Q:Made aliya - mover underestimated my lift by the equivalent of another 25 lift. Now stuff in storage over a year and no funds to get it. Although there is a disclaimer in the contract about estimates, this was grossly deceptive.

Any suggestions?

Thanks - Stephen Frist

A: Dear Stephen,

This is a lousy situation and unfortunately getting worse as your storage charges are mounting making it more difficult to pay for and receive your shipment.

But let me first address how to avoid this situation - to help other people prior to their shipping goods.

First, work with a reputable and reliable company - in theory, the estimator with this type of company will do a better job of estimating. A reputable company will never underestimate volume just to get the job.

Second, know the maximum volume of the container you have booked. A 20 foot container will hold about 1050 - 1100 cubic feet. A 40 foot container will hold about 2100 to 2200 cubic feet and a 40 foot high cube will hold about 2450 - 2500 cubic feet.

Third, keep in mind that a volume estimate is indeed that - an estimate. 10% variance from the estimate is still well within the range of "reasonable."

Fourth, if you are near the container's maximum capacity, you should already "mark" some items as second priority to be loaded only if space is available. This way, you will not run into an overflow situation.

Now, back to your situation...I cannot say if this was "grossly deceptive" or not with out seeing your pre-move (visual) survey sheet and comparing it with your actual volume and your packing list. It might be you added some items after the survey or you might have been right on the edge with the maximum amount that would fit in a container.

However, it might also be you were deceived with a price that was too low and an illegitimate shipping company knows they can make up the profit on the overflow. I certainly do not know if this is the case with your shipment or not.

Bottom line though, your storage charges are continuing to grow and you should make every effort to work out a deal with the shipping company to get your goods out of storage by paying what they are charging. If it was not fair, then small claims court is the way to go to get your overpayment back.

I will be happy off line, to discuss this with you and review your documents to see if I can help.

All the best,

Shmuel