The rating which is being provided is done with mixed feelings sort of. Although the review is being written in November, 2019, the comments relate to a shipment which occurred in December, 2018 (practically one year ago).
Here's the backstory......my husband and I generally ship barrels and boxes (etc.) at least 1x per year. We learned the hard way that when shipping items, if it's two persons going down, both persons names MUST HAVE a Bill of Lading on their own, ie. listing their own name (although two names can be listed on the BOL itself).
Now, Feurtado is about the third (3rd) shipping company we've dealt with in the 10+ years we've been shipping items to Jamaica. Everyone reading this is smart enough to know that you'll have to pay Feurtado their fees here in the U.S. to get your items from point A to point B (which is Jamaica, West Indies). To the best of our knowledge, at this point in time, they (Feurtado) are still the only shipping company in the NYC area that offers the so-called One Stop Clearance in Kingston, Jamaica, which means you go to one location and you complete the entire process (which is about three distinct steps). Mark you, you'll still have another two monies to fork over (ie. pay - "cha-ching"); first to the receiving shipping company in Jamaica (Feurtado) which is for weight, storage, etc. etc. (I imagine) once your items are off-loaded from the container in Jamaica and brought to their facility; and another money to pay to Customs itself once they "dig up" your barrels and boxes, etc. to determine / assess the "value" of what items you've sent out.
Unless things have since changed, the other shipping companies (and there are many out there), you'll have to go to their location at the Kingston Wharf and it's a back-and-forth thing to go to more than one location to pay for this-that-and the other.
Don't get it twisted.....it's still a time consuming process nonetheless, but with the One-Stop Clearance, you don't necessarily have to be back and forth, up and down, etc.
Here's where my complaint comes in......in previous years, prior to December 2018, my husband and I both have our names on the Bill of Lading. When we're clearing Customs at the airport, we indicate that we have "unaccompanied bags with us" (ie. we've shipped items). There is a $500.00 duty free allowance per person, which means that in total, the both of us have previously had $1,000.00 duty free allowance for the two of us. Much to our chagrin, when we went to collect our items in January, 2019, we learned that in December 2018, (just before the holidays), that in order for us EACH to receive the $500.00 duty allowance per person, we both needed to essentially divide our shipment so that a SEPARATE Bill of Lading is produced: - - one (#1) in his name, and another one (#2), in my name. This information was not conveyed to us by Feurtado Shipping here in New York when we arranged for a pick-up from them in late November 2018, and as a consequence, because we had one Bill of Lading in my husband's name only, we were only allowed a $500.00 duty free allowance, PERIOD...end of story.
For example, previously we'd shipped as John Doe (primary name); Elsa Doe (secondary name); 123 Barber Street, Tinseltown, Jamaica, West Indies and received $1,000.00 duty allowance. This set up DOES NOT WORK any longer.
This is the new drill as of December, 2018:
Bill of Lading #1 -- lists John Doe (primary name); Elsa Doe (2nd name); 123 Barber Street, Tinseltown, Jamaica, West Indies. John Doe will receive a $500.00 duty free allowance.
Bill of Lading #2 -- lists Elsa Doe (primary name); John Doe (2nd name); 123 Barber Street, Tinseltown, Jamaica, West Indies.
IMPORTANT: In order for Elsa Doe to get her $500.00 duty free allowance, she MUST have her own separate Bill of Lading from the shipping company.
FYI: The purpose of two names being on each Bill of Lading and on all items shipped is so that either John or Elsa can "clear" these items.
Also for those who are not aware: The paper YELLOW form which you used to get when you're clearing Customs at the airport for all of the unaccompanied items (ie. items shipped), that you'd typically provide to the shipping company when you go to clear / collect your items, this paper form DOES NOT exist anymore. It's computerized now.
To reiterate, when you're clearing Customs at the airport, if there is more than one of you traveling together, you'd will need to make sure that you indicate to the Customs agent that you have shipped items separately and that you each one have their own DISTINCT Bill of Lading and make sure to stress that, so that you're not surprised to find out when you go to clear your goods that you're not getting "shorted" your duty free allowance which each one is entitled to receive when you set it up correctly. This information was re-verified on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, directly which Jamaica Customs Agency 876.922.5140. read more