Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

Dan725,

I just love your posts. :lol:

You have the same mentality as me. :)

It's not the case though. A bit of economics, some practicality and a lot of just liking that size of car.

But I do see what RoadWarriorfromLP means - 2 litre is seen as super economy and doesn't have the option to add items like trip computers etc. Some shift in thinking is definitely required. Thanks for the advice.

As to image - yes I know it's far more important in the States but we're both WYSIWYG people. I'm not working, so it's not a problem for me - male AND not working: I'm an underclass already! :)

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

We have driven much bigger distances here than we ever did in the UK...on a regualr basis.
I would never have driven for 3 hours just to get somewhere for a day out and then 3 hours back. I would have expected a weeks holiday inbetween!

We always drove smaller cars in the UK and I mostly used local public transport. No such thing where I am now and no pavements so even the smallest journey is in the car.

A lot of the drivers here are hopeless (Where I am anyway) and we also encounter a lot of deer on the roads. Someone advised us to get bigger cars because they might be safer in a collision with a local idiot or a deer (They probably drive equally well).
So we have bigger cars and they are more comfortable on long journeys, especially with 3 children and all their luggage and electronic equipment.
Sadly we just leave a massive carbon footprint wherever we go now.Probably visible from the moon.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

a big deer or moose will wreck pretty much anything but a mack truck though...and a moose will pretty much be a right off insurance wise unless it's a brand new car for the most part because of all the ticks on top of the damage.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

If you can get it, it is worth it, because there are a lot of things you just plain take for granted in the UK, mostly really simple mundane every day things that are just done differently here from public transport, to getting some booze to bigger things like what does co-pay, deductions and level of cover from an HMO or PPO medical cover (right down to what will it cost you if you call an ambulance - a mate had to call one, he got charged $850 for a 10 min drive, but insurance eventually paid as he called direct rather than under advice of his doctor).

But there are plenty of other things, just knowing what brands are equivalent to the UK, what sort of laundry detergent or soaps to use are different etc, everyone goes through trying to figure the mundane day to day things in life, but it's nice having a heads up, because a native has had a life time of this so it's second nature....just like your getting you head around the whole car thing.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

They all sound really trivial but they're not when you are coping with a million and one other things as well. On the surface it seems as though the UK and the USA are very similar and we all know what to expect anyway from the movies:D
In reality it was the small, everyday things that caught me out and really got me down at times.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

we went out there last week househunting and grabbed some supplies in walmart for the hotel room. it just happened to be Sunday morning when we did this (just the day after the flight as far as we were concerned) but we were refused to buy a 4 pack of beer as they couldnt sell alcohol before 1pm on a sunday. i had no idea and if cultural training can make this kind of custom/norm/regulation clearer it will make life a lot easier for us.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

When we arrived on our house hunting trip we were desperate for a glass of wine and so we went off to the supermarket. We searched that whole place, becomming increasingly desperate.In the end we asked for the wine aisle and got a blank look.
It turned out that here in PA you can only buy wine in the state liquor stores and beer in the beer distributors.:eek: As it was 10pm they were all closed.:eek:

Even though we now know where to buy booze it is still really inconvenient:curse:

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

It would have helped us if someone had told us that we would not be sent a property tax bill not just the first 6 months but for the whole first year - instead of finding out AFTER they fined us a whaking 10% :curse:

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

Theres another one...I got confused between property tax and township tax and assumed they were the same thing. So I ignored the township tax.
Thankfully I realised my mistake quite quickly and went down to our township office to grovel. They were really nice, we didn't get fined, they worked it all out for me.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

Adding to the complexity: this varies widely from state to state. Here in IL, we can buy booze pretty much in every store and certainly at any time. Also, the "open container" laws are much more lax here: you can drink a beer on a commuter train here, for example.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

Must say I've never really noticed a problem buying booze here at all. Then again, I never buy spirits so that's not been a concern about the different shop, etc.

If you really want a booze buying pain in the arse, I'd recommend a quick trip to somewhere like the UAE, where you will find the joys of booze licenses and limited numbers of booze shops, where the doors are guarded and you have to carry out your booze in a bin liner lest you offend anyone....and also incredibly annoying practices of shutting the hotel bars (only places you can drink....) because it's Mohammeds birthday or somesuch....

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

I discovered this thread rather late, but here's my view:

You're all bloody spoiled if you got an organized relocation package! :D

My company had never done an international relocation (and probably never will again, after the trouble I put them through!) so their HR said to me "we'll give you $20k - the rest is up to you.

I can honestly say I've never had to manage such a complex project. In the end, with airfare, shipping container, sale of UK house, early mortgage repayment penalty, car rental, new (used) cars, apartment for the first 9 months, new electrical goods etc., etc. I calculated that the relocation cost us well over $50k.

Oh, and our HR department screwed up my relocation payment, so not only did I not get it until two months after I arrived in the US, but it had been taxed into practical nonexistence, and I had to wait for my first year's tax refund to get most of it back.

So yeah, all the advice you've been given sounds great, and I'm still jealous of you, even 4 years after our relocation trauma!

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

I just looked up PA's open container laws. It seems that we can drink on public transport but not while we are driving or a passenger in a car.
I do miss being able to wander through Tesco etc and buy a few bottles of wine.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

I feel for you - not only would would the $20k not have gone far - the whole project management must have been a nightmare! I hope it was worth it in the end.

I don't hold a describable view of HR at the moment - they had become the problem.

In light of your experience I would have to agree - we are spoilt.

Re: Realistic Requests in ReLo Package?
 

HR's my main background and when I came back to the UK earlier in the year and looked for employment I was utterly astounded at the lack of interest HR departments and relocation wholesalers had in my experience as an expat myself as well as having dealt with expats in a professional capacity whilst abroad.

Policies are policies and that will always be, but just dealing with someone who has an ounce of understanding in these situations is often enough to tip the balance. What can ya do eh? People who have never made a move just have no clue.