The packers make an inventory list and both you and they need to sign and keep copies.
Lump Sum is, by far, the most efficient and reasonable, because you don’t have to worry about forgetting or over- or under-insuring goods. You only list items whose replacement value at destination is over $3,000. Every other item in the shipment is automatically insured for up to $3,000. The insured value of the total shipment is based on $12/lb and the rate is 25% less than the alternative.
This requires you make a list with replacement values at destination of all items in your shipment. If many items have the same value, you can group them together. The rate is 25% higher than Lumpsum.
Yes, but only up to $300 each, only for loss and theft, and only if you send us value and list of contents of each box (eg. books, clothes, etc.). To insure for damage, not only loss, leave them unsealed, so packers can inspect, repack as necessary, seal, and mark them “CP” (carrier-packed) instead of “PBO” packed-by-owner. That costs extra if your shipment is not full-pack.
Not later than 2 weeks before pickup. If by then, we have not received a Comprehensive Valued Inventory, we insure you for Lump Sum. Goods are not insured until we receive payment for the insurance and a CVI, if you chose that.
$0, $250, or $500, or by special request, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000.
Insurance is your only protection against damage or loss. If you under-insure, you will be under-compensated. If you over-insure, you wasted money. That’s another reason LumpSum is so good–it covers everything up to $3,000 per unit/set without your having to list anything or guess at their replacement values.
Far better to supply before.
The price is the same whether we pack everything or you pack some. If your contract is partial pack or less and you have the movers pack anything besides delicates and furniture (or whatever is designated to be packed), you may be billed for full pack on the entire shipment. Do not ask to be present in the warehouse during packing and loading; it is not allowed for reasons of safety, insurance, and efficiency.
No. The insurance list goes only to the insurers.
No.
By color and other codes what is going where. MB (master bedroom, BM (basement), BR1 (1st bedroom), GF (ground floor), K (kitchen), and DNS(do not ship).
Someone who knows priorities must be there at all times. Time the movers work without direction is billable overtime.
If you do, that will delay the packers/movers and greatly reduce the efficiency of their packing and loading.
If you direct your packing (or your surgical) team they will be distracted, annoyed, and feel that you are not acknowledging their 1,000’s of hours of experience.
DO NOT rely on any information they give you. Communicate questions/instructions ONLY with the Kef offices in Jerusalem. If you cannot reach us, speak to the Managing Director of our local agent, and reconfirm the information and instructions in writing with our office in Jerusalem.
ALL Information to or from any source other than the Kef Office—is unreliable. Information or instructions given to moving teams will not be correctly understood. Therefore, follow our instructions religiously and ask any questions asap. AVOID AT ALL COSTS making decisions while the Movers are at your home. Plan everything in advance, clearly separating your “A” list goods from your “B” list goods from your “Do Not Ship” goods.
No. It will not save time or money, and it will put your goods, insurance, and health at risk. During pickup, spend your time making sure movers take and leave what you want.
Use DNS (do not ship) labels, and look around before they leave. Tell them if they took or left something you did not want them to. It is your responsibility to make sure they have taken and left what they were supposed to before they leave. Take your time, look around. Uncorrected mistakes get more expensive with time.
Most contracts are based on an estimate and a minimum billable volume or weight, because below that minimum, the rate is so much higher that it’s less expensive to send the minimum.
If you ship less, you will be billed at the minimum billable volume. If you ship more, the rate is in the contract, or you pay pro-rata (total contract $/est. v|w) for additional.
Final volume can differ from the estimate. An estimate is an approximation.
Before goods are packed and loaded, there is no way to measure or perfectly estimate the space goods will take up when they are packed and loaded, whether in a storage room or a container. Therefore, Kef has no responsibility for goods that do not fit or for empty space in the shipment. Our contracts often assign a minimum billable volume, because below that volume the rate is so much higher that even if you sent less, the price will be the same or more. Above that volume, the rate is often lower.
Margin of Error
Assuming that you showed the volume estimator exactly what was going to be in your shipment, that the volume estimate was in person, not by video, that you did not have many or large irregularly shaped items, and that you did not deviate whatsoever from the original list, figure a margin of error of 10-15%. Since most people are not completely consistent and unchanging in their decision about what goods they are shipping, because estimates are estimates, estimators are people, and the way things are packed and loaded have such outsized influence on the final volume, deviations of 10-35% and more are not uncommon.
The bottom line is that you will be paying for your contract minimum volume or actual, measured packed and loaded volume, the greater. Our contracts often assign a minimum billable volume, because below that volume the rate is so much higher that even if you sent less, the price will be the same or more. Above that volume, the rate is often lower.
Loading
The way things are loaded in storage or a container greatly influences the amount of space taken up. Empty space or boxes with nothing in them can sometimes be essential to safe packing and loading. Some goods cannot be stacked on each other; some cannot be put next to each other, because of the twisting and turning of a container on the ocean. Household goods shipments have many different sizes and shapes which makes loading them safely and efficiently a challenging 3-dimensional puzzle.
Packing
There is a wide range of the way things can be packed. Typically, the more space that is “wasted” on packing and packing materials, the less likely it is that goods will be damaged.
Is your volume estimate for Net or Gross (Bruto) volume?
Net is actual measurements. It is “net”, if a 1.5 cubic foot box is counted as 1.5 cubic feet. Gross is billable volume after packing and palletizing or crating–the usable space taken by goods. Packing adds 15-20% to net; crating or palletizing adds 15-25% to that. A lot depends on how goods fit standard pallets and crates. On tiny shipments (100 cubic feet or less), palletizing alone can add 50-100% to the net volume. A lot depends on how goods fit together on standard pallets and crates. The signed volume verification at pickup is usually a NET volume.
Why is an LCL (consolidated) cubic foot not really the same as an FCL (exclusive container) cubic foot?
- the smaller the shipment, the bigger effect adding or taking goods away seem to make.
- it is more difficult to pack differently shaped goods in a smaller space, like on a pallet or in a crate/liftvan, than in a larger space. Fewer possible configurations.
- The lift van (or crate) and pallets themselves take up more more than loose goods.
- When combining LCL’s into a large, consolidated container, the average volume that can be loaded is about 23% less than can be loaded in an exclusive container.
- Whereas in an exclusive container, your goods are packed with the assumption that the container will not be opened or unloaded until they arrive at your home, LCL’s are packed with the understanding that they will be unloaded at the port, before being delivered to you. Because of the poor conditions at the ports–disorder, moisture and leaky roofs, tremendous diesel dust pollution–they must be either crated or palletized to prevent damage and loss. (There are some companies that offer much cheaper prices, because they don’t do that!). The packing in crates, liftvans, and/or on pallets secured and surrounded by plastic wrap, adds volume to your goods.
Other things that make estimates less accurate.
1. Video/Spoken volume estimates.
2. Much/most of the volume is goods that will need to be boxed.
3. Changing, unclear priorities.
4. No precise lists presented in advance to the movers, labels on the goods, separation of goods by priority.
5. Disorganized, loose, or unusual items.
6. Goods which do not have standard shape.
7 . One spouse/partner is responsible for some portion of making the prioritized lists, supervising the estimate, directing and/or supervising one day of the move, directing/supervising another day of the move— and the other spouse/partner is responsible for other portions.
8. Inadequate communication
9. Inadequate review of the survey.
10. GUARANTEED: the way to almost guarantee a discrepancy between estimated and actual volume is to trust the packers on-the-spot advice/information about volume, about what will fit in your shipment, about what is included in your contract, allowed by customs, etc.. Please do not rely on any information they give you–that includes but is not limited to volume, rights, timing, pricing, customs, or reassembly.
If you have any questions or instructions about those subjects, communicate ONLY with the Kef offices in Jerusalem. If you cannot reach us, it is ok to speak to the Managing Director of our local agent, but reconfirm the information and instructions in writing with our office in Jerusalem. The more care and attention you put into creating prioritized lists before pickup, the more accurate your volume will be.
11. LCLs –shared container loads. The smaller the shipment, the larger the apparent (%) deviation.
Crates and Lift Vans
Lift Vans are crates that are not built to the size of goods. Though crates provide the best security against breakage and loss, they are the least efficient use of space. If goods do not fit well, there is more unused space than on pallets. Your forwarder might have crates of 75 or 150 cubic feet, though 200 is most common (inside measurements are 84” W, 84” H, 45″ D). Depending on the forwarder, crates may be standard procedure or by special order.
Click the blue words for, “Why be careful about sharing space when shipping to Israel?”
Estimators estimate volume; movers pack and load. Movers are unreliable about volume. Neither movers nor estimators are reliable about pricing, timing, customs, or reassembly.
Exceeding container capacity. If you are close to or over a volume limit, consider going to the next larger container. The only way to ship overflow is by making a separate, shared container shipment–usually more expensive than getting a larger container in the first place.
Consider a larger container, if that might happen. Otherwise you will be billed for an LCL (less than container load), which is much more costly per unit volume/weight You are billed for additional actual usable volume–whether in a container, crated, loose, or palletized.
Gas grill, built in items such as sinks, tiles, 2nd’s of appliances, more than 4 tv’s, more than 4 computers, sports equipment except non-electric bikes, food, disposables..
No.
Colored labels that won’t come off. Separate the goods and affix colored labels that won’t fall off. If you have your own container, load the first delivery last.
No. A digital copy goes to Kef; no hard copy is needed
The movers are our agents; do not rely on them to receive or give information. Damages, missing items, or any problems–call Kef on the spot.
As few as 3, as many as 6. Usually 4.
Tell us asap in order to avoid delays, damages, + extra costs. Pics + videos!
Sometimes after a day, sometimes after a week or more.
Shipments, and all the components of the shipping process– containers, steamships, airplanes, trucks, crews, materials, drivers–can be significantly early or late. There is always significant uncertainty, no matter what you believe or have heard or read or understood the projected time frame to be. No matter what information you have received, know that the situation is fluid and dynamic.
We do our best to keep to planned times, though we do not make promises or take responsibility for timing or changes or inaccurate information. The overall unpredictability comes from unforeseen earliness and delays at every stage of the process, which, when they happen in series, can compound to dramatic effect.
Time changes happen with surprising regularity in every part of the shipping process–packers, pickup truck, container, steamship, port handling, train from Haifa to Ashdod (or the reverse, or Baltimore to New York), container unloading, customs clearing, and delivery. We do our best to let you know when they occur.
Hint: Whenever someone is expected, be sure you have their contact information as well as cell phone numbers of at least two Kef managers. When necessary, we are on call 24/7. Ask to be notified of any changes and to be called 45 minutes before their anticipated arrival.
Delays and extra charges happen when: Containers are unavailable, waiting to be filled (if shared), or bumped due to overbooking. The vessel is cancelled, closing date is changed, loading/landing is bumped for under-booking/weather/war/strike, documentation is delayed/incorrect, engine breakdowns. The port is backed up. The truck is waiting to be filled (if shared), breaks down, is surprised by a prior difficult delivery. Kef has no responsibility for time or unexpected charges and any associated costs are yours. At pickup and delivery, ask the truckers to call you ½ hour before they will arrive.
When we have final volume, your insurance list, any extra charges including but not limited to those during packing, at port, pickup, delivery, or during trucking. We do our best to let you know of extra charges as soon as we find out about them, but sometimes that is well after when they were incurred.
Only: simple re-assembly of used items, legs on tables, one item on another, doors on cabinets–and only upon request. The service includes 2 beds and one table.
We need scans or good copies and original signatures on clearing documents. There are some situations where you may be called to the customs clearers office to finalize them.
Your bill often notes your shipment’s departure and expected arrival. If you paid on time and taken care of customs well before arrival, we often clear and deliver containers in 1 week. Less than container loads take 2+ weeks.
Payments not received within 2 business days of date due or checks, credit card, or automatic withdrawal payments returned or not honored for any reason may delay goods/services and incur a 5% surcharge (minimum $125) EACH MONTH OF DELAY in addition to fees (i.e. cancelled check ($25), unapproved checking account/credit card ($12), storage, demurrage, other costly delays, holding of the shipment, etc.. Late payments accepted by transfer or direct deposit only.
Refundable deposit
We bill everything we know about up front, though there are fees that are changeable, uncertain, or unpredictable. The more information we have about your shipment, your status, origin, and destination, the more accurately we can anticipate fees. Here are some examples:
destination difficulties requiring crane, long carry, delivery above 2nd floor, shuttle storage, container rental, customs inspection, shipping delays requiring holding the container. This deposit is paid in the second payment and the unused balance refunded 2-6 months after receipt of shipment, as soon as we have all documentation. For a more comprehensive list click here and review these areas:
OTHER ORIGIN FEES
OTHER (LESS COMMON) FEES AT ORIGIN AND DESTINATION
DESTINATION DIFFICULTIES
UNCOMMON DESTINATION FEES
3RD PARTY
Wire dollars to a money changer and have them deposit to our account–always faster and cheaper than a bank.
We also give you the option of paying in cash dollars with a premium of 5.5%. That is the actual cost of selling dollars and buying shekels at the steamship transaction rate. Whatever you decide, avoid delays and extra costs such as storage and container rental, by making sure you are paid up before the time comes for clearing your shipment.
$5-8/person/hour Not required and movers cannot request tips. See Preparation at Origin for another tipping system.
Tell Kef 2 weeks before of dates and times you want pick-ups, if you want storage, multiple origins/destinations or deliveries to our warehouse, or any taxable goods.
Make sure what you want shipped is packed and loaded, and what you want not shipped is not packed and shipped. If something is forgotten, you pay to have it picked up, shipped separately, and pay taxes on it. No matter how tired you and the movers are take your time–make sure that everything you want to ship has been taken.
If you are having goods delivered to our warehouse, you must: a. let us know what to expect and when b. for self delivery, arrange a specific time with the warehouse, c. have goods labeled with name and control number, d. supply signed delivery receipts asap to Kef of goods delivered by yourself or your agents (i.e. stores), and e. check that goods appear correctly on the packing list. Most warehouses charge $50 per drop-off for receiving, documenting, and moving into the shipment.
A numbered packing list including description of apparent defects in your goods must be made up by the packer/shipper and presented to customs. For goods you pack yourself (PBO=packed by owner) make another detailed, numbered list. Use room codes and numbers (i.e. LR1, for #1 living room box.) Use shippers and your own lists to check inventory when you receive your shipment and, if necessary, to show the insurance company what was shipped.
You must sort, label, and divide the parts of the shipment before the packers arrives. Make labels easily visible with clear markings of destination, and separate packing lists for each destination.
To avoid waiting for pickup, delivery or service agents, ask them to call you ½ hour before they expect to arrive and call from time to time for updates. Any time you are given a time estimate or range, double it and/or add 4 hours. Expect the unexpected. Do not base your actions or inactions on simple reasoning; be pro-active and make no assumptions.
Why are some things that don’t seem delicate packed in bubbles or paper? Why are partly or completely empty boxes some filled with paper or bubbles? The packers 1st priority is to get everything delivered without damage. To maximize the use of space, sometimes packers need to create filler or buffer packages to support the load and protect more delicate items. The higher quality the packer, the more apparently wasted space there is.
- Economies of scale. The more you ship, the lower the rate per cubic foot.
- The smaller the shipment, the higher portion of the total bill goes towards paying one-time fees–documents, clearing, port fees, delivery, etc.
- It is more difficult to pack variously shaped goods in a smaller space (eg. on a pallet or in a crate/liftvan), than in a larger space. Fewer possible configurations.
- LCL’s have 4-5 times more handling than goods in exclusive containers.
a. packed and loaded onto a moving truck
b. unloaded into consolidating warehouse
c. palletized and/or crated
d. moved into temporary storage at the consolidating warehouse
d. moved from consolidating warehouse into a shipping container
e. unloaded from the container into port warehouse
f. moved into temporary storage at the port warehouse
g. moved from temporary storage to the moving truck
h. delivered from the moving truck in to the home
In an exclusive container, goods are packed with the assumption that the container will not be opened or unloaded until they arrive at your home. In most cases, they are:
a. loaded from your home into the container
b. unloaded into your home at destination
Why must LCL’s be palletized and/or crated?
All containers with 3 or more consignees (people whose goods are in the container) must be unloaded at the port at destination. Because of the poor conditions at the ports–disorder, moisture and leaky roofs, tremendous diesel dust pollution–they must be either crated or palletized to prevent damage and loss. There are some companies that offer much cheaper prices, because they don’t do that!
- The packing in crates, lift vans, and/or on pallets secured and surrounded by plastic wrap, adds volume to your goods.
- When combining LCL’s into a large, consolidated container, the average volume that can be loaded is about 23% less than can be loaded in an exclusive container.
In conclusion, LCL’s are usually 2-3 times more expensive per cubic foot than in an exclusive container.
Their positive attributes are:
a. The total shipping bill is likely to be much less than with an exclusive container
b. They are very well protected against loss and damage before being loaded into the shipping container at the origin warehouse and after being unloaded from the container in the destination warehouse.
c. Storage is much less expensive storage than a container.
Typical minimum LCL shipment
Typically minimum volume is 150-250 cubic feet, and minimum costs are $2500-3500.
Can I expect that any prediction about the number of movers, the time they arrive, how long they will work, when the truck or container will arrive, or the division of labor between the days might be accurate?
No, please don’t. No matter what information you have received, know that the situation is fluid and dynamic.
If you have a container and packing/pickup is to be over 2 days, a smaller group of packers may come for a shorter amount of time on the first day, to organize for the 2nd day of packing, when a larger team comes for a longer time, and everything happens very quickly. But that is only one possibility.
ALL Information to or from any source other than the Kef Office—is unreliable. Information or instructions given to moving teams will not be correctly understood. Therefore, follow our instructions religiously and ask any questions asap. AVOID AT ALL COSTS making decisions while the Movers are at your home. Plan everything in advance, clearly separating your “A” list goods from your “B” list goods from your “Do Not Ship” goods.
