Glossary

At Windmill Forwarding, we take your move-related worries off of your shoulders as much as we possibly can. However, because we deal with several external parties throughout the entire process, there are a few matters over which we have no control. We believe it is important to offer transparency in this regard. The chance is small, but you may have to deal with unforeseen costs that were not included in your original quote. Below you will find a number of terms that you may have encountered in your quotation, but may not know the meaning of. We are happy to provide some insight.

Every country has its own customs, customs always reserve the right to select any shipment for inspection. This often happens randomly. No matter how big or small, every shipment is eligible for inspection. There are several forms of inspection, the most common being the ‘scan’ and the ‘phyco’, a.k.a. the physical check. All forms of inspections have costs attached, these can vary between €100 and €1,000.

When we book sea freight with a shipping company on your behalf, we rent the container from the shipping company for a certain period of time. This period of time includes: a few days before departure, so that we can load the container, the actual transport and a few days after arrival, so that we can take care of customs clearance and delivery. The number of days varies per destination and per shipping company. If, for whatever reason, the container is used longer than the indicated period, expect additional costs. This falls under demurrage / detention. The costs also vary per destination and shipping company and they often add up quickly. The costs can vary between about €20 and €200 per day. In addition, a container that is in use for a shipment may only remain in the port for a limited period. If this period is exceeded, the port will charge storage costs, these costs also vary per destination. These costs are often slightly lower than the demurrage / detention costs.

When your relocation is recognised by law, you can often move your household effects without having to pay import duties and taxes. This is called an exemption. However, newly purchased goods are always excluded from the exemption. Each country has its own conditions for eligibility for this exemption. If you do not qualify or if you take newly purchased goods with you, you will have to pay import duties and VAT on the items you import. The amount is always based on a percentage of the total value. This percentage differs per destination and the value is always determined by the local customs in your destination country. If you would like more information, we advise you to contact the customs authorities in your country of destination.

When making a quotation, we always assume that both the address of departure and destination are easily accessible by the relevant transport (container truck for sea freight / larger truck for European transport / etc.), unless otherwise specified. Sometimes, it turns out that your address is not easily accessible, for example, when smaller trucks have to be called in to collect your goods for delivery. This is called a ‘shuttle service’. The goods then have to be transferred from the container/car to a smaller car, possibly via a warehouse. These costs vary per situation and volume. If you suspect that your address is difficult to reach, discuss this as soon as possible to avoid surprises later.

Even with the aforementioned shuttle service, we may not be able to get to your door directly. The team will have to walk a longer distance from the car to the address. In our quotation we include a maximum walking distance of 25 metres. We calculate this from the vehicle to your front door, so not only to the entrance of, for example, an apartment complex. It is also possible that during your move our team is dependent on the use of a (small) elevator or (several) stairs in the house or building. These are factors that influence the time and effort required for your move: We may have to take extra time, and therefore costs, into account for your move. It is important to discuss the complete situation of your (new) home with your person of contact, so that we can make the best preparations.

When our movers come to collect or deliver your belongings, they will not have any tools with them. If you have items that require tools to disassemble or assemble, or to attach or detach to the wall or ceiling, we often have to hire a handyman. This is often an external party and additional costs are involved. Make sure to discuss this with your person of contact so that you can be well prepared for this.

In the current global economy, we unfortunately have to deal with fluctuating exchange rates and prices. The dollar-euro ratio often fluctuates, fuel prices are constantly rising and shipping companies can adjust their sea freight rates on a monthly basis. If this occurs, we will inform you, but unfortunately we have to pass on these costs, even if the validity of your quotation has not yet expired.

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