Quick summary if you don't have time for the details:
Price quoted: $1050+$400 for insurance.
Price paid: $4450
Service they quoted (according to the contract "transport from Terminal Calgary to Terminal Munich".
Service they actually provided: transport from Port Montreal to Port Hamburg.
Time quoted: 3 weeks
Time it took: 2 months
Terms agreed: The shipment would not be left out in extreme temperatures.
This term was broken resulting in the severe damage of irreplaceable string instruments.
I was pressured by Europack to sign the contract quickly so it could get on the next transport in a few days. It didn't, they sat on it for a month before finally shipping it.
They withheld information and mislead me. They avoided communication at critical times to put me in situations where I had no choice but to pay more money.
They grossly misrepresented their services and abilities. They can in no way get your shipment from your previous residence in one country to your new residence in a new country. You will have to arrange most of the details yourself and none of it is covered in the quote. You are not insured for damages using Europack.
They are NOT under the jurisdiction of the Better Business Bureau.
I have just received my shipment (personal effects) 1 hour ago. I don't know where to begin…. First, the price quoted to me was $1050 for 100cubic feet/2.8 cubic metres and stated in the contract "from Terminal Calgary to Terminal Munich" leaving December 18 2014 to be delivered by January 8th 2015. Plus insurance. After I agreed to this contract and gave them the deposit, things quickly changed. They then informed me that I needed to pay a $1400 packing fee and have it transported to Montreal at my cost plus more insurance. I used the packing/overland shipping company they recommended who CONFIRMED my dimensions on the paper contract and via email and pictures after THEY packed my belongings into wardrobe boxes. ($1400 for wardrobe boxes and 1 crate for a contra bass). No choice so OK….
I had asked a number of times what the insurance would cover in case of damages, and they just told me that it was "total loss maritime insurance". What that means is that they cover nothing in case of damage. Great insurance!
Then productive communication stopped. When I repeatedly asked for tracking information I was ignored.
On January 16th, After asking 5 times,they finally told me that it hadn't even left Canada yet, It had been sitting in their possession for 1 month.
After they finally loaded the shipment on the container, they informed me that my items had magically grown to 4.9 cubic metres and could not be removed from the container. They demanded another $700.
At this point I refused to pay anymore as they had already tripled the price originally quoted and neglected to inform me that my shipment was leaving a month late.
I tried to contact them repeatedly and was ignored. Finally when I reached them on the phone, I was yelled at, mislead, then finally apologized to for their misunderstanding.
Then I was promised that the manager, (Jaques) would talk with me the next day and cover the added charges, he did not call at the appointed time and dodged all my calls and emails.
When the shipment arrived in Hamburg, Europack put a hold on it and forced me to pay the remaining $700 plus storage fees before they would release it. I had no choice, so I paid. They had my shipment, they had my money, I had no recourse.
When the hold was released (4 days after I paid, I guess they were "away" from their computer, that was the excuse), I had to pay another $800 in shipping and handling from Hamburg to my home.
The shipment arrived February 17th. 5 weeks later than our contract stated.
I opened my shipment to find severe damage to my musical instruments.
I asked ahead of time and was promised that my shipment would not be stored in extreme temperatures. This was the number 1 concern from the beginning as the bulk of my shipment was irreplaceable string instruments. There is thousands of dollars in damage to my shipment, which they will not cover or even acknowledge.
The damage is a direct result of the instruments being stored in extreme cold temperatures.
My $3500 bicycle has also been damaged due to poor packing, the wheels were over hanging the pallet and were bent sideways around the rest of the shipment, the frame has also been bent due to extreme pressure.
So, 5 weeks late.
3 times the quoted price and thousands of dollars in damage.
mislead, yelled at, information withheld...
Would I recommend Europack?
Not to my worst enemy.
I am now forced to pursue legal action in Canada from Germany.
David Lynch
