How is my shipment packed and how does it get there?
Your personal effects are carefully wrapped and packed into specially designed cartons. Each piece of furniture is wrapped in protective material. Depending on the overall size of your shipment, it is loaded into large wooden crates or steel sea containers. The sea containers are loaded onto a container ship and sent to your destination port, where it is off-loaded and cleared through customs. We then deliver your shipment to your new residence.
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How much does it cost to move overseas?
The Price is based mainly on the volume and weight of your shipment. Our invoice will be based on actual costs of packing, loading, shipping, clearing and delivering your shipment. There are ways to determine an estimated cost in advance. On small shipments we can determine an estimated cost by analyzing your list of items to be packed and shipped. The more details you can supply, the more precise we can be with our estimate. On larger shipments we will perform a free survey of your shipment to determine your shipping requirements and the size of your shipment.
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How long does it take for our shipment to get to its destination?
There are as many answers as there are destinations, but generally surface shipments from China to the USA can arrive at most destinations within 4 weeks. Shipments to Australia or New Zealand will take about 4 weeks. Air shipments can be cleared and delivered to your door in ten days or less. There are various levels of service, allowing for faster or slower transit times.
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Shipping internationally is quite safe. There are some additional hazards to which an international shipment can be exposed, starting with the ocean. Some countries are known for heat and humidity and some have security concerns. Our 15 years of experience has taught us practical lessons on how to deal with each of these.
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Customs officials exist to protect the laws and rules of their country and to collect duties and taxes in connection with their laws. Anyone planning a visit to a foreign country is personally responsible to honor the laws of the country to which he/she is a guest. We will give you guidance based on our practical experience gained from our daily involvement.
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Should I buy insurance coverage?
Replacement value, all risk insurance is available with various deductibles. It is wise to insure a shipment for the cost to replace it in the country of destination. Additionally, It is possible to insure for the cost of re-shipping a lost or damaged item. Insurance cost is based on goods value you provided. However, there is minimum charge of US$20.00 per shipment and all terms subjuect to the insurance company. A Customer Service representative at ESLExpress will assist you with more details of insuring your shipment.
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Are there Duties and Taxes to pay, and how much will they be?
Many countries allow used household goods and personal effects to enter without duties or taxes. Others are less lenient. You will be provided with a tax waiver form if it permitted in your country of destination.
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Some antiques can be shipped but these goods must come with an export permit that states that they are not a National Treasure of China. Any shipping items that look like antique or any furniture made archaise may subject to an Antique Authentification Inspection by Customs authorised organisation in China. Inspection charge is at cost though this is not expensive.
Please see ANTIQUE INSPECTION (ANTIQUE AUTHENTIFICATION) for details.
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All international shipments of household goods/personal effects must be prepaid (prior to shipping) by cash, certified check, money order or bank transfer. Cost estimates can be made prior to shipping, but the actual cost can not be determined until the weights and dimensions are confirmed.
Upon confirmation of the weights and dimensions, you will be notified of the final price and asked to submit half of your payment before the shipment is released for shipping overseas.
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Cars can be shipped to any country that allows importation. Many of the developed countries make importation easy and inexpensive. Some countries discourage importation by assigning high taxes and duties. Some countries also require a steam cleaning certificate. You will need to provide your original title, as well as the year, make, model, color and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle. Contact Customer Service for details of cost and requirements.
Every country deals with this process differently but all countries charge duty at Customs.
ESLExpress can also provide an importation of your car to China but it should be noted that the charges can be considerable due to the high cost of entry fees in China. If you intend to import your car then you will need to have the following documentation:
PASSPORT
RESIDENTS PERMIT
WORK PERMIT
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How long does it take to pack everything at my house?
Generally it takes about 8 hours but this depends on the kind of furniture that you need moved. Some clients may need longer as they might have wardrobes that need dis-assembly. All furniture to be dis-assembled is packed very carefully and all fittings such as screws and hinges are carefully packed away.
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Do you provide long term storage?
Yes we do. Many clients need a place to store the excess amount of goods that they have in their house. If you need 1 month or 1 year storage then we can provide this at a great price. All goods are stored in a safe, clean and secure location. If you need to add any goods to the amount you have at any point this can also be done. Every client is given an access number at our warehouses and this can be quoted at the warehouse entry point. No goods will be permitted into the warehouse without an ESLExpress access number.
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ESLExpress does not ship pets and we generally discourage it because it is complicated and expensive. It is also a lonely and traumatic experience for your pet. However, we can co-operate with a specialist forwarder on your behalf.
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When you are leaving China you must have the following :
1. Residence Permit
2. Work Permit
3. Passport
The reason these documents are required is that you can provide evidence that you have lived in China for an extended period of time.
If you do not have a Work Permit in China, we can help you to submit a special statement to the Chinese Customs for the moving.
If you do not have the required Visa for re-locating your house hold goods or you have moved from China before we can still help. Contact an ESLExpress representative for further details.
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What do I need to tell the ESLExpress Representative?
You need to give your address in your home or destination country.
Please note that original copies of your passport and work permit need to be submited to Customs for declaration process after packing. The whole process will take about 2~5 working days.
You need to ensure that access by large truck or container is allowed to be unloaded at your destination. You may need to notify your neighbours or local traffic police that a large delivery is pending.
Please inform the ESLExpress Representative whether you need storage and warehousing.
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