relocation questions / tarrifs

I have used Flemming with good luck.

We used Lee Fleming of Managed Freight http://www.managedfreight.com/ to move from NJ to STX in 2005, and I highly recommend his services. He's a move expediter, knows all the ins and outs, and simplified our move immensely. His web site can answer many of your questions.

Third vote for Lee - he moved us to the island, across the island, and now back to the mainland for a job transfer - his guys are here even as I type this. You can get someone cheaper, but you can't get better. They are doing a superb job of securing our personal items for their very long stateside journey.

Just FYI for anyone who needs to know - Lee told me at this time Customs in Florida is running 3 WEEKS on clearing a container.

If you are bringing a container in, pack to withstand an 8 foot fall - ask Lee about insurance, I'd recommend it - if you read the maritime laws, they are completely jacked up. If you are only bringing personal items they can also be shipped like in large Rubbermaid tubs, or you can use the USPS - and if you do that, INSURE EVERYTHING, get a delivery signature - do everything you can to protect your stuff. A lot seems to go missing between here and Puerto Rico.

Someone recently posted about the insurance reimbursement through the postal service....and the coverage wasn't what I thought it was...just use the search feature for "mail" and I'm sure you will find it. There are a ton of posts on this site on what to expect, how the rates are calculated, etc. - but Lee will make it almost too easy for you.

Good luck with your move!

Regarding insurance, we packed our household goods ourselves. That is, we boxed it, and the pros put it on the container. Because we packed it ourselves, the only insurance option we were offered by Lee Fleming was for "total loss," which means the cargo is completely gone. It includes loss at sea, fire, etc. It does not cover damage to individual contents. So, we skipped the insurance. Check with Lee or your mover for more info.

we had hard time getting any communication from Lee to the point where he reimbursed us for his fee for our move back to the states. We like him, but I suggest if you use him to ask for some kind of a punch list of things you need to know and COMMUNICATE!!!!!!

Hi Nathan,

The subject of excises taxes vexed me greatly during my move. It seems that the "law", if you can actually find the written code, is subject to a wide range of interpretations. The end result seems to be that the amount of tax you pay on your personal items is dependent on the particular agent working when your container goes through customs.

I shipped only one pod (DoorToDoor stateside, DeliverIt on receiving end) and after an epic battle, I paid only $30 in excise tax. Even the folks at DeliverIt couldn't agree on the interpretation of the tax formula. Seems that no one had asked this before, which is very hard to believe.

I was obsessed by this because I didn't know how detailed I should be in my packing list and I didn't know how much insurance I should have on my personal possessions. I felt very strongly that it was wrong (and a misinterpretation of the tax code) for me to pay ANY tax on my already-purchased-and-taxed personal posessions, yet I was afraid that if I low-balled the value of my inventory and something happened, I'd be SOL.

When all's said and done, my only advice is to NOT declare any new items, which (according to some interpretations) are subject taxes. That's the fly in the ointment with customs. What is "new"? Purchased but unused? Purchased within a week? A month? A year? Depends on who you ask and who is working customs that day. I did have a short list of new items. My container was held up for days pending receipts for those purchases. I did not take paper copies on the plane and the computer receipts were on my computer, in the shipping container. Lesson learned: do not declare new items. List contents as "used household goods".

Oh, and if you do declare new items, you have to state the country of origin. And have the receipt (don't put it in your container) 🙂

I tried very hard to find the written tax code. All I could find was a description of excise taxes on goods for resale/business. I was unable to find any written evidence that personal possessions were subject to tax, although there is a rumor that in the relatively recent past a tax was initiated for personal goods costing more than $500. Of course, there is disagreement as to whether this means the total value of a given shipment or the value of individual items in that shipment...

All in all, I was reasonably happy with my choice of DoorToDoor. I didn't ship everything, so one pod was enough space. It was packed to the rafters and everything arrived intact except the computer. Some of the innards had jiggled loose but that was easily fixed. I was exhausted after my move and didn't want to unload it myself (the container is brought to your door, not unpacked and brought in) so I hired a couple of high school kids to do it for me. It was a negligible expense for me but good money to them.

I used flemming and it helped a great deal

I'm planning a move to STT from Maine and wondered if you had made any decisions re: shippers to use or any other practical info. Much appreciated.

Have you made any decisions on shippers yet? I'm in Maine and have not yet found a local co that will work with me.