Here are current prices & other details of shipment of 4 of the luggage-shipping companies on my list. My focus with each has been shipment from my home (LI,NY) to FNC, & from FLL to my home. If you want further information you may obtain it at the telephone numbers provided.
No one would guess whether or not prices might change for November (CROSS-time). Some thought that if there were changes they would be relatively small. To guarantee current prices several urged shipment reservation now for November.
NOTE: All but 1 of these companies want luggage intended for international shipment to be left unlocked. They claim locks may delay Customs, possibly delaying promised delivery dates. Only International Port Services (IPS) recommended locking each bag with a combination lock & giving each combination to IPS to be forwarded to the relevant Customs office.
To each company I noted the danger of missing delivery date to VOYAGER- being left without a change of clothes for 8 days. If this happened I threatened to fly directly to their office from FLL to have them smell me.
IPS said they target delivery 3 full days before sailing & store luggage in FNC in their own covered facility.
The others said they attempt delivery 1-2 days before sailing & will arrange with "someone in FNC" to store baggage until it can be brought aboard ship.
A spokeswoman for The Luggage Club (Lesly Ford) told me today she is still trying to determine their delivery in FNC. She noted 3 options: 1) "delivery to someone in FNC a couple of days early"; 2) obtaining a courier service on FNC to take luggage from the FedEx location to the ship; & 3) asking us to pick up our baggage at FedEx & take it to the ship ourselves. (I do not know yet whether any of these would carry an extra charge.)
LUGGAGE FORWARD 1-866-416-7447
The cost of shipping 2 "medium bags" (up to 40lbs) LI/NY to FNC, & then FNC to LI/NY would be a total of $762. >40 lbs (I presume a total >80 lbs for 2 bags) there would be a surcharge of $8/lb between NY & FNC; $3/lb between FLL & NY.
Prices are for weekday pickup/delivery. For Saturday there is a $25 charge. Charges for Sundays/holidays are determined for each case. LF CANNOT GUARANTEE DELIVERY FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS. For internat'l shipments customers must list complete contents of each bag & "retain all outer packaging". (No idea what that last means.)
This includes insurance of $500 per bag, with additional insurance available at $10 per $500, NY to FNC; or $5 per $500 FLL to NY..
No protective covering is offered & customers must provide "adequate packaging".
If cancelled within 3 business days of scheduled pickup there is a $25 penalty.
Every company has similar cop-outs regarding delayed, lost or damaged items. For LF, if delivery within the US is delayed they will waive the cost of shipping that item & offer payment for expenses incurred at $200 a day, up to $500.
For damaged shipment (except for "protruding parts" on cases) a claim must be submitted with proof of value (defined how?) & an LF agent must assess the damage. If accepted, LF will pay up to the insured value.
Any fees incurred by Customs are paid by the customer.
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INTERNATIONAL PORT SERVICES- 1-800-395-8810
Each amount cited below is for shipping weight of up to 100 lbs.
Continental USA:$175; >100 lbs, $1.75 per lb.
Alaska or Hawaii: $225; >100 lbs, $2.25 per lb.
Caribbean: same as Alaska/Hawaii but with a $65 Customs Charge added.
Canada: $275; >100 lbs, $2.75 per lb; $125 Customs Charge.
International: $650; >100 lbs, $6.50 per lb' $125 Custom charge.
These include $150 insurance per bag; additional insurance is available at $25 per $1000.
There is no cancellation fee.
If asked, IPS will supply "shrink wrap plastic" over each bag at no charge. However, they warned me that Customs will cut this open & discard it. (So what protection does it offer?)
Last year IPS charged an extra $20 for each delivery, since my home (30 miles east of JFK) was deemed beyond their normal delivery zone. Each delivery was on time, but in returning the bags to our home 1 was badly torn (though contents were safe). Because we had purchased extra insurance & were able to send them a receipt for that bag + photos of the damage IPS sent us full payment for the bag within 10 days. (I cannot say what would have happened if we had not preserved the receipt for that bag. We had it only because we had bought it only some 3 weeks earlier.)
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THE LUGGAGE CLUB- 1-877-231-5131
The cost for shipping 2 "medium bags" (up to 45 lbs each) LI/NY to FNC is $551.84 for Priority Class (6 days in transit); $382.31 for Economy Class (10 days in transit).
Shipping the same 2 bags FLL to NY Premium Class (delivered next morning) costs $353.16. Deluxe (delivered next afternoon) costs $323.82. Select Class (2 days in transit) costs $246.22, Economy Class (4 days in transit) costs $129.56.
These do not include taxes, duties or storage charges for which the customer is liable.
There is also an additional $25 "Processing Fee" to be added.
Bags are insured for $1000 each, with additional insurance available for $3 per $500.
There is a cancellation charge of $75.
No protective covering is available.
Prices are for pickup/delivery on weekdays. Saturday is possible for an extra charge to be determined.
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LUGGAGE CONCIERGE: 1-800-288-9818
I sent them an initial e-mail in early April. They replied (by e-mail) promising that someone would call me very soon. No one did. I then called them some 6-8 times over 4 separate days. Each produced nothing more than a recorded message ending with the comment that there was no one there to respond to my call. I then e-mailed them again, reminding them of their e-mailed promise to have someone call me. This was never answered.
I've heard nothing from them for about a month of trying & will make no further effort to deal with them.
I hope this is of use to some of you. If so I will be happy to continue & will present further information on the remaining companies on my list when I have been able to contact them all.
