Shipping a piano by sea from Los Angeles to Beijing

Client Information: Ms. Li;
Shipping Route: Los Angeles to Beijing;
Service Date: 2018.8.5;
Case Summary: Ms. Li returned to China and shipped a piano from her Los Angeles residence to Beijing, China by sea.

Ms. Li, who lives in Beijing, was assigned by her company to work in Los Angeles, USA a few years ago, and now her term has ended and she is preparing to return home. She sorted through her luggage and personal items—there wasn't much, except for a piano that was rather large. It was a gift from a friend in the US, so she wanted to entrust a shipping company to transport the piano back to Beijing.

Introduced by a Chinese friend, Ms. Li contacted Seapoe Relo and explained her request: she needed to ship a piano. Seapoe staff asked about the type of piano and learned it was a bedroom grand piano, which is relatively heavy and bulky. Considering the customs duties incurred upon entry into China, the cost would be high, so they suggested Ms. Li consider whether she really wanted to ship it back. Ms. Li was reluctant to part with her friend's gift and, after much deliberation, decided to bring it back to China. Seapoe Relo's customer service staff prepared a quote based on the information Ms. Li provided, and the price was within her budget, so she signed the shipping contract on the spot.

On the agreed date, Seapoe Relo arranged for staff to collect the goods. Because the piano is a valuable item, they were especially careful during packing and handling. The packing workers first opened the piano lid, secured the keys inside, and placed a professional foam strip under the hammers to prevent them from breaking. Then they wrapped it layer upon layer with shock-absorbing foam film and pearl cotton provided by Seapoe Relo to prevent the piano surface from being scratched by friction with other items during handling. Finally, the packed piano was sent to Seapoe Relo's warehouse in the US, where it was packed and reinforced again to prevent damage. In about a month, Ms. Li would be able to receive the piano intact at her home in Beijing.