Frequently Asked Questions

As much as we try, we are not perfect and although we have far more great reviews than bad, unfortunately negative remarks rank a lot higher than positive on the internet. Also, some competitors will actually pretend they are customers and make up complaints so that another company looks bad. Lastly, some of these complaints sites are for profit companies! They make their money on the internet by getting commissions from moving companies that they recommend or by charging large sums to get complaints deleted from their site. We do maintain a five star Google review average which is the highest you can get as well as an A+ with the BBB. We also have many great reviews posted direct from our customers published here. https://upackweship.com/blog/rate-us/

Yes, we have Errors, Omissions and liability insurance as well as two licenses issued by The Federal Maritime Commission covering us as a freight forwarder and an NVOCC totaling $125,000. Our FMC number 020099NF.

I suggest reading our free book: Moving Overseas, the definitive guide

I suggest following us on Twitter @UPAKWESHIP. Follow our blog and sign up for our newsletters.

No sorry we do not.

We have offices and staff in New York, Charleston, Los Angeles, and Omaha and between us; we cover all of mainland USA. We have our own offices in Devon, in the UK, which covers all of the UK and mainland Europe, and Toronto that covers all of Canada. We also utilize over 80 receiving terminals across the USA and another 100 worldwide so we have you covered wherever you are.

Only if we think another company can serve you better. For example if we think a courier company might be more cost effective to just send 1 or 2 suitcases we will pass the enquiry to white glove express or if we receive a domestic moving quote request in the USA we will pass that over to www.movingplace.com as we don’t do moving within the USA. In addition, if you have some large items that look like they may need professional packing we will pass on to our full service division EuroUSA Shipping to see if they can assist you.

Our registered company name here in North America is EuroUSA Shipping and UPakWeShip is the self-pack budget division with its own dedicated employees set up to offer its customers a reliable, no thrills budget way of International Moving. EuroUSA offices handle many Commercial full service, Corporate, and Trade shipments for regular customers. In Europe we are registered and operate as UPakWeShip Intl.

Our normal rates cover collection between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm on the date you requested. 20 and 40 foot containers are normally booked for a specific time for loading and unloading.

Our normal published collection rates are for ground level curbside or driveway. Drivers are not licensed or allowed to go into a residence. If you need collection from inside of your residence then you need to contact a full service mover like EuroUSA to help you.

We need at least 2 weeks’ notice to prepare your shipping service.

“To port” means it’s pre-paid to the docks at the destination. You will have to arrange customs clearance and collection of your shipment from a local warehouse. You will have to pay customs, and local port fees, which for a small shipment can be $200-$700. If the quote says “to door” then the price includes customs clearance, local port fees and delivery to the residence.

This is quite common and as long as we have contact information so we can get hold of you that is fine. You can email us later with the actual delivery address.

Yes if you are using our self-load container services but we need at least 2 weeks’ notice, if you are shipping cars or motorcycles in a shipping container as the export paperwork for customs is quite complicated.

The Pros are you save a lot of money and if you take your time doing a little every day using plenty of bubble wrap and packing paper you can pack like a pro and sometimes even better as you know more than a packing company what is precious to you. It also means you do not have strange people in your house and you can have a good cleanout while you pack. The Cons, however, are its hard work and we cannot give you quite the same insurance coverage as if it was professionally packed.

Many! Do not pack any opened bottles in case they leak. Do not pack guns, ammunition, food and anything hazardous including cleaning materials. Do not use an unlicensed company with a cheap rate. If the price sounds too good to be true it is probably a fraud! We ship large volumes and therefore get slightly better rates than most and keep overheads low, therefore our prices are good. If you find a rate much lower than ours, be very careful, there are a lot of cowboy operators that will give you a very cheap price and once they have your things they will find an excuse for doubling your price. Do use licensed professionals. In the USA, you need to have a license from a government division called the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in order to carry out international moving from the USA. Do not use any company that does not have an FMC license. Make sure your boxes are all packed tight and well-taped shut. Make sure your name is on all pieces. Do use a lot of bubble wrap. Do check our references and Google 5 star reviews. Use our labels to stick on all items as well as the outside of your pallet or U Crate.

Our U-CRATE 50 and U-CRATE 100 are best for smaller shipments and the 20-foot shipping container for a whole household are the safest methods to ship to Europe as these are door to door. You pack and load it and we ship and deliver it to your new home overseas. What goes in must come out of the container and 99.9% of the time, everything is delivered, in the container exactly as you had loaded it.

No problem, you can always ask your questions to the Moving Doctor or look at the 4,400 other questions and answers on our moving blog. You can also call us 1 866 868 6386 or 843 225 7217 or email move@upakweship.com and we would be very happy to answer any moving and relocation questions you have whether you are moving with us or not.

Not exactly. We are trying to accomplish this but there have been some obstacles along the way. For example in Canada, their U Crates are a different size. We cannot ship them up there from the USA either due to the customs duties and taxes involved make it cost prohibitive. 20 and 40 foot shipping containers are standard everywhere so no problem there! Our U Crates and pallets are available anywhere in mainland USA, Europe and the UK. In many cases in Europe, we can collect your packed items from inside the residence and then load onto a pallet or U Crate back at our Depot cheaper than sending out the U Crate and then collecting it. This however is not normally cost effective in the USA for example. If you are not sure, just email your nearest UPakWeShip and they will be able to advise you.

It is quite common for people to have not found their new place overseas by the time your shipment gets there. No worries though, we can arrange storage for pallets and U Crates at approximately 35 UK Pounds, Euros or Dollars per pallet per week. If however you need storage for your shipping container then you need to find a self-store to unload the container contents into, or find a friend with a garage! You cannot keep your items in the shipping containers, as the shipping lines will charge you a fortune for keeping their shipping container.

Yes, the BAGGAGE SERVICES have a 50lb max weight per bag, the SMALL PALLET and U-CRATE 50 at 500lbs, LARGE PALLET and U-CRATE 100 at 1000lbs, and U-CRATE 200 at 1800lbs.

Stack all your boxes together to make a large cube. Measure the longest, widest and highest points in inches. Multiply the 3 dimensions together then divide by 1728. That gives you cubic feet.

About 20 plastic totes, 45 small boxes, 20 large boxes, about 16 large suitcases. Use our shipping volume estimator to help you calculate the volume you want to ship.

The best place is your local self-storage shop. They normally sell good quality boxes, bubble wrap, bags for sofas and chairs, tape and packing paper. Also Staples, Lowes, U Haul all sell good quality moving boxes and Uline.com is a good option if you want to buy online.

Use new moving boxes available at all self-storage shops, Lowes, Staples, U Haul or online at Uline.com Tape up well top and bottom, pack breakables in bubble wrap. Make sure your name & destination is on every carton. The most important thing is make your boxes full and tight, do not leave air space in your box otherwise when other boxes are stacked on top of it, the one underneath will collapse. Use our U-CRATE 50, U-CRATE 100 or U-CRATE 200 options for extra protection and peace of mind. Watch our Pack like a Pro presentation.

UPakWeShip was set up to save you money by avoiding having international moving companies do packing and loading. If you need packing help or you need help loading, we suggest you contract a good local mover in your area to help you pack or load or look at www.movinghelp.com for a local crew to help you and then we will take care of the rest. If however you would like us to arrange the packing and loading then our full service company EuroUSA can assist.

This is an old wife’s tale so that they can make lots of money sending in cheap labor to pack up your belongings in your house. Truth is with our system, documentation and security checks even though you have packed your items yourself, your shipment is no more at risk than if a local mover packed your boxes for you. Customs and Security agencies will now often X- Ray your shipment or the container in which it has been loaded so they can see what is in the boxes whoever packed it. Some movers will even go as far as to say it is against the law to pack your items yourself, but if that’s the case how come we have been in business in the USA since 1994 and have 2 government licenses?

If you cancel before U CRATES / pallets have been dispatched to you or container has been booked on a vessel within 48 hours of making a booking you will get down payment returned less 10% ; if after 48 hours you will receive a 75% refund.

If U-CRATES/PALLETS have been dispatched to you for loading or container or truck equipment has already been dispatched or is cancelled within 48 hours of loading date then the down payment cannot be refunded.

Once equipment is booked, changes to truck collection details/dates incur a $50 rebooking fee, container date changes incur a $150 rebooking fee; changes are based on equipment availability. down payments are to be paid online with no processing fee.

Yes, the same as you need it driving a car or for your residence you live in. You don’t have to insure it through us though and may be you can get coverage on your existing home owners policy, but we do believe we offer the best coverage and if you sign that you do not want to take out Transit Protection with us you will be agreeing to not claim against us or hold us responsible for any damages or loss however caused. Having said that, if you pack all your items up well using good quality boxes and lots of bubble wrap, the chances of any damage or loss is extremely rare.

All pallet and U Crate shipments require a down payment of $750 and a shipping container $2000. The rest is due before loading or before shipping out of the country.

Yes, we have quite a few, click here to view our shipping related forms. Also, after we have received your booking, you will be able to log into our system and see all the forms you will need to complete. Most forms can be accomplished with an electronic signature.

Every Country has their own but most destinations are ok with your personal items if you are moving to that Country and all the items are more than 6 months old. Most countries will tax you on alcohol and cigarettes so it is normally not worth sending in your shipment. Most Countries do not allow human or pet food to be imported. Check with your local consulate or embassy for the Countries customs regulations or click here for more customs information.

Yes, you will need to. We have the most popular ones available by email or click here for more customs information.

After we receive your booking, we will ask you for a down payment. This is usually $750 for a PALLET or U-CRATE service and $2,000 for a shipping container. There are no credit card fees charged on down payment amounts. We ask you to use our secure online credit card payment page to do this.

For the remainder, due before loading, we accept ACH transfer (we email you the ACH form to complete and it’s like an electronic check) if drawn on a US bank, wire transfer if overseas or you can pay the balance online with MasterCard or Visa.

See our Insurance services page under “Services”. Click here

Our small pallet rates are very hard to beat but having a sort out and cutting back to just the essentials can help save you money. If you literally just have a bag or two, it might be worth paying the extra carry on fee by the airline or even upgrade your ticket using air miles so that you get a higher baggage allowance and fly in comfort and style!

Be very careful of these quotes, you get a very cheap price up front but when you get to your destination you can find yourself paying double the original quote before you are allowed to collect your boxes from the terminal. We offer this service as well and are more than happy to ship to a terminal overseas for you to collect, just as long as you know you will have to customs clear yourself and pay terminal and hand over charges before the shipping terminal will allow you to collect it at the destination. If it is to door, make sure they offer all-inclusive pricing and haven’t forgotten to add in something like terminal handling charges!

Having been in business since 1988 we have built up a large customer base and probably ship more to Europe, Australia, North America and New Zealand than anyone else so we keep our containers and trucks full therefore allowing us to operate at discounted rates all year round. We also keep overheads low, have our own operations overseas and therefore have complete control of our costs and do not have to rely on other companies with their own profit margins. Unlike a lot of the competition, we specialize in small shipments and often have no minimum charges to contend with. We make our money by making a little bit on a large volume of shipments as opposed to making a lot of money on a few shipments. We are like a Southwest or Easy Jet of the relocation industry.

We guarantee there will be no extra charges on top of the prices we display online or we email you in a quote. Our prices are all inclusive. The only extra charges would be due to, a physical customs exam that would be backed up with paperwork proving this occurred or if you had bad access or a long carry, requested delivery above first floor, or beyond curbside, customs duties and taxes on something you declared on your customs form, storage if you request it and quarantine or ministry of agriculture inspection charges associated normally with importing into Australia or New Zealand. Bottom line, “NO SNEAKY FEES”!

Our rates to door include all known or definite charges. However, if you want delivery beyond curbside, have bad access where a truck cannot get anywhere close to your residence, we need to get parking permits or you live on yellow or red lines or no parking zones, you have items less than 6 months old that involve duties and taxes or wine, spirits, cigarettes in your shipment, you receive a physical customs inspection or your shipment or container gets x rayed by Customs either in the USA or overseas there will be extra fees charged at destination before your shipment is delivered.

Do your own packing, and deliver to our shipping/receiving terminals for bigger discounts, drop off at our main shipping consolidation terminals in Charleston SC or for some destinations Los Angeles.

We suggest stacking your boxes on pallets and shrink-wrapping them to keep them all in place. We then collect the pallets with a tail lift truck and ship them to you overseas. We have a small and large pallet rate to most major destinations around the world on rate mate.

Yes every couple of feet all along the side of the floor and ceiling so if you have some nylon ties or straps it’s easy to secure things.

Yes, you can but you must notify us at least two weeks in advance. Click here for more tips on loading and securing.

We have what is called a “live load” trucking service where you get 2 hours free and thereafter while the trucker waits its $95 per hour waiting time. Or, a “drop and pick” trucking service where we can drop the container at your residence one day and collect 24 or 48 hours later. This is normally twice the trucking price, as the trucker has to make two trips. This is not so bad if you live within 50 miles of the local terminal or port but can get expensive if you live far away from a port of inland container terminal.

Well you need somewhere to park it like a large driveway or check to see if you are allowed to keep it on the road. The container will be on a chassis (with wheels) and around 4 foot from the ground so you need to hire or make a loading ramp or have enough help to pass everything up into the shipping container. You also need to know that by packing and loading your own container you will be saving between $2500 and $5000 in packing charges! For more information about our shipping containers, click here. We also have information for container specifications, here.

Most containers you see for sale are not licensed or up to shipping standards to be loaded on a ship. Also most shipping lines do not like to load other people’s containers and at the very least are going to always give priority to using their own containers first. When UPakWeShip give you a self-loading shipping container rate, it is based on us renting a container from the shipping line for that one journey. So bottom line we do not suggest trying to ship your own steel container overseas.