they are almost home

[Ontario Hunter]

I think what was happening in 2021 is freight companies were trying to make up for COVID losses by overcharging. Dumb. Several guys on another thread have said screw it. They may or may not come back to hunt Africa again but no more BS with taxidermists, freight companies, and brokers. I would have told Rex Forwarders they could burn the crate but there was a nice buffalo and gold medal black wildebeest in the lot. Rex knew a $10K buff was in the box so they figured they could demand what they wanted and I would pay to save it. I had no choice ... because Karoo had already let Rex have the stuff BEFORE I even knew the work was done.

I strongly recommend finding a shipper yourself. Get a quote from taxidermist to do the work, pay them when it's done, then get the crate dimensions and weight and go get quotes from shippers. They all have websites and email. Then find a broker on this side (or pick up the trophies yourself). Lots of folks on here have been a big help finding shippers. The more middlemen in the mix, the greater the potential for ripoff ... and screw up. The last two times my shipments were messed up every step of the way: taxidermist, SA shipper, Canadian customs broker, and Canadian trucking company. The level of don't-give-a-shit on every level was astounding. They know the client will put up with it because trophies mean the world to him ... and anyone who hunts Africa is supposed to have money to burn anyway so ... meh.

 

[IronRanger]

Alot of truth above, or that's what I feel.

Now I don't know, or feel my Taxidermist or my shipper are dumping on me, bit I can see the potential for abuse.

We are planing on going back in 2025. maybe 2024. Might bring the lady's and see more of Africa then just hunting ground. But with the high overall cost of trophies into the house, will have to rethink our plan. I'm a miner, my brother a rancher, not exactly money to burn people.

 

[warw]

I think what was happening in 2021 is freight companies were trying to make up for COVID losses by overcharging. Dumb. Several guys on another thread have said screw it. They may or may not come back to hunt Africa again but no more BS with taxidermists, freight companies, and brokers. I would have told Rex Forwarders they could burn the crate but there was a nice buffalo and gold medal black wildebeest in the lot. Rex knew a $10K buff was in the box so they figured they could demand what they wanted and I would pay to save it. I had no choice ... because Karoo had already let Rex have the stuff BEFORE I even knew the work was done.

I strongly recommend finding a shipper yourself. Get a quote from taxidermist to do the work, pay them when it's done, then get the crate dimensions and weight and go get quotes from shippers. They all have websites and email. Then find a broker on this side (or pick up the trophies yourself). Lots of folks on here have been a big help finding shippers. The more middlemen in the mix, the greater the potential for ripoff ... and screw up. The last two times my shipments were messed up every step of the way: taxidermist, SA shipper, Canadian customs broker, and Canadian trucking company. The level of don't-give-a-shit on every level was astounding. They know the client will put up with it because trophies mean the world to him ... and anyone who hunts Africa is supposed to have money to burn anyway so ... meh.

Dear Mr. Ontario Hunter

We are very surprised that you can write an article about Rex Freight Forwarders sixteen months after receiving your trophies, without having approached us, that you have any issues.
If you look at all the emails from the 20th of December 2021 where you were requested to wire transfer, this email had the breakdown of all costs up to Toronto. The taxidermist would of sent you a copy of our estimate prior to handing your crate over to us. An email was sent to you on the 19th of January 2022 confirming receipt of funds. Documents were scanned to your appointed agent on the 24th of January 2022 with notification to you that this was done. According to numerous feedback our communication and service is of a top level. Maybe you can tell us where we can improve and not the world as we have received no communication expressing your disappointment.

For what it's worth, whether you harvested a buffalo or a hyrax, the trophies are handled with the same gentle care.

As a matter of interest, since COVID-19 it is not the freight agents making money, as there is only one airline that will carry hunting trophies to Canada and that is Turkish Airlines.

Regards

Rex Freight Forwarders

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Dear Mr. Ontario Hunter

We are very surprised that you can write an article about Rex Freight Forwarders sixteen months after receiving your trophies, without having approached us, that you have any issues.
If you look at all the emails from the 20th of December 2021 where you were requested to wire transfer, this email had the breakdown of all costs up to Toronto. The taxidermist would of sent you a copy of our estimate prior to handing your crate over to us. An email was sent to you on the 19th of January 2022 confirming receipt of funds. Documents were scanned to your appointed agent on the 24th of January 2022 with notification to you that this was done. According to numerous feedback our communication and service is of a top level. Maybe you can tell us where we can improve and not the world as we have received no communication expressing your disappointment.

For what it's worth, whether you harvested a buffalo or a hyrax, the trophies are handled with the same gentle care.

As a matter of interest, since COVID-19 it is not the freight agents making money, as there is only one airline that will carry hunting trophies to Canada and that is Turkish Airlines.

Regards

Rex Freight Forwarders

The taxidermist sent my trophies to you without receiving a quote from you or informing me that the stuff was coming to you. Had they done so, I would have put a stop to it. The first go around with Rex Forwarders in 2020 was also a disaster, mostly due to lack of communication on your part. The email you refer to specifies that I am to send +$2K to get my trophies shipped. No breakdown. Just send the money. This was an enormous jump from the previous shipment. I contacted my PH who also thought it was outrageous. He spoke to the lodge owner who contacted the taxidermist who allegedly spoke to you. You supposedly reported that the airline shipping rates had jumped x2.5. With no other choice since you had my trophies and would not ship without being paid, I sent the money. You did send an invoice of sorts to the broker ... not to the taxidermist ... not to me. The shipping rate was not fixed until AFTER you had the trophies in your possession, a convenient mistake on the part of the taxidermist ... which I strongly suspect was anything but a mistake. The invoice you sent the broker had no breakdown of anything, just the +$2K itemized in whole as "as agreed." Period. Nothing more. The paperwork from Turkish Airlines sent with the shipment to broker showed the air freight was a little over $800. So, you would have me believe Turkish Airline sent a crate from Port Elizabeth to Toronto in 2020 that was almost exactly the same size and weight containing the same number and kinds of skulls and tanned hides as the 2021 shipment (each contained one buffalo skull, seven plains game skulls, and two tanned hides/capes) for only three hundred dollars and change? In this post you are again blaming Turkish Air for ripping me off. But the invoice you sent my broker (NOT ME) and the air freight invoice indicates Rex Forwarders pocketed $1200. For what? Charges were not itemized, though I'm sure you could have made up some BS if needed. But why bother? Just mark it down "as agreed" ... because I had no choice but to agree ... because you had my trophies. That's the way Rex Forwarders does business.

I think you should have taken your lumps ... with the money ... and kept quiet. I understand that taxidermist is no longer doing business with you. Last I heard they are now shipping their own stuff. I wouldn't know because I'm not doing business with them either (for many other reasons). The taxidermist who has my latest shipment was given specific instructions to steer clear of Rex Forwarders ... who they usually deal with. I explained why and they agreed something smelled very bad about both episodes.

The way I figure it Rex Forwarders owes me about $600. I don't expect I'll ever get reimbursed ... but I will do my best to help others avoid being ripped off.

 

[warw]

The taxidermist sent my trophies to you without receiving a quote from you or informing me that the stuff was coming to you. Had they done so, I would have put a stop to it. The first go around with Rex Forwarders in 2020 was also a disaster, mostly due to lack of communication on your part. The email you refer to specifies that I am to send +$2K to get my trophies shipped. No breakdown. Just send the money. This was an enormous jump from the previous shipment. I contacted my PH who also thought it was outrageous. He spoke to the lodge owner who contacted the taxidermist who allegedly spoke to you. You supposedly reported that the airline shipping rates had jumped x2.5. With no other choice since you had my trophies and would not ship without being paid, I sent the money. You did send an invoice of sorts to the broker ... not to the taxidermist ... not to me. The shipping rate was not fixed until AFTER you had the trophies in your possession, a convenient mistake on the part of the taxidermist ... which I strongly suspect was anything but a mistake. The invoice you sent the broker had no breakdown of anything, just the +$2K itemized in whole as "as agreed." Period. Nothing more. The paperwork from Turkish Airlines sent with the shipment to broker showed the air freight was a little over $800. So, you would have me believe Turkish Airline sent a crate from Port Elizabeth to Toronto in 2020 that was almost exactly the same size and weight containing the same number and kinds of skulls and tanned hides as the 2021 shipment (each contained one buffalo skull, seven plains game skulls, and two tanned hides/capes) for only three hundred dollars and change? In this post you are again blaming Turkish Air for ripping me off. But the invoice you sent my broker (NOT ME) and the air freight invoice indicates Rex Forwarders pocketed $1200. For what? Charges were not itemized, though I'm sure you could have made up some BS if needed. But why bother? Just mark it down "as agreed" ... because I had no choice but to agree ... because you had my trophies. That's the way Rex Forwarders does business.

I think you should have taken your lumps ... with the money ... and kept quiet. I understand that taxidermist is no longer doing business with you. Last I heard they are now shipping their own stuff. I wouldn't know because I'm not doing business with them either (for many other reasons). The taxidermist who has my latest shipment was given specific instructions to steer clear of Rex Forwarders ... who they usually deal with. I explained why and they agreed something smelled very bad about both episodes.

The way I figure it Rex Forwarders owes me about $600. I don't expect I'll ever get reimbursed ... but I will do my best to help others avoid being ripped off.

In the end I believe, unfortunately you seem to be horribly mistaken with your facts. As all costs were sent to you with a breakdown on email. We are more than happy to attach the whole email of correspondence, that went back and forth between you and ourselves as we still have it on file. The figures reflected on Turkish Airlines paperwork are of fictitious values in order to save on duties at clearing ports.

If there anything else, we could help you with to set your facts straight we will be more than happy to assist otherwise we will leave it at that.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

In the end I believe, unfortunately you seem to be horribly mistaken with your facts. As all costs were sent to you with a breakdown on email. We are more than happy to attach the whole email of correspondence, that went back and forth between you and ourselves as we still have it on file. The figures reflected on Turkish Airlines paperwork are of fictitious values in order to save on duties at clearing ports.

If there anything else, we could help you with to set your facts straight we will be more than happy to assist otherwise we will leave it at that.

Do you think we are all stupid on this site? Everyone knows duties at clearing ports are fixed on the VALUE OF GOODS not shipping rates. Turkish Airlines does not declare the value of goods. That paperwork presumably is taken care of by taxidermist before the stuff leaves their shop. Must have been, because they were the ones who took out insurance (insurance photos, such that they were, were the only images taxidermist forwarded to me AFTER they let you have the crate). Turkish Airlines charged +$800 to move the crate from PE to Toronto. It was based on the dimensions of the crate. The freight rate computations are right there on their invoice. Nothing is itemized on your invoice but "as agreed" (should read "as per greed"). I was not provided with an estimate or invoice from you before the shipment went to Turkish Airlines. Do you think I would have agreed to a blank cheque "as agreed" invoice? Those are the facts. And yes, I still have the email from broker with the attached invoice from you and the Turkish Airline freight bill.

I also have my emails to PH re what's going on with these charges. And I have my email from the lodge owner where he states he has been told the increased charges were due to airline jumping their freight rate x2.5. Back then, and still today, you are blaming this on Turkish Airline. They WERE NOT to blame. You pocketed $1,200 to do what? You pocketed $1,200 because ... you could. And you thought there was nothing I could do about it. Guess you were wrong.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

Do you think we are all stupid on this site? Everyone knows duties at clearing ports are fixed on the VALUE OF GOODS not shipping rates. Turkish Airlines does not declare the value of goods. That paperwork presumably is taken care of by taxidermist before the stuff leaves their shop. Must have been, because they were the ones who took out insurance (insurance photos, such that they were, were the only images taxidermist forwarded to me AFTER they let you have the crate). Turkish Airlines charged +$800 to move the crate from PE to Toronto. It was based on the dimensions of the crate. The freight rate computations are right there on their invoice. Nothing is itemized on your invoice but "as agreed" (should read "as per greed"). I was not provided with an estimate or invoice from you before the shipment went to Turkish Airlines. Do you think I would have agreed to a blank cheque "as agreed" invoice? Those are the facts. And yes, I still have the email from broker with the attached invoice from you and the Turkish Airline freight bill.

I also have my emails to PH re what's going on with these charges. And I have my email from the lodge owner where he states he has been told the increased charges were due to airline jumping their freight rate x2.5. Back then, and still today, you are blaming this on Turkish Airline. They WERE NOT to blame. You pocketed $1,200 to do what? You pocketed $1,200 because ... you could. And you thought there was nothing I could do about it. Guess you were wrong.

looks like Rex Freight won't be getting much business

 

[Ontario Hunter]

In the end I believe, unfortunately you seem to be horribly mistaken with your facts. As all costs were sent to you with a breakdown on email. We are more than happy to attach the whole email of correspondence, that went back and forth between you and ourselves as we still have it on file. The figures reflected on Turkish Airlines paperwork are of fictitious values in order to save on duties at clearing ports.

If there anything else, we could help you with to set your facts straight we will be more than happy to assist otherwise we will leave it at that.

To blunt any further attempts by you to baffle the folks on this thread with your fabrications, I'm attaching way bill from Turkish Airlines. 13,054 Rand is today $700.48 US. I also attach confirmation of global money transfer to your bank account in the amount of 31,889 Rand or $1,711 US. All are at today's exchange rates.

 

[R.M.C.]

To blunt any further attempts by you to baffle the folks on this thread with your fabrications, I'm attaching way bill from Turkish Airlines. 13,054 Rand is today $700.48 US. I also attach confirmation of global money transfer to your bank account in the amount of 31,889 Rand or $1,711 US. All are at today's exchange rates.
View attachment 543673
View attachment 543672
View attachment 543675
View attachment 543674

Sorry to hear about your trouble, I'm using Zingela forwarders for my first shipment but I actually tried to contact Rex for a quote because I'd heard good things about them. They never emailed me back.

 

[warw]

Sorry to hear about your trouble, I'm using Zingela forwarders for my first shipment but I actually tried to contact Rex for a quote because I'd heard good things about them. They never emailed me back.

Sorry to hear you never got a reply from us. Please let me know when you sent the email so I can check on this. We try reply to all emails whether it be a quote request or even general information enquiry.

Thank you

 

[R.M.C.]

Sorry to hear you never got a reply from us. Please let me know when you sent the email so I can check on this. We try reply to all emails whether it be a quote request or even general information enquiry.

Thank you

It was just a general information thing, probably a year ago.