International Move (Shipping Company)

[devraipoison]

Hello all,

Has any of you here any experience with any international moving company that you can recommend (EU to USA)? I would appreciate any recommendations you have or personal experience with the process that you can share. I have looked up a few companies on Google, but the reviews are mixed, so almost everyone is complaining about the lack of professionalism of those companies, thus I am reaching out here hoping to find better stories.

So while waiting for the green card, I need to sort this thing out. I have lived for the past 10 years in the Czech Republic (not my home country), and have accumulated pretty much a lot of personal effects that I would prefer to take with me in the States. Some of the stuff I have, I will take back to my home country, as I need to clear out my apartment here, but I will still be left with a lot of things that I would need with me in the States.

I love the idea of starting fresh and leaving with only 2 luggage, but let's be serious, how much of that is even possible? I know that I should sort out as much as possible, and I have done that already, but most of the stuff I have is either too expensive to sell or I need it for work (I am a professional artist and have a lot of tools of the trade). For instance, I have lots of clothing, books, vintage and fragile items, and my own works of art that I need to take with me (at least some of it).

What is the most efficient way to internationally move such personal effects without going bankrupt? Looking forward to reading your replies.

 

[SusieQQQ]

I can’t help specifically with moving companies, but I’d caution that often people only go online to complain and not compliment so bear that in mind.

How much stuff, exactly, do you have? One option is to rent a container or share a container to move your things. It’s not clear to me that you have enough to use a container though? Have you got any quotes from moving companies either for containers or ”normal move” boxes yet?
However you choose to move, if you have vintage and fragile things I would definitely pay the extra for professional packing and insurance.

 

[devraipoison]

Hi @SusieQQQ! Thanks for your reply! I got a quote for about $1.500 for a shared container for 5 boxes (150 kg~330 pounds), but the reviews of people who used their services were awful. I know I should take all comments online with a grain of salt, but I find it difficult to make a decision and trust these companies without going through the reviews.

I will probably have more than 5 boxes by the time that I finish packing, so most probably I will need a shared container, but the prices still seems like a little too much at this point. All my art stuff will be heavy (just paper itself weights so much!!), so even if there will not be too many boxes, the weight will be there for sure. That's why I wanted to hear if anyone here had any experiences with moving companies, and advise on what to look out for. Should I just lower my expectations, are these services supposedly this expensive?

 

[SusieQQQ]

Well, we paid about $10k for a full container but we had a longer distance to cover. International shipping just isn’t cheap. That said, I’m not sure whether your quote is primarily based on volume or weight, I’d suggest getting another couple of quotes.

It’s worth checking online to see what the cost of replacing the stuff you can replace, is, as it is possible that for at least some of the stuff, it could end up cheaper buying new than shipping. The US is often cheaper than other countries for buying things and art supplies probably falls into that category too.

Another option to consider given what you are talking about is to see if there are any reasonably priced business class flights you can use. Some airlines allow you to take 2 or 3 pieces of luggage in business class at up to 32kg per piece (be sure to check the transatlantic allowance, it’s usually more generous than within the continent). The extra you pay for business vs coach/economy might end up being less than the cost of moving the items with a moving company, with the added advantage that it arrives with you.