Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd Reviews 

122
•
TrustScore 3 out of 5

2.8

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

You don't deserved even 1 star.. you charge astronomical price . Then despite having been paid and confirming receipt of the payment, you tell me on the day after when the item is being collected,... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Managed to get 25cbm ex US here a week earlier than expected & deliver within 48 hours of arrival of vessel Client was over the moon Great service from Sarah/Linh/Karthik on USA import trade... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lynsey and team are always very quick to reply to export rate requests often giving a couple of options with different transit times. Rates are usually extremely competitive and sometimes very much so... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Cardinal Maritime, Manchester have dealt with my imports with greater care and attention than I have received with many other shipping agents prior to using them. They have even managed to push throu... See more

Company replied

Company details

  1. Logistics Service

Written by the company

A member of the Cardinal Partnership, the world's largest employee-owned logistics business. Leaders in logistics, investors in people. Our aim is to improve the lives of those we work with, the world over. It’s not enough to be agile. That’s why we leverage our international infrastructure to empower importers, exporters and everyone in between. With headquarters in the UK and 40 offices around the globe, our clients have greater visibility, control and confidence in their supply chain. We know a better way, the Cardinal way.


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2.8

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

122 reviews

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2.8

All reviews

(122)

1 review in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Always really speedy in getting back…

Always really speedy in getting back with quotes which is really important in our line of work. I deal with Scott.M who is always happy to help me out and gets back to my emails quickly too!

September 8, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

scam !!

Avoid them. Very bad attitude. They try to force you to pay the rent at the port. I paid on time and then they make every thing delayed at the point they sent me an invoice for the time they keep the marchandise!!!
I sent the money on Thursday, the persons not working on Friday and week end so they try to force me to pay that rent. I asked them the screen shot of there bank account to see what day they get the money but they don’t want to show it.

March 12, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Moved from USA to UK

Moved from USA to UK
Cardinal Maritime where appointed our broker.

All we can say is fantastic.
From politeness on the phone
too clearing customs
down to the delivery.

Highly highly recommend

Thank You

December 17, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the staff at Cardinal Maritime

Cardinal Maritime handled the delivery of my personal goods from the USA. I received timely notification prior to my LCL crate arriving, and updated information once the goods were unloaded and processed. My queries regarding the type of truck/liftgate were handled promptly and courteously both by email and by phone. The delivery driver was very helpful and arrived earlier than expected. I am very happy with the service. Thank you.

December 7, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

An absolute shocker of a company

An absolute shocker of a company. Their paperwork is not clear and a minefield for new importers or trusting individuals. My advice is to stay well away from this company and find another handler to deal with your imported goods.

November 4, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Use someone else to ship

An unhelpful , uninterested bunch of unmotivated staff .. what a shambles !

September 2, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Sirs,
I'm very sorry to see your review on Cardinal Maritime.
We pride ourselves on customer service so would welcome the opportunity to discuss any issues you had with our service.
Please contact me directly at the office.
Regards
Claire Sumner
Senior Import Manager

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent customer service and caring staff

I moved from the US to the UK. The US partner was really not on top of their game. Luckily the staff of Cardinal Maritime made up for all the shortcomings on the US side. The staff was very friendly and helpful and their excellent customer service ensured tgat in the end everything worked out ok.

August 8, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Hi Noemi,
Many thanks for taking the time to share your feedback regarding our team, which is always much appreciated. This has been passed onto both James & John.
We work hard to ensure our customers receive the best service from us.
Regards
Claire

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had the pleasure of being assisted by…James Goldsmith

I had the pleasure of being assisted by James Goldsmith. I had zero experience in shipping and imports and without James this process would have been very stressful. Due to access issues we did come up against a couple of hiccups which was out of our control but James immediately resolved the problems. I wish I could give more then 5 stars!

July 29, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Hi Richard,

Many thanks for your kind words, we're very pleased you were happy with our service.

Your comments have been passed onto James which has been appreciated.

Many thanks
Claire Sumner

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Helen Campbell - THANK YOU!!

A huge huge thank you to Helen Campbell! First time importers and it was daunting but with the help and assistance from Helen i quickly realised it wasn't that bad at all. Nothing was any trouble for Helen and she was always happy to give advice and guidance. Everything went smoothly and will be more than happy to use Cardinal Maritime again

June 14, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Laura,

Many thanks for your wonderful review, it is much appreciated as we often find people don't often take the time to write good reviews.

I'm really pleased to hear you had a great experience with us, especially Helen. She is a great colleague and your kinds words have been passed on to her.

Don't forget where we are if you ever import again!

Regards
Claire

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cardinal Maritime = ‘PORT SHARKS'

Cardinal Maritime = ‘PORT SHARKS'. Just a warning to intrepid travellers who leave the UK with their own vehicles, and at some point before the year is up ship them home unaccompanied – use a reputable UK specialist shipper, to avoid:
- falling into the hands of an overseas port agent (Pilot Logistics)
- selling them a cheap shipping deal (KPS International)
- which delivers to port of arrival only (Southampton)
- tied to freight forwarder (Cardinal Maritime) and Logistics Company (Acclaim Logistics)
- who remove cargo from the containers and sit on it (storage charges racking up every day)
- whilst paperwork processed (slowly/delaying tactics) by Cardinal Maritime (4 days before they looked at it!!)
- inc. charges for ‘Customs Clearance’ – but Cardinal haven’t a clue about ‘Returning UK Goods’ or the correct code to use

If we had not removed delivery fees to home (£459.75) inc. charges for ‘pump truck hire’ and ‘fuel surcharge’) and obtained some kind of discount off the Customs Clearance fees (should have been £170, but halved as advised by our Carnet Company charge should not apply!!) and Storage, total = £3640.68 – echoing some of the Google Reviews freely available on Cardinal Maritime – total shipping costs equal to value of goods shipped 

Actual final bill paid = £1913.80 – and lots of emails (and a detailed complaint email ;-) The only thing we don’t know is what a legitimate shipper would charge, but hassle free would be a bonus!

Their delaying tactics added a weekend to the storage and we got this from Cardinal, blaming Acclaim, the logistics company: "I understand completely, they’ve come back and asked for £400. I’ve done what I can – I’ve given 2 free extra days as well. The rent amount should have been £1582.53."

Item at the foot of the Cardinal Maritime Notice of Arrival states: 'Customs clearance and delivery do not have to be contracted to Cardinal maritime. if you wish for another party to arrange these please advise accordingly'. Which COSTS £65 !!!

One for BBC Watchdog ....??!!

AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!!

Update 19/6/19 - Yes, a scam whereby customer held to ransom for charges at port of arrival. These two cargo boxes were returning UK registered bikes under cleared carnets - free to re-enter the uk. Your standard response makes no sense there should have been no delay.
Update 21/6/19 - mis-sold by the Agent who receives commission from Cardinal Maritime on the total bill, and therefore will not recommend an inclusive end to end service, Cardinal require cash payments into the company account and do not issue itemised receipts upon completion - no debit/credit cards accepted and one has to wonder at that for a start - but when held to ransom one has no choice. Google 'Port Shark', basically says it all and perfectly, sadly...DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY - you have the information.

Update 25/6/19 - 'cash only' payment demanded direct into Cardinal Account info for link to definition of your 'service':
*This forum does not allow links so type in the usual prefix followed by udsww dot com / what-is-port-shark-scam dot php

Cardinal Payment Methods as per their document
We require cleared funds prior to release and can accept payments by any of the below methods:
- Cash paid directly into our Barclays Account
- A same day CHAPS bank transfer
- A 3-day BACS transfer (this method may result in additional storage charges until the payment clears into our account)

June 5, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear A Rider,

Many thanks for your review, I'm very sorry to hear you feel that Cardinal Maritime did not meet your expectations.

Unfortunately I can't find a job in our system against the name A Rider but would welcome the opportunity to take a look in more detail into what happened here so if you could reply with your booking reference I'll certainly take a look.

However, from the details you have given I can surmise that it looks like your goods have been imported under CFR terms, which is where you give control of the freight to your shipper overseas. This often seems the most cost effective way but unfortunately as you've experienced this isn't always the case. We as Cardinal act as a handling agent in UK on CFR (prepaid) shipments and therefore have little control over some of these costs ourselves.

I would add that all LCL shipments are unpacked in a bonded ERTS, like Acclaim. They are transit sheds (they want goods in & out as quickly as possible) so offer limited free time before storage costs starts. We certainly don't use delay tactics, it's really not in our interest to have cargo here longer than is needed but the importing and customs clearance process with HMRC can be lengthy, especially for a first time importer.

We pride ourselves on customer service and often receive positive feedback on our handling but we are always looking to improve our service so very much look forward to hearing from you.


Regards
Claire Sumner

In reply to your message on 19/6.

Dear A Rider,

I assure you we wouldn't have delayed your shipment on purpose. As I've said the arrival charges are out of our control but if you'd be kind enough to pass on your reference I'd be happy to look into your file in more detail to establish what exactly happened.

Regards
Claire

In reply to your message on 21/6

Dear A Rider,

Your accusations are not true at all. We do not take commission from anyone, we are a respectable freight forwarding company and for the record we do accept credit / debit card payments.

It is clear you do not wish to discuss your individual shipment as you have not contacted me with your actual query or advised your job reference for me to check what has happened therefore I am unwilling to continue with this kind of communication.

If you do ever look to import again our recommendation would be to research the product & suppliers and arrange shipment under freight collect terms.

Regards
Claire

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SCAMMERS!! The worst company on earth

The worst company on earth. These people are scammers. Do not use them. Once our goods arrived we were informed to pay the clearance fee. We were initially told customs had checked our goods, however we then got told customs have held our good and will check again. They quoted a whopping £1500 just for storage bearing in mind, everything was paid and cleared for for £1329, which meant all we needed to do was pick up our goods. I will never use these crooks again. They charge for storage with a company that is not even disclosed or associated with them, claiming it is a secured warehouse, which is all crap. This is a money grabbing method.

April 25, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Sirs,

We are very sorry you feel this way about our service. I've noted your comments, reviewed your file and would like to reply.

To confirm all consolidation containers that arrive into UK from outside the EU are unpacked in an ERTS bonded warehouse. Legally goods can not leave these secure premises until they have cleared Customs with all duties & VAT paid and are free of any customs holds.

I notice your shipment was of LED lighting from China - this kind of commodity often gets checked by HMRC Border Force to ensure they meet the strict health & safety standards required for use in the UK. As explained your items were placed on hold for a documentation check, we submitted all documentation on your behalf to Border Force who subsequently asked us to place the goods in the holding area of the warehouse ready for a full physical examination.

We get charged storage for any cargo left in the ERTS warehouse after the free time expires. Your goods were in the warehouse longer than the free time & we understand that it is extremely frustrating in cases such as these when the delays are not in your control, but please note we are also not in control. We have to adhere to instructions from HMRC Border Force.

My colleague Helen went out of her way to assist you on this and negotiated a 50% reduction with the warehouse on your behalf, the rent you paid is not the figure you quote above.

If you would like to discuss the handling of your file any further please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards
Claire Sumner

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Yet another hostage and extortion story…

Yet another hostage and extortion story to add to the list:

my goods are being held hostage in Cape Town till I pay extortionate fees for minimal effort. I have my own clearing agent, but they started with an invoice exceeding $4000. Its now down to $2500. They claim it is the shipper demanding these fees, but I'm not sure since invoice is issued by Cardinal.

Its a scam. Once your goods are in their possession, they will use extortion to charge fees. Their own quote engine generates a reasonable quote but has no mention of addtional fees. I phoned them to check and they verbally said there are no additional fees. Then why the $2500 invoice for $1400 value of goods.

Pure extortion and scam. It should be illegal.

April 2, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Sir,

I believe this relates to shipment being dealt by our office in South Africa, not UK.

My colleague Glenn from South Africa will contact you directly.

Regards
Claire

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worst service ever (actually it's very…

Worst service ever (actually it's very hard to call it a service), actually their main activity is cheating, yes they cheat you.

They hold your cargo until you pay all the money they ask.

I can't believe there are such service providers in 21st century.

AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!! AVOID!!!

UPDATE from 8th of April!!!

Reply for Claire Sumner:

The shipment was on company name.

We dealt with Michael Wilson for the shipment.

Claire, and what if we would discuss? Are you able to compensate days of wasted energy and money?

UPDATE from 8th of May!!!

What do you want to discuss Claire?

I won't say my company name in public.

Are you going to refund our money? Do you want me to trust you?

March 31, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Reply to message from 8th May.

Dear Sir,

I'm unable to comment without knowing which shipment you're referring to.

If you're not willing to advise me of your file reference, whether on here or privately, unfortunately I can't investigate the matter any further.

Regards
Claire


Reply to your message from 8th April.

Dear Sir,

Apologies for the delay in replying, I wasn't aware you had responded.

I appreciate you replying to my response although it doesn't help me locate your file. If you'd be willing to provide your business name or our reference I could review it and understand fully the nature of your complaint in order to assist further.

Regards
Claire


Dear Sir,

I'm very sorry to hear you've not been satisfied with our service. I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss your shipment, however I can't match your name to any file we have.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss further.

Many thanks
Claire Sumner
Senior Import Manager




Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Charge you thousands of pounds for…

Charge you thousands of pounds for mismanagement of your shipment. Do not inform you of charges and then hit you when it lands in the port. Their google reviews are terrible. If you use this company, you are taking a gamble on whether or not you'll get hit by rogue charges. They are 10x the cost of your average customs clearance and logistics company.

They charged me thousands for them mismanaging the paperwork of my shipment which then got held at the port, due to it being a plastic bottle. My shipment was then locked into their warehouse for almost 4 weeks, nice little racket going on where they then charge you thousands for the storage.

February 1, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Sir,

We’re very sorry to hear you didn’t have a positive experience dealing with Cardinal Maritime.

We’d like the opportunity to have a look into your file and respond to the complaint, however unfortunately we can’t seem to find any recent records in your name.

If you could contact me to discuss further, it would be appreciated.

Regards
Claire Sumner
Senior Import Manager

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Probably the worst company ive dealt…

Probably the worst company ive dealt with, quoted rediculous amout so i got quoted elswhere rang them to let them know, was told they would match that price so gave them the benifit of the doubt.They then failed to send my new quote for three days even though i rang them every day. They then said they would give me extra free days to make up for that delay, i got everything needed from my side, my delivery had cleared customs and I was all payed up 2 days before the end of my extended free time, they didnt organise onward delivery i had payed for for five days and charged me storage for it, i emailed to tell them this but they said they had absorbed half of the storage time but both delays were down to there office team... unreal never dealt with a company like it there looking to rip you off at every chance. Not one to write bad reviews, but if your unlucky enough to find out this is whos dealing with your delivery get quoted elsewhere and go with them

January 25, 2019
Unprompted review
Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd logo

Reply from Cardinal Global Logistics (UK) Ltd

Dear Mr Waldron,

I’m very sorry to hear you didn’t have a positive experience dealing with Cardinal Maritime.

I’ve investigated this matter and can see there were some delays caused by both sides, we did delay in sending the revised invoice for the new quote & processing the customs clearance, however initial contact was only made from your side after the container had already unpacked which also resulted in delays.

We agreed to waiver over half the storage by only charging for 4 days out of the 11 days incurred as compensation for the delays caused by us. Your email to us dated 22/1 didn’t indicate you were unhappy with the offer, in deed you thanked my colleague for her assistance.

This shipment arrived into UK on a freight prepaid basis which isn’t always the most cost-effective way to import. We would always strongly recommend arranging import shipments on a freight collect basis where you are in control of the shipping. We would recommend contacting us prior to making any further orders so we can guide you through the process.

If you would like to discuss anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards
Claire Sumner
Senior Import Manager

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

One of The worst places to get unloaded…

One of The worst places to get unloaded in the UK.Plenty of fork truck drivers but everything is done at a snails pace.They don't understand that drivers don't have 3 hours spare waiting to unload a couple of pallets .Wagons constantly backed up onto main road.Seriously needs a yard manager who can kick lazy workers up the backside .Staff more interested in smoke and sandwich breaks . Regularly waited 2 hours to unload 1 pallet which takes 10 seconds to unload when they can be bothered.
HGV driver. 35 years and this is the WORST TIPPING place in UK.

January 23, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A happy customer

Cardinal Maritime is always very efficient, helpful and professional. James Goldsmith is a star.

November 1, 2018
Unprompted review

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