desperateBrit

haha me again!

just a quick question for all you lovely brits in nz, how long does it take to build credit? i will need to get a mobile phone, but i really really dont want to buy a pay as you go. plus i may or may not need to get a motor on H.P (see how the pennies go!) i wont need a mortgage as i have enough funds for a house out right, but if i wanted to get a small mortgage if i decided to buy in aucks, would that take a long time to build credit? or does it work differently there? i would ask my mum all this but id still be on the phone 3 days later! bless her!

many thanks

gem x

MrsFychan

as long as you can show regular funds coming in and a place of residence you will be fine. OH got offered a mortgage and he had only been here 3 weeks, didn't have to show anything from the UK

desperateBrit

il not be working by hubs will be. would it be beneficial to set up a joint account?
iv not held one with him before, i like to stash money where he doesnt know! hehehe! xx

MrsFychan

yes I would and not let him have the passwords

desperateBrit

hehehe! il keep them secret! il find a little pot to stash away my rainy day clothes fund! have you shopped from the uk to nz? i kno u said about m&s on the other thread, and was wondering about GST xx

MrsFychan

yes get most of our clothes, bedding from UK. make sure you use Import Duty Calculator - Figure out import tax rates nz and it will tell you if you have to pay tax. I usually spend around £118 Without delivery charge per parcel. if you go to £120, even without delivery charge the gst and duty is $98.07.
I think as long as the gst and duty is less than $60 you don't pay. So just make sure you check and if you have to pay delivery charge the amount in sterling changes so make sure you know if you are paying delivery charge or not

desperateBrit

wow thats tricky! ok thank you. when u spend £118 do u get charged for that? im so happy to hear that next deliver, i dont shop there for me but for my kids i do! my mum says the shops in nz arent exactly what we are used to here?! im not really that fussed though, but i bet it takes some getting used to! x

MrsFychan

no you don't get charged on clothes at £118 but you can see if you go to £120 you end up paying nearly $100 on top

desperateBrit

and to just pick your brain further, whats it like without the NHS? im starting to worry a little. we are not sick people but my daughter does have fairly bad eczema. do u have to pay each time you visit the doctors or prescription? sorry for all these question, i must be driving u mad! x

MrsFychan

No carry on its the only way to find out until you get here and find out for yourself.
As you can see from my Location blurb I DO miss the NHS
Yes you do have to pay for every visit. How much you pay depends on your income (have a community card) and what the particular surgery charges. Average we have encountered is $45 per visit. We also had to pay to take smallest one to the A&E recently, one we hadn't been to before and again I think that depends on where you go as sure on previous occasions we haven't paid

desperateBrit

do we need to have some sort of medical insurance? my mum said something like acc? very sorry if this is wrong, i tend to drift off after the 3rd hour on the phone to my mum with a sweating achey ear! hehehe! thank you very much for all ur help so if my daughter will need regular cream will that be a fortune? i didnt realise how much i took the nhs for granted! im hoping we wont have to pay lots and lots as hubs is only on $45k a year!
xx

MrsFychan

ACC - seems to be for emergency medical cover. I got it when I fell over walking the dog (bloody dangerous sport over here ) and son has had it when he hurt his arm during a tennis lesson, not sure why we had to pay last time when he hurt his arm during gym at school ?
Prescriptions do seem to be cheaper on the whole but for recurring medication I'm sorry I really am not sure. my GP in UK gave me a couple years worth of asthma medication before we came over. Also it does not seem to be a set price per prescription
Maybe get your mum to check for you

desperateBrit

oh wowsa! this is so complicated! im hoping it wont be too expensive, trouble is we arent residence so im wondering if that makes a difference. thanks again, you have been really really helpful xx

LauraNotts

I'm not currently resident

Credit is actually a bit of a pain in the arse. I have been continuously employed as an RN since I landed (guide salary around $50-64000 per year not including anti-social hours allowance) and yet I am only able to get a credit card for $500. My bank know full well what I get paid and know that I have some savings too but because I am non-resident this is the top amount they will lend me (If anyone knows a bank that gives more than this please let me know). Equally mortages are obtainable but you might need a higher deposit (I think I was quoted 30%) which if you only need a small one might not be a problem .

So long as you can show you have a valid visa you should be able to recieve non emergency medical care. GPs in Christchurch have asked to see my work visa and have registered me 'as a resident' because it's more than 2 years long.

As Mrs F says it's on average $40-60 per GP visit though I think kids under 13 are free. I have patchy eczema that can get really bad, I think the maximum I paid for a lot of steriod cream and a big ol tub of moisteriser was $30. The prescription charges vary but I have got inhalers for $5 before. (it depends if the medication is funded or not)

DO GO TO YOUR DENTIST BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!! Seriously. Dentists are EXPENSIVE here. Very expensive.

Emergency medical treatment i.e you get crunked by a car and end up in A&E is free. If you stub your toe (or have another non emergency condition) and turn up in A&E that they deem treatable by your GP they are likely to send you home and charge you for the visit. Equally ambulance call outs are charged if they are non-emergency but I have never had to do this so am not sure of the charge.

The NHS is bloody brilliant, it really is, Brits don't know they're born.

MrsFychan

atm moment children over 6 do pay, non payment for under 13's comes in next year