Using a relocation service to move to Qatar from the U.S.
May 28, 2013 1:29 PM   Subscribe

I've obtained an extended leave of absence from my tenured position and will move my family of six to Qatar this August. We have been given an allowance of $2,500 for shipping our stuff. How do I locate a good shipper?

I'm in Orem, Utah. An ex-pat recommended a place with a local office, but it took their stuff arrived two months late. Also my wife refuses to work with the guy at the local office, as he behaved in a boorish manner. I'm not sure how to evaluate services, locate one, or where I should be reading to learn more about moving. Thanks for any advice.
posted by mecran01 to Travel & Transportation around Qatar (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Their recommended International Shippers are on the right sidebar of the main page or you could check the forums to see if there are any specific recommendations for Qatar:

The Moving Scam

Good luck!
posted by bluecore at 1:35 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]


First, you should inventory and make a list of everything you'll be wanting to ship. This will dictate everything including price and shipping time. I've moved overseas twice (and back to the U.S. twice) and each time it cost far more than $2500 to move a household's worth of stuff (two adults, no kids). We did, however, move beds and the like although no couches, etc. I think it was roughly in the ballpark of $15K. Maybe more. I think we filled half a shipping container? Although in retrospect that seems rather large - it might not have been that much but I do think the price was around $15K.

Secondly, most big shippers (like AGS) will take at least two months (and up to 6) to ship since it goes via sea freighter.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 1:40 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yea, $2500 sounds WAY too low. I've seen a move within the same city for a family of three cost close to 2k.

If they're giving you that little, i'd ask them point blank what service they recommend and then whether this was intended to cover the whole cost, or just a portion.
posted by emptythought at 2:15 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]


What emptythought said ... $2500 will in no way come close to what you need for an actual permanent move. But if you are renting a furnished flat and you are just taking clothes and a few personal items, maybe.

For reference, my 10 cubic meter shipping crate from Bangkok to Denver was in the neighborhood of 3K, once all was said and done.

Good luck!
posted by cyndigo at 2:48 PM on May 28, 2013


we used Rainier Overseas Movers to move from California to Australia, they work with local movers to pack your stuff. everyone was great, everything was on time, nothing broke, etc. (we did buy insurance)

It cost us about $2700, for a 500sq ft cottage...two adults, no kid, pretty minimal amount of stuff...shipped in a lift van.

Included them packing for us, which was heaven!
posted by jrobin276 at 2:54 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]


Also, stuff being late or not will have to do partly with the local customs/postal service. Qatar is not Australia, YMMV.
posted by jrobin276 at 2:57 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]


Not sure how much you're shipping, but $2500 sounds way too low for a full household move, particularly for a family of six. I'm preparing for an overseas move this summer; I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but it was probably at least 2-3 times that. However you could probably do it for less if you just ship the bare minimum (clothes, etc) and don't ship furniture.

Also, hapax is correct regarding ship times - 2-3 months is pretty standard, although my impression is that delays aren't at all unusual due to ships not sailing on time, customs delays, etc.

That being said, bluecore's list is a good start. My employer is using Suddath International for my move and I have nothing but good things to say about them, I'm sure there's a number of other good companies out there as well. Maybe try and get a recommendation from your employer?
posted by photo guy at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2013


Response by poster: We are moving into a furnished apartment/villa, and there's an Ikea in Qatar. We'll bring our clothes on the flight, and a few indispensable kitchen items like our Blendtec and Zojirushi rice cooker. As I look at all the crap I own, there isn't much that I can't live without for three years. Thank you for the advice thus far, I am finding it invaluable.
posted by mecran01 at 5:48 PM on May 28, 2013


If you're taking that little already, why not just ship a few other things(or slightly larger things) with a standard UPS type shipping company in packing boxes in addition to that? I've talked to several people who did very light coast to coast moves who did that. Desktop computers for example...
posted by emptythought at 11:28 PM on May 28, 2013


Use the $2,500 to pay excess baggage fees and take what you need on the plane.

$2,500 is a laughable amount to ship items across town, let alone around the world. More than likely you'll get a quote that won't include any accessorial costs like customs clearance fees, demurage, long carry charges, elevator access fees etc and your $2,500 bill is suddenly $3,500. And they have your goods, so you have to pony up before delivery.

If shipping the goods is preferred, ask a professional mover about their consolidated service - the movers book a 20' or a 40' foot container and fill it up (sometimes quite slowly, depending on who needs to move to Qatar) with small shipments. When the container is full, off it ships to the destination. This can take a long time, be aware - but may be your best bang for the buck option.

(If you want a recommendation, call Bailey's Allied. They have tremendous experience shipping international household good and personal effects in a cost efficient manner for the Mormon Church. They will not, however be the cheapest option.)
posted by lstanley at 6:25 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I came back in to also suggest that after you inventory your stuff and do a rough size (dimensions) and weight estimate plus find a shipper, make sure you talk to them before packing it all up. They might prefer to pack it for you (for liability reasons) or they may have specifically-sized boxes they prefer you use. That's not always the case but it's worth asking - I got caught on this during one domestic move: I thought I'd get ahead of the game and pack up a bunch of stuff in advance and it all ended up needing to be repacked!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 8:57 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I moved from Ireland to Qatar a couple of years ago and did basically what lstanley recommends. It worked for me but I was on my own and even then had to leave some stuff behind. The great advantage is that you get your stuff basically straight away--mine arrived two days after I did. Be aware that the Ikea in Doha is some way out of town and I suspect that finding a taxi driver who knows where it is would be a challenge.
posted by Logophiliac at 11:02 AM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I contacted one recommended service and they will pack a "less than complete load" or LCL (basically a 7' x 7' x 4' wooden crate) for $13.90 per cubic foot, or roughly $2700. I will get some other quotes, but these seems like a viable option.
posted by mecran01 at 3:52 AM on May 31, 2013


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