International Sea & Air ShippingReviews of internationalmoving.com

UPDATE: I reached out directly to ISAS after catching them in a lie (they claimed they allowed me the option of booking a parking permit myself, I confronted them with the email chain proving this false). They did not once apologize, but they did offer a partial refund of the extortionate parking fee. They clarified that although the parking fee would have cost only about $150 and I was charged $675, they were only responsible for $150 of that $525 markup. Apparently they outsourced the acquisition of the parking permit to a third party and were shocked, shocked I tell you, that this price had been inflated by 450% when they would have only condoned 200%. They did not seem to understand that their defense was that they weren't unethical, merely incompetent, but alas. It is worth noting that their support staff did seem to take the complaint seriously, which is valuable. Their willingness to actually meet at the negotiating table is what merited the second star. Simply put: don't book with ISAS. Here's the good news: we got our stuff, and it was only slightly dented. That's the end of the good news. If you sign with ISAS, read the fine print very closely. Every item that the estimate does not include is something you WILL be paying for. ISAS neglected to check if our destination allowed tractor trailers and charged us nearly $700 for a permit. The sales agent said that they couldn't possibly check the parking rules for every city. I was incredulous; these were supposed to be moving experts, and they couldn't find what I had foudn after 30 seconds of googling? I should mention, the municipality sells that permit for just under $100. This incompetence bordering on malfeasance would become a pattern. We were given a quote and then one day later given an invoice for a different amount. We were later told we wouldn't be able to receive our goods unless we paid 50 euros for an "elevator fee" because the contract only allowed for use of the elevator up to the 2nd floor. I have no idea what is so particularly arduous about pushing the number 4 instead of pushing the number 2, but it was apparently worth 50 euros. Upon arrival, our movers complained about the shoddy work of the packing. They pointed out obvious defects: boxes overpacked with heavy goods, boxes underpacked and caving in, boxes splitting, insufficient taping, etc. This moving company made me research how far off an "estimate" would have to be before I could pursue a civil suit against the company. It was that bad. I cannot recommend enough that you stay away from ISAS. Each step of the process was painful, expensive, and designed to wring out your wallet like a dirty sponge. Any other moving company would be preferable. Follow up: ISAS is claiming that what they did isn't illegal, and I don't dispute that. But their pricing is highly unethical, most notably this sequence: 1) receive a down payment; 2) inform the customer that they had neglected to check if they would need to arrange for shuttle service and parking; 3) charge the customer a 600% markup on the parking permit without informing the customer that they had the option to get their own permit. ISAS is now claiming that they informed me that I could get my own permit, which is patently false. They also do not dispute the ludicrous markup, that the movers on the receiving end complained about the quality of the packing, or that the movers on the packing end incorrectly estimated the volume of goods. They also do not dispute charging me 50 euros to use the elevator in the building, which they did not need to reserve or pay for. To summarize: what they did isn't criminal, but it's incredibly unethical.

Now that everything is finalized with my shipment and insurance claim, I’m updating this review to reflect the full experience. Working with this company is a decision I deeply regret. Although I believed I had done my due diligence, I should have trusted my instincts and researched further. My experience raised serious concerns in three key areas: 1. Poor Sales Experience While my sales representative initially worked hard to fit within my budget—which I appreciated—there were early red flags I ignored. He was frequently rude, spoke over me, and made it difficult to ask questions or fully understand the process. When an issue arose later with the shipment, his response was defensive, passive-aggressive, and unprofessional. 2. Lack of Cost Transparency Although I was repeatedly told this was “door-to-door” shipping and that the company handled these situations routinely, I later faced significant undisclosed charges. After prepaying for my shipment in December, I was contacted at the end of January by the destination moving company and informed that I would be required to pay an additional $2,000 USD—roughly 25% of the original total—within 48 hours of my shipment's arrival. I also learned this could not be paid by credit card, despite having used one for the original transaction. These details were never disclosed upfront, which created unnecessary stress and financial strain. 3. Breach of Trust and Integrity Instead of constructively addressing my concerns, the company responded to my negative review by stating they would no longer offer any assistance with the unexpected fee due to the review being posted. This response struck me as retaliatory and concerning, suggesting a focus on reputation management rather than customer resolution. While the company later pointed to contractual fine print about possible port charges, my issue wasn’t that the fee existed—it was that they failed to disclose it, despite knowing it would apply. I contacted the partner company at the destination port in South Africa, and they confirmed the fee had been known and reported before my shipment even left the U.S., and that the rates were standard. When I replied to the company stating I was open to updating my review if the situation improved, I was offered a payment contingent upon removing my existing review and agreeing not to post any future negative reviews. I declined this offer, as I believe it was inappropriate and contrary to Trustpilot’s policy. I also reported this to Trustpilot directly. 4. Damaged Goods Due to Negligent Packing Lastly, I want to note that my shipment sustained significant damage to multiple items due to negligent packing. International Sea & Air contracted a local moving company to handle the packing, and unfortunately, their poor handling caused extensive harm. Fortunately, I had full replacement insurance coverage and received compensation to repair or replace the damaged items. However, this would not have been necessary had the company’s selected packers handled the job with more care and professionalism. Closing Statement: I share this review to help others make informed decisions. International shipping is complex, and professionalism, transparency, and integrity matter. Sadly, I did not find those values reflected in my experience with this company.

Move from Dallas Texas to Costa Rica: Ref#E77727 I gave two stars due to the significant damage to our furniture. They did a good job packing our glassware, but they get low marks for the insufficient packing of the more expensive items like furniture. When our goods arrived, the glassware was mostly intact, only 3 glass items were broken. However, the Dresser, footboard to our king size bed, a bedpost, and one side table were significantly damaged. The footboard to our king size bed was the most severely damage either due to the packing in Dallas, mishandling/abuse in the warehouse or in transit. The Mahogany foot board was dropped at some point because there is a large CRACK at the top of the footboard. There were also significant chips on the Dresser. One of the bedposts was also dropped because a portion was missing. The bedroom suite was Mahogany and very special to us. We bought it when we got married, it was beautifully made. We took special care of our furniture. This was the first time the furniture was ever moved since the original delivery. I did not expect the furniture to be so mishandled to the extent that the furniture was severely damaged due to negligence. We also had a leather side table where the top was stripped of the leather. If you plan to use this company, I do not recommend shipping furniture. It appears that glassware gets better care than expensive furniture.