Shipping Household Goods from Colombia

francis says on Jul 14, 2008, 13:34:

You can look in the local yellow pages for consolidated shipping companies for air or ocean cargo. Shipping of your personal items can be shipped as menaje or equipaje no acompañado but you only have 90 days from your departure date to ship the items. Aviatur offers this service for international moving but they are very pricey as they cater to multinational companies. Over a year ago my husband and I moved from Bogota to San Francisco and looked into shipping our furniture and personal belongings but it turned out to be a hassle and very expensive, so we still have our stuff in Colombia. Earlier this year we were in Colombia visiting and shipped some handcrafts, paintings and pottery through an air cargo company that is owned by DHL. We payed $1500 to ship 4 boxes. US customs drilled holes in our belongings, poorly handled the items even though they were marked fragile and well packed. Our items arrived in a million pieces and there was no one who would take responsibility for it. We learned the hard way and do not plan on bringing anything back from Colombia unless we can take it with us on the plane. If I were you I would sell your belongings and by new ones in Australia. I know that it is hard to part with some items because they have sentimental value but I can tell you first hand it is not worth the money and there is no guarantee that the items will arrive in good condition.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Cheers Terry says on Jul 14, 2008, 15:39:

Good advice above.

Unless it's something super important or really valuable anything that can't travel with me as extra luggage on the airplane gets sold, left, or given away.

Cheers,
Terry

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 14, 2008, 20:55:

never shipped to australia, but shipped many containers to the u.s.

both from buena ventura and cartegena.

i use shenker, international. i used their office in medellin. they're in the phone book.

it's a swiss company and can help you. good luck

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sallya says on Jul 14, 2008, 23:38:

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately there are things that just have to be returned, like many, many books as they are study materials for me (around 30 kilos) and then for my husband as he is doing his PhD. We also have some souvenir type things that we have (perhaps stupidly) bought and want to take home with us. So I will look into the companies mentioned.

Thanks Again,

Sally

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 15, 2008, 09:43:

young lady.....if that's all the weight you're talking about....let me make a very serious, well informed and experienced suggestion to you...FORGET ABOUT SHIPPING BY BOAT.

just pack the stuff in cardboard. eliminate absolutely everything unnecessary and take it on the plane with you. reason being. ocean (containerized) shipments are complicated beyond your imagination, involve several months and in a case like this, will cost infinitely more in pain in the ass, money out of pocket, heart ache and rip-off losses than what ever yyou pay to fly it with you accompanied baggage. trust me. i've done this so many many many times i know what i'm talking about and i'm seriously trying to save you and your husband, money and grief.

lots of luck to both of you,
douglas martin

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Firebird says on Jul 16, 2008, 09:33:

I 100 percent agree with Douglas, i shipped some items during my move, What i was told is so much different as to what is transpiring now that the items are in cali .This is turning into a pain in the ass and pocket. my advice leave it if you can not pack it and take on the plane. EVEN if you have to pay Avianca's overbaggage fee of $100 per bag its cheaper and less bullcrap then dealing with frieght brokers in Colombia

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 16, 2008, 17:42:

yo firebird..........i can't emphasize how many containers 20' and 40' ive shipped outta colombia and how many 20's i've shipped back. i know every nuance of 'fuck you' from the aduana, brokers, truckers and on and on and on.. if it cost you $500.00 to take your stuff on the plane, you just saved a minimum of $3,500.00 not to mention the rape, heartache and countless assholes that come along in the bargain.......listen to firebird, folks, he speakie the truth.

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.