Couple of daft questions

[BMWST?]

bank bnz
phone/mobile/tv(incl basic sky satelitte tv)/broadband ,Telecom(with a teenager 2000 texts for $10 is a good deal)
Insurance car bike/house/contents, Vero
Sat nav, get a car that already has it

[sil3nt]

Internet i would definitely go Telstra.

As for power/gas there is a website to help with that http://www.powerswitch.org.nz/Default.asp?bhcp=1

[Patch]

stay there - don't move at all, you'll wish that you did just that once you get here or why not be like everybody else and move to that big fookn island called Australia, you'll be glad you did especially if you like sheep.

[klingon]

I would strongly reccommend joining Consumer for independent, excellent advice on all the things you have mentioned. It costs something like $70 a year to be a member. Each year I easily save that much money by making informed choices based on their research and articles.

With you making a lot of big purchasing decisions, you will get the investment back many times over.

www.consumer.org.nz





I'll have that beer now, thanks.

[owner]

Just get ya lazy butt over here ya daft coont! Chch is OK because I'm there www.trademe.co.nz has everything else you will need

[triple-bee]

you should have said u where there i would have been out months ago

[p.dath]

I would strongly reccommend joining Consumer for independent, excellent advice on all the things you have mentioned. It costs something like $70 a year to be a member. Each year I easily save that much money by making informed choices based on their research and articles.

With you making a lot of big purchasing decisions, you will get the investment back many times over.

www.consumer.org.nz





I'll have that beer now, thanks.

I used to subscribe to consumer, but stopped and formed the opposite opinion to you. I found their advice was often poorly founded or not well researched. Now I just use Google. If something is crap then you'll find lots of complaints.

[klingon]

I used to subscribe to consumer, but stopped and formed the opposite opinion to you. I found their advice was often poorly founded or not well researched. Now I just use Google. If something is crap then you'll find lots of complaints.

hmm... interesting to hear different people's experiences. I find the vast majority of the advice given by Consumer to be sensible and valuable, and I often print their reports and pass them on to friends (I subscribe to the online version rather than the hard-copy magazine).

One case in point is some friends who have a small baby and were going to buy a heater. They were on the verge of buying an unflued LPG gas heater, but a quick look at Consumer showed that not only were they expensive to run, but there were health and safety issues especially for babies. Consumer had a very useful article comparing different heating options including purchase price and running costs. I was really pleased to be able to pass it on to my friends.

On the few occasions when I disagree with Consumer's findings I make sure I go onto their feedback forums and tell them so.

[Mschvs]

Hello, probably been covered many times but as i,m a fat lazy bastard who can,t be arsed looking around, was wondering who where the best (not the cheapest) for

banking

mobile phones

car/bike/house insurance

a good sat nav

where to buy a car

furniture

phone/tv/broadband providers

gas/ electricity suppliers

i will think of more as we get a bit nearer but thanks in advance for any info on this lot

cheers Neil

PS. any one that saves me money gets beer

BANKING - Westpac
MOBILE PHONES - Vodafone - but always stick with something simple. The more 'features' your phone has, the more likely it is to systematically break down (try stick with the necessities is what I am getting at. I worked at Vodafone for 3 years)
CAR/BIKE/HOUSE INSURANCE - Personally I think having a seperate 'Bike Oriented' bike insurer is better then going through your bank. But the other two, go with who you bank with ... saves on more paperwork and phone numbers, and if you keep it all in one place they usually give you a better deal.
GOOD SAT NAV - Haven't got one, but always heard good things about NAVMAN, and best place and price to find one is online
BUYING A CAR - depends what you want. I say shop around, there's never particularly ONE GOOD PLACE. However, Greenlane Car Fair on Sundays I think is great!
FURNITURE - Stay away from Big Save, their stuff falls to bits... otherwise pick the store with the best interest free terms. Unless your paying by cash of course. And bargain with them (particularly Harvey Norman) even if it's on special and however you are paying. Their prices are a little/lot jacked up!PHONE/TV/BROADBAND - If you go with Vodafone for your mobile, go with them for home phone and broadband. Never had any troubles, and good deals.
GAS/ELECTRICITY SUPPLIERS - my advice is go with the ones who use alternative power, rather then coal. Sounds all 'GREENY' and slightly is, but they all rip you off, and coal won't last forever, so back those who are researching alternative power sources.

I hope this actually helps!

If you actually have the time to read through everyones suggestions that is!!

[triple-bee]

i did and they all helped, vodaphone seems to be the way to go on the phone, actually went into a kiwibank when i was there and the girl was really freindly so they may get my bussines on the strenth of that, looks like a dealer for the car i want a diesel 4x4 auto and she is having a new one from a dealer she knows what she wants and iv,e been informed it,s non negotiable

for everything else it,s trademe, thanku boys/girls

Neil

[lv929]

i did and they all helped, vodaphone seems to be the way to go on the phone, actually went into a kiwibank when i was there and the girl was really freindly so they may get my bussines on the strenth of that, looks like a dealer for the car i want a diesel 4x4 auto and she is having a new one from a dealer she knows what she wants and iv,e been informed it,s non negotiable

for everything else it,s trademe, thanku boys/girls

Neil

Only after I've saved up for years and years and years


Thankyou to everyone for this, we belong to an immigration forum too but somehow you lot just seem much more helpful


Obviously it's a biker thing

[martybabe]

Hey
I just moved over here last year from Scotland and to be honest it's all been really easy..... There is nowhere near as much paperwork and crap as you get back in the UK and the vast majority of people I've come across are genuinly keen to help.... As said before there isn't as much variety and a lack of competition but I just picked companies at random when I got here and have had no real issues at all..... Good luck

The lady's not wrong, a lot of kiwi sales peeps are so laid back it's a wonder they don't topple over but that's way better than the pushy arrogant arseholes Brits have to deal with every day, more still, if you genuinely want something sorting they will usually do their best for you. Confusing but very refreshing and it makes dealing with crappy stuff like banking and insurance almost a pleasure.Easy as mate

It's all real easy to do even for a lazy bastard, immigration is the only place that seems to make life difficult where it really doesn't need to be.

Banks: look for one that issues debit cards like Westpac, you may well be doing a lot of shopping on line, in can be a nightmare trying to track down stuff to buy in NZ, they simply don't cater for 65 million people like the uk.

Basic every day stuff is OK to get but if you need a whimwham for a wowser you're gonna have to buy online and you will need a debit or credit card for that and not all banks issue them.

Good luck, it's a great place that moves at a great pace.

[crazyhorse]

Hello, probably been covered many times but as i,m a fat lazy bastard who can,t be arsed looking around, was wondering who where the best (not the cheapest) for

banking

mobile phones

car/bike/house insurance

a good sat nav

where to buy a car

furniture

phone/tv/broadband providers

gas/ electricity suppliers

i will think of more as we get a bit nearer but thanks in advance for any info on this lot

cheers Neil

PS. any one that saves me money gets beer

National Bank is great (I despise Westpac)
Mobile phones - Telecom (but where one might give you coverage, the other won't)
AMI are good for insurances - but not for bikes - try Classic Cover (they have a website)
I agree, buy a car through a car yard - you have come back
Furniture - new? - Bigsave. Otherwise, plenty of second hand places - try trademe
Energy online is the cheapest Power provider - if in Hawkes Bay anyway
Broadband - there are heaps of cheap deals - I'm with Xnet - they're great. Phone with telecom

Happy relocating to NZ

[SARGE]

BNZ seems to have better rates for ForEx if you have funds in the UK

i bring a few bucks a month over from the States every month and try and make sure its through a BNZ..

i bank with Westpac though


GPS .. i use a TomTom Go720.. i use it daily.. can put expanded memory in it and broadcast MP3 through the FM in my truck (radio stations here suck) and handsfree bluetooth for the phone


check www.pricespy.co.nz for the best deal

[Dooly]

Hello, probably been covered many times but as i,m a fat lazy bastard who can,t be arsed looking around, was wondering who where the best (not the cheapest) for

furniture

Big Save.
Ask for the mad blonde chick.
If you buy a decent amount of furniture, she'll take yer out the back and give you a test ride on their Super Kings.