I'm going to try my best to paint this very dismal picture in as few words but as thoroughly as possible...
1. Shipped a container of mechanic tools/truck/bike/household items from Canada to Grand Cayman via Intraglobe for a work opportunity.
2. Upon its arrival in April, work permit issue arises and container needs to be sent back, unopened. Naturally, same company is contacted for the job, and it's stated that it's urgent to avoid incurring duty and storage fees.
3. A week goes by, no news or solid feedback from Intraglobe, charges and fees are already in the $1000's CAD. A local shipping company is contacted to have the container moved off island ASAP to avoid further financial penalty.
4. Intraglobe reprimands me for getting a second shipping line involved (strange, since Intraglobe hadn't seemed to be involved in my URGENT matter).
5. With mostly MY legwork, phone calls, and email corresondence, I manage to transfer the container from the local company to Intraglobe's possession. Throughout this ordeal it seems as though Intraglobe had no concept or ability to communicate with another international shipping company.
6. At this point, (first week of May) container is enroute to Canada. For the next 10 weeks I receive no updates, information, quotes, or assistance from Intraglobe unless I persisted with phone calls and emails.
7. I was routinely promised delivery and shipping dates that were not adhered to; eventually requested that my agent stopping promising things he cannot deliver.
8. Without my tracking number I would never have known of the delays in ports that my container experienced. I forced my agent to contact the partner shipping company while I remained on the line to ensure that things were being taken care of and handled efficiently.
9. The only diligence Intraglobe exhibited was in receiving their payment, which they were hassling me for before they could even guarantee a date my container would safely arrive in Canada.
10. I paid a deposit of $3000 CAD while the container was in transit, and promised to pay the remainder when I received the container, to which there was no objection.
11. Fast forward to the day of retrieval. Drive an hour and half to Calgary where container is unloaded, and have all paperwork and documentation completed by 9:30am. Container was not picked up until 6PM! The icing on the cake? A phone call from their accounts receivable department in Montreal at 5PM, stating that because they hadn't received payment in full before the end of the business day, the container would not be released.
12. WHY, if payment in full is a condition of the container's release, is that not mentioned to me BEFORE the end of the business day, when I have little to no hope of arranging funds via a bank?! I was luckily able to pay the balance in cash and take my belongings.
13. Upon closing the deal, I had of course expressed my discontent with the owner/director Jaques, to which he snidely responded to my email with "tell me what the problems were in 3 lines or less".
Moral(s) of the story:
-Intraglobe has only their bottom line at heart, not your interests.
-I now know how to ship goods across the world thanks to their incompetence.
-I will likely never ship anything anywhere again thanks to the nightmare Intraglobe created.
-NEVER trust that people are going to be as thorough and capable at their jobs as you are at yours.
I would like to see this company disbanded and from the other reviews I've seen, they won't be missed.