ruthwin

We had packed all our things for storage. When our shipping company picked it up they re packed it all again. It was for uk customs do that they could provide an inventory, apparently it's less of a hassle with customs in arrival.

Don't panic, all new HD tv's have ability yo access the Freeview channels. A bit like the HD channels in Oz. we have to have a satellite dush to pick up the channels, but most houses gave them already installed. You can get free subscriptions, have a look at NOW to, or just google uk Freeview and it will tell you all about it. we left the uk 10 years ago, yes things are a bit different but not too hard to pick up.

Are you buying a new to when you get here or bringing one over? All new HD tv's come with Freeview stations ( there are quite a lot , so no real need for sky or a subscription service, we have about 5 Freeview movie channels too) for or older sets you can buy what's called a free sat box, they are about £25. we don't have Netflix of Amazon prime , just sky but before we gad sky we were happy enough with Freeview.

You can put some things in your car, which can save space, you may get away with a sole use ( sole use is much cheaper than in a shared container) 20foot container. Good luck with your quote.

Sorry about all my typos, I should really read through before clicking post!

No, there are only a couple of companies that specialise in conversion ( basically our car will get the mileage convert and fog lamps to front) the company we will use us Sigma automotive, I rang them after getting info from OSS. They charge you for getting an MOT ( any car older than I think 4 years old needs one) emissions test, registered , plated and the conversions required to meet regulations here. They have quoted me between £550 and £1550 ( I know big difference but URLs the two extremes of what could happen) they organise yo pick up the car from customs and we will pick up our uk registered car from them. Cargo go online use the same contact, but again you have yo pay. The difference in my quotes was that customs clearance charges, handling fees in the uk are covered by OSS quote but not cargo online. They gave me an agents contact details and his quote was close to £800. So my savings will pa for the sigma ppl to register it. I did a lot of research and running around in the phone and Internet, happy to answer any questions. Oh oh and cargo online quote in USD , which can make you feel like it's a good deal, but remember there are also handling charges at oz customs/ wharf fees, transport fees etc. when we added it all up with uk clearances it was closer yo $6000. We gave a Nissan Patrol. We are shipping in a dole use 40ft container with approx 18 cubic metres of overdo so possessions for $10 500. I had quotes from other companies fir the whole lot for up to $15,000 . Also I have heard of ppl with similar amounts of personal belongings without car paying around $8k to ship. So I think my life in a box for 10500 is ok.

We had lots of quotes and considered using them but we managed to get a better deal for a sole use 40foot container fir our car and belongings from a different company. Cargo online seemed really good, but I was struggling finding a customs clearer in the UZk ( because we had to organise our own) whereas OSS who we are using , organised it as part of their quote. When I did get quotes from a uk agent, that us what pushed the price up considerably.

We've have just put our belongings and our car into a sole use 40ft container. We have been using OSS, so far they have been great, correspondence, paperwork, co ordinating getting our stuff from a storage unit, re packing and raking delivery of our car from my parents. But......none of it is actually here yet, do I will jet you know in approx 80 days!

Mine arrived very quickly, but I put a note in asking them to Waiver the 3 month waiting period. I was told to write something as normally you have to wait 3 months.

Quick update, after paying for expensive short term insurance since August, have just fibslly got a decent quite/price. Through RAC website, who were charging me £150 a month for short term insurance. Just got fully comp, for my husband as main driver on a European license, me on a uk license, breakdown cover and personal accident insurance for £37 a month. It is the only one that allowed me to input a foreign no claims rating ( info gave yo send in paperwork) so finally ...... And it is actually with Aviva ( even though about 10 mins previously the aviva website declined my quote using the exact same info) vety happy at last!

I received my uk license. They didn't send my Oz one back, but it was due for its 5 year renewal anyway so I wasn't fussed!

there is no benefit to having two ( just the expense of renewing the Australian one every 5 years) i just sent mine in to be exchanged. If you return to Oz, you can just exchange the UK one for an Oz one. But the UK one is valid alot longer

the customs clearance people will insist that the animal be on the 'shortest' possible route, with limited time on ground.

You won't save several thousand dollars though, as it doesn't cost that much using an agent. I saved about $1500.

I brought a dog over from Brisbane to London 10 years ago. I did everything myself, there is a lot of running around to do and paperwork. Look at Qantasx freight and download info from AQUIS website. Also , look for an AQUIS registered vet, they will tell you exactly what injections to have and timeframes to do it. Airlines hate dealing with non agents , ie the pet owner, but stand firm. I organised most of it while I was in the UK ( back then you had to wait 6 months for the rabies injection blood test to get back, and so we had to leave our dog behind with my parents) the money I saved allowed name to fly back to oz to do final leg work , gave a visit with family and fly back on the same plane as our fog.

We're on Skye. I'm happy with the kids schools.

I think that may be what's causing the problem, bloody Germans!

I initially gave him $5 a day and said if it wasn't enough he had to do without but the tuckshop prices went up. They had $5 meal deals but he didn't eat those all the time. Plus he would get a snack or drink at morning tea. I hated the whole idea of the tuckshop but as I said before I was so sick of throwing food away. When I didn't give him money he would use his own. He's a good boy, not spoiled and he pretty much had no tuckshop during primary school as he was a lot easier to please.

Q why would I joke? I didn't make that figure up. My son was in year 7 and I gave him between $7 and $10 a day to buy his morning tea and lunch everyday. I did not want to, but I was sick of throwing his sandwiches and things away everyday because he wouldn't eat it. He bought a wrap, a drink and a muffin or sausage roll. He us 12 and a jelly and a cookie wouldn't fill him up. I agree there were cheap snacks, but I wasn't giving him snacks as a treat I was trying to fill him up. He went 7 years at primary school with tuck shop once a term as a treat because I hated tuck shop food but he would never eat lunch box stuff went he started high school. i just made a comment that now I am giving him 2 pound a day and for that he gets a 3 course cooked meal at his school.

Thanks, I will give this one a go.

no I won't conceal anything, I need yo check more out, it might be because there are two named drivers, not sure. Will do done more research, my husband has a German/euro license but it's the same format as the UK one just has Getmany in it, might try with and without us name on it. I actually tried a Manchester post code first, as we were staying with relatives, it was twice the price. So where we are is cheaper. I will keep checking. thanks for links to other companies.

other ppl here have clearly been given a no claims bonus ( had their eating 1 accepted ) I'm just not sure how or why I am being denied. Perhaps because I have called instead of doing things online.

Direct line accepted my oz no claims bonus once before. Use we came in 2000 left in 2005 ( they used my ncb from oz fir years prior to 2000) but thus time they said they couldn't. confusing.

I've been driving for 30 years both in the UK and Oz, insured always. Always had a rating 1, direct line even fave me a nub once before, they said it was new policy. I live on the Isle of Skye. I rang and told them I had returned and they said I was not resident. Will do an online search this time and just say I am UK resident, not mention I've been away. Seems to be the best way. I gave a UK license.

Not initially, I rang direct line. They pulled up our old details but said because I had been away more than 9 years I would gave to start back as a 0 no claim bonus. Not happy