Relocating Companies

[WAM]

Hi Jordy,

We are also going tonight! So is Oweness!

So how will we know who you are??????

Nats

I wonder if they have such presentations in Durban. The more you know the less you worry.

Thanks for info.

WAM

[Jordy]

I wonder if they have such presentations in Durban. The more you know the less you worry.

Thanks for info.

WAM

It was last night. from www.magna.co.za

Durban: La Vita Conference Centre, 06 February 2008

Cape Town tonight

Cape Town: City Lodge Grand West Casino,07 February 2008

Edited February 7, 2008 by Jordy

[Maritza2]

We got 3 quotes. Magna, Biddulphs and Crown. They were all basically the same amount BUT we were impressed by Chris Oosthuizen of Crown. He made a very good presentation and follow up calls. The other 2 did not. He once again came over and went through everything with us again. At that stage we were still deciding. After we accepted Crown's quote we got another call from Chris confirming and he is happy to business with us and if we have any problems we must contact him. We stayed in touch from they day we accepted until the 29th of June when Crown stopped in front of our house to load. The team was excellent. We then received another call from Chris to hear how it went. The following week we received a mail from Chris wishing us well and the best of luck and giving us the tracking nr. We confirmed via the tracking number yesterday that the shipment will arrive in Sydney on 7th August. So far so good. Impressed with Chris Oosthuizen and team of Crown !

Thanks for this. We have an appointment with Chris Oosthuizen at the end of March!

[Davidm]

Our furniture arrived last week Wed (30 Jan) nearly 4 months. Quite a few items broken and all the stuff stolen by the Magna crew in SA missing but at least we have it now. Our PC arrived and Telstra delivered the modem this morning so I am ecstatic to be online at home for the first time in Oz.

Magna have just packed our stuff. Their staff stole a digital camera and a wallet with cash in from us. Both items were hidden away in a part of the house where they were told not to go. We have opened a case with the police. My advice is to think seriously before using Magna, this is not the first time contributors to this forum have had things stolen by their staff. In general take any valuables which will not be packed, e.g. going with you on the plane, to another location whilst the packers are in. The actual packing and service from Magna was professional and efficient. It is a shame they seem to have this ongoing problem.

[Aramat]

Hey Reiner, any news on your container yet? I can't remember when it was you sent your stuff.

Do Amphibious Freight have a tracking system on the web, or do you just contact them to find out what's happening?

[Lynn]

ALLIED PICKFORDS

I've never used, but the most frequently mentioned in positive terms in the Middle East is Allied Pickfords. Perhaps you should investigate if they do from SA to Aus?

Hi DesertDaisy, we utilised Pickfords to move a few items and an Edwardian Grantfather clock (masterpiece) to the UK. Firstly, they lost the keys for the clock, dropped it, then attempted to repair it with masonite, then denied having dropped it, and basically told us that that is why we have insurance. So we will definitely not be using Pickfords - the route was Dbn to UK. Not sure what Dbn to Aus is all about and if it is any safer. But I won't even try to find out after that experience.

krgds

Lynn

[CHARM'S]

Hi All

Had Elliott come round today to quote did a very good job measured everything. Explained all the do's & don'ts.

Very nice lady spent 3 hours.

Had Pickfords a few weeks ago although the rep was quick I just felt she spead thru so quicky and it was all

estemate no tape measure. Made me feel insecure. A lot of guess work

Elliott said pack items that could cause problems (bicycle, Gum pole frame only varnished) at the door of the

container so if it is opened it cant cause a total search of the container.

Pickfords said don't take it at all to avoid inspection.

Crown quoting on 12/3 will ask the same questions and see.

[Dugong]

I know that I am being lazy by not reading through all 13 pages of this thread, so SORRY!!!

But, is there a list of all the different agents that have been used some-where and the experiences the people had with them and maybe the costs to compare or something similar? If this has been done already, please just point me in the right direction

[Minnie]

We used Kings and although the SA leg went well, it was when their agents in Aus took over, that the wheels came off. I hear rave reviews about Magna from friends who moved from Centurion last year.

[Francois & Wanda]

Hallo All

I need names of companies moving house hold furniture from East Rand Johannesburg to Perth.

Who would be the cheapest and reliable.

Thx

[Taegan]

Hi

We used Biddulphs - going from Benoni to Perth. They were the best value and very good. We got our stuff really quickly and there were only a very few minor things broken.

[LeaveLeft]

Hi,

We used Elliots International. Kempton Park to Mackay. Container left Durbs on 10 March and landed in Brisbane on 4 April. We had a dinnerplate broken, coffee plunger cracked and pizza pan bent. That was it !!!

So on that note Elliotts is our recommendation !!!

[MMF]

Did the Companies do the packing themselves? I mean wrapping, bubbling, boxing & all.

[Maplotters]

Hi

We also used Elliots.

I decided to get quotes from them as well as from Pickfords (although I've read on the forum that some people did sometimes have 'problems' with Pickfords).

About Magna and Crown I also read some stuff on the forum that rather made me decide against using them. BUT it's your decision of course at the end of the day so good luck with whoever you're gonna be using. That being said I just want to give you some info on our experience with Elliots:

Elliots wasn't necessarily the cheapest but I just felt more at ease that we used them. I mean you have to feel right about these people. At the end of the day you are trusting them with your belongings that mean a lot to you. Otherwise you wouldn't have taken it over right?

They were really Extremely Professional and always very Helpful, from the switchboard lady and the agent right through to the packers (team of 4).

Please just be on the alert because they are VERY fast/quick and I once had to run like crazy to get my stone- and fossile collection that I'd forgotten about, out of the diningroom cupboards' drawer. Boy the customs would have had a field day with those !!!!!!!!!

I had photo albums with a lot of copies of photo's that I was busy making for the grannys - the next day I wanted to do that but oh dear they'd packed it already and I didn't feel like asking them to open up another box (they already had to do that because the same happened with some files that were actually supposed to stay behind). So please remember - take everything you DON'T want to go into that container and stuff it somewhere else !!

I only had two weeks to sort out EVERYTHING before they had started so ya it was a bit hectic

Anyway, the agent came through the day before the container arrived, to check how the packing was going. Then I was also able to ask him some last-minute questions on some of the wooden ornaments and antique furniture.

The packers were really a cheerful, considerate and polite bunch. That helped a lot especially at times when I felt the lump in my throat as I saw all the boxes through the house and realising 'This is really it'.

They wrapped & packed the Thursday, Friday, Monday and the Tuesday with the container also arriving that Tuesday afternoon. They finished with the last crating and wrapping at 18h25, whereafter the container and Van drove away ... Then I REALLY felt like crying. Luckily someone came to visit so I gulped the tears back.

For the 40ft container it cost us about 110k with the insurance adding up to an extra 17k. And there was 2m left in the container ! - could have 'packed' some more!!!!

Wridgeways who's like Elliots Mover Contact on the Oz side emailed us this Monday (when the container left from Durban) to say that the expected date of arrival in Fremantle will be on 6th Aug with customs & quarantine taking about another 2 weeks.

To top it all our shipment is now actually being redirected after call from the sponsor company, so we'll see how long that stretch is gonna take ..........

Good luck with the camping in your own house, the no TV for the kid's, etc etc !!!!!. Oh well we're also gonna have to do this for the next couple of months so might as well get used to it hey.

Naomi

[Dan Tanne]

Hi,

We used Bayleys to move from Edenvale to melbourne.

I had quotes from Crown and eventually after begging for them to come quote, I got a quote from Magna as well.

They were all pretty close and I decided on Bayleys as I had been given previous referrals to use them.

They were BRILLIANT!!!!!

We had a 40 foot container come over. They packed the entire house in the week, and when everything got unpacked on this side, all that was broken was a single drinking glass.

[Nicki G]

We used Stuttaford Van lines. Thought they would be most expensive but came in the cheapest. They were great in SA, packed damn fast though so I think there are going to be some slight issues with the vacuum and dust buster, as that was in before I could say boo.

We should get our container next week, holding thumbs, and I will let you know how it all turned out. We used a 20ft container and we had space left over. It cost us R54K and we did not take insurance

Nicki

[Almost Aussie]

I've used Pickfords and was VERY disappointed.

Picture this. You buy this delicious looking cake from the bakery and the owner/salesman rave about the ingredients they use and how long the cake will last. You buy the cake and seems to be happy with your decision. Until you cut it and find what's inside. You take it back and what they tell you, is that you should've made sure the cake was okay inside before leaving the bakery. Although they were the bakers who have boxed the cake without you looking and still raved about their quality.

Beware of such bakers...

[MANDYL]

We moved with Crown (got 3 quotes basically the same) and got good service from them. Even once our container arrived in Australia I had a follow up call from their Australia office.

[Taegan]

Just to give you a comparisson of charges - Elliots as above mentioned charged R110k for a 40ft container and Biddulphs who we used charged about R88k for a 40ft. They also employ a lot of deaf black guys which I thought was quite cool ...

[Allie en Urs]

Hi daar.

Ons het laat Elliots ons trek en hul was puik en het hul vir baie mense aanbeveel en was net so tevrede met hulle.

As ons weer dit moes oor he was hul weer ons eerste keuse na Perth

Sterkte vir julle.

[Francois & Wanda]

Thanks Guys

You people rely help.

[Bloubul]

Ek het van Pretoria na Perth getrek en kwotasies aangevra my Magna, Frasers (AGS Frasers) en Elliots.

Ek het op Frasers besluit en was nie spyt nie, behalwe dat hulle 'n paar goed gepak het wat ons vir hulle gesê het om nie te pak nie.

Die 3e party wat hulle aan die kant gebruik het was puik gewees en niks het gebreek hier aangekom nie.

[Olkabolka]

In the last week we had 4 removal companies at our house, to give us quotes for a 20ft container. I phoned Bayley, Thomson, ASG Fraser and Stuttafords. All 4 companies send their representatives, and all of them phoned a day in advance to confirm their visit. We received great service from all 4 of them, and their prices go from R47 000 to R52 000. It is really difficult to make a decision, everyone was very professional, measured everything, was very helpful.

If anyone used these companies, who would you suggest?

[Cindylou]

I used Bayleys and was ultra impressed - the reason I chose them was mainly due to the recommendations I received from 5 different members of my extended family! Since then I've heard from other people who used them to great satisfaction. Not one thing broken, missing or left behind and no problems this side with AQIS / Customs etc. Their quote compared favourably with the other two I got (Stuttafords and Elliott) but they were more professional initially which helped. In addition, Elliott quoted extra for crating fragile things like a clock and the TV, while Bayleys just did it as a matter of course - they decide as they're packing which items need to be crated and build the crate on site.

C'Lou

[Almost Aussie]

Anyone but Allied Pickfords. That was my horrible experience with them...