Horrific - unresolved lost or stolen boxes after 14 months
The short version: do not use Golden Global Logistics (GGL). Just don’t. Unless you want broken promises, ineptitude, and negligence, not to mention lost and damaged personal effects; don’t.
The long version: as American Expats, we had lived in Muscat, Oman for 15 years. As an international oil family, we have moved approximately 20 times (locally, regionally, and internationally) over the last 35 years. This last packing/storage/ unpacking was one of the most inept, time-consuming, infuriating and soul-destroying series of event to which I’ve been associated. The lowlights:
• Engage GGL to pack up our villa, put our personal effects into climate controlled storage via shipping container, and then ship said container to Eastern Kentucky, USA. I was to await notification of shipment and ETA.
• Spent 7 days with a throng of semi-literate Subcontinental packers. Not one spoke even barely passable English (as I requested) and no GGL supervisor on site, except to show up every other day or so for 5 minutes, cluck a bit and leave. I had to be the supervisor (an obviously unpaid position) and ride herd on these characters as they taped and wrapped, from 08:00 to 23:00 hours.
• Finally, the final bits are packed (there were several larger appliances and items CLEARLY MARKED that did not belong to us (they belonged to the landlord) and were NOT to be packed), and I take my leave to the hotel at 23:45 as our flight is the next day. I gave several pieces of furniture to the packers as I didn’t want them and certainly didn’t want them packed. They stayed until the truck returned and they could trundle their booty back home. PLOT POINT.
• Leave for the US. Take up temporary residence in Baja Wisconsin, USA.
• Wait to hear from GGL about shipment status.
• Repeat 3x.
• Contact GGL, await replies.
• Repeat 3x.
• Finally receive word from GGL asking about fees for storage. Found this rather strange as we were under the impression that when we contracted for packing and shipping; that after the packing, shipping would follow. Evidently GGL operates in a different form of reality.
• Arrange payment, and enquire about transshipment. We were assured that would happen as soon as our funds were received.
• They receive the funds, and nothing happened for 4 months.
• Decide to return to the Sultanate, and contact GGL once again to see status of shipment.
• Shipment was never shipped. It was still nestled in Muscat, supposedly in a climate controlled 40’ container.
• Locate new villa in Muscat and call GGL to return our belongings since they never made the pilgrimage to the US.
• The original contract was for packing and shipping to the US. Said shipping never ensued, and our personal effects were not stored in a container, judging by the filth of each box. So, I would think it would be safe to say they violated the original contract through their own actions. Contract status: GGL null and void. Continuing…
• What was supposed to take 3 days (relocation from GGLs ‘warehouse’ to our new villa) stretched into 2 months. Of 271boxes on the manifest, they returned 263. Seems 8 “were lost” when they moved our belongings (PLOT POINT) without our consent or knowledge; not once, but twice. Contract violation GGL #2.
• Several items CLEARLY MARKED as to not be packed ended up in our shipment. A refrigerator that didn’t belong to us, etc. I paid to store these for 30 months, and it didn’t even belong to us.
• Further, since 8 boxes take up ~5 cubic meters, and they charged us 6 OR/cubic meter; over a span of 30 months, they should refund me 900 OR for the funds we paid for storage of phantom boxes. Not only never happened, but they never would address the issue.
• They claim that the contract states (article 9.2) that they would be responsible for US$100/item for a total of US$1,000 stemming from their negligence (seriously). Unfortunately article 9.2 refers to Commercial Shipments (ours was a personal relocation) and the contract was voided much earlier by their incompetence.
• They lost a box of geological thin sections, and refused to take ownership of their negligence because “they cost too much”. At 100 sections, each averaging US$55 to replace, you do the math.
• Lost 2 Persian/Afghan rugs. Just disappeared. Sent them the receipt for one of the rugs, but “Oh, no. That’s too much”. No reimbursement for replacement costs.
• Lost several tool boxes. Never addressed costs or replacement.
• Lost a Rosewood chest of drawers.
• Glass shelves and a bed were broken somewhere along the line.
• Although I am not finished with GGL, at this point we have to endure a loss of over 3,000 OR, have incurred onerous storage charges for items not climate-controlled containerized (as was the original intent), were moved internally by GGL without our knowledge of consent (again, a contractual violation) or were simply “lost”. Complaints fall on deaf ears, principles in the matter refuse to answer phones or Emailed direct questions and are attempting to hopefully wear us down to the point we just say “The Hell with it!”
Little do they know of my resolve and my mission to warn the rest of Expat World to avoid Golden Global Logistics, Llc.
As I said earlier: don’t. Just don’t.
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