19 Nov 2020 · MoveAdvisor
1.0 out of 51.0
I never thought a service could be so TERRIBLE. Not a single element of my experience with NY International Shipping left me even remotely happy and I would strongly recommend against hiring them for any job. Here's why:
I had to ship my belongings from the US to Europe over the summer. I booked the service in July and I was given a timeline of 8-10 weeks and even told it may take less. Before I paid, I received a bunch of calls urgently requesting that I sign contracts, make payments etc. As soon as I sent the money the Odyssey of my shipping began.
In mid-August, about a month after my belongings were collected, I emailed to ask for an update and got no reply. I called and again, no reply. I emailed again, now quite irritated and was told my belongings had not left the US yet. Their excuse was COVID-19, which in their words had delayed their business. Of course, this made no sense since the pandemic started in March and I booked the service in July. One would expect they already knew about the delays then. So, I don't think it's unreasonable to think the possible COVID delays were ignored when they were wooing me as a potential client... some might call this deliberate misinformation...
Had this been the only issue with my experience, I wouldn't be writing this review. Yet, unfortunately it was only a brief glimpse of what was to come.
My shipment arrived in the port of Rotterdam in mid-October. That is, three months after it was collected in the US. At that point, I was put in contact with an agent in the Netherlands, who was to take charge of my shipment. After a few weeks where I got no email from the Dutch agent, I gave them a call and was told that although the ship had indeed arrived, the container had not been unloaded yet. Why? You guessed it: COVID-19. And, in addition, they were unable to give me an estimate of when it may be unloaded.
I was advised by the agent to direct all my complaints to NY International Shipping. After all, they were the ones I had paid, not the agent (where is the accountability, one might ask...) Again, I wrote an email to NY International Shipping and again no response. After yet another follow up, they agreed to look into the issue for me. Of course, I was never notified with the results of their inquiries. I ask myself if they even happened.
Finally, in early November, I was told the container had been unloaded but no hadn't been cleared by customs and therefore could not leave the port yet. Some small progress?
In mid-November, after another set of emails, calls etc. I again followed up and was told I had to pay an extra fee. Why? Because the container had been on the vessel longer than expected and therefore the ship demanded extra payment. I was told that unless I paid promptly I could not get my belongings back (does this sound painfully close to extortion?)
At this point, I was furious. Not only was my shipment almost a month and a half late (with at least two-three weeks to go until destination), not only did I have to buy new winter clothes since all of mine were packed away somewhere in Rotterdam being held hostage, but I was also being ask to pay for the delays an inefficiencies I had no role in creating.
For some reason, NY International Shipping operates under the assumption that COVID-19 can be used as an excuse for their total lack of professionalism and predatory and unfair business tactics. Of course, it's difficult to run a business during a global pandemic and there might be a hiccup here and there. But this is not the case with NY International Shipping.
Prospective clients BEWARE - these are not people you want to associate yourselves with in any way!
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