Global Ocean Freight
Ripoff, price gouging

In January my husband and I moved to Vienna, Austria.in October we contracted Global Ocean Freight, Inc. (GOF) to handle the transportation of our goods. We scheduled pick up for the middle of December so that our goods would arrive shortly after we did in January. We based this on our conversations with Stephanie at GOF where she stated that transportation would take approximately 4 weeks. We figured it may take 4-6 weeks, but we were ok with that.

Due to the holidays, our belongings did not ship from the US until after January 1st. We were contacted the first week of February to schedule delivery of goods. Everything was delivered in tact and we were very pleased with the whole experience. The price was right for our 240 cu. Ft. Of goods. We liked that once our goods departed the US we were given a tracking number to follow the progress of our goods.

That summer it became clear we needed to go back to the US. Due to our good experience in January, we decided to go with GOF again, and not shop around. We contacted Anna and got the contract started. I was again assured that it takes about 4 weeks, sometimes a little longer. As we were leaving Vienna on August 2, I scheduled the pick up for July 17. We had bought nothing and returned with the same goods. So I based the contract on the same terms our January contract was on (which was 180 cu. Ft.) and knew we would have to pay a little more because we had little more than that. She quoted me $3175 for door to door service, which was about a $1000 higher than January but I understand that traffic is higher into the US than it is out of the US, so I assumed that was why. I was still ok with the price.

When the moving company arrived (a company that GOF contracted in Vienna to pick up our goods, called E. Fall), they labeled our boxes and helped us wrap 5 pieces of furniture in bubble wrap. I was prepared to do it the same way GOF had, wrapped in boxes and shrink wrapped. I had the boxes prepared and asked the pick up guys to help me get the boxes onto the furniture. They instead decided it would be easier to bubble wrap the pieces. I was fine with that.

The rest of the boxes were stacked up in the hallway and they brought everything to the truck and drove off. The whole process took approximately an hour and a half.
On July 25, I was contacted by Stephanie at GOF with the Invoice to be paid. It was $6210.52. This included $1000 for E. Fall to pack our goods and an additional 253.41 cu. Ft. Of space which totaled $2,027.00. Considering that we sent back the same goods we brought over to Vienna, I didn't understand how my volume doubled. And since all E. Fall did was bubble wrap 5 pieces of furniture, I didn't understand how that could cost $1,000.

A few emails were exchanged with Stephanie in which I asked for back up including an invoice billed to E. Fall to find out how much bubble wrap costs them that they have the nerve to charge $1,000 for wrapping 5 pieces. I was never answered.

My husband got involved at this point and Stephanie told him she would "look into it" and that she would have a second measurement taken on our goods once it arrived in the US to reconfirm the volume. My husband paid the invoice in fear that any delay would result in late fees, storage charges or worse, that they would not take proper care of our goods. GOF had us over a barrell and they knew it. The could basically hold our goods hostage and there was nothing we could do. So we paid it and I told my husband I would work to get refunded once we got back into the US.

When we returned we had not heard anything for a few weeks about the status. My husband contacted Stephanie with no response. Finally we got word on September 10th that our goods had left Europe. After being out of our possesion for almost 2 months, it was going to leave for the US. So much for taking 4-6 weeks for delivery.

In my outrage, I contacted Stephanie who told me to contact Sara at customer service. Sara, I would like to add is no service to the customers. As a matter of fact I feel she and her position are completely useless and could probably be eliminated and never missed. I contacted her around September 5th to discuss my issues. 1) Why were my goods not even shipped yet and why is this the first time I am being told this? 2) Why was I not given a tracking number. 3) Why can't I get an answer on the volume? 4) Why can't I get an answer on why E. Fall billed us $1,000 for packing. 5) When can I expect delivery to my home of my goods?

She was very sympathetic and seemed to be taking good notes. She said she wanted to discuss with her supervisor and call me back the next day. I figured maybe give her two days, I may not hear from her until Monday. After 2 weeks, I called her. I asked her why I have to call her back and why I hadn't heard from her. She said she discussed it with her supervisor but then the supervisor left for Europe for a month and she needed to discuss more with her. I was en-raged. I could not beleive that a customers issues could not be resolved before the supervisor left for Europe. And all that was left behind at the office was someone who could not make a decison on her own. I took my frustrations out on Sara who was speechless. She said she would put a call into her supervisor and discuss with her and call me the next day.

A week later I called Sara. Once again I reminded her that I am a paid customer who should not have to keep following up with her. It is her job to finalize all customer service requests and that the next time I had to call her, I was going to have legal counsel contact her instead. I am at this point furious with the fact that I have not gotten one answer for one of my 5 issues. At this point, Sara becomes beligerent with me and tells me I only had 3 issues. I reminded her how I had asked repeatedly for a tracking number. She snapped at me that it is my customer number and I should have already known that. And if I had asked her, she would have told me that three weeks ago. So Sara has now identified herself to me as a liar and a blame shifter. She told me that last month my husband was told that E. Fall claims they packed all of our goods and that was the reason for the additional $1,000. I asked her to forward me the email in which E. Fall claimed this. I have yet to receive that email. If they can produce this email, I will seek legal action on E. Fall. But I don't believe it exists, I beleive they are padding the bill and blaming E. Fall.

She sent me the dimensions that were "confirmed" by the shipping company for our goods, which she claims to be 415.793 cu. Ft, which she added is more than we were billed for. Oh how gracious of you, GOF. At this time I was also informed that I don't even need a tracking number any longer, because my goods arrived five days prior into Charleston, SC.

I asked her to email me everything we had discussed in this conversation along with the email from E. Fall, confirmation of the volume from the shipping line, and the date of delivery to my door.

As per usual Sara, I never recieved anything.

On October 2, my husband and I were out of the house. When we returned at 8pm, we had two messages from Stephanie that they would like to deliver our goods on October 3, And to please confirm. Also there are more charges and we need to have a money order ready for the delivery men. I checked my email to learn that the additional amount is $724.68. It is in one line item for Storage, Exam and THC charges. Furiously I sent her an email demanding her to call me first thing in the morning and explain these charges.

I called her a little after 9 am. I told her if storage was for the 2 months my goods spent in Europe, I would not pay. She said it was for the US, while waiting for customs.in fact, since we didn't reply the day before our new storage charge was $403.27, bringing the total to $841.17. We of course have to pay or they will continue to hold our goods ransom.

October 4, the scheduled day of delivery I was told we would receive our goods in the late morning. At 11:00 am, I called to find out the status. I was told they would contact the van and call me back. I again expressed my dissapointment that I would have to call GOF and not the other way around. At 2:00 pm, I called them back to find out what was happening. I was told they were on their way to pick up my goods at the warehouse and I could expect delivery in about 2 hours. About 2 hours later, the van line called me to say they received a fax from the GOF office an hour ago requesting them to pick up our goods at the warehouse. Another hour later, they called me again to say that GOF hadn't sent the authorization for them to pick up my goods. Finally at 6:00pm, my goods were delivered.in each of the 200 cuft. Containers were lots of empty space and a few "filler boxes". The guy from the van line company agreed that it looked more like 300 cuft. Once in my garage. (Which is closer to the 280 cuft. I had in January).

Company: Global Ocean Freight
Country: USA
State: Florida
City: Plantation
Address: 100 NW 82nd Ave
Phone: 9543701401

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