Terms & Conditions of Booking and Carriage

1. Who these terms apply to

These terms apply to every enquiry, quotation, booking and shipment we handle, whether the cargo is a single vehicle on a roll-on roll-off deck, a shared or exclusive container, an air freight consignment or a household removal. They apply to private customers relocating overseas, to trade customers exporting or importing regularly, and to agents booking on behalf of a third party.

By requesting a quotation, submitting a booking form, delivering cargo to a nominated address or paying an invoice, you accept these terms on your own behalf and on behalf of anyone with an interest in the cargo. If you are booking as an agent, freight broker or family member, you confirm that you have authority to bind the owner of the goods to these terms.

We act as a freight forwarder arranging carriage, customs formalities and ancillary services. We are not the ocean carrier, airline or road haulier unless we expressly state that we are carrying the goods ourselves, and our services are provided subject to the standard trading conditions of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), which are available on request and which take precedence where there is any conflict with these terms.

2. Quotations and how long they stand

Quotations are prepared from the information you give us: dimensions, weights, vehicle make and model, commodity description, collection postcode, destination town or port, and the date you need the cargo to move. If any of that information changes, the quotation changes with it. A vehicle that measures higher than declared, a pallet that is over-stacked, or a destination that turns out to be inland rather than at the port can all alter the price.

Unless we state otherwise in writing, quotations are valid for seven days and are subject to space and equipment being available with the carrier at the time of booking. Ocean and air freight markets move on carrier general rate increases, seasonal peaks, fuel and currency movements, so we reconfirm the rate when you ask us to book rather than assuming a rate quoted weeks earlier still holds.

Any figures published on this website as guide or indicative rates are illustrations only and are never a quotation. They exist so you can budget sensibly before contacting us. A binding price only exists when we issue a written quotation referencing your specific cargo and destination.

3. Payment: full payment is required at the time of booking

Our standard commercial terms are payment in full at the time of booking. We do not release a container for loading, accept a vehicle into a compound, lodge an export declaration or confirm space with a carrier until cleared funds are received against the invoice for that shipment. This protects both sides: carriers charge us on booking, and prepaid files are not exposed to space being resold or a sailing being missed while payment is arranged.

Cleared funds mean funds actually credited to our account. Bank transfers from UK accounts usually clear the same working day; international transfers, card payments through a payment provider and cheques may take longer, and the booking date is the date funds clear rather than the date payment is instructed. Where a bank levies charges on an international transfer, those charges are for your account and the invoice must be settled in full net of them.

Approved trade account customers may be granted credit terms in writing, in which case invoices fall due within the period stated on the account approval. Credit is granted per company, is not automatic, may be withdrawn at any time, and does not apply to third-party disbursements such as duty, VAT, destination charges, port storage or demurrage, which remain payable on demand.

• ▸Payment in full is required at booking unless a written credit agreement is in place
• ▸Bookings are confirmed from the date cleared funds are received, not the date payment is instructed
• ▸Bank charges, currency conversion costs and payment provider fees are for the customer's account
• ▸Duty, VAT, destination charges, storage and demurrage are payable on demand and are never included unless itemised

4. What the price includes and what it excludes

Every quotation sets out the services covered line by line. Where we quote a landed cost, that figure typically includes UK collection or drive-in, export customs formalities, terminal handling, ocean or air carriage, and any destination services we have specifically listed. Where we quote port to port, the price covers carriage between the two terminals only.

Unless expressly itemised, the price excludes import duty and taxes, destination customs examination fees, quarantine or biosecurity inspection and cleaning, port storage or demurrage caused by late clearance, waiting time at collection, additional lifts, dismantling or reassembly, marine cargo insurance, and any charge imposed by an authority after the cargo has left the United Kingdom.

Charges levied by third parties abroad are recharged to you at cost as they are incurred. We will tell you what those charges are as soon as the destination agent notifies us, and we will not authorise discretionary spending on your behalf without your instruction where circumstances allow us to seek it.

5. Cancellations by you

Cancellation requests must be made in writing to our freight desk. The charge that applies depends on how far the booking has progressed, because carriers, hauliers, port operators and destination agents bill us according to their own cancellation schedules and those costs are already committed by the time many bookings are cancelled.

As a general framework, a booking cancelled before any carrier space is confirmed, no container has been released and no collection has been arranged attracts an administration charge only. Once space is confirmed, equipment released, haulage instructed, customs entries lodged or cargo received into a warehouse or compound, the third-party costs actually committed become payable in addition to the administration charge.

Where a vehicle or consignment has already been shipped, or has been loaded and the vessel or aircraft has departed, the shipment cannot be cancelled. Redirection or return, if it is physically and legally possible, is a new movement priced separately and is generally more expensive than the original booking.

• ▸Before space is confirmed: administration charge only
• ▸After space, equipment, haulage or customs work is committed: administration charge plus committed third-party costs
• ▸After loading or departure: no cancellation is possible; return or redirection is quoted as a new shipment

6. Refunds and how quickly we pay them

Where a refund is due, we pay refunds within 3 to 14 working days of the refund being agreed. Simple cases, such as an overpayment or a booking cancelled before any third-party cost was committed, are usually processed at the shorter end of that window. Cases where we must first recover funds from a carrier, terminal, agent or overseas partner sit at the longer end, because we can only pass back what has been credited to us.

Refunds are made by the same method and to the same account used for the original payment. We do not refund to a third-party account, and we cannot refund to a card that has expired or been cancelled without written confirmation of alternative bank details from the person who made the payment.

The refundable amount is the sum you paid less any third-party costs already committed on your behalf and less any administration charge stated in these terms or in your written quotation. Where a shipment has partly performed, the refund reflects the services not yet delivered rather than the full invoice value. We set out the calculation in writing so you can see exactly how the figure was reached.

Duty, VAT and other government charges collected on your behalf are refundable only to the extent that the relevant authority repays them, and to the timescale set by that authority rather than by us. We will support any reclaim with the documents in our possession.

• ▸Agreed refunds are paid within 3 to 14 working days
• ▸Refunds are returned to the original payer and payment method
• ▸Committed third-party costs and any administration charge are deducted
• ▸Government duty and tax refunds follow the relevant authority's own timescale

7. Sailing dates, flight dates and transit times

All sailing dates, flight dates, transit times and delivery estimates are given in good faith as our best expectation at the time of quoting or booking. They are not guaranteed and do not form a condition of the contract. Vessels are omitted or delayed, aircraft are subject to load and capacity restrictions, terminals suffer congestion, and weather, industrial action, port strikes, canal restrictions and border controls all move dates in ways no forwarder controls.

Where a schedule changes, we tell you as soon as the carrier informs us and we set out the realistic alternatives, whether that is the following sailing, a different gateway or a change of routing. Where a change of routing costs more and you want us to protect the original date, we will quote the difference before committing.

If your shipment is genuinely time-critical, tell us at the quotation stage. We will build the booking around the cut-off dates rather than the departure dates, advise the earliest realistic date the cargo must be with us, and where appropriate recommend air freight or a premium service instead of accepting a schedule with no margin in it.

8. Your obligations as the customer

You must describe the cargo accurately and completely. That includes the true weight and dimensions, the commodity, its value, whether it contains or has contained dangerous goods, whether a vehicle is running or non-running, whether machinery contains fuel or hydraulic fluid, and whether the goods are subject to licence, sanctions or export control.

You must ensure the cargo is fit to travel and, where you pack it yourself, that it is packed to withstand ordinary handling, stacking, vibration and a sea or air journey. You must remove personal effects from vehicles unless we have agreed in writing that they may travel, and you must present machinery clean and free of soil, plant material and pests where the destination applies biosecurity controls.

You must provide the documents we ask for, promptly and in the form requested, and you must ensure your consignee is ready and able to clear the cargo at destination. Late paperwork is the single most common cause of missed sailings, port storage and demurrage, and those costs fall to you.

• ▸Accurate weights, dimensions and commodity descriptions
• ▸Truthful declarations on dangerous goods, fuels, batteries and prohibited items
• ▸Packing sufficient for international transit where you pack the cargo yourself
• ▸Identity, ownership and title documents supplied before cut-off
• ▸A consignee who is contactable and able to clear the goods at destination

9. Prohibited, restricted and undeclared goods

We will not knowingly carry firearms, ammunition, explosives, illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, live animals, human remains, cash, bullion or goods whose export or import is unlawful. Lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, fuels, gas cylinders, pool chemicals and similar articles are dangerous goods and can only travel where they are correctly declared, classified, packed and documented, which usually costs more and sometimes rules out the routing entirely.

Undeclared dangerous goods put crew, aircraft, vessels and other people's cargo at risk and expose you to significant penalties. Where undeclared restricted items are found, the carrier or authority may detain, offload, treat or destroy the consignment, and all resulting costs, fines and delays are for your account.

If you are unsure whether something can travel, ask before the cargo is packed. It is always cheaper to reroute a single item than to unpack a container at a port under instruction from an inspector.

10. Liability, insurance and claims

Carriers limit their liability by weight under international conventions, and those limits rarely resemble the value of what you are shipping. Our own liability is limited in accordance with the BIFA standard trading conditions. Neither limit is a substitute for insurance, and we recommend all-risks marine cargo cover on every shipment.

Where you ask us to arrange cover, we place it at the value you declare, confirm the terms in writing before the cargo moves, and pass on the premium at cost plus any arrangement fee stated in the quotation. Cover is subject to the policy wording, including its exclusions and any packing or condition warranties, and we cannot backdate cover once a loss has occurred.

Claims must be notified in writing as soon as loss or damage is discovered, and in any event within the time limits set out in the applicable trading conditions and policy. Do not dispose of damaged goods or packaging before a survey, keep photographs taken at delivery, and note any visible damage on the delivery receipt before signing it.

11. Lien, storage and abandoned cargo

We hold a general lien over cargo and documents in our possession for all sums owed to us, whether in respect of that shipment or any other. Where an invoice remains unpaid, we may withhold release, arrange storage at your cost and, after written notice, sell or dispose of the goods and apply the proceeds against the debt and the costs of sale.

Cargo left uncollected at destination accrues port storage, demurrage, detention and quarantine charges quickly, and those charges are for your account. Where cargo is treated as abandoned by a port or customs authority, disposal is at the discretion of that authority and any resulting costs remain payable by you.

12. Data protection, complaints and governing law

We process the personal data you give us in order to quote, book, declare and deliver your cargo, as described in our Privacy Policy. Customs authorities, carriers and destination agents require certain personal data to release goods, and by booking you consent to that disclosure for those purposes.

If something goes wrong, contact the freight desk first with your booking reference and the details. We aim to acknowledge complaints within two working days and to provide a substantive written response within ten. Most disputes turn on what was quoted and what was declared, which is why we confirm both in writing.

These terms, and any contract formed under them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in force. We may update these terms from time to time, and the version in force is the one published on this page on the date of your booking.