I used Foresmart successfully for three…
I used Foresmart successfully for three previous shipments and had very good experiences with them. That is exactly why I continued giving them my business. Unfortunately, after what I understand was a restructuring/change in employees, my most recent shipment was completely different and has resulted in me deciding not to use them again. The biggest problem was not one isolated incident, but the lack of communication, transparency and proper management throughout almost every stage of the shipment. Before departure, important shipping and customs procedures were not properly explained to my suppliers in China. Requirements only became clear after cargo had already been delivered to the warehouse, leaving my suppliers dealing with unexpected procedures and trying to resolve issues that should have been communicated beforehand. During ocean transit, the container was unloaded/transshipped in Korea, and I was not given adequate information explaining what was happening, why, or what effect it would have on the shipment. When the container reached Canada, it was selected by CBSA for inspection. I fully understand that a random customs inspection is outside a freight forwarder’s control, and I do not blame Foresmart for CBSA selecting the container. My issue was how the situation was handled. Information regarding the inspection, delays, process and resulting charges was not communicated clearly. I had to repeatedly ask questions, investigate invoices myself and escalate the matter to understand what I was actually being charged for. The shipment then experienced further delays during rail transportation toward Montreal because of wildfires. Again, the wildfire itself obviously wasn’t Foresmart’s fault. The problem was the lack of meaningful communication and railway updates while I was waiting to know when my container would move. The billing situation was particularly frustrating. Multiple unexpected additional charges appeared throughout the process without what I considered adequate advance explanation. At one point, a separate deposit/refund owed to me was being withheld in connection with a disputed additional fee. I ultimately had to escalate and fight my case through Freightos to obtain reimbursement for charges I disputed. What was especially concerning was that my Foresmart agent acknowledged that she did not like the Canadian broker they were using and indicated that she was already aware of concerns involving unexpected/additional charges from that broker. As the customer, I hired Foresmart to manage my shipment and relied on them to choose and manage the companies involved. If there were already known concerns with a broker, I should not have had to discover the consequences after charges appeared. International freight is complicated, and customs inspections, transshipments, wildfires, railway disruptions and other unexpected events happen. Those events are not why I’m giving Foresmart 2 stars. My rating is based on how the shipment was managed when those events occurred: poor communication, insufficient updates, unexpected charges, problems communicating requirements to suppliers, and the amount of effort I personally had to put into resolving issues. The fact that my first three shipments with Foresmart went well makes this experience even more disappointing. I know from experience that they were capable of providing much better service. Unfortunately, after what happened with this fourth shipment, I don’t feel comfortable risking the same experience again. There are too many freight-forwarding companies available that can manage my shipments for me to take that chance. I will be using another company for my future shipments. *** Update September 2026 Following my review, Foresmart’s senior management contacted me directly to discuss the issues I experienced with this shipment. I appreciate that they took my concerns seriously and conducted an internal review of what happened. They acknowledged the communication and service issues and explained several changes they intend to implement, including clearer instructions to suppliers before shipment, more proactive communication when unexpected events occur, better disclosure of potential additional charges, and improved oversight of their Canadian brokerage partners. Foresmart also provided a goodwill compensation for the service experience. While this does not change the difficulties I experienced during this shipment, I appreciate the way senior management ultimately handled my complaint and their willingness to take responsibility for improving their procedures. For that reason, I have updated my rating from 2 stars to 3 stars.