Rose Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Dear allIt's been a while since I've asked a question but you seem such knowledgeable bunch I thought I would seek your opinions again! We're busy making plans for our move in August and have started getting quotes for removals. As you can imagine we are very excited and very nervous all at the same time but counting down the days! The first company arrived today, very professional and friendly but his opening comments dampened my spirits somewhat with ... "Oh, I'll be moving you back in 18 months time - that seems to be the way these days!" [8-)] On further questioning he told me that people struggled to finance their stay (already covered in other posts in detail I know), tradesmen find the French won't use their services, the French not speaking to their English neighbours nor serving them in shops(? why?) ... not being made welcome in the community... and several other such joys! His parting comment was "the French don't deserve France"... cheerful chappie![blink]I must stress that in all the years we've visited France we've never found this, we have friends and acquaintances who have already made the move and have never mentioned this and we've also exchanged homes with 2 French families who have never been anything other than kind, generous, open and friendly.I am tempted to ignore his comments but thought I would dip my toe in and ask the experts (that's you lot!) to see if this is something you've come across? Is he just hearing the worst from those that didn't find France right for them? Do more than half the people who move come back 18 months later... or was he perhaps just one of those folk that sees a cup half empty? (now asking myself should I press post or should I just laugh it off... mmm?) [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 He's talking through the wrong part of his anatomy! France, like everywhere else is what you make it and the people here vary from delightful, kind, friendly and welcoming, to downright unpleasant - as is no doubt true everywhere else in the world. You may be back in 18 months - some are - but the chances are good that you'll make a happy life for yourself. Don't let it get you down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Ill second that. If you move over waiting for it all to go wrong then it probably will. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 [quote user="pale pink specs"] Is he just hearing the worst from those that didn't find France right for them? [/quote]He's a removal guy, so he comes into contact with people who move - not those who stay put.[:D]I'm sure there are a fair few people who do move back within a couple of years, but he was probably just being loose with his terminology if he indicated it was 'half'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 [quote user="pale pink specs"] I must stress that in all the years we've visited France we've never found this, [/quote]Neither have we in 15 years of being in and out of France with the last two living here permanently.One thing I did learn as a salesman was if you can't find anything positive to say then don't say anything negative!Obviously the man from your removal company has never been told this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
united Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Don't worry pps, your removal man sounds like one of the people who telephone radio phone ins with barely a scintilla of knowledge on a subject and then pontificate for minutes on end. I think you have given more weight to his words than they deserve. The real experts on France are on this forum.I guess removal men all have tales about people who moved up north, down south, across town etc and the move did not work for them. If moves do not work out its never the fault of the person moving back its always some other's fault.Enjoy your move and life in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 He probably is an expert on the mis-fortunes of those who have returned, the question that you must ask yourself is does he like to exaggerate?I.e. is it really 50% who he moves back after 18 months and was it really that bad for them or perhaps they had other real reasons (work family etc) and he just likes to recount the negative ones about the French.FWIW most English truckies I have met love to run down France, the food, the people etc, I wondered why they chose to work here or perhaps they had no say in the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Dont take any notice ...the French are a very friendly and helpful people ......My latest experience of this was only last month when in a car park my car would not start.....On opening the bonnet I seemed to gather a posse of diesel experts in seconds who discussed among themselves what the problem was....told me to get in the car ...forced the fuel through the injectors .....told me to start up then advised I change the fuel filter as that was the problem ......... you cant do better than that ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Just as Tresco pointed out, a removal man meets people...who are on the move. So, he is bound to be biaised in his opinions. Just like a medic who would say that "many people have a lot of health problems"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
united Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 He probably is an expert on the mis-fortunes of those who have returned. Yeah right. JR my daughter came home and said everyone in her year had a mobile phone. The 5 people she asked did own one This did not make her an expert on mobile phone ownership in either her class or her year.The receipt of a few statistically insignificant anecdotal comments do not make an expert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I had to reply United!The anecdote about your daughter made me laugh!What I meant by him being an expert was that he of all people would have met many of the people returning after failing here for whatever reasons, therefore an expert yes, but as you quite rightly say of a statistically insignificant group. But that is exactly what I was trying to put across, he may be an expert but only on those that return, if however it is 50% as he says, which I doubt because I have never heard anyone say they would use the same removal company again, then he would be an expert of a statistically significant group.I suspect that he was an opinionated ignorant (ignoramous?) like my brother in law who thinks he knows (no he knows that he knows!) everything on every subject as he read it in the Sun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
united Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 JR. What I wanted to try and do for pps was to question the credibility of the source of the remarks that have caused some concern, however unwittingly (thoughtlessly) they had been aired.Your brother in law sounds fun, are you certain he does not just look at the pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 Thank you all for your words of wisdom! I think I knew deep down what he said was inaccurate... but it's good to hear that you all seem to agree! I was most probably having one of those 'WE'RE MOVING TO FRANCE?!' days.... I do seem to swing from absolute joy to sheer nerves, but I've been told this is normal too! I wish it were August already!!![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 He's talking crap. Perhaps he is one of the moved back in a short time statistics himself or just plainly jealous he hasn't the bottle to up and move himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audois Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Interesting post; whilst re-locating a family down here I met the local rep to the UK removal firm who said the same thing to the family although he thought it would be a bit longer 'you'll be doing the return move in 2yrs & 9months' - what a unfriendly welcomeFamily still here after a very happy year with no intentions of heading back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckenzie Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 HiI hope you asked for a discount, as he would get a paid return from all the people moving back. See if that cheers him up bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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