tenniswitch

[quote user="Timco"] I'm not an e-mail obsessive - honest[:)] Tim [/quote] I'm afraid that I am. [:(]

[quote user="Timco"][quote user="LEO"][quote user="tenniswitch"] [quote user="londoneye"]If I go to the french orange site it automatically logs me in, and the idea was to practice trying to log in as if i am not here - although i am not feeling very here right now. If I go to the uk one i have the sae trouble as before.   perhaps i will have to wait til in uk and try from diff computer. [/quote] Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but it sounds as if you plan to try to access your wanadoo.fr email account via the orange.uk website when you are in the UK. You do realize that wherever in the world you may be, you will have to access your wanadoo.fr email account via orange.fr?  And that you can do that either by setting your computer's email program (Outlook, Outlook Express or whatever) to download your email from the orange.fr website or you can go to the orange.fr site yourself and login there to view your email? Personally, I prefer to have my wanadoo mail download directly to my Outlook inbox. [/quote]   My account is with wanadoo.fr/orange.fr and I access it with "mail2web" , without altering any settings whatsoever ! [/quote]   Neither do I have to change anything with Orange - I don't use mail2web or any other such like programme - you just login - it's simple. Tim [/quote] Tim, I agree that it's simple and you don't need to change anything with Orange.  You can simply log in at the Orange website (and you can arrange for at least part of that to be automatic) or you can set up your email program to log in to the Orange account and to download your email automatically. And I'm sure mail2web works fine, as does having your email forwarded to a Google account.  It's just that I have several email accounts (with different ISPs) and use the Outlook calendar a lot so I prefer to have all my mail download through Outlook.  One less "click".

[quote user="tel"] Hi, Follow the instructions that 'Sunday Driver' advises.  If you have never checked your webmail even in France you must have thousands if messages in your 'indésirables' folder, as these are not downloaded by default using O.E.  You can change the settings of your mail account by logging on this way.   Regards [/quote] Most ISPs empty their spam-catcher boxes every 30 days or so.  I thought Orange did that, too. 

[quote user="londoneye"]If I go to the french orange site it automatically logs me in, and the idea was to practice trying to log in as if i am not here - although i am not feeling very here right now. If I go to the uk one i have the sae trouble as before.   perhaps i will have to wait til in uk and try from diff computer. [/quote] Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but it sounds as if you plan to try to access your wanadoo.fr email account via the orange.uk website when you are in the UK. You do realize that wherever in the world you may be, you will have to access your wanadoo.fr email account via orange.fr?  And that you can do that either by setting your computer's email program (Outlook, Outlook Express or whatever) to download your email from the orange.fr website or you can go to the orange.fr site yourself and login there to view your email? Personally, I prefer to have my wanadoo mail download directly to my Outlook inbox.

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] Go to the main French webpage at  www.orange.fr.  You will see a grey bar across the top.  Look to the left of the bar for bonjour > identifiez-vous.  Click on it and it'll take you to a page where you log in.  Now click on the button showing your acount name and you'll be presented with a box to enter your password.  This is your 'mot de passe de messagerie'. Once accepted, you're back on the homepage, only this time, your name appears on the left of the grey bar.  Your are now logged in.  Click on the messagerie tab and there you are...   [/quote] Oops, didn't catch that Londoneye was going to the UK website.  Too early in the morning for me, I guess.

Okay, I also have an old Wanadoo account, but have not had problems accessing it through the Orange website.  You're going to the Orange website and clicking on the Messagerie button at the top of the page?  And it's taking you to a page that has a box on the left where it asks you to enter your identifiant and mot de passe? And you're entering [email protected] (whatever identifiant Wanadoo assigned you) and the password that Wanadoo gave you for that identifiant?  NOT the password you were given for connecting to the internet. Hint (if you haven't changed your passwords from those originally assigned by Wanadoo/Orange): the email password probably has six letters/numbers, while the internet connection password probably has seven. By the way, when I click on the link for forgotten passwords, I get the option of entering either my email address OR my mobile number (I haven't got one either). Did you try entering your email address there and it didn't work?

[quote user="Cendrillon"][quote user="Cathy"] As soon as you arrive, you feel as if you are holiday (unless the mice have chewed the furniture or there's been a water leak)...   [/quote] It's not just a second home it's a second life and if you're lucky a whole set of local friends and social life to catch up with when you're staying there.[:)] [/quote] You're so right.  As soon as I arrive, I feel as if I'm at home, but in my alter ego.  We're 4000+ miles away so it's a 1-day by air + 1-day by rail trip for us.  We come once in spring and once in fall, and last year I managed nearly 5 months total. I love both my lives.

Has anyone changed your screen resolution settings lately? It sounds as if you are using Internet Explorer.  Do you know which version?  Sometimes you have to reinstall your browser.  You might try googling "lost address bar" and see what turns up.

Are you talking about the search box at the top of the Orange page or the topmost toolbar (AKA the address bar) on your screen?  If the latter, what do you see if you right-click any toolbar at the top of the page?

I've read threads on the subject of import taxes, but I'm still a bit confused. I'd like to ship a box of  (used) linens and maybe a few other surplus household goods to use in our maison secondaire.  It seems silly to buy new when I have more than I need in the US, but I really don't want to schlep them in a suitcase. I've never seen a Customs form that provides for this kind of thing.  Is it possible to do this without being liable for French duty?  If not, where can I find the rates?

Perhaps this might help?  If not, try googling the words from your error message. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322201  

[quote user="scoobie"] hello all forumites.  ive been going to france on and off for about 25 years, my parents owned prperty in the perpignan and Argeles Sur Mer area but came back to UK 5 years ago.  we have two girls, one at uni and the other going in 18 months time.  we've just spent christmas in Val D'Isere skiing and loved the area etc. on coming back to UK ive been informed of a studio with small garden for sale (not in Val D'isere)  and am very tempted, we would be able to use/rent it out during the summer as well as using it for skiing in winter.  It is part of the bigger plan because when the younger girls goes to uni we would love to have a few of these rentals, move out there and run them from there.  my hubbie gets an army pension that would feed us sufficiently each month so would need to earn enough for day to day living costs etc.   the problem is that we will have to remortgage the house to do so - also neither of us speak french but german!! (we cant find anything for sale in Bavaria) On the other hand we've been invited to buy a part share in a condo in Florida, 8 minutes from the beach which we can use for one month of the year.  it is a new build and will be sold after 10 years with each of us taking our profit.  we can afford to do this because we have the downpayment and then have to pay a certain amount each month.  we would not have to remortgage the house and dont have to learn another language. the problem is we all love skiing, france is closer, we can take the dog - need i continue??  i think i know what i want to do but the reality of it is frightening. can you persuade me? [/quote] Speaking as a Floridian, this is not a good time to be investing in property in Florida unless you are very risk-tolerant.  Prices in some areas are expected to drop considerably due, in part, to the sub-prime mortgage meltdown.

[quote user="BIG MAC"] http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/craft/ph/02/09-image.jpg   Is it a brick corbel you refer to perhaps as per the link above? [/quote] This is the message I see when I try the above link: Forbidden You don't have permission to access /sims-mitchell/local/craft/ph/02/09-image.jpg on this server. Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. Apache/1.3.37 Server at www.victorianvilla.com Port 80

I've only needed to call there once, and had no trouble getting through, although I did have to hold for a few minutes (not as many as 15, though). The young man solved my problem, too. I think I called right after they opened for the morning.

[quote user="groslard"]The easiest way (which I use) is to have a French keyboard: you can change between the two on Windows at the bottom right corner of the screen There is another way, which is to use a French spell check. I have one on Thunderbird for all my emails and you can have the add-on for Firefox too (Dictionnaire myspell en  Français)[/quote] Outlook (and probably also) OE users can have spellcheck in French, also.  And Outlook provides an insertion icon if you're finding the spellcheck less than perfect.

I need to buy some new upholstered furniture- a couple of canapés and fauteuils- and Clermont is the nearest city.  Does anyone know of some good furniture stores in that area?  I don't want to spend a fortune but would like something a cut above BUT or IKEA. Thanks.

[quote user="ErnieY"] Thanks for the info TW and I'm sure you're 100% kosher in both countries. Which brings us back to the OP does it not. Is there some killer "unforseen tax" which can hit unsuspecting Americans who become resident in France ? [/quote] Thanks for the vote of confidence. [:D] I'm way too neurotic to go in for a life of crime.  And, while I grumble as much as anyone about paying my taxes, I do believe in progressive taxation to fund social and other services and regret that the civil service has become such a scapegoat in the US.  I think the killer "unforseen tax" for Americans would be the wealth tax (and the fact that any residence outside of France would be included in that "wealth").  I don't know of any state in the US that has a comparable tangible/intangible property tax- especially not at French rates.  And one's annual federal taxes are on income, not wealth.

[quote user="Deimos"][quote user="ErnieY"] [quote user="tenniswitch"]We are very careful to make sure that we remain liable for income and "wealth" taxes only in the US.[/quote]Sorry, gotta ask, are you French resident and if so very interesed in how you achieve this [Www]  [/quote] When I looked at the US/France dual taxation treaty/agreement it is complex and not just a straight forward "worldwide income taxes in France". Some types of income and assets are taxed in the US, others in France even though you might be resident in France. Ian [/quote] Yes, I think that it's very complicated, and any US citizen contemplating with significant income/capital/US assets really should be advised by an attorney specializing in these matters. I've never looked into it seriously because we've never really considered becoming French residents (well, maybe for a few minutes after the 2004 presidential election).  

[quote user="ErnieY"] [quote user="tenniswitch"]We are very careful to make sure that we remain liable for income and "wealth" taxes only in the US.[/quote]Sorry, gotta ask, are you French resident and if so very interesed in how you achieve this [Www]  [/quote] No, we have a maison secondaire in France, but our primary residence is in the US.  We are careful not to stay more than 132 days a year in France or do anything else that would make us liable for French impots. Ernie, I've heard tales of tax dodges involving accounts in places like Monaco or Lichtenstein, but I haven't a clue as to whether they're feasible for non-bezillionaires, much less legal.  I don't know any legal way to be a resident of France and avoid French impots, and if I were going to live in France, I would not expect to benefit from the French social and health services without paying French taxes.  But since all our income is derived in the US, as well as health and social benefits, I certainly don't want to become liable for French impots. Of course, we pay the normal property taxes, etc.

[quote user="ErnieY"] Or maybe hadn't done their research and not realised they would be taxed on worldwide income ? That could definately make you bail out in a hurry [:-))] [/quote] I think you're right.  A lot of people (Europeans and Americans) don't understand how the French impots (worldwide income and wealth taxes) affect US citizens.  There shouldn't be any great surprises regarding the French property taxes, and French impots would not come as a shock to people from the UK who are used to higher income tax rates than most Americans. We are very careful to make sure that we remain liable for income and "wealth" taxes only in the US.  

1. Where to start:  wiring- the electricians won't need plumbing, but the plumbers will need electricity to the loft. 2. Since the downstairs rewiring and kitchen redo will both totally disrupt your life, try to schedule them as nearly simultaneously as possible. 3. To save your sanity: if at all possible, move to a nearby house, apartment or appendage while the rewiring and kitchen are being done.  Pack up as much of your stuff as possible and dust-sheet the rest.  All the drilling into the walls, etc., for the wiring is going to make a horrible mess, and you don't want to spend  your days and nights inhaling the dust.  

[quote user="Monika"] What is the timespan we would be allowed to stay in France before we become tax residents. How long can we be absent from the UK before we are no longer entitled to the UK's Health Service. I tried to do a search but could not find anything. Thank you. [/quote] Sorry that I can't remember where I found this, but... "If you are resident in France, you must pay French taxes on your worldwide income. However, if you are not resident in France, you pay French taxes only on income earned in France. This is much the same as UK tax law (i.e. if you are resident in the UK you must pay UK taxes on your worldwide income whereas if you are not resident in the UK you pay UK taxes only on UK income). If you are resident in France from a tax perspective, you are referred to as 'tax resident in France'. In general, French tax law considers you to be 'tax resident' if you meet any of the following criteria:       your principal residence is in France, or          you carry out a professional activity in France (unless you can prove that this activity is carried out therein incidentally), or          your centre of economic interest lies in France. There are a number of specific tests associated with these general principles. For example, if you spend 183 days or more in France in a calendar year, then your principle residence is deemed to be in France. These specific tests are used when it is unclear which country you are 'tax resident' in. For example, if you spend half of your time in France and half of your time in the UK, it is possible that both countries will claim you as tax resident, in which case the specific tests will be used to determine which of the two countries you are actually tax resident in. If your situation is unclear, you may wish to take professional advice on this matter."

[quote user="spg"][quote user="tenniswitch"][quote user="spg"][quote user="tenniswitch"] I still can't send, and haven't got your excuse; there's nothing sitting in my outbox.  I haven't changed my account from wanadoo to orange.  Do you suppose that's causing my problem? [/quote] I had the same problem and solved it - with assistance from a french friend with the same problem. I use Courrier not Outlook but that doesn't make any difference -  I accessed properties for each of my email accounts (I use laposte as well as others)  in my email program; chose Mail Server option; then in outgoing mail server for each account changed the mail server name to <<smtp.orange.fr << (no arrows) leaving the port as 25. This worked for me. Sue [/quote] Thanks, Sue, but I don't think my US ISP allows connections through port 25. [/quote] Whoops! I forgot you had an American ISP ... Sue   [/quote] Heavens, you can't expect to keep track of everything.  Too many people, too many details...[:)]

[quote user="Cat"] I can still successfully ping www.wanadoo.fr, which suggests that the DNS still recognises that IP address.     [/quote] It definitely works for incoming mail.

[quote user="spg"][quote user="tenniswitch"] I still can't send, and haven't got your excuse; there's nothing sitting in my outbox.  I haven't changed my account from wanadoo to orange.  Do you suppose that's causing my problem? [/quote] I had the same problem and solved it - with assistance from a french friend with the same problem. I use Courrier not Outlook but that doesn't make any difference -  I accessed properties for each of my email accounts (I use laposte as well as others)  in my email program; chose Mail Server option; then in outgoing mail server for each account changed the mail server name to <<smtp.orange.fr << (no arrows) leaving the port as 25. This worked for me. Sue   [/quote] Thanks, Sue, but I don't think my US ISP allows connections through port 25.