We arranged to have our personal belongings shipped from Westport, Massachusetts, to Algeciras, Spain. Worldwide Relocations (WWR) of Pembroke Pines, Florida, agreed to ship from door to port for $4859.78 (including $15,000 worth of insurance at $520, and crating at $525). They arranged for a Rhode Island moving company to take our stuff away, which they did on 4/29/04. The shipping to Spain was supposed to take 6 weeks. We didn't hear from Worldwide Relocations for a while but a couple of months later were advised that there had been a ship loaders strike supported by a truck driver strike in sympathy! – and hence the delay. But the company failed to respond to our emails and phone calls - basically hardly a word from them. They also failed to advise us as to the location of our goods, who the local agent in Algeciras was, when we could expect it; and no bill of lading – nothing. We had an email from a Donna Carey of WWR on 9/22/04, who basically said they didn't know where our shipment was and that they would have to start back from the company who moved our stuff out of the house; and that she'd get back to us the following day – that was the last we've heard from the company until we contacted our attorneys in October.
On 11/1/04, a Steve Kuller of WWR (he identified himself as the president but the Florida Secretary of State did not identify him) told our attorneys a number of “unconvincing excuses and apologies”, but stated our container was at or in transit to port, and would be on a ship within 3-5 days; and that once issued he would fax a bill of Lading to our attorney.
On 11/16/04, a Barbara of WWR told our attorneys that our property was still at the original movers (not what the president had told them) in RI. She was advised of the discrepancy in stories, how each promise made hadn't been kept and that their service and attempts at remedy had been unacceptable.
On 12/13/04, our attorneys advised us that WWR's phones were going unanswered. But in speaking to the moving RI, they stated that after picking up our stuff on 4/29/04, they spent the next several months phoning, faxing, writing to WWR to get them to transfer our stuff but never got any response. Over 6 months later, WWR called them and sent a container, which the RI company packed, and it was picked up on 11/18.
The container arrived at the port of Algeciras, Spain, on or about 12/20/04; but we were not advised until some weeks later because WWR gave the shipping agents in Spain a wrong phone number and so they were unable to contact us in a timely manner. We finally took possession of our belongings on 01/24/05, and have had to pay extra port storage & other fees in Spain.
I recently spoke with someone from PAC Global Insurance Brokerage, Inc., with whom WorldWide Relocations were supposed to have insured us with - we paid $550.00 for it. But PAC cannot check whether we were in fact insured because we have no insurance number - as WWR never gave us any details of the insurance. PAC said that they fired WWR in Sept/Oct and have a lawsuit against them because WWR were selling insurance to their customers but PAC was not receiving the premiums.
We have never received any documentation from the company: no bill indicating our payment, no bill of lading, nothing indicating we were insured, etc.
Christopher
gibraltar
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