Shipping Household Goods

sjh

aka - shadley
Jan 1, 2002
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I am in the process of shipping my household goods to the DR. I would like to have the benifits of other peoples experience.

We are using a door to door shipping company (Pto Plata Embarque) and they expect us to pay the entire bill up front. It seems to me as if they will have no economic interest in making the final delivery in this case?

yes, i am aware of the horror stories. Been reading this site for 5+ years.

thanks for the input..
 
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Paul Thate

New member
Jan 11, 2002
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Right Shadley
this is another horror story waiting to happen.
without your residence card you have to pay taxes as well.
add to that the cost of shipping plus all the " tips" to get the shipment through within a few months.
you now have spend more money then you would spend buying locally.
Just bring your personal stuff that make a house a home.
and sell the rest.
I know many expats here , some of them have shipped their stuff.
Most if not all have regretted that decission.
In fact I dont know any one who found it a worthwhile experience.
Moving and settling in a new country is going to be hard enough dont make it harder .
 

sjh

aka - shadley
Jan 1, 2002
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We decided to ship a good part of our junk because our situation (like all others) is a little bit unique. My wife is dominican so there will be no taxes (at least no "official" taxes). Additionally all the furniture we are shipping was handmade by me, so it is a harder to part with than some junk from a department store.

I have already prepared my mind for losing everything, I was just hoping to avoid getting charged for shipping everything AND losing everything too.

I will keep you all posted as to how it goes...
 

LOPTKA

New member
Feb 12, 2002
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We shipped stuff on several occasions and never had a problem. On the last shipment we sent 8 huge boxes that the company provided that had all hpousehold odds and ends plus 2 kids bikes. We also sent in addition to that a computer system , 2 TV,s and stereo system. It came to a total of 1300. US dollars. No hidden charges or fees upon arrival. Everything arrived in the same condition in 5 weeks total. My husband is dominican so I am not sure if that made a difference as we didn,t have to show proof of anything. We sent from Massachusetts using Montero Shipping. I think the base office is in Lynn. I don't have a number though.
 

sjh

aka - shadley
Jan 1, 2002
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This particular company we are using has been used by friends of my wifes for years with no problems and a few times by us for small boxes. They have a good insurance plan and are registered with the NY state etc..... Even so, I am preparing myself for the worst possible case.
 

lhtown

Member
Jan 8, 2002
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sjh said:
I am in the process of shipping my household goods to the DR. I would like to have the benifits of other peoples experience.

We are using a door to door shipping company (Pto Plata Embarque) and they expect us to pay the entire bill up front. It seems to me as if they will have no economic interest in making the final delivery in this case?

yes, i am aware of the horror stories. Been reading this site for 5+ years.

thanks for the input..

Perhaps, but so do other door to door services such as UPS, FedEx and the USPS. It does seem like a lot to ask for though unless they really do have a reputation at stake. Probably, they don't allow payment by credit card either to keep down their expenses. Keep your reciepts and make sure they are dated!
 

mondongo

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
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Off Topic...sorry brief highjack

LOPTKA, Small world. I went to high school in Lynn (...Lynn the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in).
 

BigDaddy

Member
Jan 16, 2005
195
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We shipped our entire household over from the states and had no problems. Shipment went to Santo Domingo, and had to be delivered to POP. We had to make a trip to Santo Domingo for customs, but all in all, it was not the hassle we had been led to expect. All arrived safely, minimal breakage of a couple knickknacks. We paid up front. Used a Dominican company with offices in the states. Paid dock charges (everyone does--not very much) but had residency so no customs duties.