Held for ransom
The only negative experience in our move from the United States to the Netherlands was with Global Moving and Shipping in Rotterdam. We understood that there might be extra costs due to customs and an outside elevator for our 3rd-floor apartment. But extra costs need to be itemized, since they are to be passed on along with reasonable administrative costs (€ 50 in our case). Yet when I asked for copies of the bills that GM&S had paid for an outside elevator (€ 450), a parking permit (€ 300), and a customs inspection (€ 164.41), van Lieshout's explanation was that our "additional charges are based on an average cost throughout Europe." Our concern here is not that we should pay such costs. Instead, it is that we had already paid for door-to-door shipping plus extra costs to the Dutch movers SPECIFIC TO OUR CASE. What we got from GM&S were repeatedly unsubstantiated amounts-to-pay before they would deliver our shipment. All this came across somewhat like a kidnapper holding your goods for ransom. This is no way to do business.
