Never Trust Leader Relocations Service for an International Move from Dubai

Leader Relocations (Leader Pack) Review

So this is how you feel when your relocation services company messes up.

Photo by carvalho on Flickr

I had booked Leaders relocations to transport our personal goods from Dubai to Sydney in June 2015.

Several delays, loss of goods, and broken items may be a regular story for many international shipping companies. However, I was amazed to find that this shipping company has no control of the carton's when they are up for inspection at the custom's authority and if a box is lost, these people just put their hand's up saying what can we do. 

Here is the story

After several follow ups with the company on the delay of the shipment, I came to know that the ship had sailed few weeks later than the due date (June 2015), however we were never informed about the delay. The ship arrived later than the scheduled time as there was some delay while transiting.

We got all our goods in Sep 2015 except 1 carton which had 2 ovens and a quilt and some misc items

After investigation by the Leaders Team and their partners in Sydney it was found that the carton was never loaded from Dubai itself and was lost somewhere. The insurance company had rejected my claim as it is not more than the min fee of USD 250.

I had several exchanges with the company and below is a response from a senior consultant for the missing box: - 

Leaders Relocation's Dubai based consultant responded - "In regards to loading and shipping of your shipment/ packages, I am not sure how you came across the information that it was not loaded at our end. I am attaching the loading sheet from the day of loading in the container which clearly outlines what was loaded. However in regards to the box going missing, there are multiple places that container examination takes place where a box can be easily misplaced - During UAE Customs Exam, Australia Port Customs Exam and during the AQIS exam at the Australian Warehouse. There is no way of knowing where the box could have gone missing to be honest."

So if there is no way the company can know where the box is why are they in the business of movers and removals?

My response was as follows, "I had trusted Leaders Relocation company to carry our goods and deliver them. If the goods are held in customs does your contract say that you won't be responsible to locate them? The agent here in Australia informed me that they never got that box and it may have never reached Australia. Insurance is just an easy way for Leaders to shift responsibility to the customer. I agree that your compensation  is so low that it would not even buy a one time meal"

The Leaders Relocation person comes back with the most weird answer: - 

In regards to customs, it’s a bonded facility and our employees are not allowed inside Dubai Customs facility once we drop off the container for shipping. This is where the inspection takes place and at random packages can be removed and x-rayed and later stuffed back in the container. It’s possible that the box went missing here but by the time we get notification, 1-2 months have passed and it’s impossible to recover the item from customs as we have no influence there. It’s also possible that the box went missing at Australia Customs/ AQIS Exam. There is simply no way of knowing to be honest."

So there was no moral obligation of the company to compensate us, however they were happy to take the money upfront from us. 

I would never recommend such a company who doesn't own the problem and keep shifting it on other authorities.

Have you had a terrible experience with a mover, please feel free to comment.