Jump to content

Andyphilpott

Members
  • Posts

    247
  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

Everything posted by Andyphilpott

  1. Eos  you make a very good point about on line check in for the return journey. As you say no problem in doing this for the outward journey but not everyone will have a PC and printer to do likewise for the trip home - which you can only do less than 2 days before you fly. Otherwise a fee of €3 is not going to break the bank. I am in that position but get round it as friends in the village will always let me use their PC. I have just booked for a return trip Stansted to Toulon in mid November for £12.39 - all in including the debit card fee, taxes, priority boarding and all other charges. Amazing. Andy
  2. Moneybookers is easy to set up, works well, exchange rates are good, transfer fee is minisculeand there are no fees payable to the receiving bank in France. I have never used PayPal though - but with the current ease of doing business I cannot say I am tempted. Andy
  3. Just got back from our place in the Var and sorting out an insurance claim!! Our house is 300 years old in the heart of the village and there is maybe 5 feet between our house and that across the way. Whilst we were out the driver of a large Renault (not from our village I might add) decided to reverse down the road past our house. The Renault is several inches wider than the gap. He must have hit both sides with the rear of his car but did he then stop? No way. He kept reversing right up to just past his wing mirrors - I know that as they ended up torn off and on the ground. He then decided that it would be a good idea to go forward out of the gap. Now we have tyre marks on our walls and our neighbours and my front step and letterbox are pretty bashed about - but probably not as much as his car!! Not sure if it was as dented and scratched before his little escapade but it sure is a wreck now. He eventually managed to drive out of the gap, leaving various bits of his car behind, but punctured 2 tyres doing that. He replaced one but had to go off to the garage with the other. That was about when I returned! I found the wreck up the road and was fairly amused until I saw the damage he had done to my wall! He had left the wheel nuts in what was left of his hub cap so I interned those immediately. Half an hour later one rather embarassed chap turned up - he had come to the village for a job interview - probably not as a driving instructor though - and had not realised how narrow the gap was. Maybe he was deaf too. I don't think he realised how much damage he had caused to the houses and when I showed him and offered him the bits of his car from my step I think he got the picture. Once I had his insurance details and had checked them out I graciously released his wheel nuts and he went on his way. No doubt it will be months before this is all sorted out. I have to say that my (house) insurers were excellent though - they will deal direct with his insurers so maybe, just once, it might go without a hitch!! Andy
  4. I have just booked a return flight to Toulon from Stansted for just £12.39 all in - including the debit card fee, on line check in and priority boarding - so no complaints from me. The restrictions on using on line check in are a bit wide ranging but manageable. It will keep the queue short at check in for those who do need to check in a bag so benefits all. I admit that I do not like the general attitude of Ryanair - they do seem to look for ever more enterprising ways of adding on charges - but at these prices I am prepared to tolerate that. I can easily get a lift to Stansted as I work nearby, and friends in the village do the short drive to Toulon to pick me up when my visit is too short to justify hiring a car. I do dometimes travel by car to the Var but 7 could go by Ryanair for £86.73 which is much less than the cost of the crossing, fuel, tolls etc and saves a day in each direction. Add back the cost of a hire car at around £12 a day for a small car - with 7 you would need 2! -and it is still good value. Main advantage of the car is to be able to transport copious amounts of stuff down and copious amounts of wine back but I am now organised enough to just take hand baggage and if I need wine a day trip does the trick. Andy
  5. I raised this issue about a year ago and the conclusion was as above - all OK for Sat Navs. TomTom however would not guarantee that and pointed out that a gendarme is at liberty to stop anyone and make their life unpleasant. Andy
  6. We too had an introduction to Credit Ag from a friend in the village who accompanied us to open the account and it all went very smoothly. It took a couple of years to get rid of some of the unnecessary charges but all very good humoured. Very relaxed in our village as regards banking - our friends are able to go in and sort out any problems - few and far between - and pick up cheque books, debit cards etc. - Would not be allowed by UK banks without a lot of rigamarole (probably rightly though!) Andy  
  7. To get back to the OP point about shutters, our insurance specifically says that we have to have shutters on all windows less than 3m from the ground and that they must be closed whilst the house is unoccupied. There was also certain conditions re locks so I photographed them alla nd sent pictures to the insurers asking them to let me know if they did not consider these adequate. Did that in the same letter which enclosed the premium so they could not say they did not have it! The agents replied to say they had no problem. I generally keep the shutters closed most of the time in the summer anyway as it keeps the house relatively cool. Andy
  8. Hindsight is a wonderful thing I know, but if my bank details change I take the opportunity to make a trial transaction to make sure it all works before sending any significant amounts. In the past I have found it difficult to speak with anyone at Moneybookers - not because they are Bulgarian (???) but I think because their process is so automated that there are few people to actually speak to. Same with e mail. Maybe a Registered letter will do the trick. I have to say that I do think that Moneybookers have sharpened up their act since I first started using them. Recent upload of funds took 4 days before I got their e mail notification and then just 2 working days for it to get to Credit Ag with a small fee and good exchange rate. Andy  
  9. You will have to pay mid October if mine is anything to go by. My Fonciere has increased this year by the princely amount of 1 Euro!! or .1% which is a great deal less than I expect my UK rates will increase. Maybe they will keep the 'sting in the tail' for the Habitation. Andy
  10. The same happened to me when we bought in 2000. I faxed them a copy and they went with that. Obviously more relaxed about it than your notaire. Andy
  11. I am certainly not an expert, but I would think that provided the floor tiles were laid properly and securely it should not prove to be a problem. Certainly, if you are laying onto a solid floor I cannot see that cracking would be caused by the weight of the stud wall. If you are tiling onto a wood floor - using MDF/thick plywood or other sheets of material over the floorboards - there might be a little give in the floor I suppose but since people often tile bathrooms and kitchens onto wood floor it must be possible. Worst case scenario if one does crack is to knok it out and cut a replacement tile to fit - so keep some spares.# Andy
  12. All very true of course Le Plombier. If everyone played by the rules what a wonderful world it would be. Problem is that often they do not, hence the stories of waiting for ages to get something done. Friends of mine have regulalrly encountered that but since they insist on using the same builder, and his father before him!, they only have themselves to blame. To be sure he does a good job but as someone else said, he has their job in his pocket and will fit it in when he has nothing better to do. I take a rather different approach and have never had any problems even though mine is only a holiday home. The secret is to know who is in the know in the village and enlist their support in arranging the work. After all they are there all the time, drink in the same bars and in many cases are related to the builders etc. and they badger them until the job is done. Not only have the jobs been done in good time, and not only have I never been asked for a deposit, but it often takes months to get the bill! Most of my chasing seems to be to pay the bill! Andy
  13. Thanks Gluestick - although the site does not specifically cover efflorescence it look like they might well know of a product which might work so I will make contact with them. Regards Andy
  14. My house is 300 years old with granite block walls in the main. It was renovated in 2000 and the walls were rendered inside and then painted. The outside is also rendered using the coloured cement which is popular in Provencal villages. In one spot I have a continual problem with effloresence - as well as the surface becoming powdery the underlaying render tends to come away from the granite. I have knocked it all back to the granite several times now but after around 12 months it recurs. I have tried unibonding it (onto the granite) as well as different types of render, but to no avail. I am sure that it is not rising damp - the patch starts around 2 feet above ground level and goes on for a further 15 inches or so. Below 2 feet from the floor it is absolutely fine. No drainpipes etc outside which could possibly case damp penetration either. The wall are over 2 feet thick anyway and I understand from the local builder that it is actually a cavity wall with the gap between the 2 granite walls staffed with horsehair etc.!! I have heard of a product called Q19 I think which might be the answer but it is very expensive and before I invest in that I thought I would see if anyone on the forum has any suggestions or indeed experience of dealing with such a problem. Thanks in advance Andy
  15. I dropped friends off on Monday morning and although the access road was blocked off the police just diverted cars dropping off to the pick up car park. There is usually a charge to use the pick up car park but that was waived. In fact as it was so busy I just dropped my friends off at the entrance to the car park as it is not far to walk through to the terminal from there. It did take them longer than usual to get through the check ins but not dramatically so. So far, Stansted seem to have a working plan to deal with this, but of course that could change any time. Andy
  16. Your first step should be to read your policy very carefully. You should not expect to be informed of what the insurer will not pay as they think it is reasonable to assume that you have read the policy and therefore know what you are likely to get. Whether you or I think it is reasonable is a matter of indifference to them. I cannot speak for French insurers, but an English policy will usually set out exactly how long a hire care will be made available. It will also say what costs are covered following an accident. Incidentally it is usual for a garage to charge storage charges pending a repair, but that is usually covered by the insurance. As regards the value they put on the written off vehicle I guess that can be checked in Glass's Guide - anything similar in France. 3000 Euros for an 18 month old car seems to me to be very low - was it  a Trabant?!!!! Insurance companies should not be trusted under any circumstances; always get clarification of any points you do not fully understand and accept from the insurer from the taking out of the policy until you replace it. And get it in writing. They will often refuse to write so simply send them a letter by special delivery (for proof of posting) setting out your understanding of the position and keep a copy with the policy. Then if it comes to a dispute you at least have something to hit them with. Just be entirely sure that I can prove that they have the letter, I would usually take the opportunity to deal with any issues at the same time as enclosing the premium. If the cheque is presented they can hardly argue they did not get the letter. Andy
  17. What a good idea Suandpete! I will try that next winter as at present I use the spray on cleaner (which is a fraction of the price in France that it is in the UK) I have a woodburner in my house in France which is fairly unsophisticated. It is only a back up for our oil fired central heating but it makes a huge difference to the oil consumption. I buy in well seasoned timber - usually oak or chestnut which are plentiful in the Var. I store them in my cellar to keep them dry and do not get much black on the fire glass when I burn them. I will need a fresh supply this year and will let you know what I pay - a group of us usually get together to buy in bulk. My French neighbours are permanent residents so use quite a lot but my share of the supply will last a couple of years easily. I always had just an open fire in the UK, but came across Barbas stoves - made in Holland - which I had installed last winter. These are much more sophisticated and as well as the 'air flow' system to keep the glass clear (only succesful if you have really dry wood) it has a couple of fans at the base which draw in cool air into the chamber above the stove once it reaches a certain temperature, and blows the heated air out into the room. Highly effecient. I only empty the ash can once a week and have it on most evenings in the winter. I use all sorts of wood on this fire - some are better than others but I just take whatever I can get! I now use my greenhouse for storing timber so it dries out more quickly than just leaving it outside. I can manage without greenhouse tomatoes! Andy
  18. On topic, and with the benefit of experiencing (third hand thank God) the dreadful effects of asbestos related diseases, I would make the following points in case they are of interest. Firstly, it takes just one asbestos fibre to induce asbestos related disease in some people; others appear to be immune to it and no-one knows why yet. In between these extremes lie the rest of us. There is no cure. If you get it you die. Secondly the symptoms of asbestos related disease can take over 30 years to emerge. We simply do not know how many cases there are going to be in future from work practices of over a quarter of a century ago. Suffice it to say that both in the US and in Lloyds of London  insurers are anticipating claims running into billions of dollars.There are 2 ways of looking at this. If you get it it is truly awful. But you may well die of something else before it has time to have any affect on you. Thirdly, there are several different types of asbestos - some are much more harmful than others. Have a look at the Health and Safety Executive web site for a full analysis of the problem. Fourthly, not everything which is thought to be asbestos actually is (see other posts which make this point) Fifthly there is an acceptable way of dealing with asbestos and that is encapsulating it. This is used in buildings where removal is not possible. As has been said elsewhere the danger only arises when you inhale asbestos dust and that will only happen if the asbestos is disturbed in any way. However if, for example, you had a roof made from the stuff and a tree fell on it in a storm, vast amounts of fibres could be released into the atmosphere and carried in the wind. Think of the potential damage that could do to your family/neighbours/community - although if people contract the disease it will be so far into the future that they are unlikely to know why. That should not make you feel any better about it. Sixthly, the major causes of asbestos related disease is said to be industry - shipping (boiler lagging) motor industry (asbestos in brake pads) mining etc. In all these industries working practices have changed since the risk was identified many years ago so the current generation is not likely to have the same exposure as previous generations. But it can take just one fibre. No one knows how much asbestos related disease has non industrial origins - but the extent to which it was used as roofing for sheds and insulation for heating systems as well as home mechnics must mean that there is a risk out there. My advice to the OP is that, as a very first step, he finds out exactly what his roof is actually made of. There may be no problem at all. You need a professional analysis carried out. There is no excuse for avoiding this, expense or otherwise. You need to know the extent of the problem. Once you have found out the exact make up of the material, check on the HSE web site as that gives guidance as to how best to deal with the problem. Then you can make an informed decision as to what you should do about the roof. If you do just rip it down and dump it as seems to have been suggested you are risking not only your own life but those of others, but, hey, who will know?. Yes there are firms out there who will try to rip you off. There are others who are honest about what they do. In the UK there has to be specific approval/licences to work with asbestos, maybe there is something similar in France. As a final word, do any of you remember being at school and handing round a lump of raw asbestos in science class? That shows how old I am! Andy
  19. We were in the same position as you and took professional advice which ended with a CU being fixed up. We used a firm of solicitors based in Portsmouth who advertise in Living France occasionally. With this sort of thing I believe it is always best to leave it to the experts. Andy
  20. Frogslegs wrote the following post at 30/05/2007 14:32: Sound like tennis elbow the best result for me was a steroid injection (feels like being kicked by a horse when the injection goes in) but you do finally get relief.....I have had two over the last 10 years but I think they only allow three in total...hence no more renovating for me! Good point F My first steroid injection was done by my GP and left me battered and bruised and in great pain. To top it all it did not work anyway! Then I was introduced to a consultant near Harley Street who specialises in this and he spent ages finding the exact spot for the injection and I hardly felt him actuially injecting the steroid. Within a week it was virtually fixed. He pointed out that it will always be a weakness so I could probably expect it to recur - which it did 5 years later and he fixed it again. Interestingly, I has always believed that there was a maximum of 3 tries but the specialist says that is not actually true. As long as they are spread over a long enough period it is no problem.   I later damaged my shoulder, which is a lot harder to deal with, but he fixed that enetually too.   Greatest pain was in my wallet but you cannot put a price on health matters.   Andy
  21. My thanks too - excellent advice which will be very helpful to me. Andy
  22. Not sure if this will help, but I have suffered from tennis elbow on and off for some years and have had some (expensive!) treatment in Harley Street which fixed it for a time. However the handyman who works for my employer has had the same problem and he has had great success with a support which wraps around the arm just below the elbow and this has the effect of avoiding strain on the elbow tendons. They can be bought at chemists in the UK and presumably France. I got one with the trade name Pro Sport from my local chemist for around £8 and now always wear it when doing heavy jobs and it certainly seems to have done the trick. It is stronger than the tube bandage supports and adjustable according to the work you are doing. I have found that you have to persevere with it. The first couple of weeks seemed to make no difference although it was certainly easier to do heavy work with it on, but then, as the tendons had time to rest, I experienced gradual improvement to the extent that I no longer wear it each day. All our aches and pains are likely to have different causes so maybe best advice is to seek medical advice! Hope you recover soon. Andy
  23. I too would like to know the experience of others on this. Although we do not intend to live permanently in France we do intend to spend a year or so travelling the world when we retire and are seriously considering letting our house during that time - as much to have it occupied and looked after (to an extent) than for the financial rewards. There is a post elsewhere recently which strongly advises against letting your house furnished as it is likely that tenants will not respect your property the way that you might. I tend to agree with that view and if and when we do it an option will be to put everything into store. I will certainly be talking to several agents to get a broad range of views but they will all be biased to one extent or another, so the experience of those who have actually done this will be invaluable. The alternative is to lock up the house and leave it empty but I think most insurers take a dim view of that and place restrictions on cover. Andy
  24. Goergina - I have had a succesful claim - although I was not using one of the 'cheap' policies. No way would I trust anything with which Ryanair was involved!! My wife was taken ill a week before our holiday a few years ago and the cover included with my NatWest Gold Card (as it was then) paid up without a murmur. Andy
  25. I too really dislike Ryanair and usually fly with others, including Easyjet, if the extra cost is not too onerous. I just do not trust Ryanair and know that if anything does go wrong the chances of resolving it are virtually nil. When I have no choice but to use them I prepare for the worst and keep my fingers crossed. I guess my distrust goes back to the time they bought Buzz and simply cancelled all flights to Toulon and then took weeks to refund the fares. Easyjet came up trumps then with an alternative flight to Nice. Having said that they must be doing something right in the business sense as they seem to be very succesful in financial terms. Andy
×
×
  • Create New...