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Thread: seven seas hidden charges

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    england
    Posts
    40

    Default seven seas hidden charges

    Hi

    I emigrated from the UK in late Jul using seven seas to ship ten tea chests. I gt a quote from them for end to end shipping. I specifically asked them whether there were any other charges. No they said. So I paid and had my boxes shipped.

    Now Ive received an invoice from them for $260 for

    Destination Charge - Goods Examination Fee

    Im annoyed. The invoice says pay or incur late fees. They are not responding to my emails. Wont use these guys again !!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    3,697

    Default

    Hi there,
    I'm planning to use sevenseas just for the sake of their costs. Last time I spoke to one guy at Sevenseas and he mentioned about $200-$300 fee for some checking (seems like its similar to whats been invoiced to you). They sent me quotation by email and have this below line included.... [Do you have anything similar in writing, that might help]

    <quote>
    H. No hidden charges guarantee
    The contents of your shipment are your personal effects and, though we can advise, we cannot be held responsible, nor will we accept responsibility, for any charges that arise on the contents of your shipment. These can include duty, tax, cleaning or disposal charges. Otherwise, WE GUARANTEE that the charges on Your Quote will be the only charges that you will be asked to pay. If any unforseen charges do arise then we will refund you the value of the charge.
    </quote>

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    918

    Default

    OK so first I don't think ANY shipper will quote a flat fee including MAF checking and Customs clearance as these are variable charges.

    HOWEVER $260 for 10 tea chest is excessive. Check the MAF costs.

    Get them to tell you what MAF inspected and how much they charged and provide a copy of the MAF bill.

    Customs should only be inlvolved if there are dutyable items like new stuff or certain goods. Normally for household items you sign a customs declaration and that's it.

    The rest of the charge will be for the shipper to manage and arrange MAF/Customs checks, which involves a bit of paperwork.

    Here are the MAF charges - they are hourly and item based but you should not have paid more than $100 - and that would be for ALL the boxes to be inspected which would mean each would have had to be labelled with something MAF wanted to check.

    http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files...-regs-2010.pdf
    Last edited by Wooly_Cow; 1st September 2010 at 11:23 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    made it to the other side
    Posts
    1,343

    Default

    I used SS shipping 10 boxes from UK to AKL.
    Went into storage first then shipped when I got a work permit.

    Very helpful and efficient, apart from a blip when I had to send off documentation here in NZ and their form had their old address on.

    Don't remember being charged any more than I was first quoted.

    One box was opened ( and I knew it would be becasue it contained boots) but that was all.

    Did MAF have to fumigate or treat anything?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    england
    Posts
    40

    Default

    Dont know yet .. they billed me even before the boxes had been released.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Kapiti from UK
    Posts
    34

    Default

    Hi, the same happened with me, my items arrived in NZ last week and I got the invoice for the Goods Examination Fee.

    I contacted MAF and they said their charges would probably be about $150 for the 15 items I sent - as opposed to the $260.50 that Sevenseas are charging me. I contacted Sevenseas to see what they had to say and was fobbed off to be honest, she just kept saying that's how much they've been told to charge people - very helpful - not! She did say that they have dropped their prices to reflect this charge though - hmm.

    I think we just have to suck it up and pay to be honest

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