FAQs - Boxes and Bags Worldwide

Seven Seas Worldwide:

• Directly owns and controls its own international network but can use larger courier companies if the service better fits with you needs v Parcel Couriers only act as reseller for larger groups like UPS, TNT, DHL, DPD, Fedex, etc

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• Offers international door-to-door services by sea; which take longer but are much cheaper than air, and by air; which are much faster but more expensive v Parcel Courier only offer air services

What does a Boxes and Bags Worldwide Door-to-Door service mean?

• Offers 30-second quote displaying all its services: air & sea, on the route selected v Parcel Courier online quote only shows pricing for air from the company for whom they resell

Online management of your shipment

• Provides heavy-duty packing boxes: Large Box (LB) and Standard Box (SB) include in the price: large and standard, delivered with bubble wrap and tape, delivered to your address v Parcel Courier do not offer any packing materials

What's the difference between an LB and an SB?

• Website and multi-lingual Business Centre for customer assistance available 24/7 with contact numbers in each country in the network v Parcel Courier have website and contact by phone for limited hours, with only UK number

24/7 multilingual communication

• Boxes all suitcases upon collection for maximum safety and security v Parcel Courier take no responsibility for damage of suitcases

Your suitcase also needs protection

• Boxes upon collection, sports equipment, including skis, snowboards, bicycles, golf bags to protect these items whilst in transit v Parcel Courier requires them only to be in their own bag

Acceptable Package Types

• Lists all charges upfront with 3-stage payments: deposit, shipping & destination charges, with most services v Parcel Courier charges one payment upfront but possible adjustment charge once collected

What is our two or three-stage payment plan?

• Operates their own fleet of vehicles in each country where the operate, they can provide 1-hour window for delivery and collection sent out the night before v Parcel Courier requires someone to be available most of the day

Portage Service, for your baggage

• Drivers can call ahead before arrival, if requested v Parcel Courier who offer no call ahead.

Scheduled delivery and collection time

• Offers tracking of its shipments by air or sea v Parcel Courier offer tracking of their air shipments
• Moves shipments from 6kg to 6tonnes within its network v. Parcel couriers focus on smaller shipments up to 60kg by air

Seven Seas Worldwide has its box types manufactured to its own specification. We do this simply because we know the exacting standards needed for packing boxes to give your possessions the best protection in transit.

We use cardboard that has been chemically hardened to improve the box’s performance and we have two main types of boxes that are supplied to our customers:

The Large Box - External dimensions 61 x 51 x 41cm / 24 x 20 x 16.14 inches. The Large Box is our general packing box and can be used for anything from clothes to sports equipment. In order to protect our drivers, the box must not exceed 30kg or 66lbs,. If it does then please reduce the weight by packing another box with the excess. 

The Standard Box - External dimensions of 51 x 41 x 31cm / 20 x 16.14 x 12.2 inches. This box is half the volume of the Large Box (0.065 cubic metres / 2.3 cubic feet) but has the same maximum weight of 30kg / 66lbs. This box is ideal for packing heavier items such as books, files, papers, CDs and DVDs (if you still have them!)

Please note that if you are shipping to Australia or New Zealand using our MoveCube® service, then we ask that you pack all your shoes and boots into the white “Shoe Box”. This is a Standard Box but with a white exterior to allow easy identification in the event of an inspection by the quarantine authorities of those countries.

The nature of cardboard means that during the manufacturing process there will be slight variations between boxes.

Let's break down the steps for you:

Deliver Empty - We deliver to your address empty boxes and packaging materials, which are included in the price.

Collect Full - Your shipment (labelled and packed securely into boxes, suitcases and bags - see Acceptable Package Types) is collected from the door of your building. If this is a house then that would be the front door. However if your building is an apartment building then collection will be from the door of the building, not the apartment. Unless the building has a working lift/elevator and the concierge/building management company have agreed to our driver using the lift/elevator, then collection can be from the door of your apartment.

There are some buildings that are either gated with access limited by security or there is a reception within the building. In those circumstances you need to confirm permission for the driver to gain access or that your boxes can be left with security (or the reception) for collection.

Remember our driver is not permitted to enter your house, apartment, dormitory or room of a residential hall so you need to plan ahead!

Deliver Full - Your shipment is delivered to the door of your building. If this is a house, then that would be the front door. Check out Collect Full above for how best to prepare the driver for the delivery.

Let's break down the steps for you:

Deliver Empty - We deliver to your address empty boxes and packaging materials, which are included in the price.

Collect Full - Your shipment (labelled and packed securely into boxes, suitcases and bags - see Acceptable Package Types) is collected from the door of your building. If this is a house then that would be the front door. However, if your building is an apartment building then collection will be from the door of the building, not the apartment. Unless the building has a working lift/elevator and the concierge/building management company have agreed to our driver using the lift/elevator, then collection can be from the door of your apartment.

There are some buildings that are either gated with access limited by security or there is a reception within the building. In those circumstances, you need to confirm permission for the driver to gain access or that your boxes can be left with security (or the reception) for collection.

Remember our driver is not permitted to enter your house, apartment, dormitory or room of a residential hall so you need to plan ahead!

Collection from Port - You will be notified of the arrival your shipment by the receiving agent at the destination country. Your shipment will still need to be cleared through Customs and, if applicable, Quarantine agencies of the destination country.

You will need to arrange either a broker to clear your shipment or in some countries you can undertake the process yourself as they are your personal and household effects. There will be further charges to be paid at the destination though we can only offer you an estimate of what those charges will be. Your shipment will then be available for collection at the receiving agent’s depot. The receiving agent will advise you of the location of that depot whether inside or outside the port.

Arrival

You will be notified of the arrival your shipment by the receiving agent at the destination country, at this point Seven Seas Worldwide, or whatever company you have contracted to perform a “Door-to-Port” service, responsibility for your shipment ends contractually.

Clearance

Your shipment will still need to be cleared through Customs and, if applicable, Quarantine agencies of the destination country. You will need to arrange either a broker to clear your shipment or, in some countries, you can undertake the process yourself – they are your personal and household effects.

Destination Charges

There will be further charges to be paid at the destination we can only offer you an estimate of what those charges will be. Your shipment will then be available for collection at the receiving agent’s depot. The receiving agent will advise you of the location of that depot whether inside or outside the port / airport. You will need to arrange for their collection and, once emptied, its disposal.

Please have everything you want to send at the door of your home otherwise it may be forgotten and left behind. No bag, box or suitcase should weigh more than 30kg / 66lbs.

Please consider whether your address falls into any of the following categories:

• A house which has more than 12 ascending or descending stairs to the front door (unless there is also ramp access)
• The door to your apartment, group of rooms, dormitory or individual residential room is not on the ground floor
• The apartment or residential building does not have a working lift / elevator
• The apartment or residential building does have a working lift / elevator but the concierge or building management company refuse to allow our driver to use it

If so, then you will have to bring the items of your shipment to the “door of your building” and not the “door of your home”.

Of course you may have assistance from able-bodied friends and family.

You can select the day, but not the time, of delivery of packing boxes and then their collection once packed, or, a collection only for your suitcases either online or over the phone.

Contact details

Please give us as much detail with the address as possible such as the house or flat number, the colour of door, which doorbell to ring if it’s not marked, etc. Your contact details are very important too so make sure you specify your mobile number or (if you won’t be present) the mobile number and name of your friend or family member. Then make sure the phone is left on during the day so that you or your friend or family member can be kept informed of any changes. 

Scheduled time

• The afternoon before the day you have booked for the delivery or collection, we will send you a guide time. This will be either a 1 or 2-hour window within which to expect our driver to arrive but is subject to traffic on the day. 
• This will be emailed to you and sent as an SMS (except in Canada and the USA), plus you can log into your account with us to view the time.
• In cases where we are using one of our partners to deliver or collect your shipment the span of time to expect the driver’s arrival may be wider, for example, our 1- or 2-hour arrival window could be a 4-, 6- or 8-hour arrival window.

Please have everything you want to send at the door: packed and unused boxes, suitcases, bags, etc, and any unused packing boxes. See “What is the difference between “door of the building” and “door of my home”?  If anything is missed the driver may not be able to return and another day will have to be arranged with an additional cost.

No changes once scheduled

The reason we can send you a time is that we route all our drivers on the most cost-effective way to fulfil the delivery and collection activities booked on that day. The time you receive is the time we anticipate the driver will be with you subject to traffic conditions. These times fit within the driver’s operational hours: 8 am – 5 pm. 

We are sorry if the time may not suit your plans for that day but unfortunately, the time cannot be changed once scheduled; there are delivery and collection activities booked before and after yours and they too have received their time. Therefore, if you wish to cancel there will be a charge for the next visit that you book.

The maximum weight we permit our drivers to lift unassisted is 30kg or 66lbs. This is printed all our Large and Standard boxes but also applies to any individual item in your shipment whether box, bag or suitcase. This is in place to protect our drivers from injury, as well as yourself! If you are in any doubt then place your box, bag or suitcase on bathroom scales. 

If the box is more than 30kg then empty some of the contents into another box. Please remember to fill the space left with newspaper or clothing which supports the box. If the item is a single unit which cannot be subdivided such as a small desk, then we would recommend you consider our MoveCube® service as an alternative solution to your move.

If our driver arrives and finds the boxes overweight then they will ask that you repack. This may take longer than the time allocated for your collection and so the driver may take the balance of your shipment that is less than 30kg and ask you to arrange for another collection. Regrettably there will be charge for this so make sure you get it right first time!

In the event one of our partners collects your shipment, it will be weighed upon arrival at our depot and you will be contacted if your boxes are overweight. We will ask permission to repack your boxes to reduce the weight. Again, there will be a charge for repacking your boxes.

The most popular suitcase-type is referred to as a “Spinner”; it has wheels on the base to allow you to glide through the airport.

Those wheels that make your life so easy are also the most vulnerable to damage which is why we place all suitcase types into our own specially manufactured boxes.