Shipping company..contracts?

This has me a little concerned but since I havent done this before it may be standard practice.
 We are shipping a 20 foot container and stevens worldwide was the cheapest quote we had, for $6000 including packing, loading and unloading. However they say we can't sign anything to lock the rate in: this is an email from them.
Unfortunately, prices cannot be locked because of the rapidly changing costs of ocean freight, fuel charges, etc.

 This really has me concerned because what if the day before they are meant to come they raise the price by several thousand??

 can anyone tell me if they were able to sign a contract with whoever they went with?

I've gotten a half dozen informal estimates, and they're all coming in around six grand. I haven't sold my house yet, so we aren't at the contract point yet, so I don't know about that.

But if everybody's bidding around the same rate, I would be surprised if anyone peeled off and did something unusual at the last minute.

Hi there,

Whilst it's certainly a quick changing marketplace in terms of the bigger picture for oil prices, freight charges, route and docking charges etc, I'd be surprised any shipping company would 'jack up' their prices by several 'thousand' dollars. I think for that to occur, it wouldn't just be 'one' shipping company, it'd be all of them if the global economic pricing was to increase.
Of course there is an element of risk involved, and anything can happen in terms of the quote you're given, I'd say do an intense ring around of shipping companies closer to the time you actually move, that way you'll be ready to sign on the dotted line at the quoted prices knowing within a few weeks (or suitable timeframe) your container will be processed etc.

In the meantime, keep an eye out on the global price variances on oil and any shipping/docking/customs changes in pricing as that will affect the quote you'll get.

If they've quoted $6000 ish, and other companies are currently coming in at $5500-6500 - I doubt a single company could then jack their price up to 8500-9000 just for the sake of it and blame rising costs if other's haven't done the same.

We are Importers and see variances change all the time, but not to the tune of several thousand dollars (proportionally to domestic charges) between shipping companies.

Just hope the USA credit crunch doesn't crunch alot more!

hope this helps a bit!

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!