Seven Seas Worldwide

I wish I could rate Seven Seas on simply moving things from one place to another. Our move to the US from Australia went fine logistically. And their drivers were helpful with a bit of incentive. However, their system for entering documentation for the shipment drove everyone involved crazy. Their system was counter-intuitive and did not seem to have been updated in decades. And the customer service seemed to vary from mediocre to exasperating. The amount of time it took for documentation of our four shipments ended up being exorbitantly long, and I regularly felt like shooting myself in the head at their failure to address issues we brought to their attention. Also, there was no scheduling flexibility at either end of the shipment. We had to match their scheduling, however inconvenient, or pay storage charges. I've designed computer systems, including with extensive data entry. Theirs is very poor and could use a big upgrade!

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $15000

Moving from Cape Town, South Africa to Belgium (Europe) in theory a short trip from one side of the Atlantic to the other.. after some delay in South Africa (including moving my MoveCube inland to Johannesburg (that in itself was strange)) my belongings have finally been allocated a shipping vessel.. destined for HONG KONG (Asia)! I did not realize I signed up for the scenic route of seeing all Seven Seas! (excuse the pun). Tried to contact Seven Seas but no one can tell me whether this is a system glitch / whether my belongings have been sent to the incorrect location / or what the final transit route for my belongings to Belgium will be - however - this is crazy! If what Seven Seas state on their tracker is correct - they will miss their quoted delivery time.. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY WITH YOUR BELONGINGS!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Flat Service cost: €3000

We moved from rural England to rural Australia about 3 years ago. We brought with us just what we could fit in a small move cube. It was a smooth experience all the way. Got the paperwork a few weeks before the moving day requested, and READ it, was happy with the terms. Had one or two questions, called their customer service and got good answers straight away. On moving day the guy showed up, was polite and cheerful, left the cube for us to pack ourselves. He came later to close the cube and take it away. Once arrived in Australia, it arrived within the estimated dates. We went to Melbourne depot with our trailer to pick up the stuff. Our cube was brought out and opened, again by a pleasant guy. It looked exactly like it had when it was closed up in England. We were left to unpack into our car and trailer. We experienced no hidden costs (paying part in uk and part in Aus, as advised).

All good. Customer service by phone each time we called was quick, polite and helpful.

I just came back to search seven seas again because we may be moving interstate within Australia, and seven seas would be first option to check. I was so surprised to see so many such negative reviews, I thought I'd better explain our really positive experience!

Price was about 600 pounds in uk and $200 Australian, I can't remember exactly, but for the hassle-free service we got, we thought it was a bargain.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Flat Service cost: £700

I needed items shipped from Sydbey Australia to Michigan. After nunerous phone conversations with different companies I decided to go with Seven Seas because it was marginally cheaper than everyone else..or so I thought. I was quoted at around $1400 for my items. I then was told that I would have to pack everything myself at that price..fine. then when moving day came, I was told I have to move all of my belongings myself to the truck..ooook. The items were then dispatched to Hong Kong and they sat there forever. After 3+ months I then get another bill from Seven Seas stating that I owe $1200 still. After much confusion, I was told by Seven Seas that I now have to pay the US to move the rest of my items from NY to Detroit. What?! That was never ever ever discussed when I was being quoted and spoke several times to customer service. I'm disgusted at the lack of transparency. Stupid stupid stupid me should have gone with the other companies that would have packed and wrapped my belongings for me, ans probably would have arrived already! Don't make the same mistake I did. Go elsewhere And save some money!!

Move size: Studio flat Service cost: $2700

This is my second time using them thought to give a second chance

First time moving to france, has some unpleasant surprises but everything arrived.

Now moving back to the USA, I sent in 12 boxes. First thing one box is missing, I called multiple times seven seas worldwide and spoke to UPS. UPS claims this box has never been scanned which is odd since all the others have been scanned. Seven Seas claims they gave all 12 boxes together to UPS. It has been a week and a half and no updates, no one knows where my box is. It is getting really frustrating. Also I noticed that many of my boxes had been opened, it had one piece of transparent tape to be closed, when I had carefully taped multiple times with brown tape. Not sure who opened my boxes if Customs or seven seas or ups, but they came in a very poor state. I have pictures of all my boxes to show the condition they arrived in. One of my ceramic plates was also damaged upon arrival. I am very very disappointed with this company it is the second time I use them and this experience was worse than the previous. Every time I call the customer service line, they clearly do not care about my missing box neither do they seem to be in a hurry to find it. Avoid at all cost. I have enough experience with them to say this company can not be trusted. It has been month and still no news about my box.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: €1600

I was transporting 2 boxes from Sydney to Dublin.

The reason I’d used a moving company was so I wouldn’t have to bring an old laptop and perfumes on stopover, etc. the company contacted me before knowing what I was packing, saying I couldnt pack liquids or laptop, even if transport by sea. Fine, I hadn’t read the small print, my fault. Had to take them with me.

I realise some who had used this company before found it reasonably easy to use, however my friends and I had a combined >14 years tertiary level education and found it challenging, and I needed to ring sevenseas numerous times to clarify they’d actually required. So you may have to carry awkward stuff with you on planes /main luggage. However, sevenseas promptly answer the phone.

I think it’s reasonable to list ‘manual with handwritten notes inside’ in the contents, as opposed to needing to write manual, and then another entry with notes and the number of pages, considering it’s just paper (and I still put them inside the manual anyway!!). During this time, I was also getting emails from sevenseas that my items would now be put into storage at my expense. When I contacted them by phone, they said to ignore that, I had 2 weeks free storage. But I continued to get these emails despite being within that 2 weeks free-storage period, including one day where I got emails 90 mins apart! And needed to ring them again.

Before /when my boxes were expected to arrive, I then got emails from FedEx wanting the paperwork to all be re-done again, which I had started again. Contacted sevenseas again, and they told me that they had ‘done all the paperwork for me’ and that I didn’t need to do that paperwork, and didn’t know why I was contacted by their contractor again, and that others had the same problem, would look into it and contact me. Did not contact me rang again on other days, and still not sorted -“hadn’t got a reply from our other branch (Australia)”.

I sent emails documenting my conversations with them for written record for us both -didn’t respond to emails.

Boxes arrived with the specified timeframe. However, the top sides of both boxes were cut open, including through the black tape that someone else applied after (i.e. the appearance that someone else had re-opened the sides of the box again after their inspection). My brother told the delivery crew that the boxes were arriving half-opened, and delivery crew said that they would feed this back -I have yet to hear back in the 6 weeks since delivery. I have my suspicions that sevenseas will come back with some excuse that it was someone else’s fault, but if I hire sevenseas, it is their job to deliver the boxes safely. If they sub-contract part of that process, it should still be their responsibility to fulfil the contract they made with me, and take it up with their own contractors.

Prompt at answering calls, but otherwise disappointing service.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1340