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Baggage Shipping FAQs
 What carton sizes and packing materials do Excess Baggage supply?
How long will my baggage take to get to my destination?
How much will it cost me?
Will Excess Baggage match a quote that I have received from another company?
Can Excess Baggage pack for me or do I have to do my own packing?
Does the cost include Shipment Protection?
How can I pay?
Which Trade Associations are Excess affiliated with?
Do Excess Baggage have offices abroad?
Do Excess Baggage offer student discounts?
What does BAR stand for?
Do Excess Baggage offer out of hours deliveries and collections?
Can I bring my goods into an Excess Baggage office?
Do I get a discount if I bring my goods to an Excess Baggage office?
Can I pay "cash on delivery" - COD?
Why are air freight charges sometimes based on volume and not on the actual weight?
Is there anything else to pay at the destination?
What duty or tax will I pay, if any?
How long can I keep the boxes for?
Do we have to use Excess Baggage cartons or can we use our own?
Is there any weight restriction with sea freight?
Can I seal the cartons?
What charges do I have to pay at destination on an arrival port/airport service?
Do Excess Baggage ship goods to/from anywhere in the world?
Do Excess Baggage store goods and how much does it cost?
Do Excess Baggage ship commercial goods?
Do Excess Baggage ship motorbikes and motor vehicles?
What is VAT?
How will I be contacted at destination?
What information can you give me on how my shipment is progressing in transit?
When can you deliver cartons & packing materials and/or collect my baggage?
What carton sizes and packing materials do Excess Baggage supply?
Cartons as offered in UK/Rep of Ireland; dimensions may vary in other locations
In many locations, we are also able to supply bespoke crates to order; and
in addition a variety of other containers including picture cartons, which
can be configured to many different sizes.
In many areas delivery can be arranged at 24-48 hours notice.
How long will my baggage take to get to my destination?
Transit times vary, but as a rule for intercontinental sea shipments allow 6-10 weeks.
Air freight shipments can take between 3 and 14 days depending on the destination and the level of service choosen.
Please note that transit times are indicative only and are not guaranteed.
How much will it cost me?
Please see our sea freight and air freight price charts which cover the more
common routes, weights and volumes. For destinations and quantities not quoted please contact us by email; fax or phone, with details
of what you wish to send, point of origin and destination.
Will Excess Baggage match a quote that I have received from another company?
Where possible, we will endaeavour to match prices, providing that the company is a fully bonded member of FIDI or BAR Overseas. Non-bonded operators may
provide cheaper rates but you stand a real chance of losing all monies prepaid if the company gets into financial difficulty.
You may also find that your cargo is stranded, and you may need to pay a very large sum of money to have it released.
It is sensible to use only BONDED shipping companies who are members of BAR Overseas or FIDI. After all you wouldn't
buy an airline ticket from a non-bonded travel agent, would you?
Can Excess Baggage pack for me or do I have to do my own packing?
Most clients shipping baggage and non-breakable items pack their own shipments to minimise cost. We can pack all sizes
of shipment, but minimum charges for packing do apply, so it is not usually viable for us to pack shipments of less than 1
cubic metre (35 cubic feet) or 200kgs (440lbs).
If you have a large amount of furniture or other fragile/delicate items we recommend that we pack for you. Packing
charges are variable dependent on size of job, complexity, and location.
If you are packing yourself, we are able to supply a wide variety of packing materials, either free, or at nominal cost
in certain locations. If we pack for you we will supply all necessary materials.
Does the cost include Shipment Protection?
No but we can offer comprehensive Shipment Protection, via our specially negotiated cover with AXA Corporate Solutions
Assurance, one of the largest insurers in the world. Please see the Shipment Protection
section of our web site for further details.
How can I pay?
We accept all common forms of payment. It is usually easiest to pay by credit card - Visa, Mastercard or American
Express. We also accept cash payments at our offices in the UK. Alternatively payment may be made by
bankers draft, or by cheque. Payments by cheque require clearance, and this may delay your shipment as banks quote
clearance periods of up to seven working days for domestic cheques and up to 35 days for foreign cheques. Cheque payments
are not recommended for air freight.
Which Trade Associations are Excess affiliated with?
We are members of the following:
BAR Overseas Group www.removers.org.uk (British Association of Removers)
FIDI www.fidi.com (International Furniture Movers Federation)
HHGFAA www.hhgfaa.org (Household Goods Forwarders Association of America)
NMSA www.moving.org (National Moving and Storage Association)
IATA Cargo Agent www.iata.org (International Air Transport Association)
Do Excess Baggage have offices abroad?
No, where possible, we work with personally vetted and approved agents in all other countries. Our agents are normally
all fully bonded members of FIDI (International Federation of International Furniture Removers); or members of HHGFAA
(Household Goods Forwarders Association of America) or NMSA (National Moving and Storage Association) or BAR (British
Association of Removers), or IATA/FIATA (International Air Transport Association).
Do Excess Baggage offer student discounts?
We offer the most competitive rates and quality service. Our rates and services are tailored to meet the needs of the
student community.
What does BAR mean?
BAR is the British Association of Removers. We are members of the Overseas Shipping Group, which offers full bonding
to our clients. You should only select a shipping company that is a member of BAR or FIDI as these are the only
International associations which offer bonding (protection against financial failure of your shipping company).
Do Excess Baggage have after-hours deliveries and collections?
We operate between the hours of 0700-1800 Monday-Friday and 0700-1300 on Saturdays. Out of hours collections are often
possible dependent on your location. Please contact us if you need assistance.
Our airport facilities are open 7 days a week; in some cases on a 24 hour basis. You can deliver shipments direct to
any of these facilities. Please contact the facility concerned for details of opening hours or refer to the
address section of this web site.
Can I bring my goods into an Excess Baggage office?
All our offices accept personal deliveries. If the shipment is large or complicated, please advise in advance so that
we can prepare to deal with your baggage.
Do I get a discount if I bring my goods to an Excess Baggage office?
We offer a nominal discount of GBP5 (USD8) on office deliveries.
Can I pay "cash on delivery" - COD?
We regret that we cannot accept COD shipments. As an alternative, we are able to offer up to 4 weeks free storage to
clients shipping/air freighting their baggage with us. This allows an extended period to arrange transfer of funds, from,
for example, overseas.
Why are air freight charges sometimes based on volume and not on the actual weight?
It is an international air cargo convention to charge for weight or volume, whichever is the greater according to the
following formulae:
length x height x width (cm) divided by 6000
or
length x height x width (ins) divided by 366
These formulae convert volume to weight, and ensure that the air carriers receive a reasonable amount of revenue
for very light items. For example a bag of feathers would take up a great deal of space in a cargo hold but because of
their light weight, the airline would earn little revenue from their carriage.
Basically you are allowed up to 6000cc (366cu ins) per kg; [5000cc (300cu ins) on certain mostly Europe-Africa routes].
For example a tea carton dimensions 41x51x61cm; 16x20x24ins would be calculated as follows:
41x51x61 divided by 6000 = 127551 divided by 6000 = 21kg volumetric weight
or
16x20x24 divided by 366 = 7680 divided by 366 = 21kg volumetric weight.
This means that the above items would be charged for the actual weight if greater than 21 kg. If the box weighed,
13kg, then the charge will still be for 21kg.
We are most happy to explain this concept further if you require Contact Us.
Please bear in mind that this is an International Standard. Even if your chosen shipping company does not tell you about
this charge, they will still rate your shipment on this basis and you will have to pay!
Is there anything else to pay at destination?
If you send your consignment on our door to door service there is normally nothing else to pay at destination.
In certain countries (eg Australia and New Zealand), there may be Government charges for quarantine clearance, in
others for physical customs examination. These charges are usually only occasional.
For the most part though, there will be absolutely nothing extra to pay (with the exception of normal customs duty where
applicable) if you ship door to door.
If you send your baggage to port or airport only, then you will be responsible for local unloading, dock/port or
airport charges. These vary according to destination and further information is available in the
Customs section of this website, or from us direct.
What duty or tax will I pay, if any?
Duties vary widely according to origin and destination. In many cases goods owned and used for at least six/12
months are non dutiable. Likewise, if shipping within the European Union, goods are normally in free circulation and
therefore not dutiable. Please see the Customs
section of this website, or contact us directly.
Please bear in mind that we have no control over the actions of Customs services anywhere in the world. It is your
responsibility to ensure that you abide by the rules and regulations of the country that you are sending your goods
to (or receiving from).
How long can I keep the boxes for?
Where we supply boxes, cartons or packing materials, they may be retained by you indefinitely, upon payment of a
minimum deposit of GBP50.00. Please bear in mind that cartons and packing materials remain our property until your
shipment is paid for in full.
Do we have to use Excess Baggage cartons or can we use our own?
We are happy to accept any strong/good quality carton or case. Please remember that cartons should be at least of
thick double wall strength. Hi-fi, stereo, computer, and electrical appliance cartons. are normally intended for domestic
distribution with items of similar weight and mass and as such are usually unsuitable for export shipment. Such items
should be repacked into suitable heavy-duty cartons or packing cases, as per question 1 above.
Is there any weight restriction with sea freight?
No weight limits are applied on ocean freight shipments. However, all items should, unless previously agreed with us,
be suitable for handling by one man. Surcharges will apply to items that require more than one man to handle them. Such
items must be advised to us well in advance. When packing multiple cartons it is essential to distribute the weight evenly.
Overloaded items are much more susceptible to damage in transit.
Can I seal the cartons?
Cartons should be sealed by owners prior to dispatch. However, they may then be re-opened at the complete discretion
of Excess Baggage Group Ltd, for security purposes only. All shipments sent by air are subject to security checks
and/or x-ray examination, which may involve a search.
What charges do I have to pay at destination on an arrival port/airport service?
Our door to door charges include the prepayment of destination port/airport unloading, customs clearance, and delivery
charges to your residence overseas. Door to port expressly excludes these services at destination and as such is less
expensive. If you send your goods by air and send them to arrival airport only, nominal charges will be due to
destination agents for unloading and handling.
Can Excess Baggage ship goods to/from anywhere in the world?
Yes, we do. If your origin/destination is not included in our tariff, please contact us, giving us as much
information as possible, for a specific quotation for your shipment.
Can Excess Baggage store goods?
We provide comprehensive storage facilities world-wide. Rates vary according to amount of storage required, length of
deposit, and location. We also operate a number of airport terminal left luggage and locker facilities.
This service is provided on a subscription basis, offering you a poste restante address in London, England.
Do Excess Baggage ship commercial goods?
No, we do not ship commercial goods.
Do Excess Baggage ship motorbikes and motor vehicles?
We provide world-wide service. Please see our car shipping pages dealing
specifically with this topic. We can provide full service via a wide variety of methods, including Full Container; Share
Container; Roll On Roll Off (RORO) and Conventional shipment. We also arrange full packing and crating for motorcycles.
Fill out our car shipping email form for a quotation.
What is VAT?
In certain origin markets we must apply local sales tax, VAT (Value Added Tax) or GST (General Sales Tax). VAT must be
applied from EU origin points at the standard local rate if shipments are destined for locations within the EU. For example
a shipment travelling from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Munich, Germany would attract VAT at the standard local rate of 17.5%.
How will I be contacted at destination?
For ocean freight shipments you will normally be contacted prior to arrival by our chosen agents. We notify agents
well in advance of the arrival of shipments, and all documents etc are sent by DHL or other approved courier. Our foreign
agents can arrange customs clearance and local delivery, if not already set up with us at the time of shipment. They can
also provide storage facilities, if required, at reasonable cost.
For air shipments, our agents, or in some cases the airline carrier, will notify you on arrival, where possible, by
telephone. It is essential that we receive either a telephone, fax or email number so that they can contact you as soon
as possible. Storage charges are levied by airlines and air freight agents on uncollected shipments. These can be
expensive compared to storage charges levied on uncollected ocean freight consignments.
What information can you give me on how my shipment is progressing in transit?
We operate the latest and most up-to-date computerised tracking systems. Our state-of-the-art SQL computer system gives
full details on the status of all shipments in transit and incorporates the latest information as soon as it is available
to us. We are able to give you this information by telephone, fax or email. Please quote your name and/or booking reference
number.
When can you deliver cartons & packing materials and/or collect my baggage?
This can be achieved in major markets (UK, Republic of Ireland, Western Europe, North America, Australia, NZ, parts of SE
Asia, RSA) at 24-48 hours notice.
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