Sierra
I deeply regret choosing this company
I deeply regret choosing this company, I will lay out why and know that there will no doubt be a lengthy response trying to justify each issue instead of an apology for really poor communication as the company does not take well to any valid criticism. I can assure you everything I say is true and leave it up to you to decide if you want to risk a similar experience. My first issue with the company was the lack of clear communication. From the beginning we told the first employee who is marketing executive that our move would be in June or July and she provided a quote that in the end we had to ask why we were being charged quite a bit more, she argued the quote she gave us was for March and that we had additional charges added in the end, but we clearly communicated when the move would be, she never once mentioned the price would increase. The operations manager at the company also emailed in June (one month early)regarding picking up our items that week and had us confused with another family of the same surname in different state which was extremely stressful. When I tried to communicate via email, he instead called and he used profanity on the call when he realised his mistake. We had a set pick up date in July for well over a month confirmed by the operations manager and it was rescheduled multiple times at the last minute by no request or fault of ours due to multiple logistics issues that the company had. In the end it wasn’t picked up until the day before we left the country and this caused a great deal of stress for my family and distrust. Each time it was rescheduled the operations manager was very apologetic and promised the proper truck would be sent out, not a shuttle. This is the worst part for my family because we were promised multiple times and assured (on the phone again) that we would not incur the almost $2,000 charge for the shuttle. In the end we found out on our 3rd rescheduled pick up day last minute that we would be paying it, there was never any accountability or apology for 2 different employees guaranteeing us and literally promising us we would not incur that fee and would not need a shuttle. We moved and waited and were informed twice that our shipment would be delayed, once because ‘their container had a hole in it’. This meant not having furniture and having to spend money to account for receiving our things a month later than quoted. Finally, after 3 months we were informed our things would be arriving and we would need to pay an additional moving fee for our ‘address changing’. Now let me add the context, in our initial quote we asked about not having our official address as we were in the buying process and were advised to use the closet city. Our address that they had for well over a month ended up being slightly closer to the movers on this end and has a private drive for them to park their trucks and easily move in the load. Yet we were charged around $600 for this. It was never communicated to us that this would be a possibility and actually the opposite, when we asked we were told it wouldn’t be an increase. The movers called us before arrival and told us it was the worst shipping container they had ever seen and looked like items were ‘thrown in’. They took pictures and provided them to us which I will attach to this review. Only a small amount of our items were damaged thankfully, one being a kayak which was extremely disappointing. The worst part for my family is that mistakes happen but the company have never once shown a desire to take any accountability or make any of these things right for us. Upon my initial review there was also quite the desire to have me remove it, instead of just connecting and listening to our genuinely bad experience and offering a way to make any of it right. If you are using this company, be prepared to spend at least $3,000 more than your quote, keep everything in writing via email and please do not fall for believing their word on the phone because this is the mistake we made and hope no one else has to experience. Photos are attached on Google reviews.
Response from International Sea & Air ShippingOct 13, 2025
Dear Sierra, We are truly sorry to hear that your experience felt stressful, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate context for future customers reviewing your post. From the very beginning, your estimate clearly stated that pricing was valid for departures within 30 days of the quotation date. You were initially quoted in March for a possible spring shipment, but your actual booking occurred several months later, after ocean carrier rates and fuel surcharges had increased industry-wide. These cost changes were explained in writing prior to shipment and are standard practice across all international moving companies. The mix-up you referenced involving another family with a similar surname was an isolated clerical error, and our operations manager immediately called to clarify and apologize — it was resolved the same day, and no part of your shipment was affected. Regarding your pickup schedule, your move date was impacted by vessel timing adjustments and container availability, which were outside our company’s control but communicated to you promptly each time. We understand how disruptive that was and did everything possible to complete your loading before your move out date. The shuttle charge was not applied arbitrarily or contrary to promises made. As noted in your signed agreement, shuttle service may be required if direct access is limited or if scheduling does not align with the vessel’s assigned loading window. Since your contract was based on a live load, your sales representative advised and explained the actual date was contingent on the booking which meant flexibility was required. In your case, the container had to be loaded via our warehouse since you had a firm move out date with no flexibility. The charge includes handling into and out of the warehouse, reloading into the container, and temporary storage — a multi-step process that is both labor-intensive and costly. As for your delivery address, our records show that the change was made after your shipment was already in transit. Your contract was quoted based on costs to a specific city, and the new address was in a completely different area. The corresponding mileage charges were itemized and explained extensively prior to delivery. The invoice total of approximately $600 received from our destination partner included standard destination port charges, which were clearly noted in your documentation as not included in the door-to-door quotation. The address change itself accounted for $350, after a deduction we negotiated on your behalf with the local agent. Even so, your new address was serviced promptly once the container cleared customs. We regret that some items were scuffed in transit, though thankfully the majority arrived intact. All shipments travel thousands of miles by sea and are handled by multiple port and customs authorities; minor surface wear can occur despite professional packing. Customers are always encouraged to file a written claim for review under their selected coverage. Finally, we want to address the suggestion that our team avoids accountability or transparency. Every customer receives written documentation, copies of the signed contract, and open lines of communication with our staff. Phone calls are used to clarify time-sensitive updates, not to replace written correspondence. We acknowledge that this relocation did not meet your expectations, but we stand by the fact that all services, adjustments, and communications were consistent with your signed agreement and international moving standards. We wish your family the best in your new home and remain available should you wish to discuss your claim further directly.