steep (but appears to be the going rate).

Cheers,

J

Hi, we used seven seas and were really happy with their service. They are located all around the world. The prices were heaps cheaper than paying normal airline excess baggage rates. I would use again.

They also dropped of boxes and packing material for use to use at no cost and picked all our stuff up when we were ready to send.

If it helps we sent golf clubs and a violin and no complaints.

Yavvy

oh I had a total nightmare with sevenseas ! .. ill come back and tell you all about it when I have time but be very careful using them. make sure to get plenty of insurance

bludhemn

Yavvy wrote: »

oh I had a total nightmare with sevenseas ! .. ill come back and tell you all about it when I have time but be very careful using them. make sure to get plenty of insurance

Hi Yavvy,

I am relocating in a month and am considering using Seven Seas to ship my stuff across. Could you please tell me about your unpleasant experience with Seven Seas?

Thanks in advance!

nowuckenfurries

Try here for a list: http://www.freightfox.ie/freight-directory/home-office-removals/removals-storage/

ipad

bludhemn wrote: »

Hi Yavvy,

I am relocating in a month and am considering using Seven Seas to ship my stuff across. Could you please tell me about your unpleasant experience with Seven Seas?

Thanks in advance!

we have used seven seas just recently and will never use them again. we got our goods shipped, the person going to receive the goods when they arrived at the destination got refused because of "extra charges" that this gang never told us about. took 2 weeks after the goods had arrived to actually receive them, a lot of phone calls, a lot of emails and was extremely frustrating.

go to this company for shipping personal effects or cars - my new zealand mate shipped a car and personal goods/belongings to auckland with these and only had goods things to say about the company.

randomname2005

Hearing stories of people moving abroad, has anyone had any recent dealings with any of the companies discussed above, or with other companies?

NTHOM

Call Mail Boxes Etc in Killarney. They ship personal effects worldwide and have large trade discounts with UPS and Fed-Ex which they pass on. I found the rate with them way cheaper than when I called the fed-Ex call centre.

aaron5854

Best thing to do is Google 'transport companies dublin' and you will get a good list, Transport companies and Shipping companies do the same services 99% of the time, and if they dont then the would sub contract the business out to another company without you even known.

psychward

The cheapest way used to be by ship. I sent a pile of my clothes home by ship from the USA when I lived there. It took 6 weeks and was pretty cheap. But recently when looking for options to send stuff the other way it seems that cargoship isn't an option in Ireland any longer.