South Africa Trophy exports

[rprins]

Buyer beware!!

My son finally fulfilled a lifelong dream, hunting a trophy Livingston Eland.

Everything went well until it came to exporting the trophy. We soon realised, EMIAC, reportedly a highly regarded export company, is gouging customers!!

I understand the concept of a business is to make a profit, but charging $790US for transport for a round trip of approximately of approx. 190 miles (300km) to collect the trophy from the taxidermist is ridiculous. Even more shocking was the $5200 (US) (($7500 AU) quote to export the trophy from Johannesburg to Brisbane, Australia( not to the final destination, but only first port of entry). To further add insult to injury, clearance and shipping to the final destination by their Brisbane clearing agent was going to be another $3000 (AU)!

Fortunately, from my personal experience exporting my own trophies a few years ago, I secured the services of another shipping agent. At a total cost of $3200 (AU) (including all customs clearance fees etc.), the same trophy will be shipped from Johannesburg to the final destination, almost 1000km north of Brisbane.

 

[M70375!]

I'm getting so fed up with outrageous prices for taxidermy and all the other related costs to get things home, not to mention the time required. My safari in Mozambique in August , they tell me will take 2 years to get it home, add 12-18 months wait from taxidermist, I will be getting close to 75 then and the way I feel somedays, I could very well be tits up underground by then. So I am thinking more like just leaving many of the trophies I might get in the near future in Africa and not play their game of pay and wait and wait and pay some more. I am thinking I just want to go for the experience and just bring home pictures, or maybe hire my friend Henkie from African Photo Safari to film the hunt instead of all the taxidermy related expenses and headaches. As the years go by I find myself thinking differently about somethings.

 

[Ozishooter]

Buyer beware!!

My son finally fulfilled a lifelong dream, hunting a trophy Livingston Eland.

Everything went well until it came to exporting the trophy. We soon realised, EMIAC, reportedly a highly regarded export company, is gouging customers!!

I understand the concept of a business is to make a profit, but charging $790US for transport for a round trip of approximately of approx. 190 miles (300km) to collect the trophy from the taxidermist is ridiculous. Even more shocking was the $5200 (US) (($7500 AU) quote to export the trophy from Johannesburg to Brisbane, Australia( not to the final destination, but only first port of entry). To further add insult to injury, clearance and shipping to the final destination by their Brisbane clearing agent was going to be another $3000 (AU)!

Fortunately, from my personal experience exporting my own trophies a few years ago, I secured the services of another shipping agent. At a total cost of $3200 (AU) (including all customs clearance fees etc.), the same trophy will be shipped from Johannesburg to the final destination, almost 1000km north of Brisbane.

Hi being from Queensland myself would you mind telling me who you used to ship and clear the trophies
Regards
Chris

 

[BryceM]

I’m in the middle of a shipment at the moment.

Sure is more $$ than it used to be, even when you’re lucky enough to get top-notch service.

 

[Vintageguy]

Less trophies shipped = more actual trips. Running out of places for it anyway.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Steer clear of Rex Forwarders. They really screwed me handling my second shipment. And my taxidermist (Karoo Taxidermy) facilitated it by turning the crate over to them before I/we had an estimate. Once Rex shippers had the stuff in their warehouse, they had me over a barrel. They sent me a demand for $2K or else (which was unspecified). As near as I can tell from invoices finally received in the crate, Rex charged me $2K US to put the stuff in a truck and haul it from their warehouse to the airport.

Shop around. DO NOT accept that the outfitter's chosen taxidermist over there is looking after your best interests. Trophy handling has turned into a multi layered racket. Outfitter sends clients' stuff to a "preferred" taxidermist ... for a kickback. Taxidermist sends the finished stuff to a "preferred" shipper ... also for a kickback. The client is at everyone's mercy every step of the way. I was surprised how many shippers are available in South Africa. So it is possible to shop for rates but beware you will meet resistance (obviously because kickback $$$ are involved).

Start by coming here to find out which taxidermists are shit to deal with. We can help steer to someone with a good reputation. Next, leave very specific instructions on the taxidermy order sheet completed at outfitter before you depart. TAKE A PHOTO OF THE ORDER SHEET OR HAVE OUTFITTER MAKE A PHOTOCOPY FOR YOU. I generally only take skulls. What I do NOT want: 1) NO painting the skulls 2) NO bugs or rotten flesh left in skulls 3) teeth intact - and must be MY animals' teeth [Karoo sent several skulls with what appeared to be cattle teeth, roots sawed off, and glued on haphazardly with big globs of epoxy] 4) and most importantly, specify that you will not be paying the final remittance until AFTER you see photos of finished products (taxidermist TYPICALLY charge half the total price before starting work). That way, if the work is a disaster, you can tell the taxidermist to keep the stuff and you're only out the deposit. No sense in paying shipper, airline, brokers, freight company, etc a small fortune for a crate full of crap you won't put on the wall. Write it off and absorb the loss before it becomes a huge loss. Contact the outfitter and tell us here about your bad experience. That may help others avoid getting screwed.

Also specify ON THE ORDER SHEET that trophies WILL NOT leave the taxidermist until YOU have determined who will ship the stuff. Karoo sent me the bill for balance AFTER the crates went to Rex Forwarder. No photos. I said I needed to see photos. They sent me one picture of the crate with lid off and nothing in view but a bunch of bubble wrap (taken for insurance purposes but I question what use it would have been if a claim had to be made). What can I do but pay them? They won't go get the stuff back from shipper. Pay them and move on ... or else. There was eleven trophies in the crate, including a buffalo skull. What else can I do but pay Rex what they demand. It eventually took a couple months work to sort out Karoo's botched mess before the stuff could be shown in my home (which is also my daughter's taxidermy shop/showroom).

When taxidermist has finished and sent photos and you're satisfied the trophies are worth shipping, ask for crate dimensions and weight. You will need that to shop for a shipper quotes. When the dimensions are received, THEN you pay the balance owing to taxidermist. Not before! Then contact shippers for quotes. You will be surprised how much "adjustment" can be made once the shippers realize you are taking the time to shop for rates.

I'll warn you here and now you will likely meet resistance every step of the way. But lay it all out in writing on the taxidermy order sheet before the stuff leaves the salt shed. Sounds like a huge hassle, right? It is, but neccesary. The screwability factor is even more huge. It's a shame some agency (that also isn't a ripoff) can't handle everything from order sheet at outfitter lodge to delivery at client's door. Too many hands are involved every step of the way. Too many opportunities to bend the client over and stick him where the sun doesn't shine. Once the crate arrives at this side of the pond a whole new set of thieves can get involved: brokers, warehouse, inspections, freight companies. Sadly I have found the brokers to be the worst of the lot up here. But that's a subject for another thread.

 

[rprins]

Hi being from Queensland myself would you mind telling me who you used to ship and clear the trophies
Regards
Chris

Hi Chris,

My son ended up engaging Schmidt Global Relocations & thus far received an excellent service from Stiaan van Zyl.

To reduce shipping costs to a reasonable level, shipping will be via seafreight in a shared container as 'unaccompanied personal goods'. Yes, it will take longer than airfreight, but a few more weeks is not an issue when considering that we delivered the trophy to the taxidermist in early August 2023.

Happy hunting

 

[rprins]

Steer clear of Rex Forwarders. They really screwed me handling my second shipment. And my taxidermist (Karoo Taxidermy) facilitated it by turning the crate over to them before I/we had an estimate. Once Rex shippers had the stuff in their warehouse, they had me over a barrel. They sent me a demand for $2K or else (which was unspecified). As near as I can tell from invoices finally received in the crate, Rex charged me $2K US to put the stuff in a truck and haul it from their warehouse to the airport.

Shop around. DO NOT accept that the outfitter's chosen taxidermist over there is looking after your best interests. Trophy handling has turned into a multi layered racket. Outfitter sends clients' stuff to a "preferred" taxidermist ... for a kickback. Taxidermist sends the finished stuff to a "preferred" shipper ... also for a kickback. The client is at everyone's mercy every step of the way. I was surprised how many shippers are available in South Africa. So it is possible to shop for rates but beware you will meet resistance (obviously because kickback $$$ are involved).

Start by coming here to find out which taxidermists are shit to deal with. We can help steer to someone with a good reputation. Next, leave very specific instructions on the taxidermy order sheet completed at outfitter before you depart. TAKE A PHOTO OF THE ORDER SHEET OR HAVE OUTFITTER MAKE A PHOTOCOPY FOR YOU. I generally only take skulls. What I do NOT want: 1) NO painting the skulls 2) NO bugs or rotten flesh left in skulls 3) teeth intact - and must be MY animals' teeth [Karoo sent several skulls with what appeared to be cattle teeth, roots sawed off, and glued on haphazardly with big globs of epoxy] 4) and most importantly, specify that you will not be paying the final remittance until AFTER you see photos of finished products (taxidermist TYPICALLY charge half the total price before starting work). That way, if the work is a disaster, you can tell the taxidermist to keep the stuff and you're only out the deposit. No sense in paying shipper, airline, brokers, freight company, etc a small fortune for a crate full of crap you won't put on the wall. Write it off and absorb the loss before it becomes a huge loss. Contact the outfitter and tell us here about your bad experience. That may help others avoid getting screwed.

Also specify ON THE ORDER SHEET that trophies WILL NOT leave the taxidermist until YOU have determined who will ship the stuff. Karoo sent me the bill for balance AFTER the crates went to Rex Forwarder. No photos. I said I needed to see photos. They sent me one picture of the crate with lid off and nothing in view but a bunch of bubble wrap (taken for insurance purposes but I question what use it would have been if a claim had to be made). What can I do but pay them? They won't go get the stuff back from shipper. Pay them and move on ... or else. There was eleven trophies in the crate, including a buffalo skull. What else can I do but pay Rex what they demand. It eventually took a couple months work to sort out Karoo's botched mess before the stuff could be shown in my home (which is also my daughter's taxidermy shop/showroom).

When taxidermist has finished and sent photos and you're satisfied the trophies are worth shipping, ask for crate dimensions and weight. You will need that to shop for a shipper quotes. When the dimensions are received, THEN you pay the balance owing to taxidermist. Not before! Then contact shippers for quotes. You will be surprised how much "adjustment" can be made once the shippers realize you are taking the time to shop for rates.

I'll warn you here and now you will likely meet resistance every step of the way. But lay it all out in writing on the taxidermy order sheet before the stuff leaves the salt shed. Sounds like a huge hassle, right? It is, but neccesary. The screwability factor is even more huge. It's a shame some agency (that also isn't a ripoff) can't handle everything from order sheet at outfitter lodge to delivery at client's door. Too many hands are involved every step of the way. Too many opportunities to bend the client over and stick him where the sun doesn't shine. Once the crate arrives at this side of the pond a whole new set of thieves can get involved: brokers, warehouse, inspections, freight companies. Sadly I have found the brokers to be the worst of the lot up here. But that's a subject for another thread.

Unfortunately, many taxidermists are like politicians - promising the golden highway & delivering the goat track!...been there & got the lashes to prove (handed in a Rowland sized Impala & received just another average trophy)

Insofar as kick-backs and not engaging the hunter in the selection of shipping agents our experience is very similar. The taxidermist did not communicate once despite repeated progress follow-ups; they simply handed the trophy to their 'preferred' agent and considers that the end of it. Legally, we could probably fight them as we never entered into any contract with them verbal or otherwise, but the only winners will be the laywers...As you said, once they have your trophy in their possession, you are screwed!!!!

I will encourage every foreign hunter to ensure they are in full control of every step & nothing gets done/shipped/moved without personal approval IN WRITING