Immigrating to the UK

AdrianH said:
Cool, looking forward to getting my UK broadband soon :)

Do you get bundled deals like mobile voice, mobile data, home fibre all as one deal. Is it advisable?
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Yeah and probably a discount. The number of mobile and broadband providers are staggering (I'm in the UK at the moment. Even Tesco is in on it). Even SKY has a mobile arm now but the premium Sky package is expensive but Sky released this thing called NOW TV a while back which is quite interesting. I'd say get Amazon Prime (signed up for a 30 day trial here - it's so good) and Netflix. Obviously sport will be an issue but look into perhaps getting Eurosport and watching the SA rugby games at the bar.

I took out a 30 day contract with Voxi (8GB for 10 quid, no social media apps count towards cap) but to be honest have found it to be patchy. Mostly only in central London do I get 4G, otherwise it is H+ and I'm not exactly staying in the sticks (staying in outer London). Back when I was last here in 2017, I took out a contract with EE - much better coverage but pricey. I believe EE and Orange already in fact have 5G in selected areas from the advertising I've been seeing.
 
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Chris_the_Brit said:
I took out a 30 day contract with Voxi (8GB for 10 quid, no social media apps count towards cap) but to be honest have found it to be patchy. Mostly only in central London do I get 4G, otherwise it is H+ and I'm not exactly staying in the sticks (staying in outer London). Back when I was last here in 2017, I took out a contract with EE - much better coverage but pricey. I believe EE and Orange already in fact have 5G in selected areas from the advertising I've been seeing
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what phone are you using? Vodafone (Voxi is a PAYG brand of Vodafone) has very good 4G coverage in London (as well as some 5G), but Vodafone 4G primary carrier is Band 20 which some cheaper Chinese models omit (and as it isn't used in SA you wouldn't have noticed).

By the way, Orange hasn't existed as a company in the UK since 2014. EE as formed by a merger of Orange and T-Mobile).
 
Several of us in the forum have been using NOW TV for quite a few years. They have tailored packages that are quite inexpensive compared to the full Sky package and bundled with their internet, you can get for example the entertainment package for about £6 a month. A NOW TV stick is just a repurposed Roku, and now I have actually replaced my 2 amazon fire tv sticks for these at home. They are very cheap and often you can buy including a month of sports or 3 months of movies etc.

I also found their fibre to be very competitive and indeed my daughter uses it for a couple of years now too.

A good tip is to keep your eye out for the NOW TV sports vouchers. You get them in giveaways at McDonalds and when you buy two tubes of Pringles etc. I’d keep a hold of them until a big day or week of sport, and use them then.

So for me, with such a big choice in offer as Chris mentions, I wouldn’t look past NOW TV for internet and streaming tv. You can add Netflix and catch up apps on to their sticks also.
 
Dave said:
what phone are you using? Vodafone (Voxi is a PAYG brand of Vodafone) has very good 4G coverage in London (as well as some 5G), but Vodafone 4G primary carrier is Band 20 which some cheaper Chinese models omit (and as it isn't used in SA you wouldn't have noticed).

By the way, Orange hasn't existed as a company in the UK since 2014. EE as formed by a merger of Orange and T-Mobile).
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Motorola G7 Plus.

Oops. I meant 3, not Orange.
 
Spizz said:
Several of us in the forum have been using NOW TV for quite a few years. They have tailored packages that are quite inexpensive compared to the full Sky package and bundled with their internet, you can get for example the entertainment package for about £6 a month. A NOW TV stick is just a repurposed Roku, and now I have actually replaced my 2 amazon fire tv sticks for these at home. They are very cheap and often you can buy including a month of sports or 3 months of movies etc.

I also found their fibre to be very competitive and indeed my daughter uses it for a couple of years now too.

A good tip is to keep your eye out for the NOW TV sports vouchers. You get them in giveaways at McDonalds and when you buy two tubes of Pringles etc. I’d keep a hold of them until a big day or week of sport, and use them then.

So for me, with such a big choice in offer as Chris mentions, I wouldn’t look past NOW TV for internet and streaming tv. You can add Netflix and catch up apps on to their sticks also.
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+1 for NOW TV sport vouchers. I don't watch television, but I like that I can pay a few quid and watch a live football match if I want to. Think it gives you 24hrs of access after it's been activated, too.
 
The Voice said:
+1 for NOW TV sport vouchers. I don't watch television, but I like that I can pay a few quid and watch a live football match if I want to. Think it gives you 24hrs of access after it's been activated, too.
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IIRC, you get one day, one week and one month. Great value and lots of freebies knocking about if you keep your eyes open.
 
Was checking out car manufacturer websites in UK as will need to buy a car soon after arriving. From what I see, full motor plans do not exist in the UK. Even Audi do not offer the freeway plan that side.

Am I correct?
 
AdrianH said:
Was checking out car manufacturer websites in UK as will need to buy a car soon after arriving. From what I see, full motor plans do not exist in the UK. Even Audi do not offer the freeway plan that side.

Am I correct?
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Nope, maintenance plans are an SA thing.
 
Also, not sure if you are aware but every car over 3 years old has to have a yearly roadworthy test (referred to as MOT test) at approved centres. They are pretty strict and if you fail, you cannot tax and insure the car. And MOT certificate, road tax and insurance are all required to be legal on the road.

This is why you can older cars pretty cheap compared to SA. So if you’re buying second hand, ask how long the MOT is still valid for.
 
Spizz said:
Also, not sure if you are aware but every car over 3 years old has to have a yearly roadworthy test (referred to as MOT test) at approved centres. They are pretty strict and if you fail, you cannot tax and insure the car. And MOT certificate, road tax and insurance are all required to be legal on the road.

This is why you can older cars pretty cheap compared to SA. So if you’re buying second hand, ask how long the MOT is still valid for.
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And rightly so. It's the reason we don't have 25-year old cars held together with cable ties, hopes and dreams on the roads over here. Also worth noting that cars without MOT and insurance can be impounded and/or crushed, too.
 
Spizz said:
Also, not sure if you are aware but every car over 3 years old has to have a yearly roadworthy test (referred to as MOT test) at approved centres.
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Unless you decide to buy a really old car, 1979 and older is MOT exempt.

;)
 
Dave said:
Unless you decide to buy a really old car, 1979 and older is MOT exempt.

;)
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Thing is that it'll probably be in really good nick, and worth quite a bit now as a collector's item.

Few random things I've noticed about cars in the UK: there are a LOT of convertibles - really strange considering how **** the weather is most of the year. The most common colour I've seen is black. And most cars don't seem to be older than about 10 years - new cars, unlike SA, don't cost as much as a house, and are reasonably easy to buy (add-on costs such as insurance, MOT, taxes, push up the cost, obviously).

I live in London, though, so haven't had the need actually go out and buy one in the last 4 years (public transport is that good). That'll change once I move a bit further out I reckon.
 
The Voice said:
Thing is that it'll probably be in really good nick, and worth quite a bit now as a collector's item.

Few random things I've noticed about cars in the UK: there are a LOT of convertibles - really strange considering how **** the weather is most of the year. The most common colour I've seen is black. And most cars don't seem to be older than about 10 years - new cars, unlike SA, don't cost as much as a house, and are reasonably easy to buy (add-on costs such as insurance, MOT, taxes, push up the cost, obviously).

I live in London, though, so haven't had the need actually go out and buy one in the last 4 years (public transport is that good). That'll change once I move a bit further out I reckon.
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My wife also mentioned that there's a lot of convertibles and as soon as there's a glimmer of sunshine and no rain then the top comes down. We live in Somerset West and she's seen more convertibles in the UK than here.
 
Everyone has a snazzy new (ish) car here ….. Monthly car repayments are attractive enough for me to get my drivers …. plus, no taxis of course :laugh:
 
signates said:
My wife also mentioned that there's a lot of convertibles and as soon as there's a glimmer of sunshine and no rain then the top comes down. We live in Somerset West and she's seen more convertibles in the UK than here.
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Saw a weird factoid once: the UK has more convertibles than any other country in Europe.
 
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