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Joined: Oct 2006
Received quotes from Big Isle Moving and Royal Hawaiian Movers. About the same price. Door to door from Pahoa to Oakland. They both come and pack up your goods, create a crate, and ship them in a container with others once they get a full load. Could take up to 7 weeks and I'm OK with that. Shipping some furniture back to the mainland.
Anyone else tried this? Any loss or damage? Any experience with either of these movers? Thanks for any help you can lend.
Posts: 8,469
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Pretty much all the established freight companies in Hilo have done this for years and years. I suspect your Movers will ship via another freight company in Hilo to Oakland then another moving company in Oakland will pick up from the freight company and deliver it to you. So you will likely actually be working with three companies.
There is value in having someone do the door to door and crating and packing if you can't yourself and don't have a truck to haul into Hilo. If the items are of value you might consider insuring the load. Read your contract carefully and do not lose it. I would expect to have a copy of the Bill of Lading in hand as well.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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Definitely follow Rob's advice. Also - photograph all your items before they are packed. Make sure you have plenty of insurance.
Call the BBB to check on their rating. Also call DCCA to see what, if any, complaints have been filed.
There was a news piece the other day of a couple that moved from CA to Oahu in February. Paid $1,800 in shipping fees (credit card already charged.) They never got their goods, including a motorcycle.
When they called the company to find out arrival of their goods the company said that the couple was harrasing them. The couple filed a complaint with the BBB and then the shipping company said they couldn't talk to the couple because the couple had filed the complaint. The couple went to a Honolulu news station (I tihnk KHNL) who tried to get it worked out with no luck. The company then said they were auctioning off the couple's belongings because the couple went to the media.
Gotta be illegal but I don't think this company cares. Turns out the company had dozens of complaints about them in the past 4 months.
So just be careful. Do your research. Get everything in writing.
