Shipments done by Travellers

Girag are now the only company freighting from Panama to Colombia or Ecuador. Their rate is now $600 + $100 hazardous cargo per bike. The Girag email given in previous HU shipment tales gave no response. Girag only spoke Spanish when we took the horrible trip to the cargo terminal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you take your bike to see Girag carry your documents, you may not get out of the cargo terminal again if you dont!

We decided to pay an extra $450 to use this shipper as they contacted us in English, said they had shipped several motorcycles before, would crate the bikes & seemed very helpful. The price was all inclusive except Quito customs. Once we agreed to use them it got difficult. They were 2.5 hours late taking us to the Panama customs to get our vehicle export paperwork & passport cancellation stamps (you need your passport stamped to allow exit from the country without the vehicle you came in with) leaving only 15 minutes before the office closed.
Then they were 2.5 hours late arriving to crate the bikes (at least they turned up at 8.30pm, we were flying the next morning).
Rene promised to send all shipping & Quito collection info by email. All I got was a mail saying he

My BMW had broken down and nobody I could find could repair it so my trip was cut short in Mumbai. I got Rajendra's details from a local bike dealer and he was well recommended as he imports BMW cars in to India.

The $500 USD included:

* Collection of the bike from my hotel
* Getting Indian customs to add a note in my passport to say the bike has been shipped. They added a note in the passport when I crossed the border.
* Bill of Landing
* Crating the bike
* Shipping to Southampton
* Courier of carnet to UK

The main problem I had was that I trusted them to crate the bike properly - given his recommendation. Unfortunately the bike wasn't strapped down and was on its centre stand with blocks of wood used to stop the bike from moving back and forth. The stand broke through the crate base and the bike fell over causing damage to bodywork. Argh!!!

Apart from that mishap the service was good.

When getting back to the UK I then charged by Surpeme Freight Services.....

* Customs Clearance -

First of all:
Do NOT trust anybody of these guys at the shipping agencies!!!!!!!!!!

We did it with Jeewan Dhakal from Eagle Eyes, after we compared with the other companies around.
And he promised us to put all the 3 bikes on one airwaybill, to get more than 500 kg and the better rate and pay DGR fee only once!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He told us, that he phoned with Thai Airways Cargo and gave us a 100% promise!!!
At the day, we wanted to drive the bikes with all our stuff to the airport, he told us, it is not possible anymore.
We wanted to cancel, so he said I can talk to Thai Airways by myself. I talked to a guy who said: NO!!
But now I believe this guy was not from Thai Airways Cargo.
We drove to the airport and wanted to go to Thai Airways Cargo, but Jeewan said it is not possible.
Eva and Linda took him there and

We shipped two bikes in on crate. Simple, fast, easy. All Cargo took care of everything for us, customs, aduana, Crateing. Wonderful people. We did take the front wheels, fairings, boxes, and so on to make the bikes as small as possible. But $1550 USD for two bikes is pretty cheap. They also gave us the price and stayed with that price. It didnt go up and up and up like so many companies. All taxes and dutys and fees included right from the first quote we got.