Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  1) The date of the payment made for services provided was June 13th, 2024. 2) The monetary amount paid was £6,860.00 GBP (which is about $8,698.91 in USD). 3) UPakWeShip (based within the US and Europe), committed to provide me a 20ft container for my personal belongings, one that was both safe and secure, ensuring, in their words, that "...your belongings arrive safely at your new location." 4) The nature of my dispute is that they failed to provide such a container for me the day the haulage company arrived. Because instead of the contracted OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line) providing one, being short, they were redirected to the Port and given a random one. An oil-covered, dented, rust-seamed with holes one! Worse yet, the driver was not allowed to check the container at the Port and so never looked inside. When it arrived to us in relative darkness, the driver warned us about all the oil and then reminded us we only had two hours to load, so to hustle! So we did just that, but as it was a rainy/overcast day, at no point did any of us see bright light coming through the rusted seam holes (walls to ceiling). 5) The company has not tried to resolve this at all and instead have turned tail and are not even replying to my emails to get this sorted out. They have also seemingly instructed their staff to remain silent, along with their contact(s) at the OOCL. Ergo, no one is now responding to my weekly email outreaches, as they think going silent means I will give up and go away (which I will never do). In closing, the company also state that they are committed to customer satisfaction and a "stress-free, and efficient experience," but that is simply not true, given everything I have now explained, and as I purchased from them a safe and secure container, but received an oil-covered one, dented and with rusted seams and holes, that led to contents getting ruined with a dirty oily-residue, they are guilty of not supplying what their website claims they will.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Hello BBB team,

  A full response was typed out and submitted to you on this complaint on Friday 11/22/2024. We also provided attachments with this response. Please advise why we are now getting more emails saying that a response is still needed?

  Thank you, 

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Hello BBB Team,
  It seems my first response to this complaint (submitted on 11/22/2024) did not go through. Please see below. 

  We are an international shipping company who specializes in shipping household goods to and from the EU, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. We handled the import of his full container into the United states. The origin team confirmed that his container arrived to him in good condition and Mr. Trunk loaded the container without any issues. During the container's transit to the United states the steamship line, OOCL, got oil on the outside of the container somehow. We were notified of this by our trucker in the US when we went him to collect the container; we immediately cancelled the container being collected, let the shipper know what was happening, and contacted the steamship line. The steamship line advised they would clean the container and update us once it was available again. Mr. Trunk then went around us to our trucker directly and had the trucker bring the container to him while still covered in oil (not approved or permitted). Mr. Trunk then unloaded his container and said there was substantial damage. We asked repeatedly for photos of the damage but received nothing of the sort, only very strongly, slightly threatening emails from him demanding full refund and our legal representation. OOCL offered a claims form for the shipper to complete to be reimbursed for any damages as they accepted fault for the oil on the container, my team both in the US and abroad tried to reason with Mr. Trunk to get him to complete the claims form and again he was unwilling. As outlined in the contract he signed with us he understood we use 3rd parties for transportation and would not hold us liable. Mr. Trunk also signed a no insurance policy agreement stating that he did not wish to take out insurance on his shipment and would not hold UPakWeShip / EuroUSA or its agents liable for any damages or loss of his shipment. 

  We did as Mr. Trunk hired us to do; we got his full 20' container shipment from England to MI with customs clearance, ocean, trucking as outlined. We can not be held at fault for something the steamship line admits they were at cause for and have offered reimbursement for. Nor can we offer any settlement when Mr. Trunk continues to berate our staff, refuses to provide any type of proof of damages apart from pictures of the outside of the container (shipping containers are weather proofed and our truckers check them prior to pulling empty for loading that they have no damages). 

  It is our  opinion that if there were damages to Mr. Trunks shipment (that we completed door to door as hired) he would have provided any sort of proof. As he has not and continues to try every avenue but the offered claims process with OOCL we believe this matter should be closed as this is a baseless chase for a refund on his part. 

  Thank you for your time with this complaint and we wish you all the very best. 
  
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/26/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because the unnamed EuroUSA employee who wrote this response has either lied directly to you (BBB) or is genuinely not in possession of the true facts. I say this because they claim, and I quote "We can not be held at fault for something the steamship line admits they were at cause for and have offered reimbursement," unquote, and yet both those statements are 100% incorrect.

  In the first part, and as the photographs attached here today clearly prove, the container provided to us on the day in the UK was indeed already covered in oil, which was noted to us as being so, and to avoid leaning on, by the driver of the haulage truck herself. Furthermore, it was she who took these photos on her own company phone (so they will be timestamped).

  In the second part, at no time whatsoever has the steamship line admitted they were at fault for this oil covered container en route to the USA, as they have already informed me (two months ago) it was not their fault. Ergo, they have at no point offered me a form of reimbursement, so if this mystery EuroUSA employee has proof of that, I would love to be made privy to it.

  Also, this same EuroUSA employee states, and I quote, " The origin team confirmed that his container arrived to him in good condition," unquote, which is another lie, for as aforementioned, the haulage driver in the UK 100% confirmed it was covered in oil [and badly dented] and took her own photos as proof.

  However, she was not presented the opportunity to view the inside of the container before loading it, as her collection point was changed from a container yard (where one would hope all the containers are checked, inside and out before disbursement) to the Port, where any and all haulage truckers are prohibited from legally examining any container they are randomly provided.

  Ergo, when this mystery EuroUSA employee states that their "shipping containers are weather proofed and our truckers check them prior to pulling empty for loading that they have no damages," this never happened in my case! As noted above, they didn't actually provide the container, for as was told to me by their employee Ryan *****, and I quote, "Regretfully at the time of this booking, we were facing a temporary availability shortage of 20’ empty containers in Southampton, so the driver was requested to collect the empty from the Port instead of the depot," unquote.

  He goes on to say, and I quote "Collecting empty containers from the Port is non-standard practice and was used due to exceptional circumstances in order to cover the haulage as per the requested booking time. The condition of containers are not checked by the Port in as great detail as our contracted empty depots. Neither is the driver able to check the condition at the time of collection from the Port due to Health & Safety," unquote.
  
  Adding, and I quote, "In this case, the driver would not have spotted whether there were any small holes in the roof as suggested in the provided photographs," unquote.

  So, as you can clearly see, Mr. H**** has freely admitted that the container provided was out of their purview of having been routinely checked by them inside and out for any issues (such as being covered in oil, etc.) and as he adds, that also showcases the fact that the haulage driver was always going to be unable to check the condition of the container in question.

  And yet, and according to the promises made by their website, I was paying for and signing a contract to be inclusive of, a "safe and secure" container that comes with "a hassle-free experience"! That very same website that I made this purchase from also states that what they do "ensures that your move is a stress-free experience from start to finish"! I experienced none of that.

  In closing, as I have a lot more pertinent information that clearly shines a light on EuroUSA's purposeful decision to shunt the contractual obligation of providing a safe and secure container (checked and from their yard) for an overseas voyage, on to a big Port, where an unchecked, random, dirty, oil covered, dented, and rusted out with holes through some ceiling areas container was instead provided in its place!

  I was 100% not provided what I paid for re: a safe and secure, checked container. The photos attached prove that our haulage driver was given this oil covered container directly from the UK Port in question. Ergo, whoever this EuroUSA employee is that wrote the rebuke, is either freely lying to save face, and avoid having to refund me, or is wholly not in possession of the true facts. 

  Well, they are now, hence why I am requesting the monetary reimbursement that I am, thank you.

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2024

  Hello BBB Team,

  Mr. Trunk is citing an employee named Ryan Holmes, not now or ever have we had an employee by this name. We provided email evidence yesterday that origin team did in fact confirm the container arrived to him for loading without oil on it. We also provided the emails citing that OOCL was at fault and offering the claims process to shipper for reimbursement. 

  As outlined in the signed contract and no insurance waiver provided yesterday, we can not be held at fault for the 3rd parties we utilize. Mr. Trunk should still do the claims process with OOCL directly if he seeks any compensation. 

  Thank you,