SOS International Packing

Amazing! Only way that we can describe our transaction with SOSThey shipped my SUV to Italy with easeFrom the minute I called them they eased my mind and talked me through all of my concernsEverything was in writing and everything went exactly as promisedI would recommend using them for any overseas relocation

4/14/15Please be advised that the reason my packers were short on packing material was because our original price quotation was based on a smaller shipment size than the actual goods we packed and collected from client's residence back on 12/29/ We were suppose to pack up about cubic feet of goods and when our packing crew arrived the shipment size was approximately cubic feet in overall size which is why they were a little short on material All goods were packed properly and upon arrival into our warehouse they were packed again.We invoiced client on January 2nd, and we only received her payment balance on January 23rd, On February 2nd client's shipment was delivered from my companies warehouse to the shipping line's consolidation warehouse where it waited for their next available consolidated container to be filled up and depart the USA As per our contract we can only ship out her goods upon receipt of full payment.As per the contract client signed and agreed with once payment balance is made we have consolidated containers departing the USA twice a month with an approximate transit time of 28-days for arrival at her residence in [redacted] Our shipping quotation/contract also indicates that the consolidated container would arrive at a European Destination seaport where it would be cleared through Customs and then delivered to her residence This consolidated container arrived in England which was the European Destination port that the shipping line chose as this is where they had more freight being shipped to at that time, this is not in our control and client was made aware of this fact as I had her complete the British Customs CForm in advance, therefore she definitely knew shipment was arriving in England first which is absolutely normal Our shipping quotation/contract also excludes any customs inspections, exams, fumigation, storage charges, duties, taxes, etcwhich she was made fully aware of, therefore she would be responsible for paying these additional charges to the agent overseas These charges happen at random and it doesn't matter that her shipment went to England first as England is part of the European Community just as The Netherlands is Again these charges were not included in our quotation and happen at random and are definitely for the shipment owner's account if applicable.I would suggest that she pays them immediately so that the agent can schedule her delivery ASAP.Furthermore I have responded to every single email that client has sent to me in the past, however I did not receive these last couple of phone calls from client and I'm not sure why she is filing a complaint against my company when all she had to do was send me an email for this same explanation Please email me in the future since you are overseas and I'm located in the USA Email is the best way to communicate with my company, especially when there is a problem or questions concerning the routing of your shipment.I hope I've been able to explain exactly how the shipping process works If anyone has any further question, please let me know Also if anyone needs copies of the original shipping quotation or contract which client signed, let me know and I will forward these documents immediately

We used this company a few years ago and because of their negligence we were charged almost $10,extraThe moving company they hired used contaminated wood in our storage container which Customs foundmonths later we had our items returned to usThank you to our Congressman and others who knew what to doSOS, however, was not able to help AND refused to help cover the cost of their mistakeBeware

March 6th, 2015Please provide me with copies of the shipping receipts issued by the steamship line or their agent in [redacted] , ***i showing that the original seal/lock number on our Bill of Lading (which my company placed on the container in New Jersey at time of shipping) so we can ensure that your container was in fact not opened up at anytime overseas prior to you signing acceptance of the container at [redacted] , ***i terminal Unfortunately no shipping insurance was taken and goods moved at their own risk I'm not sure what I can to assist you at this point there would be no reason why my company would have purposely left out these boxes which container personal effects My company only shipped your container up to the Customs Terminal in [redacted] , ***i therefore we do not have any agent who witnessed container unloading and who was able to count the items taken out of the container when it was off loadedThe bottom line is that you are saying these boxes are missing I have repeatedly checked my warehouse and they have not been found You did not purchase the additional shipping insurance coverage option for these boxes therefore they traveled at their own risk What else can I do except keep checking to see if they turn up?Please advise

I could not be happier with the service that I received! Anthony was very professional in handling all aspects of my family's move to EnglandHe was quick to answer and any all questions and concerns that we hadAll paperwork was expedited quickly and he was more then happy to help us when we arrived here in getting our items deliveredKnowing that we could count on him made our very stressful move so much easierThank you for your great service

SOS initially provided a low cost offerTurns out this offer did not cover many of the additional “typical” fees This was never discussed or mentioned in any wayI was forced to pay over $in additional feesI also was unaware of the fact that Customs Clearance was my own responsibilityNo one ever mention this prior to me, but it was all hidden in the fine printThe company did not meet the promised delivery schedule, never followed up or provided any tracking of the shipping containerThe paper trail and submitted paperwork inclmany errorsSome of their business partners involved in the transaction explicitly mentioned SOS Internationals incompetence and unprofessionalismI do not recommend doing any business with this company

I am rejecting this response because:I did not come on here looking for arbitrationI think it says a lot that there is not even a hint of accountability extending from the other sideYes, it is true that my employers failed to pay the bill for daysThat should realistically create a delay, but now we are quickly approaching May, and my belongings were retrieved in DecemberI was supposed to receive my belongings as early as FebruaryFurthermore, SOS did not update me that they did not receive fundsThey were supposed to receive payment by 1/5/15, and I did not hear from them until Jan that funds were not sentI was under the impression my things were already on a ship during that time, and when I discovered the mistake it was transferred immediately.Next I would like to point out that the packers/movers from the original location were in fact employed by SOSThey did not collapse or fold any of my furniture that was collapsible/foldable, in spite of me pointing out to them that things could be condensed to fit into less spaceI do not have that much stuffThe packing job was sub-optimal, to put it generously, as was already expressed by SOS in their response messageMy belongings arrived to their warehouse from the care of their movers, and then required repacking.I do not think it is the business of anyone on this thread, but I have paid the customs bill in UK (was paid over a week ago) and I am STILL waiting for a final delivery dateIf possible, I believe this complaint should be updated as to when the transaction was FINALLY completed.Why did SOS not return any of my calls when I sought an explanation of why my belongings were rerouted through UK? I was not provided with an answer to that question in the response to my complaint eitherSOS only says that I filled out the customs form so I knew it was going through UKWhat I would like to know is whyI also do not have any reason to believe that was the only or best option for my shipmentIn short, no type of friendly call was made or explanation offered.There is nothing that SOS can do to rectify this situationThey can't give me back all of the time I have lived without my belongingsThey cannot restore my comfort for my first four months in EuropeThey cannot refund me for the items I have had to buy because I could not continue to live without them while waiting for delivery of my shipmentEven if they could, the response from SOS is they do not accept responsibility for any part of the horrible experience I had using their companyI strongly recommend that U.Sconsumers be forewarned regarding dealing with this companyI had a wildly negative experience

1/5/15Please be advised that I have sent customer an email confirmation with the new shipping information and the contact info for the shipping line's clearing and delivery agent in England. I have also requested a copy of the shipping line's house bill of lading which we should receive shortly and this document will be emailed to customer accordingly. There is no other documentation in our industry that proves a shipment is on it's way. Customer has to take the word of the shipping line and wait for his shipment to arrive in England. The copy of the house Bill of Lading is just an email as well.There is nothing more I can do to assist this customer. I will follow up again today with the shipping line for a copy of their house bill of lading.Rejecting my previous response will not make this shipment arrive any sooner. We have done everything in accordance to the terms and conditions of service as per our contract

I am rejecting this response because as of today January 3rd I still have no written proof as the whereabouts of my personal propertyI have not been provided with the information I require to track my shipmentThe original paperwork to prove my shipment was on its way turned out to be information and I have not been provided with any new paperwork to prove my property is on the vessel Mr *** suggests.
Regards,

Contacted an agent from SOS to move my family to Australia He was courteous and professional and had answers to all of our questions He arranged to have our stuff packed up and moved into a container The guys that came to pack were great SOS took care of the paperwork for us and even handled dealing with the agency in Australia We got our belongings on time and in great condition I would highly reccomend them if you are looking to relocate overseas

1/3/15Please be advised that customer contracted and paid my company for a consolidated container shipping service for their household goods from the USA to their residence in England. As per our contract, email quotation letter and terms and conditions of service we can only send a shipment
overseas when the full payment balance has been received. Also once payment balance is received with our consolidated container service there are departures from the USA approximately twice a month with an approximate transit time of 25-days for arrival at a residence in England. We received customers payment balance back on November 10th, and there shipment will be cleared through British Customs and delivered to their residence in England on or about January 24th, 2015, according to the shipping line. This time frame is and within our terms and conditions of service. Customer is not happy as they wanted there household goods to arrive sooner. I explained to them that with the Holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year that it is very difficult, however we are trying our best.The real problem is that after we packed and collected this shipment customer wanted to know exactly when it would arrive overseas. I explained that there are only departures from the USA twice a month and being that we received their payment balance on November 10th we would have to wait for the shipping line to provide us with the sailing information. Customer was not happy, extremely rude via email and over the telephone saying if he knew how long it would have taken he would not have used my company. I explained to him that we did the estimated transit time to him in writing which he paid for and agreed with when signing our shipping contract, but he doesn't seem to care and just wants what he wants.When customer called and emailed me back around November 10th demanding a quick answer for when his shipment would arrive, I informed him that I would put pressure on the shipping line to give me some tentative shipping details which they did. At that time the shipping line advised me that his shipment was due to arrive at his residence in England on or about December 31st, I therefore provided customer with the name of the shipping vessel and put him in touch with the shipping line's destination agent in England who will clear and delivery his goods overseas. I guess he called their agent sometime during the end of December inquiring about his shipment and the person he spoke with was a trainee and did not have any information about his shipment on that original vessel. Customer then proceeded to verbally abuse this new trainee who works for the shipping line's agent in England and then began calling and emailing me demanding immediate information for the whereabouts of his shipment. He also threatened my company as well and was extremely rude. I explained to him that an email would need to be sent to the shipping line to see why his shipment was not located on the original vessel the shipping line provided us with and that I would come back to him as soon as possible. When I contacted the shipping line, they answered me about hours later explaining what had happened, that originally they provided us with the wrong shipping details and that his shipment departed the USA weeks later than expected due to the Holiday Season and because this service is first shipments received, first shipments depart type of service and since we received their payment on November 10th and because of Thanksgiving there was a slight delay. Well customer is not happy, they continue emailing me and threatening me and I have now found this complaint through the Revdex.com.Please note that I have provided customer with the new shipping vessel voyage number, the new estimated arrival date for his shipment at the seaport in England and then at his residence in England after Customs clearance is achieved and he is already in contact with the shipping line's destination agent in England who will clear and deliver his goods overseas. I have also requested a copy of the shipping line's house bill of lading (no original Bill of Ladings are issued because this is a shared container service and not his own exclusive container being shipped) to be emailed to him directly by the shipping line.There is nothing more that I can do at this point to assist this customer. We have done everything we can to assist customer, however he still is not happy. I advised customer that he now needs to wait for shipment to arrive to England. Currently his shipment is in transit.If anyone has any questions, please let me know

I used SOS International Shipping to pack up and ship my mother's belongings in NYC after she had passed away to my home in Melbourne, Australia This company was extremely courteous, professional and compassionate during my very difficult time They took care of everything for me, including discarding some items that we did not want to ship overseas I couldn't be happier with their services and wanted to write this review to help any customers that aren't sure which company they will choose for their international moving needs I highly recommend SOS! I will continue to recommend them to my friends and family who move things overseas on a regular basis

Please be advised that these 5-boxes are missing. We are not sure how they are missing or where they went missing, meaning it could have been at my warehouse in New Jersey or it could have happened overseas in transit there is no way to be 100% sure. Also customer
was responsible for unloading the shipping container herself overseas Unfortunately customer did not purchase shipping insurance coverage for these items that went missing, therefore our only recourse is to keep checking our warehouse facility for these missing 5-boxes. Some time has passed and these boxes have not been located in my warehouse facility, so I'm thinking somehow they were misplaced overseas. Please note that we shipped a Jeep Cherokee and PKGSof household goods/personal effects inside of a 40' HC shipping container for this client. The following boxes are the ones missing:Box - step up transformer from AmazonBox - handbags and some clothes Box - hair dryer hooded and hand dryer and other hair items Box - little boy clothes Box - fisher price walker (musical bike to help a kid walk)Box - blue vase, trays, and towels and other stuff from home goods, marshalls and TJ MaxxI will keep checking on my end, however that is all I can do. Shipping insurance was offered to client at time of shipping which she declined, therefore her household goods shipment traveled at it's own risk and there unfortunately is no recourse for missing or damaged items. If you have any questions, please let me know

We used SOS to move an entire recording studio of equipment to ParisThe equipment is very valuable and fragileHis guys were great packing it all upThey were on time, personable and preparedThere were some delays in receiving the shipment in France due to the shipping lineAnthony was fast to communicate with us and keep us up to date with what was going onHe made sure that we understood the clearance processI am happy that we paid for the extra service to have the equipment delivered to our new studioAll of our things arrived safely, handled professionally and we are very happyWe will definitely use them again

I am rejecting this response because: The fact that the business is suggesting that the items were missing overseas doesn't seem logicalIf that was the case then it makes sense to have a lot of items missing and not just the batch that was mailed to the warehouse facility at one time. The business had indicated that the amount for the goods to be fitted in the container had gone over and some of the goods could stay behindExtra money was paid for the extra space and there could also be a possibility that during loading these items were misplaced. If there were several items missing that would be sensible but looking at this situation, the items were not placed together with the rest of the consignment and got left out.The shipping line that was used doesn't allow containers to be opened without them breaking the seal in the presence of myself and other representatives on their endTheir offloading terminal is minutes away from my house and we took off everything in the presence of the terminal employees and my familyAfter spending a lot of money to get these goods here, why would we only lose this one batch when the rest of the items got here properly. When the business says it will keep looking, can you provide exact timelines? For a business that's established and takes pride like this, I must say it's disappointing to have an experience like this. ***

SOS initially provided a low cost offer. Turns out this offer did not cover many of the additional “typical” fees. This was never discussed or mentioned in any way.
I was forced to pay over $400 in additional fees.
I also was unaware of the fact that Customs Clearance was my own responsibility. No one ever mention this prior to me, but it was all hidden in the fine print.
The company did not meet the promised delivery schedule, never followed up or provided any tracking of the shipping container.
The paper trail and submitted paperwork incl. many errors.
Some of their business partners involved in the transaction explicitly mentioned SOS Internationals incompetence and unprofessionalism.
I do not recommend doing any business with this company.

March 6th, 2015Please provide me with copies of the shipping receipts issued by the steamship line or their agent in [redacted]i showing that the original seal/lock number on our Bill of Lading (which my company placed on the container in New Jersey at time of shipping) so we can ensure that your container was in fact not opened up at anytime overseas prior to you signing acceptance of the container at [redacted]i terminal.  Unfortunately no shipping insurance was taken and goods moved at their own risk.  I'm not sure what I can to assist you at this point there would be no reason why my company would have purposely left out these boxes which container normal personal effects.  My company only shipped your container up to the Customs Terminal in [redacted]i therefore we do not have any agent who witnessed container unloading and who was able to count the items taken out of the container when it was off loaded. The bottom line is that you are saying these boxes are missing.  I have repeatedly checked my warehouse and they have not been found.  You did not purchase the additional shipping insurance coverage option for these boxes therefore they traveled at their own risk.  What else can I do except keep checking to see if they turn up?Please advise.

I used SOS to ship the contents of my entire house to Italy. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. All of my worldly possessions arrived safe and sound at my new house overseas. They arrived on time and SOS made sure I understood the entire moving process. I have shipped internationally in the past and never had such a professional service. I would like to recommend SOS to anyone who is moving overseas. They were not the cheapest company or the most expensive, to be honest their prices were somewhere in the middle, however in my experience you definitely get what you pay for. Thanks again SOS!

Please be advised that my company has not done anything wrong regarding your shipment.  We provided you with the approximate transit time and payment instructions before we packed and collected your shipment in the USA.  It's not our fault that your company paid our invoice 20 days late and that your shipment was chosen for an inspection in England which happens at random and also caused delays and additional expenses for you.  We did inform you in advance that your shipment would arrive at a destination seaport in Europe as per our original quotation/contract before we packed and collected your shipment and that any inspections/exams would also cost additionally, if applicable.  Unfortunately being that your company paid our invoice 20 days late and now the customs exam in England did cause about 4 weeks in total delay regarding your shipment.  The other time that has passed is normal transit time as per our contract (departures from the USA twice a month with an approximate transit time of 30-35 days for arrival at your residence in The Netherlands).There is nothing that my company can do at this point and you must now wait for the delivery of your shipment which should happen very soon.  We do not give refunds for shipment delays or customs examinations for any reason unless they were directly caused by something that my company did.  My company has followed the terms and conditions of our contract as agreed.  We have replied to every single email, however did not receive your last two phone calls.  In the future please email me with any questions or concerns.P.S. February 2nd I sent you an email advising you that your shipment was going to England first (which is normal procedure once the shipping line decides where in Europe they will ship their consolidated container to once they know where all of the freight is going to for that months worth of shipments) and asked you to complete the British Customs C3 Form.  This happened 9 days after we received your payment balance on 1/23/15.  You only provided me with your address in The Netherlands at this time as well. ?

1/3/15Please be advised that customer contracted and paid my company for a consolidated container shipping service for their household goods from the USA to their residence in England.  As per our contract, email quotation letter and terms and conditions of service we can only send a...

shipment overseas when the full payment balance has been received.  Also once payment balance is received with our consolidated container service there are departures from the USA approximately twice a month with an approximate transit time of 25-28 days for arrival at a residence in England.  We received customers payment balance back on November 10th, 2014 and there shipment will be cleared through British Customs and delivered to their residence in England on or about January 24th, 2015, according to the shipping line.  This time frame is normal and within our terms and conditions of service.  Customer is not happy as they wanted there household goods to arrive sooner.  I explained to them that with the Holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year that it is very difficult, however we are trying our best.The real problem is that after we packed and collected this shipment customer wanted to know exactly when it would arrive overseas.  I explained that there are only departures from the USA twice a month and being that we received their payment balance on November 10th we would have to wait for the shipping line to provide us with the sailing information.  Customer was not happy, extremely rude via email and over the telephone saying if he knew how long it would have taken he would not have used my company.  I explained to him that we did the estimated transit time to him in writing which he paid for and agreed with when signing our shipping contract, but he doesn't seem to care and just wants what he wants.When customer called and emailed me back around November 10th 2014 demanding a quick answer for when his shipment would arrive, I informed him that I would put pressure on the shipping line to give me some tentative shipping details which they did.  At that time the shipping line advised me that his shipment was due to arrive at his residence in England on or about December 31st, 2014. I therefore provided customer with the name of the shipping vessel and put him in touch with the shipping line's destination agent in England who will clear and delivery his goods overseas.  I guess he called their agent sometime during the end of December inquiring about his shipment and the person he spoke with was a trainee and did not have any information about his shipment on that original vessel.  Customer then proceeded to verbally abuse this new trainee who works for the shipping line's agent in England and then began calling and emailing me demanding immediate information for the whereabouts of his shipment.  He also threatened my company as well and was extremely rude.  I explained to him that an email would need to be sent to the shipping line to see why his shipment was not located on the original vessel the shipping line provided us with and that I would come back to him as soon as possible.  When I contacted the shipping line, they answered me about 3 hours later explaining what had happened, that originally they provided us with the wrong shipping details and that his shipment departed the USA 2 weeks later than expected due to the Holiday Season and because this service is first shipments received, first shipments depart type of service and since we received their payment on November 10th and because of Thanksgiving there was a slight delay.  Well customer is not happy, they continue emailing me and threatening me and I have now found this complaint through the Revdex.com.Please note that I have provided customer with the new shipping vessel voyage number, the new estimated arrival date for his shipment at the seaport in England and then at his residence in England after Customs clearance is achieved and he is already in contact with the shipping line's destination agent in England who will clear and deliver his goods overseas.  I have also requested a copy of the shipping line's house bill of lading (no original Bill of Ladings are issued because this is a shared container service and not his own exclusive container being shipped) to be emailed to him directly by the shipping line.There is nothing more that I can do at this point to assist this customer.  We have done everything we can to assist customer, however he still is not happy.  I advised customer that he now needs to wait for shipment to arrive to England.  Currently his shipment is in transit.If anyone has any questions, please let me know.