Freight consolidation allows us to offer you the best possible prices.
VOOVit.com operate a consolidation service to many international destinations. By operating a consolidation service we are able to offer lower rates because our system is working more efficiently.
The boxes you have packed travel to their destination in a seafreight container.
We pay a fixed price to the ship owner for each container we despatch, this price is the same whether the container is full or not. We base the price you have been quoted on the container being full with the maximum number of boxes possible so as to offer the lowest price per box.
Because you, our customers, don't return boxes to us on a schedule, we are happy for you to take as long as you wish to pack, we have to try to predict when the container is likely to be full. At some times of the year, the busy summer months for example, this is easier to predict and it may only take 2 or 3 weeks for the container to fill up, at other times of the year it can take longer, maybe upto 8 weeks (but no more than 8 weeks, more about that later).
It is a situation that can change quickly. We could tell you that we estimate packing the container in say 3 weeks time and we then get a couple of collection requests for multi-box orders and suddenly we are in a situation where the container is looking full. Equally, a steady flow of boxes being returned can slow down and the packing of the container have to be put back.
We pack the container strictly in order of receipt of boxes in the depot. So if you just missed a container you would be first in the queue for the next one.
Another factor is the nature of the cargo being loaded into the container. While VOOVit boxes are all a standard size and we know exactly how many will fit in a container, we also ship suitcases, customers own boxes, bikes and XL items of all shapes and sizes and this creates another challenge. Packing a container is a little like trying to complete a 3D jig-saw, we have a finite space and know in theory that the cargo should fit, this is why we are so keen to get accurate weights and dimensions off you for your own boxes, the trick then is to get everything in with no, or as small as possible, gaps between boxes so we are using all of the space available.
OK, so now we have a nice full container with lots of boxes in there and everyone get the advantage of lower freight charge; the downside as we have said is the packing in the UK can be upto 8 weeks after your boxes were collected, it can then be another week or so while the container is loaded onto the ship and this is on top of the transit time to your destination.
We recognise that while a lot of people would rather pay the lowest possible rate no one wants a totally unknown arrival date for their stuff, so we make a commitment to pack at least every 8 weeks.
If we go over 8 weeks we will give you back £10 for each week packing is delayed.
Once we have collected your boxes we will do our best to keep you informed of the expected packing date; it could be as little as a week or it could be upto 8 weeks, but each week we will send you an email with the latest information.
Your registration/quotation email will tell you whether your destination is operated as a consolidation service, but if unsure please contact us for clarification.