The packers make an inventory list and both you and they need to sign and keep copies.
Lump Sum is, by far, the most efficient and reasonable, because you don’t have to worry about forgetting or over- or under-insuring goods. You only list items whose replacement value at destination is over $3,000. Every other item in the shipment is automatically insured for up to $3,000. The insured value of the total shipment is based on $12/lb and the rate is 25% less than the alternative.
This requires you make a list with replacement values at destination of all items in your shipment. If many items have the same value, you can group them together. The rate is 25% higher than Lumpsum.
Yes, but only up to $300 each, only for loss and theft, and only if you send us value and list of contents of each box (eg. books, clothes, etc.). To insure for damage, not only loss, leave them unsealed, so packers can inspect, repack as necessary, seal, and mark them “CP” (carrier-packed) instead of “PBO” packed-by-owner. That costs extra if your shipment is not full-pack.
Not later than 2 weeks before pickup. If by then, we have not received a Comprehensive Valued Inventory, we insure you for Lump Sum. Goods are not insured until we receive payment for the insurance and a CVI, if you chose that.
$0, $250, or $500, or by special request, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000.
Insurance is your only protection against damage or loss. If you under-insure, you will be under-compensated. If you over-insure, you wasted money. That’s another reason LumpSum is so good–it covers everything up to $3,000 per unit/set without your having to list anything or guess at their replacement values.
Far better to supply before.
The price is the same whether we pack everything or you pack some. If your contract is partial pack or less and you have the movers pack anything besides delicates and furniture (or whatever is designated to be packed), you may be billed for full pack on the entire shipment. Do not ask to be present in the warehouse during packing and loading; it is not allowed for reasons of safety, insurance, and efficiency.
No. The insurance list goes only to the insurers.
No.
By color and other codes what is going where. MB (master bedroom, BM (basement), BR1 (1st bedroom), GF (ground floor), K (kitchen), and DNS(do not ship).
Someone who knows priorities must be there at all times. Time the movers work without direction is billable overtime.
If you do, that will delay the packers/movers and greatly reduce the efficiency of their packing and loading.
If you direct your packing (or your surgical) team they will be distracted, annoyed, and feel that you are not acknowledging their 1,000’s of hours of experience.
DO NOT rely on any information they give you. Communicate questions/instructions ONLY with the Kef offices in Jerusalem. If you cannot reach us, speak to the Managing Director of our local agent, and reconfirm the information and instructions in writing with our office in Jerusalem.
No. It will not save time or money, and it will put your goods, insurance, and health at risk. During pickup, spend your time making sure movers take and leave what you want.
Use DNS (do not ship) labels, and look around before they leave. Tell them if they took or left something you did not want them to. It is your responsibility to make sure they have taken and left what they were supposed to before they leave. Take your time, look around. Uncorrected mistakes get more expensive with time.
Most contracts are based on an estimate and a minimum billable volume or weight, because below that minimum, the rate is so much higher that it’s less expensive to send the minimum.
If you ship less, you will be billed at the minimum billable volume. If you ship more, the rate is in the contract, or you pay pro-rata (total contract $/est. v|w) for additional.
Consider a larger container, if that might happen. Otherwise you will be billed for an LCL (less than container load), which is much more costly per unit volume/weight You are billed for additional actual usable volume–whether in a container, crated, loose, or palletized.
Gas grill, built in items such as sinks, tiles, 2nd’s of appliances, more than 4 tv’s, more than 4 computers, sports equipment except non-electric bikes, food, disposables..
No.
Colored labels that won’t come off. Separate the goods and affix colored labels that won’t fall off. If you have your own container, load the first delivery last.
No. A digital copy goes to Kef; no hard copy is needed
The movers are our agents; do not rely on them to receive or give information. Damages, missing items, or any problems–call Kef on the spot.
As few as 3, as many as 6. Usually 4.
Tell us asap in order to avoid delays, damages, + extra costs. Pics + videos!
Sometimes after a day, sometimes after a week or more.
Timing is uncertain, and Kef does not take responsibility for it. Delays and extra charges happen when: Containers are unavailable, waiting to be filled (if shared), or bumped due to overbooking. The vessel is cancelled, closing date is changed, loading/landing is bumped for under-booking/weather/war/strike, documentation is delayed/incorrect, engine breakdowns. The port is backed up. The truck is waiting to be filled (if shared), breaks down, is surprised by a prior difficult delivery. Kef has no responsibility for time or unexpected charges and any associated costs are yours. At pickup and delivery, ask the truckers to call you ½ hour before they will arrive.
When we have final volume, your insurance list, any extra charges including but not limited to those during packing, at port, pickup, delivery, or during trucking. We do our best to let you know of extra charges as soon as we find out about them, but sometimes that is well after when they were incurred.
Only: simple re-assembly of used items, legs on tables, one item on another, doors on cabinets–and only upon request. The service includes 2 beds and one table.
We need scans or good copies and original signatures on clearing documents. There are some situations where you may be called to the customs clearers office to finalize them.
Your bill often notes your shipment’s departure and expected arrival. If you paid on time and taken care of customs well before arrival, we often clear and deliver containers in 1 week. Less than container loads take 2+ weeks.
Payments not received within 2 business days of date due or checks, credit card, or automatic withdrawal payments returned or not honored for any reason may delay goods/services and incur a 5% surcharge (minimum $125) EACH MONTH OF DELAY in addition to fees (i.e. cancelled check ($25), unapproved checking account/credit card ($12), storage, demurrage, other costly delays, holding of the shipment, etc.. Late payments accepted by transfer or direct deposit only.
2-6 months–how long final port documents take.
Wire dollars to a money changer and have them deposit to our account–always faster and cheaper than a bank.
We also give you the option of paying in cash dollars with a premium of 5.5%. That is the actual cost of selling dollars and buying shekels at the steamship transaction rate. Whatever you decide, avoid delays and extra costs such as storage and container rental, by making sure you are paid up before the time comes for clearing your shipment.
$5-8/person/hour Not required and movers cannot request tips. See Preparation at Origin for another tipping system.
Tell Kef 2 weeks before of dates and times you want pick-ups, if you want storage, multiple origins/destinations or deliveries to our warehouse, or any taxable goods.
Make sure what you want shipped is packed and loaded, and what you want not shipped is not packed and shipped. If something is forgotten, you pay to have it picked up, shipped separately, and pay taxes on it. No matter how tired you and the movers are take your time–make sure that everything you want to ship has been taken.
If you are having goods delivered to our warehouse, you must: a. let us know what to expect and when b. for self delivery, arrange a specific time with the warehouse, c. have goods labeled with name and control number, d. supply signed delivery receipts asap to Kef of goods delivered by yourself or your agents (i.e. stores), and e. check that goods appear correctly on the packing list.
A numbered packing list including description of apparent defects in your goods must be made up by the packer/shipper and presented to customs. For goods you pack yourself (PBO=packed by owner) make another detailed, numbered list. Use room codes and numbers (i.e. LR1, for #1 living room box.) Use shippers and your own lists to check inventory when you receive your shipment and, if necessary, to show the insurance company what was shipped.
You must sort, label, and divide the parts of the shipment before the packers arrives. Make labels easily visible with clear markings of destination, and separate packing lists for each destination.
To avoid waiting for pickup, delivery or service agents, ask them to call you ½ hour before they expect to arrive and call from time to time for updates.
Why are some things that don’t seem delicate packed in bubbles or paper? Why are partly or completely empty boxes some filled with paper or bubbles? The packers 1st priority is to get everything delivered without damage. To maximize the use of space, sometimes packers need to create filler or buffer packages to support the load and protect more delicate items. The higher quality the packer, the more apparently wasted space there is.
