"Great from start to finish"

This was the right company for a move from London to the US. From minute one, these people knew what they were doing and guided us each step of the way. Tessa was an amazing help with the paperwork and advance details. The crew that packed the valuables was efficient and fast as well as pleasant. Info was sent to us at each step along the way and our goods arrived a week earlier than promised, all in good shape. Honestly, I was amazed at the packing. The wooden furniture was covered in cardboard to prevent scratches. The mattress was wrapped in plastic. The entire palate was wrapped in plastic, bubble wrap, cardboard, and shrink wrap. I seriously think it could have hit the water and not gotten the contents wet! TOTALLY PLEASED. If there is ever a return to England, I hope this company can guide us for the reverse trip.

"Don't use.."

I am having real difficulties with this company. Like everyone else, I was charged extra fees out of the blue, and they took the money even after I asked them to clarify this charge, and not to take anything before I had a response as to what the charges were for. Only half of it has been refunded. The company will not respond to emails. I have not received any details of the agent in San Francisco. As a result, and despite several emails, I do not know who has my shipment, where it is, when I need to collect it, or how long they are willing to hold it for. My shipment arrived and cleared customs a week ago and I still have no idea what is happening. To say i'm not happy is an understatement.

"NEVER USE THIS COMPANY"

I have had exactly the same experience as others. So, so many hidden fees (actually they're more like lies than hidden truths). They don't tell you that they aren't shipping door-to-door until after they have your belongings - essentially holding you to ransom - instead you find out that they are actually shipping to a depot and you need to pay more for delivery on the other side. I have had my belongings shipped to New York. Not only did they lie (they are actually being shipped to New Jersey which is an entirely different state), but the quote they gave me for delivery on the other side came to £500! And I've already paid them nearly £800!!! They obviously have an agreement with the depot agency on the other side because I've now received an invoice from the agents saying I need to pay them $400!
So on top of all of that I also have the worries, after reading others' experiences, that when I finally get my belongings (which I will remove from the ship and unpack myself if I have to) that they will be broken in to pieces. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

"Do Not Trust Your Goods To This Company"

I am a veteran of 9 long haul and intercontinental moves all handled by my employer. In this case, as it was on my own expense to return to Canada to semi retire I obviously sought a more economical alternative.

I questioned the sales staff at this company pretty thoroughly around the areas of pack quality, how the goods were prepared for sea transfer and what was included. They could not have been more responsive in their sales pitch.

The reality of the move itself was something completely different.

First, check what is included VERY carefully. They do not ship to your door unless specifically priced separately which more than doubles that enticing quote you get thinking you have found a deal. Their follow up emails advised all costs to destination depot were paid, but surprise. They are not. You end up paying at your destination to the local receiver, all port costs and additional fees and you make arrangements with the receiver to either have them deliver or use your own local mover.

The receiver in Canada is not a household goods shipping company. They stated clearly that they do freight not household goods and it was a complete mess.

On the pack, most of the day the removers complained at the size of the pack and that their sales reps had oversold another one and understaffed. Not a good start when employees complain to the customer about their employer.

Several items were not packed and just left and a painting where the glass was shattered when they dropped it they hid behind a door for me to find after they left. As they were running 2 hours late, they actually refused, yes refused, to come back upstairs for a last check before they sealed the lorry to return.

On arrival, it was 2 days of heartbreak. 6 pieces of furniture destroyed beyond repair due to stuffing boxes the wrong way to save space. A vintage guitar destroyed. My 60 inch TV never arrived. My skis never arrived. My ironing board never arrived. How do you lose an ironing board or a 60 inch tv?

Many of the wool articles of clothing had been ravaged by insects in the shipment. Destroyed. 2 pieces of art. Glass shattered. My bed. unusable. and on and on.

As said I have moved back and forth to North America 3 times. 3 moves within Europe and 3 within Asia Pacific. This was on a scale far beyond anything I have experienced and was the worst pack I have ever seen,,,

And despite photographs and emails sent to the company explaining how traumatic this was I have not heard a single peep or apology. Just........ silence

But then they have been paid haven't they?

Stay clear...

"Car shipping from Portbury to Limassol"

I booked my car with 1st move internx ational from Portbury dock (UK) to Limassol (Cyprus) may/June 2015 . So far, I have had problems!, not with 1st move international themselves, but with Grimaldi line, and maritime insurance themselves. My car arrived ( Mercedes S320 ) not quite intact, 2 days late!. Things were evidently stolen from the car en route. (half the Mercedes toolkit in the boot), plus other Mercedes ancillary spares, and the drivers door handle was obviously forced leaving me with a very lose handle. Since all these highlighted things driving from port of delivery, the car now has an overheating problem together with an evident suspension problem. Would I recommend Grimaldi?, he'll no way!

"Everything destroyed"

We have just received our goods from the uk (we moved to New Zealand) and we are devastated with the amount of damage that has been done. We had things like a full length wall mirror - broken at one end. Coffee table with a massive crack in it. A lamp shade completely smash and glass throughout the box. My wedding dress box completely destroyed. A set of drawers with the back punched in.
They have sent us the insurance form very quickly but I have no idea how much we will get back from that - who thinks to insure a wedding dress box? My advice if you want the goods in perfect condition then just packaging them and shrink wrapping will not protect them no matter how much bubble wrap and boxes you use. I don't know if any other options are better. The other things we expected a door to door service. It went only to Auckland port. You then have another $500 worth of fees to pay for customs etc.

"AVOID!!!"

Simply said...DO NOT USE!!
They initially give you a quote that can compete with other companies, but they do not tell you about all their hidden costs and fees, which turn out to be almost half the initial quote.
They do not talk to the companies that are actually carrying out the move so that nobody exactly knows what's going on.
They are very helpful at first, but when you paid the money that changes and they will insist on their contract, even if whatever they sold you is wrong or mis-sold to you.
They advertise their shrink fast system as a great think, what they don't tell you is that this system actually seems to add to the overall size of your goods rather than to reduce it, so that the overall costs seem to increase.
Overall rating: I will never use this company again!!!

"Horrendous!!!!"

put my container on the wrong ship a week late! Never informed the delivery company in the country I was having my household goods delivered too. No communication!! Looks like I'll be living in an empty house for xmas!!! This company is disgusting!!!!! Do not use!!!!!!

"Helpful at first but poor packing and directors that ignore you don't make for a good experience."

Incredibly helpful, up until something goes wrong. We had our stuff collected from our storage unit in the UK to be taken to their depot for re-packing and checking before shipping to the US in a container. This bit went well, they where helpful on the phone and the team who came to collect stuff were quick and efficient.

Once it had made it over we asked if it was possible to redirect it, which they then spent a week working out they couldn't for a reasonable price (racking us up a $700 demurage charge) rather than just telling us straight away as we had a plan in place if they couldn't.

When we finally received our stuff we discovered they had not bothered to re-pack nearly anything we had asked (and paid!) them for including my mountain bike which was declared on the insurance, and so had to be packed by them to be insured. Also we found that having told them multiple times that the plastic boxes our stuff was packed in could not be stacked too high or the lids collapse, that for most of the pallets they were stacked high, and then had heavy things thrown on top, including 25Kg odd of diving lead! My heavy metal tool cabinets were stuck on the top of high stacks with no protection to stop them rubbing against each other, while boxes of computer monitors were put at the bottom, so they were supporting the weight of everything above. Out of the 9 pallets in the container, only one was stacked how they said they would, and this was the only one with undamaged boxes.

If you watch the packing videos on their website, You're pretty much going to get the opposite.

When we complained we had an email from the director saying they would get back to us, then nothing, despite several follow up emails.

In short, very helpful and friendly until you open the container and realize that they've done a half-hearted and slapdash job of packing, and you're now picking bits of broken plastic box out of everything...