Beth H.
Very Slow and Poor Communication
My U-Crate100 was picked up on May 23, 2022 in the UK. On the day it was being picked up Upakweship arranged for a truck that was not big enough to collect the crate. I then had to make several calls and bring this to their attention and finally the appropriate truck was sent to pick it up (with a lift). After the crate was collected it sat in the UK for almost 3 months until the end of August, 2022. I was never able to speak to a human being and only had an email contact for the company. Each time I inquired I received an email with an excuse (ship was too full to take my container, ship was delayed, etc.). If I had not emailed I don't think they would have ever updated me. Once my crate was on a ship I requested and received the tracking number for my crate. It travelled from the UK to a port in SC and arrived in less than 2 weeks. Once my crate arrived in SC the tracking number showed that it was being sent to a hub in my state (FL). The crate arrived at a trucking hub in FL and I was never contacted. I ultimately called the trucking company and eventually obtained a telephone number for the 3rd party truck delivery service. After several more calls I was able to arrange a delivery date and the crate arrived on September 15th. I realize that there are ongoing shipping delays due to supply chain disruptions after Covid but there is no excuse for the terrible communication throughout this process. I think I would still be waiting on my crate had I not emailed regularly and called multiple times to arrange the actual delivery through the 3rd party company in FL. Throughout this process I only received updates when I requested information. I think Upakweship could do a better job of updating customers about delays and the status of their shipment. I think the cost was affordable at just under £2000 including insurance for a crate with 700 pounds of my belongings. The crate arrived in excellent condition and none of my items were damaged so that's a positive too. Waiting almost 4 months for delivery is extremely slow in spite of post-Covid shipping problems. Would I use them again? Maybe-based on cost and the fact that my items arrived without damage. Just beware that this is truly a DIY shipping option. You will need to monitor every step of the process yourself because Upakweship leaves you in the dark with no communication after they collect your crate.