 
Household InstructionsAt least two weeks before pickup notify Kef of: Addresses, dates, and times of day you want pickups. Description and quantity of goods that: 1. Need professional packing (furniture, dishes...) 2. You will pack yourselves how many boxes to drop off. 3. Require special packing or crating. 4. You want to store in Israel and list of goods to be delivered. 5. You are delivering or mailing to the shipper. 6. May need certificates of origin. Visual Surveys With the exception of the New York City area and remote regions, visual surveys are nearly always done. In NYC and remote regions, visual surveys are usually only done when the shipment is approximated to be more than 400 cubic feet. You should insist on signing and getting a copy of the visual survey, after you have checked it to insure that it includes everything you wish to ship. It is not uncommon for people to change their minds after the survey and ship significantly more or less than what they showed the surveyor. Since price estimates and contracts are usually written based on the survey, it is important to use the estimate—and changes from the estimate-- as an indication of what the final bill will be. The accuracy of a volume estimate Though the visual survey estimator can often give an accurate estimate of the volume of the items shown, it is not unheard of-because of inaccuracies, forgotten items, or the way objects are packed or fit together in packing-for an estimate to be off in either direction by 20% or more. The same applies to estimates done by spreadsheets, computerized or internet based volume estimators, or volume estimates done on the phone or by email—can vary even more from the final volume. PACKING LISTS A numbered packing list including description of apparent defects in your goods must be made up by the packer/shipper and presented to customs. It is not enough to make your own list. For goods you pack yourself (PBO=Packed By Owner) you must make another detailed, numbered list. We recommend using room codes and numbers, such as LR1 for the first living room box. Use both the shippers and your own lists to check inventory upon delivery and to prove to the insurance company that everything was shipped. With a large shipment it is nearly impossible to take an inventory as the goods come off the truck. SHIPPING INSURANCE Note on pricing: Shipping insurance is sold as a percentage of insurance value and rates may vary depending on the deductible chosen. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the cost of insurance before you have made a valued inventory. Note on the math: 2% means $20 for each $1,000 insured. Valued inventory. Before goods are picked up, your insurer needs a detailed list of all your goods with USA and Israel replacement values. Israel values are usually 3.5 x USA value for electrical goods, 2.5 times for household goods, and 1.5 times for collectibles. If you insure for less than full value you will be underpaid for any claim, proportionally. Packing and storage lists. Make separate lists if part of your goods are to be stored and the other part delivered. To assure insurance coverage of surface damage and denting of used items take pictures and make sure the packer records any scratches or other damage on the packing list. Boxes you pack yourself. These are listed by the shipper as PBO packed by owner. They are covered for loss and theft only and only if you submit to the insurer a detailed, complete list of contents before pickup. PBO's are not covered for breakage, chipping, scratching, denting, staining, tearing, or surface marring. If goods were recently packed by professionals then present to Kef, before pickup, the invoice of packing. Otherwise be sure to UNSEAL the boxes and make sure the packers inspect and repack as necessary. There could be extra charges associated with unpacking in order to repack. Valuables. For silver, gold, antique, rugs, furs or art objects insured for more than $500 per item, the Importer must submit to KEF a third party evaluation: an assessment, invoice, or home insurance before pickup. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE DONE IN ADVANCE, BOTH TO FULFILL THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR MARINE INSURANCE POLICY AND SO WE CAN BE AWARE OF ANY SPECIAL PACKING NEEDS. It is very worthwhile to take pictures and verbally describe the condition of furniture and items of special value. Extensions. You are covered 60 days at the shipper’s warehouse in North America and 60 days in Israel. To extend in either case, the Importer must give notice and pay for the extension before the expiry date. The cost of extension is $2 per $1,000 per month. Neither the insurance company nor KEF has responsibility to extend without your timely request and payment. Signing the release. If the container seal is broken or any box or crate are open when you first see them, or if there is any sign of damage, write it on the delivery receipt. If the trucker does not have a receipt, make one up and keep a copy for yourself. Be as detailed as possible. In any case, write, "Contents uninspected." It is technically impossible to claim loss if the shipment arrives perfectly intact and you make no mention of shortage on the delivery receipt. You must check the pieces arriving against the packing list and record the results of your check on the receipt. The claims process. If goods are damaged or missing, save the evidence the packing and the broken items. Officially you have 3 days to register a claim for loss and 45 days for damage. Then you have another 45 days to submit all the supporting documents. To begin the claims process, call and follow up with a letter to the insurance company, the shippers, and the truckers. Your original certificate of insurance includes a claim form which you must fill out in detail and return with the original first page of the policy, customs form, subrogation form, packing list, and copies of the letters to the carriers. There will be no surveyor for damages less than $5,000, but you do need to supply local repair/replacement estimates from reliable local suppliers. If damage does exceed $5,000, the insurance company will call the surveyor. Damaged goods-even broken glass-and packing materials which contained damaged or missing goods must be kept until the surveyor comes. STORAGE If you need storage in the US, negotiate this well in advance. If you are an oleh/ah shipping less than a full container (skids or lift vans), you are entitled to one month free at the port in Israel after which you pay 50% of the going rate. The discount rate is $1/day/metric ton (2,200 lbs.) + VAT or part thereof. Full containers must be cleared and delivered within 4 days to avoid high storage and rental fees, (~$20/day for 20 footer, double for 40 footer). If you have your container emptied out at port ($0.24/cubic foot +$50+ vat on both), or if you have less than a full container (lift vans or skids) you can leave your goods for several months at the subsidized rate of $1 +vat/day/2200 lbs. AUTHORITY TO SHIP If a relative or friend of yours gives instructions to our shipper to go ahead and ship, KEF cannot be responsible to verify that everything that was supposed to be is actually in the shipment. Customs Clearing Procedures for Olim. Documents for Olim. Returning resident. Procedures for Olim. As soon as possible after entering the country, go to the Ministry of the Interior to get your teudat zahoot or at least to register as an Israeli. Though the word is that they may not have your information for a couple of days after you’ve arrived, we know people who’ve gone the day after arriving and received the receipt. After getting the Teudat Zahoot or the receipt, go to Customs, (Mimi Shiriki, 66 Canfei Nesharim, Givat Shaul, 654-55-55 ext 2 then (ext 4) then ext 1). For Tel Aviv, 42 Yefet, Yaffo. 03-512-0777. Haifa, Rechov Haatzmaoot 1, 04-835-4863. Be’er Sheva, 08-629-3386. Open Sun – Thurs 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Bring Teudat Zahoot, passports, teudat oleh, and housing contract. Get them inscribed in the customs computer. Then bring or fax Kef photocopies of the picture pages of passports and teudat oleh, the visa page of the passports, and your housing contract. Also fax back signed power of attorney and lists for customs. Documents. If you don't have these documents ready and presented to KEF in time—preferably well before your shipment arrives—you may incur storage and container rental charges. See the attached chart of "not includeds". * Teudat Oleh. Photocopy of Immigrant Visa. Extensions are almost always written on a separate piece of paper. Make sure you have a customs extension, not only a Misrad Klita extension. Teudat Tipul is needed, if you lost your Teudat Oleh. * Passports. Original passports of both spouses – origin country and Israeli. Be sure “ashrat oleh” is stamped inside origin country passports. * List of contents. A detailed list of contents including origin country values and whether new or used. For new electrical items, supply invoices. * Housing Contract. Rental or purchase agreement or a statement from your Merkaz Klita. The meterage determines the amount of carpeting and household goods you can import. If you have a room mate, bring a separate contract or proof that the apartment does not come with any of the major appliances you are importing. * Status of Spouse. If your spouse is Israeli or once had tax exempt status, you need a photocopy of page one of their Teudat Zehut and a letter from them stating when or if they used tax free privileges. If your spouse is out of the country, you may need a notarized statement of their status from the consulate or a lawyer of their status. If divorced or widowed after you acquired tax-free status, a copy of the appropriate documentation. Returning resident. You must have your passport stamped by your local Meches office before attempting to clear your shipment. We need a photocopy of the first page including the picture and any page where the stamp of customs appears. If you are married, then a copy of the page signed by customs saying, “See the passport of the spouse.” Customs Inspection For a spot-check or when documents are not in order, Customs inspects all or part of a shipment. At the airport, such inspections are frequent. At the seaports, the odds are 1 in 15. Usually new immigrants’ shipments are inspected superficially-a few items are unpacked, checked against your lists, and repacked. Trust our Customs clearer to represent you. He will charge $.35 per cubic foot for an all-out inspection, and $125- $150 for a superficial one, depending on the size of the shipment. A Customs clearer experienced in new immigrant rights is worth every penny. He can anticipate problems before presenting your file to Customs, and her knowledge and finesse can work wonders. Air shipments are nearly always inspected.  [ PREVIOUS (Pickup&Packing) ] [ NEXT (Freight) ] 
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