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Picking up items from Singapore port -- any guidance?

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ameraussie
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Picking up items from Singapore port -- any guidance?

Post by ameraussie » Sun, 11 Aug 2013 9:26 am

I recently inherited some chairs from my grandmother, which I arranged to have shipped from the USA to Singapore. The parcel is currently en route. However, the cargo service stops at Singapore port. (It was substantially more expensive to get door-to-door service on such a small item.)

I am wondering if anyone can recommend a service that will pick up the items from the port and deliver them to my condo. I don't have a car, and the delivery is too big to fit in the boot of a taxi.

Anyone have any experience with this? Recommendations?

Thanks.

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ecureilx
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Re: Picking up items from Singapore port -- any guidance?

Post by ecureilx » Sun, 11 Aug 2013 12:16 pm

ameraussie wrote:I recently inherited some chairs from my grandmother, which I arranged to have shipped from the USA to Singapore. The parcel is currently en route. However, the cargo service stops at Singapore port. (It was substantially more expensive to get door-to-door service on such a small item.)

I am wondering if anyone can recommend a service that will pick up the items from the port and deliver them to my condo. I don't have a car, and the delivery is too big to fit in the boot of a taxi.

Anyone have any experience with this? Recommendations?

Thanks.
If the size of a 10 foot truck, should be about 150 or so .. or less (depending upon pick up location/clearing paper)

scarbowl
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Post by scarbowl » Sun, 11 Aug 2013 8:30 pm

We had something shipped in and it was an unpleasant experience. The port managers wanted an unloading fee, a storage fee, a fee to handle the GST paperwork, etc. Perhaps someone here will have more information but brace yourself. An item we paid $50 for was going to cost us $600 to pick up - we didn't want delivery.

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ecureilx
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Post by ecureilx » Sun, 11 Aug 2013 9:43 pm

scarbowl wrote:We had something shipped in and it was an unpleasant experience. The port managers wanted an unloading fee, a storage fee, a fee to handle the GST paperwork, etc. Perhaps someone here will have more information but brace yourself. An item we paid $50 for was going to cost us $600 to pick up - we didn't want delivery.
if the shipper ddin't pay for doorstep delivery, for any freight, this is the norm

Especially Sea Freight, involves effort to do stuff, which you should have paid at the point of departure or engage a clearing agent

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Post by beppi » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 3:29 pm

I did customs clearance and pick-up once myself (many years ago) and it was a lengthy buerocratic hazzle with unforeseen forms and fees to be paid at every corner.
My advice: Get a professional agency (which you can find by googling freight forwarding companies in Singapore) to clear customs, pick up the item and deliver it to you!
This will cost (as written above - for small items you may get away with S$150-200 fee).
And next time: By all means select door-to-door service - the price difference is much smaller than what you're going to pay now!

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ecureilx
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Post by ecureilx » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 3:41 pm

beppi wrote:I did customs clearance and pick-up once myself (many years ago) and it was a lengthy buerocratic hazzle with unforeseen forms and fees to be paid at every corner.
My advice: Get a professional agency (which you can find by googling freight forwarding companies in Singapore) to clear customs, pick up the item and deliver it to you!
This will cost (as written above - for small items you may get away with S$150-200 fee).
And next time: By all means select door-to-door service - the price difference is much smaller than what you're going to pay now!
And door-to-door agents pay the GST etc, and collect it from you, after your concurrence, and don't delay for you :)

ameraussie
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Post by ameraussie » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 8:31 pm

beppi wrote: And next time: By all means select door-to-door service - the price difference is much smaller than what you're going to pay now!
This absolutely would have been my preference, but alas, I did not organise the shipping on the US end. Now that it is in transit, my hands are tied.

Anyone want to PM me with a recommended freight forwarding service?

Thanks.

livingontheedge
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Post by livingontheedge » Fri, 30 Aug 2013 1:09 am

Honestly, you should have just employed door-to-door service, and avoid the charges of GST, documentation, handling, loading, unloading, storage, whar-forgot-the-word charges that comes with sea freight shipments. When its sea freight, you are unable to clear the cargo on your own, and even if you can, its a serious hassle. There are two parties involved on clearance of cargo via sea freight shipment - the dude that takes the cargo of the ship and unloads in his storage space, and then the dude that goes in, clears the customs and picks up the goods. And you will pay for both of their "efforts" and the government of coz.

I would recommend CJ GLS Asia - based on my research and experience, they have the lowest freight rates. Then again I use them for clearance of large containers of stocks, and not personal items.

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