Choosing a Mover to Move Overseas

First of all it depends on what services you are seeking, if  you need a small consignment of clothes and personal items collected and sent by sea or air or if you are wanting to have your entire home packed up and shipped halfway around the World then clearly you need to find a company which can handle all aspects of your move with skill and expertise at origin and also en route and within the destination country. You need skilled packers, knowledge about best packing methods, access to sea freight rates and methods at competitive process, help with information on compliance with export regulations from the UK and help and guidance with import regulations into your new homeland. It is important to know that the handling of your consignment into your new home will be carried out with the same interest and commitment to your needs as completed at origin.

Indeed since the terrorist actions of September 11^th  the procedures for shipping all types of consignments into overseas destinations have changed dramatically and many destinations require that all consignments must be warranted as packed by a qualified and recognised contractor, owner packed boxes are not accepted and full inventories must be prepared.

It is also important to be offered a choice of Insurance Policies by the removal company giving you the opportunity to decide on the type and level of cover you need for home and it is essential that all consignments moved internationally are insured for the full replacement value at destination. When moving goods internationally the shipper, you, are responsible for some maritime risks such as ‘marine average’, standard marine insurance on the consignment covers your exposure to these risks as well as direct damage or loss of your own goods. .No professional International Removal company would be happy if you tried to send a shipment forward uninsured, some companies would not handle the job at all.

Also remember that you need to pay all charges in advance of the work being carried out as well as the insurance premium, in the event of a financial failure of your removals contractor or even if he fails to pay any invoices on time it could prejudice your shipment and put your home and the monies you have paid at risk. You may not even have the insurance cover in place as you have instructed.

The British Association of Removers, BAR, has a prepayment guarantee for advance payments. In the very unlikely event of the financial failure of a BAR  member, all contracts are completed and insurance premiums paid..The risk of failure is low because all members of this group are financially vetted annually and have their management systems checked.

Britannia Movers International are members of the Overseas Group of BAR and also Members of a Worldwide network of Overseas Movers who are members of the respective professional organisation in their own Countries and affiliated to an International Federation of Worldwide Movers called FIDI which is headquartered in Brussels.  You can be sure of a carefully organised move carried out by the best available professionals.

Members of the Overseas Group of BAR also have access to specially negotiated ‘bulk buying’ deals guaranteeing container space and maximum fright and haulage rates to the most popular destinations, these are renewed and renegotiated annually. They also can purchase their specialist packing and wrapping materials through the Associations own bulk buying services co-operative. The BAR also has a network of qualified training centres throughout the UK to train their personnel and keep the standards of skill high, two of these training centres are run by our own Britannia Members. This mutual co-operation between companies large and small helps to keep service levels high and costs to customers very competitive. It does not usually cost any more to have the job done by a properly qualified company, beware of any offers from competitors who cannot offer the same safeguards as BAR members. It is highly likely that something may be missing and will have to be paid for later as an extra!

When comparing quotations check carefully the list and volume of goods to be packed and moved. Make sure that each company is quoting on the same basis, compare the freight services offered to be certain that similar services are offered and ensure that if truly ‘door to door’ the port charges, standard customs and if necessary quarantine clearance, delivery residence, and unpacking are included. Some companies may only quote arrival port only, beware of this type of quotation as subsequent fees are totally out of your control or choice and often exceed the costs already paid to transport them as far as that point in their journey.