FAQ
From Freightlink Wiki
This is all about how our FAQ system works
Contact us
How do I?
How do I contact Freight Link Solutions ?
You can contact our Customer Service Team on.
- Phone +44 (0) 870 240 6454
- Fax +44 (0) 870 240 6450
- All services www.freightlink.co.uk
Post / in person:-
Freight Link Solutions Ltd, Windy Harbour Barn, Harbour Lane, Warton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 1YB, United Kingdom
Pricing
Quote me !
The quickest an easiest way is to get a quote is to visit our web site www.freightlink.co.uk – and click on our Interactive map. To ensure you are getting the most competitive price available on that day, please fill in the form here to ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT. Once you are logged in, you will have access to some great features such as:-
- Most competitive rates
- Book now
- Compare routes & schedules
- Compare prices
- News items
- Port information / address / facilaties
- Google maps of port location
How do I activate my account ?
Click on the following link to ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT. This should take you no more than 60 seconds. Once registered we will open your account and email you your user name and password.
What is included in the price?
Freight Link Solutions will provide you with an ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE, including any fuel surcharge / currency surcharge & VAT. Very occasionally there will be routes where the driver has to pay a PORT CHARGE. We are unable to pre-pay for these. If this is applicable, we will make you aware of this prior to travel.
What is a fuel surcharge?
Ferries burn tonnes of fuel on each crossing. In approximately 2005, fuel costs increased significantly. As a result some of the ferry operators introduced a FUEL SURCHARGE which is an additional charge per booking to contribute to the exceptional cost of the fuel. The amount of fuel surcharge fluctuates significantly depending on the ferry operator. Longer ferry crossing burn more fuel which tend to result in a higher level of fuel surcharge. Some Ferry operators charge a percentage of the fare, others charge a per unit charge.
Depending on the ferry operator, the amount of fuel surcharge does alter quaterly, monthly or even weekly. Please speak to our Customer Service Team on +44 (0) 870 240 6454 for a current fuel surcharge schedule.
What is a currency surcharge?
When Ferry operators / transport companies deal in multiple countries, they want to protect the revenue against currency fluctuations. A CURRENCY SURCHARGE is a way of ensuring the revenue collected is protected against these fluctuations. The level of CURRENCY SURCHARGE fluctuates depending on the ferry operator, and the currency they are dealing with.
Is it cheaper if I book a return ferry?
No. Our pricing structure is designed to give you the greatest flexibility possible. We pass on our bulk buying power discounts to you, for single or multiple ferry legs.
Do I get charged VAT?
Freight Link Solutions is a V.A.T. registered company. Our company registration number is 842181344. If you are based in the United Kingdom, we will charge you the appropriate level of V.A.T. If you are a customer who resides outside the United Kingdom, provided you supply us with written confirmation of your V.A.T number (registered to you in your country of origin), the ferry crossing will be ZERO V.A.T. rated.
Is there a cost for extra drivers?
Each ferry company views this differently. For example Dover routes, second driver is included. Where’s Stena Line on Irish Sea routes charge up to £ 45.00 plus VAT for EACH additional passenger.
Does my driver / I get a cabin / meal?
Generally on long sea crossing (over night / all day) a cabin is included within the price. If the ferry crossing is only short sea (2-3 hours) a cabin is NOT usually included, but rest areas are always available.
Meals are nearly always included on a freight ticket. If a meal is not provided, the cost of the meal will be heavily discounted.
Please contact our Customer Services Team on + 44 (0) 870 240 6454 for additional information on cabins / meals.
What is the cheapest way into Europe?
This all depends on your final destination. You may find that by doing more sea miles and less road miles, although the ferry cost may be slightly higher on some long sea routes, the total costs may be cheaper.
To check comparisons with prices please check our interactive map where all comparisons are available.
Remember to LOGIN to ensure you get the most competitive prices.
What happens if I hold an account direct with the ferry company?
We will NOT be able to ship you on our account on those routes where you already hold an account.
What is the difference between a passenger booking and a freight booking ?
Passenger bookings are generally classed as people travelling on holiday. A freight booking must be made for all Commercial Vehicles. If you pay road tax as a Commercial Vehicles, your will have to travel as FREIGHT. This includes Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) – Vans with no side windows.
Ferry operators are really clamping down on Commercial Vehicles travelling on passenger tickets. Some are even imposing a “spot fine” on some routes, forcing the vehicle to re-book on a freight booking. The Window rates as they are known; are usually very high in comparison to the bulk discounted rates we quote you.
By booking on Freight, this is better for you. Prices are fixed – see #Do your prices fluctuate during the year?. As a freight booking you will generally get a free meal along with a free cabin. Please see #Does my driver / I get a cabin / meal?.
Do you offer discount for volume bookings?
We heavily discount all our ferry prices. However, if you have a particular flow of very regular traffic (daily) please contact our Customer Service Team to discuss details T +44 (0) 870 240 6454 or alternatively email Mr.Steve Lonsdale U.K. Sales Manager.
Do you charge for credit card transactions?
We do not charge a fee for credit card transactions. We absorb this fee to make the prices as competitive as possible.
Which ferry companies do you deal with ?
We deal with over 50 ferry operators throughout Europe, offering over 160 routes. Please visit freightlink.co.uk and click on Interactive Map for details.
Do you sell Euro tunnel tickets ?
No, we do not offer this service. We find the Dover Ferry operators offer better value for money.
Will I have to pay for additional charges at the port ?
At certain ports there are customs charges of which we are unable to pre-pay, but you will be advised of these when booking.
Do your prices fluctuate during the year?
Freight Link Solutions negotiate our prices annually. Therefore, the rates we issue you are valid from January to December. However, this does not guarantee that the ferry operator will always honour the agreement. Equally at times, short term discounts are available. We ALWAYS pass these onto our client, ensuring the most competitive rates in the market pace. Please see www.freightlink.co.uk for current offers.
What type of accounts do you operate ?
Cash account
To open a cash account you need to supply us with:-
Your full names
Your address
Your Post code
Your credit card / debit card details
Once we have entered these into our system, your account will be live ready for your first booking.
Do you keep my credit card details?
No. We do not hold your credit card details on site or in our system. As a result of new legislation under the Payment Card Industry Standards (PCI) we do NOT retain details of your credit card. When obtaining your credit card details for the 1st time, the information is entered directly onto an online 3rd party dedicated Credit Card service privider operated by Protx.com. Protx are one of the biggest independent online service providers.
From that point on we can ONLY see your name, your address, your post code, and the last 4 digits of your credit / debit card.
All transaction information passed between merchant sites and the Protx VSP Systems is encrypted using 128-bit SSL certificates. No cardholder information is ever passed unencrypted and any messages sent to your servers from Protx are signed using MD5 hashing to prevent tampering. You can be completely secure in the knowledge that nothing we pass to the Protx servers can be examined, used or modified by any third parties attempting to gain access to sensitive information.
What happens if I need to use another credit / debit card ?
No problem. We just need to obtain the details of the card, re-confirm your address and we will input this directly into the online system operated by Protx.com. Protx are one of the biggest independent online service providers.
How do I open a credit account ?
Please Down load a Credit Application and download a Direct Debit Mandate. Once completed, please return the ORIGINAL document to our address:-
Freight Link Solutions Ltd Windy Harbour Barn Harbour Lane Warton Preston PR4 1YB
Once received, we will execute a credit check via Credit Safe UK Once accepted, we will open your account. This process should take no more than 24 hours.
If I have a credit account, when is payment taken ?
Once you have completed Application for credit & Direct Debit Mandate, and your company successfully passes a credit check with Credit Safe, payment will be taken on the 25th of the month, following the month of shipment.
EG If a shipment is made in January, it will be taken out of your bank of the 25th February.
Is the Direct Debit scheme backed by the bank ?
Yes, we are an approved Direct Debit originator with Barclays Bank. The scheme is backed with the Direct Debit Guarantee.
Bookings
How do I make a booking ?
The quickest way to make a booking is online via www.freightlink.co.uk via our new Interactive Map. NB you must login to obtain the best online rates. If you do not have a login, please Activate your account here.
Alternatively, email us at freightlinkbookings@freightlink.co.uk.
Alternatively contact us on +44 (0) 870 240 6454
How quickly can I get my booking reference?
Usually within minutes. However at times the links between our dedicated booking engine does rely on the ferry company’s booking system responding.
How do I get confirmation of my booking ?
We have developed our I.T. system over a number of years. When we set up your account we will ask you for your email address and mobile number along with the mobile number(s) of your drivers. When you make a booking online or over the phone, you will receive a confirmation by email and by text.
When we activate your account, please supply us with your email address and mobile number.
Can I transfer my booking ?
If you contact us prior to travel, you can transfer your booking usually at no cost. However, please note on some routes, the ferry operator does reserve the right to charge an amendment fee. These will be passed on to you at cost.
Will the driver get a single cabin ?
On some routes the ferry operator applies a single occupancy berth policy. Where ever possible, the ferry operator does try to accommodate single occupancy requests, however, this cannot always be guaranteed on particular busy sailings. On some services the driver can request this, but there may be an additional charge which the driver will have to pay there and then.
How do I book hazardous cargo ?
For full details on how to book hazardous cargo, please visit Hazardous bookings page on www.freightlink.co.uk.
At port
How long before the sailing do I need to be at the port ?
- Driver Accompanied vehicles
- Irish Sea routes 1 hour before departure
- Dover routes 1 hour before departure
- Spanish 1 hour before departure
- Baltic routes 2 hours before departure
- Mediterranean routes 2 hours before departure
- Unaccompanied vehicles
- Irish Sea routes 1h 30m before departure
- Dover routes 1 hour before departure
- Spanish 2 hours before departure
- Baltic routes 2 hours before departure
- Mediterranean routes 2 hours before departure
For all hazardous bookings it is 2 hours prior to shipment with valid dangerous goods notes.
Where should I go to check in?
All our bookings are made on FREIGHT accounts. Therefore you should always proceed to the freight check in booths at port. To find out the location of a port, please use our Interactive Map and click onto the port that you need information for. This will open Google maps.
How do I check in at port?
Simply give the booking reference to the check in booth. If you or your driver has not asked for this, simply contact our Customer Service Team on +44 (0) 870 240 6454 and request a SMS (text) of the booking.
What happens if I miss-declare the vehicle length / height / width ?
Most of the ferry operators have auto measuring equipment. A vehicle which arrives at the port with a miss-declared length / width / height could result in the vehicle being refused at port. We will also raise a supplementary invoice for the additional cost.
What happens if I miss the sailing?
Firstly, please try to notify us at the earliest possible opportunity if you are not going to make a sailing.
If you do miss a sailing or check-in is closed, please contact our Customer Service Team on +44 (0) 870 240 6454. Our Customer Service Team have the knowledge and expertise to assist you, and arrange alternative shipment NB charges may apply.
What happens if I fail to notify you, and do not show for my booking
This is know as a NO SHOW. All NO SHOWS are treated very seriously by Freight Link Solutions and the Ferry companies. After all, a booking may have been rejected to create space for your booking! Customers who persistantly NO SHOW may be refused space in future.
How long is my ticket valid for ?
With the exception of Dover routes, your ticket is only valid for the day and date the booking was made for. However if it is a Dover route then the tickets are valid for 5 days on P&O and 7 days on Norfolk Line.
Onboard
What facilities are onboard
On board facilaties differ from vessel to vessel, and from ferry operator to ferry operator. There are 2 main class of vessel:-
- Ro-Pax ship
- This is a vessel that is specifically designed to carry vehicles and passengers. On board facilities are usually very good. Generally speaking, newer the ship, better the facilities. Modern vessels boast facilaties including dedicated freight drivers rest areas, restaurants, bars, T.V. Lounges, Cinemas.
- Freight Ship (12 p.c)
- This is a vessel designed to carry freight, but can carry upto 12 passengers. Facilities on board are basic and limited, usually a freight driver's rest area, basic cabins. (with the exception of Seatruck Ferries who operate on the Irish Sea. On board facilities are extremely good on the new 2008/2009 "Clipper" ships). However don't dismiss these services. They are usually a little cheaper, and often provide a really good alternative to Ropax routes.
For information on meals please see #Does my driver / I get a cabin / meal?.
What do I do if I have a complaint on board ?
In the unlikely event of complaints on board the vessels, please go speak to an onboard supervisor immediately. If you feel that your complaint is not dealt with fully, please put your complaint in writing and send it to:-
Operations Manager
Mr. Lee Rossall
Freight Link Solutions Ltd
Windy Harbour Barn
Harbour Lane
Warton
Preston
PR4 1YB
Or email Mr. Lee Rossall Operations Manager.
We will make representation with the ferry company and revert as soon as possible.
Invoicing
When will I receive my invoice?
- Cash accounts
- Cash account / credit / debit card customers will be sent an invoice via email within 48 hours of shipment.
- Credit accounts
- Credit accounts will be sent a weekly invoice. At the end of the month we will issue a statement. For further information when finds will be taken please see #If I have a credit account, when is payment taken ?
What do I do if I get an invoice query ?
Please email accounts@freightlink.co.uk with your query and we will respond back within 24 hours. Please quote our unique booking reference on all correspondence.
