In brief – we paid Pickfords a four-figure sum (£), on the basis that their service extended "from origin address to destination address including assistance with customs clearance" and with the promise that them being the same company in NZ rather than using agents would make for a better service.
On arrival it was quite a different story. They charged us 'MPI Inspection fees' for a 40ft full container load AND a car. Despite the fact that the 40ft container contained the car. These fees were in the region of $450+GST each. I complained at the time that these extra charges were not what we had agreed to and had been paid for in advance. I asked for details of MPIs actual invoices for inspecting our car and stuff. They wouldn’t share them.
They also claimed that a 'partial vacuum' of the boot and bonnet of our car at a place 2 miles away cost $500. And refused to show us the invoice.
We had no choice but to pay the $2000+ invoice because Allied Pickfords NZ were holding our belongings to ransom.
I later found out that MPI’s actual charges were around half the figures given by Pickfords. Not from them, since they flatly refused to give any details, but from MPI themselves.
Challenging them over these charges, but perhaps also because of the shoddy way we had been treated (that’s another story!) ever since signing their contract got us an offer of a small amount of compensation from the UK end, for which we had to repeatedly chase for actual payment, which took about a dozen emails over 2 months. It no longer feels like compensation. I feel like I earned that money! This shouldn’t have had to happen, and others who are less bloody minded or detail orientated than me won’t have benefited.
I also advise you, whichever company you are using, to get in writing, in advance, details of any charges which may be applied at the NZ so you can include these in the vast sum you are paying for your move.