Moving companies, Singapore to Australia

[robert_sydney]

we recently reloacted with Crown Singapore and it has been the worst move we have been thru. The packing in Singapore was done very sloppy, everytime you left a packer unattended they just quickly filled a box and taped it, when unpacking we found clothes trown into boxes, leather jackets packed without paper, files dumped into boxes. Draws were not even unpacked, the crew just put a piece of packing paper on top and wrapped the complete cabinets.
Specific instructions to pack precious pieces and equipment were ignored and when our cargo arrived we noticed that the packers had gone thru our private possesions , we can only assume they were looking for valuables.
Our compliants to Crown Singapore have been without any response except that we can claim with the insurance, seems Crown does not want to take any responsibility nor actions.

[WanWanWan]

We're moving from Aus to Sing soon, and have experienced similar troubles... We have a lot of strange items (fossils etc.) and are fully aware that even paying top dollar for a removalist company will not guarantee proper packing for these sorts of specific things. So, when looking for a company, we would state that we were going to pack at least some of our belongings rather than have the company pack. If anything, one would expect this would bring the price down, as it would save them labour. But ohhh noo. Apparently this is the strangest thing they've ever heard. Every single company we contacted (over a dozen) was amazed and had a great deal of trouble comprehending the idea that we would be placing items in boxes ourselves.

The current company we are going with has allowed it, but is giving us trouble on insurance, stating that we will have to pay extra and that suddenly we cannot take certain items if we pack them, or even if we help pack them (i.e. under supervision of someone to satisfy customs or whoever). Very strange. I have contacted customs and their claims are groundless. I cannot fathom why this is so difficult for a Moving Company, and why it is apparently so unusual for people to pack their own things that they respond so illogically.

[sdkks]

I moved house recently too, (in my homeland, from one city to another) I had too many little items, not very valuable but still costs remarkable amount of money to buy. I don't know how many items are missing yet. I could only account for rather expensive ones and big size electronics like tv, rest I would only know when I'd need that particular item.

Also covering with plastic film wasn't done nicely, my furniture got disturbing scratches. To save space, they fill my wardrobe with boxes of my belongings, as a result back of it and the doors gave way

This was first time moving house in my life, before settling in Singapore I wanted to give my parents my rather new furnitures and items, instead of selling them off cheap, I paid money to move them...

Now I have some guidelines of what to do from my experience:


Start packing everything 2 or 3 weeks before you move, if possible, start with small things that you might not need anytime soon, like tools, some accessories, extra cables, some of kitchenware.

Box everything yourself, and tape the box with paper tape and mark it with X using a large point marker or stamp if you have, at the edge between paper tape and the box itself. This will help you see if boxes were ever opened.

Don't let them store things in your storage furnitures, like wardrobes. They move freely during transport and when there is a movement they will damage the furniture.

Buy a very big roll of stretch film, can be the kitchen version too. Wrap furnitures more than 5 times at least, though this will not protect against sharp items or negligent Movers, it will at least minimize the damage.

This way you can ask for discount too, since they will only carry, won't do any packing.

[katbh]

We are looking to move from Singapore to UK. We will either have 1 or 2 containers. Any ideas about costs or timing?

[dirkha]

Do not take Oxford Van Lines.
The sales lady did not talk nicely about her Movers when they were late on the packing date...
However, the packing went smoothly after a two hour delay.
The surprise came when I received my belongings in Germany a few weeks later. My coffee table was damaged and a glass cover of a sideboard was cracked. When I confronted Oxford Van Lines (Ms Mel), she told me to bugger of.
Also, the two guys who delivered the goods in Germany did not want to take the shoes off in my house (this goes without saying everywhere in Asia). They said, if I insist on it, they will not proceed with the move.
Cutting a long story short: I cannot recommend this company.

On insurance: you may save a lot of money by obtaining your own insurance via ATL Insurance Agency Pte Ltd. I paid 0.5% of the insured value. The move companies all quoted aroud 3%.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Do not take Oxford Van Lines.
The sales lady did not talk nicely about her Movers when they were late on the packing date...
However, the packing went smoothly after a two hour delay.
The surprise came when I received my belongings in Germany a few weeks later. My coffee table was damaged and a glass cover of a sideboard was cracked. When I confronted Oxford Van Lines (Ms Mel), she told me to bugger of.
Also, the two guys who delivered the goods in Germany did not want to take the shoes off in my house (this goes without saying everywhere in Asia). They said, if I insist on it, they will not proceed with the move.
Cutting a long story short: I cannot recommend this company.

On insurance: you may save a lot of money by obtaining your own insurance via ATL Insurance Agency Pte Ltd. I paid 0.5% of the insured value. The move companies all quoted aroud 3%.

Frankly, anybody with any amount of common sense would insist that the Mover kept their shoes on so as to protect their feet from injury when moving heavy objects. Additionally, if you are in Germany, you need to remember you are NOT in Asia. In the west, it's not as common, the taking off of shoes before entering the house. I'd have told you much the same thing, more from a safety point of view.

[Beeroclock]

Do not take Oxford Van Lines.
The sales lady did not talk nicely about her Movers when they were late on the packing date...
However, the packing went smoothly after a two hour delay.
The surprise came when I received my belongings in Germany a few weeks later. My coffee table was damaged and a glass cover of a sideboard was cracked. When I confronted Oxford Van Lines (Ms Mel), she told me to bugger of.
Also, the two guys who delivered the goods in Germany did not want to take the shoes off in my house (this goes without saying everywhere in Asia). They said, if I insist on it, they will not proceed with the move.
Cutting a long story short: I cannot recommend this company.

On insurance: you may save a lot of money by obtaining your own insurance via ATL Insurance Agency Pte Ltd. I paid 0.5% of the insured value. The move companies all quoted aroud 3%.

Dirkha, Re: your insurance recommendation, this company does not seem to even have a website ? Did you claim them for the coffee table / sideboard damage you mentioned and if so did they pay it out ?

[anniHolland]

We moved from Singapore back to Germany. As we did not get a relocation allowance from my company, we decided for the cheapest offer which was from Interswift. They told us our belongings will need 2 to 3 months to arrive. But then it took them 4,5 months to arrive!

As a favour Interswift agreed to compensate the 240 pound which we had to pay extra for delivering to the 4th floor. Unfortunately I have not received any money sincemore than a month.
I would not arrange my move with Interswift again.

[ATLDML]

Hello -
This guide to moving costs to Australia is great, albeit a little dated. It's looking like the wife and I will be relocating to Sydney before the end of the year. Does anyone have any updated idea of the costs for Movers door-to-door?

Thanks much,
D