SDC International Shipping

I hired this company in January 2025 to pack and move my items from California to Canada. The initial quote was $4280 for 300 cf.

When movers arrived on March 31, 2025, we went over what was to be packed and shipped. Throughout the process from 8 am - 5 pm, the lead mover contacted the company to say the items have exceeded the 300 cf. They continued packing but DID NOT tell me. It ended up being 500 cf.

Once my items were sent to the warehouse, I received a call saying that my initial quote of $4280 is now $9,000.

This is where all communication went downhill. It was suggested that I could remove items from the truck. I provided them with a list of what to remove. Apparently, they don’t know how to read. I discovered they were removing items that were not on my list. I phoned the company and they contacted the warehouse personnel telling them to put the boxes that were mistakenly taken off the truck and put back on the truck. I, myself, phoned the warehouse and spoke with one of the personnel expressing my concerns. His reply to me was, “it’s my fault that this move has become a nightmare because I refuse to pay the $9,000.”

I also instructed the mover to leave the contents which was in an 8 drawer dresser. He said he would. He did not! I found out once I received the delivery in Canada. Items were stolen. Vintage hair jewelry, 2 oz silver bar, my late mother’s one carat diamond ring!

This company in my opinion are thieves. They waited for me to be in Canada before the feuding began.

I lost valuable heirloom pieces which can never be replaced.

This whole scenario could have been avoided if the movers had told me the items exceeded the initial quote. Instead, they remained silent and kept packing. Great profit for the company because now they can hold your items hostage until you pay up!

DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY!

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $5125

Kifr Cohen’s online catch phrase is, “Moving beyond expectations”. We believe a more appropriate catch phrase for SDC International Shipping would be, “Moving that is below the lowest of all reasonable expectations…..” There were so many problems with SDC, I am having to edit-out 6 pages of that which I originally wrote in this narrative fit within the character limit imposed by this Review Site.

Very briefly: We moved a handful of furniture items, boxes of common household good items, and an All-Terrain Vehicle from Tucson, AZ to Ambergris Caye, Belize. SDC charged us $27,423.00 plus $1,345.51 for full-value insurance ($28,768.51 TOTAL ).

(1) On the day our shipment was loaded into the shipping container, one of SDC’s “international packing experts” showed up “tweaking” on some type of chemical stimulant. Among other issues, this day worker: (A) Was initially aggressively confrontational with me; (B) Got into a confrontation that almost became physical with one of my neighbors who is a Law Enforcement Officer; (C) Dropped 4 large plastic shipping containers off his hand truck to the ground more than half way up the shipping container loading ramp; and (D) Walked on the face of a large, packed, glass front, picture box he had laid flat on the ground.

(2) Hours after our household goods and vehicle had been loaded and taken away, SDC International asked us to “certify” statements that were substantially different than the vehicle pre-loading instructions we had been given by SDC weeks earlier.

(3) The individual SDC International Shipping chose to act as our Customs Broker was not familiar with the proper procedure for obtaining the required Duty Exemption Forms, nor did the individual know he needed written authorization from us to act as our Customs Broker.

(4) The Broker insisted we would incur additional storage and demurrage fees if we did not accept delivery of our shipment and return the empty shipping container on 18 July 2024. This turned-out to be a lie. (See #8 below.)

(5) On the morning of Thursday, 18 July 2024, a flatbed trailer carrying our shipping container was disconnected and dropped-off across the street from our housing area. There were no locks or other device(s) securing the shipping container doors.

(6) When it came time to unload our shipment, 20 of SDC’s “international packing experts” (actually 20 untrained construction workers and a supervisor from a construction project next door) came to unload our belongings. Their method of transporting our belongings the distance from where the shipping container was left to our home, was in multiple dirt and dried cement-caked construction wheel barrows (pictures attached). No ramps or other appropriate tools were brought to unload and transport our household goods or to off-load our ATV.

(7) Despite our contract with SDC stating the delivery personnel would remove and take away the paper and cardboard packing materials used, we were denied that service and told, “We don’t do that”.

(8) The empty shipping container sat across the street from our housing area all day Friday, 19 July 2024 and was not taken away until sometime Saturday afternoon, 20 July 2024.

(9) Broker returned to us the completed Customs Documents we needed to license and register our ATV via air courier, COD. Well-over $27,000.00 we paid for this relatively straight-forward overseas shipment and the Broker returned the final documents we needed COD.

(10) We sustained an estimated loss of approximately $4,895.00 due to damages that probably would never have occurred had the proper tools, equipment, and appropriate personnel been available and utilized at both ends of our move.

SDC told us they would review our complaint and get back to us in an attempt to make our experience with SDC “right”. We have heard nothing. Given no other options for closure, we decided to try to forewarn others by posting this negative review on the quality of SDC’s “premium services”.

In reviewing other critical reviews written for SDC on various International Moving Review Sites, SDC’s owner concerns himself with threatening his unhappy customers with legal action for “slander” and is prone to trying to publicly discredit his unhappy customers by playing the “race card”. We find such behavior to be a disturbingly desperate basis for a business model.

Should consumers paying premium prices for “premium services” take a chance on an organization that provides inferior service, public veiled threats of retribution, and personal insults of racism? We certainly do not think so.

THE BOTTOM LINE: At this point, we would not entrust SDC International Shipping to carry our trash bin to the curb on trash day. We seriously doubt they could get the job done properly at any price.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $28769

We used SDC International to ship a partial container of our household goods from Los Angeles to Paris in July 2023. Not only was the delivery made within the time frame promised, but everything was in great shape. Some things even better wrapped than when they were picked up.

We particularly appreciated SDC working with us to ensure that we took full advantage of the volume we’d paid for. The movers on the front end and the delivery side were fantastic, and the delivery crew in Paris told us that the delivery made it to our door in record time, based on their experience working with many companies.

Will definitely be using SDC International on our return move.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $4200

SDC International Shipping
14558 Raymer Street Van Nuys California 91405
818-649-7050

My move was from Los Angeles to Montreal between February to April 2019. I had a small move with 6 pieces of furniture, a computer, and rest of the boxes were clothes, books, kitchenware, and other small household goods. I packed all my small items and SDC packed my computer and my furniture. My computer came broken and they lost 3 out of the 6 items of furniture I had in my move. Some of the boxes I packed had holes in them and were ripped in some areas. And after scores of emails back and forth and terrible customer service they refused to negotiate any further and offered nothing for the items they have broken and lost. I would not recommend this company to anyone and I highly regret choosing them for my move.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3064

Hi, I hired SDC for a movement from Michigan to Toluca, Mexico on July the 27th, and I received my stuff until November, yes,4 months after, the truck driver had not a crew to help him with the maneuvers. I received my ítems, some broken, some stuff lost, too many boxes rippen, with holes, broken mirror.My damages were around 1200 dollars of more, and I only received 500 some reimbursed.
The company told me the mexican party said it was its fault.
I do not recomend this company, because I hired them to make my movement, I did not choose the mexican party, any way it´s May 27th now and I am closing this matter even that I have an ítem to come but I don´t want to wait more time.
Thanks to Limor for all her efforts and kindness.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7580

Absolutely stellar customer service and execution from SDC International Shipping. I had no idea what I was in for when opting into an overseas shipping service, but it was absolutely necessary when uprooting my life to Australia.

My things were mostly family heirlooms and inheritance, so they were extremely important to me. Within a few weeks, everything was safely transported overseas to my new home in Australia. I can’t thank them enough for how well coordinated this experience was. Thank you again!

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9200

Lost or Stolen

We had our household sent from SF to NZ. Customer serve was great however when we unpacked our possessions many high value items were missing. Antique Tea cups, very high end kitchenware, crystalware. The box count matched at both ends (only 38 boxes) however things were missing. SDC said the shippers had repacked some items, however lots of high value things went missing..when I reached out to the representative, Emily Potter of SDC she said she had contacted SDC's subcontractors and they item could not be found. I guess there is a loss of accountability when so many party's are involved. I'm guessing we lost about $2000 of goods, without a trace.

Many of these items are not replaceable (inherited) so no amount of insurance would have helped.

I would definitely recommend NOT using SDC as there appears to be little or no accountability and I now do not feel they are trustworthy.

Unfortunately, for both SDC and US, the moment of truth is when you unpack everything at which point there is no comeback.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500