Stuttaford Van Lines

I had a small inheritance shipped from Cape Town to Vancouver, and shopped around extensively for the best quote. Stuttafords won the business, and were very efficient in collecting and packing my small shipment, in January 2023. They had advised me that "transit time" could be 3-6 months for smaller shipments, and I went ahead and paid them the full door-to-door costs in advance, as quoted. Four months later, in April, we were advised that there was now enough cargo for a 20-foot container, which should be shipped shortly. Then in July, we were advised that they had now consolidated enough cargo for a 40-foot container, which would significantly improve Stuttafords' profit on the consolidation, and presented with a new invoice for additional costs related to "differences in freight and exchange". It was made clear that this was to be paid, over and above the already-paid quoted amount, if our goods were to be included.
So they effectively collected the goods, delayed shipment in order to maximize their profit, and then charged me again for expenses related to delaying the shipment. This seems to me to be an ethically very questionable practice, and left me with a somewhat bitter taste.
Once again, collection, packaging, (eventual) shipment, and delivery was all performed in a polite and efficient manner. But don't assume that Stuttafords will honour their quote when doing the actual shipment.

My engagement with Stuttaford Van Lines, a company renowned in South Africa for moving services, was a journey of highs and lows. With previous experiences in both international and local relocations, I had certain expectations from them.

Pros:
Punctuality: The team arrived on the dates specified for packing and delivery.
Efficient Initial Packing: The team showed commendable efficiency initially, managing to pack most of my items within a day and a half. This part of the process was handled well, with no damage to the packed items.

Cons:
Customer Service Issues: Interactions with the office staff left much to be desired. Their abruptness and vague commitments were frustrating and unprofessional.
Packing and Loading Challenges: The truck was insufficient for all my furniture, leading to a hurried and careless packing of the remaining items. This rush resulted in damages to nearly all the furniture packed last.
Poor Time Management: The crew's arrival and departure times were inconsistent, affecting the overall packing schedule. Their late arrival and early departure on the first day forced them to extend work hours till after 8 PM the next day, adding unnecessary stress to my house handover and travel plans.
Inadequate Cataloguing: The packing crew's lack of attention to detail in cataloguing and organising the items was evident. They neglected to use the provided house diagram on the boxes and then could not spell all the words, causing disorganisation and confusion when I had to find items again.

Concerning Insurance Handling:
Inadequate Compensation: A particularly disheartening aspect was the company's approach to insurance claims. It seemed as though they expected my move insurance to compensate for their inadequacies. Regardless of the insured value of the damaged items, they only offered a flat rate of R500 per item for damage. This approach felt dismissive and unfair, adding to the overall dissatisfaction with their service.

In summary, while Stuttaford Van Lines displayed competence in certain areas, they fell short in critical aspects like customer service, logistical execution, and post-move support. This inconsistency in service, coupled with a lacklustre approach to insurance claims, made for a stressful and ultimately disappointing moving experience.

Nightmare

Absolute nightmare

Worst experience you could imagine.

My goods were shipped from SA to New Zealand and the container was put on the wrong ship. This resulted in my goods being at sea for double the amount of time it should have been. I received no updates from Stuttaford Van Lines and had to chase after them to find out what was happening. From their consultants all the way through to management all I received was a standard response that they are sorry, but aren't prepared to do anything. Marinda Redpath and Adele Steyn are 2 of those managers who refused to ensure satisfactory customer service was provided. I will never use this company again and I will actively encourage those I know not to use them either.

Amazing experience and friendly patient staff!

I want to write to tell you that I had an amazing experience with Maria Owen at Stuttaford Van Lines. She always went out of her way to accommodate me, and always did it with a positive friendly attitude.

It is very stressful immigrating, so dealing with me was not easy at the best of times, and I went back and forth with changes for over 8 months. But she stayed positive and helpful!

Thank you so much to Stuttaford for having amazing staff like Maria

Stuttaford Van Lines



We got absolutely NO response from your website. Three months after I put all my details in a lady from one company phoned me but by then it was to late we had already found our own movers.
This website was of no use ..
We ended up using Stuttafords who were amazing.