How to swap an Australian licence for a UK licence

I could be anyone right now and you would never know. I don't have any 'official' proof that I am who I claim I am. I could be anyone...

On Monday I handed in my Passport and my Australian drivers licence to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), the UK government agency in charge of all things licences and the final word on whether you are allowed to grace the UK streets in a car and not be eternally reliant on buses, trains and other modes of public transport. Unfortunately you can no longer go in to your 'local' DVLA and have them process your application over the counter (a few years ago you could), now all you can do is send off your application, passport and licence to a processing centre in Swansea and hope that it doesn't get lost in the mail. Tracked or not, it can happen. Why oh why dont they accept copies of passport certified by your embassy??

So for all you Aussies out there wanting to exchange your Aussie licence for a UK one, here is a step-by-step guide to applying for a UK licence.

1. Order the application form.
Go the 'Exchange a foreign driving licence' page and go through the small questionnaire. Generally speaking, if you are Australian and have a car or motorbike licence, it tells you that you need to request a D1 Pack (Its an application form with some additional info - its for a driving licence for a car, moped or motorcycle) and links you through to the DVLA order form page. Pop in your details and the form will be on its way to you in a couple of days.
2. While you're waiting for the form to arrive, get a passport photo.
There are loads of photo booths or you can stop at a photo shop like Snappy Snaps who can do it too. As you will be mailing through your passport with your application, you DO NOT need to have a witness sign the back of the photo. Make sure your photo adheres to the official guidelines.
3. Fill in your application when it arrives with all the relevant details.
Make sure you select 'To exchange my non-UK licence for a GB licence'. Don't forget to include your passport number in the proof of identity section!
4. Take copies of everything!
I photo copied and scanned my passport photo page, UK visa page, front and back of my drivers licence, and the application. Its not a requirement for the application, but it'll give you *some* peace of mind when you are without ID.
5. Now you need to mail it all to the DVLA.
• Take your application, passport, drivers licence and application (with the photo!) to a post office. Best to go to one that deals with licences (UK ones) as they are more likely to have staff that understand the process.
  
• Take cash or make sure you have a normal (non-credit card) bank card with you as the teller can process a withdrawal for the amount.
  
• Buy buy a cashiers cheque to the value of the licence fee, for me it was £43. A cashiers cheque is kind of like a money order and there is a £5.38 fee to buy one.
  
• Ask at the counter for the special delivery envelopes, they are silvery/grey in colour, and have a tracking number. You'll need to buy two (at £6.45 each including weight of documents). Write your address in the 'To' field on one envelope and the DVLA address on the other. The DVLA address simply is "DVLA, Swansea" plus the post code that corresponds to your fee, in my case it was SA99 1BT.
  
• Tuck your passport, drivers licence, application, cashiers cheque and envelope with your address on it in the envelope to the DVLA, seal, send and you're done!
  
• The total? I ended up paying £61.28 pounds in costs for the application.
6. Waiting time.
The DVLA quotes about 3 weeks to process, I've allowed 6...you just never know what can happen. I'll post back once I receive it. Also, you won't get your Australian drivers licence back. But if you do go home, you can drive on your UK licence as a visitor without needing an international licence. See this site for links to state specific rules. Here is the one for NSW.

If you have any questions, or think anything is missing or incorrect in this guide, do let me know!

Have you exchanged your licence? What was your experience like?

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My First UK Vote

Its official, I voted. My first vote in the UK. I wasn't going to do it, to tell you the truth. If anything, all the media coverage did, was show that no-one really had a clue. But what else is new? Its always like that and I suspect that most of the time people just vote for the lesser of two evils. So it came as surprise to me, when I found myself looking at the manifestos of the different parties.

My subconscious mind had pushed and shoved and got my attention with the 'immigration policy' section. I know there are loads of more pressing issues out there, but as an expat, immigration policy is a huge deal to me. Its become harder and harder over the past number of years to live and work in the UK as an Aussie. The working holiday visa is great for those wanting a taste of British life, but what about those of us who want to stay?

I had to jump through hoops, to get my sponsorship visa, gladly I might add, as I do love London, but still, it wasn't a walk in the park. That visa was the only thing I was eligible for. I'm a professional, working in an area that is on the UKs skills shortage list and, thankfully, make a decent enough living so I can pay my exorbitant London rent and still have a bit left over to enjoy what this amazing city has to offer. But its so hard to move here that I'm sure it puts a lot of highly skilled people off.

Anyway, out of all the parties, only two had a policy that made me feel like I would be welcome to stay, and not in a grudging manner. So I voted, for whatever my two pence were worth.

I went to my polling station and got my slip of paper from the sour woman ticking off names. I swear, she hid the names on the page because I accidentally glanced at them when I gave her my address. Seriously?! Anyway, I took that itty-bitty paper to a rickety booth that looked like it would fall appart if someone so much as sneezed next to it. (By the way, what is it with pencils in the voting booths?? We have them in Sydney too. Are they going to rub everything out and change the votes later or are they so cheap they are worried people are going to steal pens? Honestly, if someone wants to steal a pen from a polling booth...let them have it!) My mark made, I dropped it into the box, dodged those people outside who also want your address for heaven knows what reason and I was done.

And you know what? Voting felt...great. It was such an unexpected feeling! I felt like somehow, that small action was a little turning point and I belonged a bit more here. Go figure.



Did you vote today?

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How to meet people in London

Im interrupting my Valencia posts for something I've been wanting to write about for a while now.

When I moved to London, I didn't know anyone. I had no family, no friends, nada. I met my first friend in the hostel I was staying in, it was rather awkward. Since then I've made a few more friends, its not always easy, you do have to put yourself out there, but one of the great things about London is that there are so many people in the same boat, you are bound to meet others looking for friends too!

Also, lucky for you, I'm here to help you get started. If you are thinking of moving to London but don't know anyone, here are 7 ways to meet people in London (that don't involve going to bar or pub!) and, hopefully, make life-long friends.

Hostel
Obviously not everyone moving to London will stay in a hostel, but it is a good way of meeting people. Some people will be travellers but keep an eye out for people who are looking at shared accommodation websites or job sites. Like I said, I met my first friend in a hostel, I eavesdropped on her conversation and plucked up the courage to butt in and now we hang out every other weekend :)

Work
This might be a bit more difficult depending on which industry you are in. In my first job I made friends with the receptionist who was an Aussie who'd also recently moved to the UK. Everyone else seemed to be content with their own circle of friends. However in my next job, I met a bunch of people, one of whom I became good friends with and recently asked me to be her bridesmaid!

Meetup.com*
I met two more friends through this site. One of which has become one of my best friends. If you haven't heard of it, Meetup.com is a site that is all about getting people together to do stuff, any kind of stuff, whatever you are interested stuff. From knitting, to rock climbing, to culture-vulturing, to dancing and partying and absolutely anything in between and beyond. If you have an interest, no matter what it is, chances are there is a social group for it. I signed up to a few groups, and went to some socials and viola, met a bunch of people, two who I've remained good friends with. They can be a bit hit-and-miss as they can be set-up and run by anyone, so its a good idea try a few. Some groups charge a small fee, but usually you can go to a couple of socials before you decide whether you want to hand over your cash. I wouldn't recommend any that don't do that really. Being London, there are hundreds of groups and you can easily find something else.

ThinkingBob.co.uk*
I found these guys through Meetup.com, where they initially started out. They have since branched off to form their own social club and I am actually a paying  member. I like them because their events are a bit different, they get you thinking and you always meet interesting people. The people who run the club are lovely, really friendly and fun and if you ever meet Phil...well, lets just say he is quite the character! I enjoy their treasure hunts the most (I think it was this post that i mentioned the treasure hunt around Covent Garden where I saw a snowman lick a bin) but they have all sorts of socials to cater for different interests.

Internations.org*
Internations is an expat community website. They have forums for your questions, 'ambassadors' who are local points of contact for the expat community, guides about London and, similar to meetup.com, social groups run by members. Membership is free or paid, Ive opted for the free one. I haven't been to any socials yet, so I cant comment on how good they are for meeting people. However, I mention Internations for 2 reasons, 1) I wrote an article for them a while ago on finding a new home in London so, as a source of information, you know you are getting information from people who live and work where you are. 2) You can approach people directly. Today I met a girl who reached out to me through this website. We come from a similar background and it was nice to meet and get to know her a bit. I'd like to think we got along well and I do hope that I gain another friend as a result. 

Blogging/Tweeting/Instagramming
I have found the blogging community a great source of wonderful people who are open and inspired to go out, meet people, and have adventures. It really is one of the more unexpected benefits of blogging. I have met so many bloggers since moving to London and engaging in the blogging community. There are at least 4 bloggers which I have been getting to know over brunches, afternoon teas and other get-togethers. It really is nice to have someone as keen as you to explore this city with. So if you have been toying with starting your own blog, DO IT! If blogging isn't your thing, try Instagram or Twitter. You are bound to meet lots of people who share your interests and make new friends.

Sporting teams/groups
I'm not a sporty person, but I've listed it here because its worked for my friend K. She joined a running group where she met her fiance. If that isn't a recommendation, I don't know what is! I know there are a lot of sporting teams out there, you see them in the parks on weekends. So, if you are the more active type, this will be a great way to meet people too.

*Not sponsored. These are sites I have personally tried.


Do let me know if any of these work for you or if you have any other ideas to share!

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Cost of first month in London

One question I get asked a lot is, how much does London cost when you first arrive? Its hard to give a straight answer because everyone is different. Some people have family or friends they can stay with, some people are travelling with a friend or partner, some are on their own. Some people have healthy budgets, some are on shoestring budgets. So I've decided to, let you know my own experience and help you out with a simple calculator.

Personally, I saved up a lot to make sure that I had enough to cover me for the first 3 months. I looked at spending about £30-£40 per night at a nice hostel, sharing a dorm with 4 to 8 people max. I was in a hostel for 6 weeks. Most of my money was kept for initial rental deposit (about 1 month or 6 weeks) plus first months rent. I was in a flat share, so this ended up being about £1,500 in 2012. To get an idea of how much a flat share is in areas you would like to live, have a look at Spareroom.com . The UKBA currently asks you to have at least £1,890 in savings when you apply for the Youth Mobility Visa (working holiday visa) - im really not sure what this is based on though.

So, the calculator, this will give you a budget based on 4, 8 or 12 weeks. Simply fill in what you expect to pay for accommodation or want for a weekly spend. Ive put in a rough average in the first line but you can delete and fill in your own. Please bear in mind that this is just a ball park estimate and that you should not rely only on this calculator, or any other calculator for that matter, for financial advice - please do your own research. Having said that, I do hope you find it useful. Do let me know what you think!

Rough average based on:

• Hostel at £30 per night - this is based on a a shared dorm. Hostel prices can fluctuate between nights, and during the summer months.
• Oyster card - used on buses, tube, tram, trains between zone 1 & 2 which are most central to London If you are staying further out, prices are here
• Sim only, prepay freedom freebie from Vodafone (comes with 150 minutes, unlimited local text and 500MB) £20 gets you more so it depends on your use
• Weekly spend at just under £15 a day (this can be difficult if you don't have cooking facilities)

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Moving to Sydney - A Locals Introduction

When I moved to London, there was so much I didnt know and wish I did. It was everything from how to find a place to live, to where I could buy work clothes, to how to navigate the every day (post, transport, phone and internet, money). After 2 years, though I will occasionally still ask people about where to find this or that, I feel I have finally gotten a grip on living in London. These thoughts however have spurred me on to launch the #LondonExpatLife chat to help others.

In reverse though, giffgaff have asked me to share a few things about my home, Sydney, should you be thinking of moving there. As a local, there is so much I could tell you, but you would be reading forever. So, to make things easier, here are some introductory tips for moving to and living in Sydney.

Where to stay
I grew up in Sydney's western suburbs - it is suburbia to the max, and takes forever to get anywhere. Unless you are planning on living in Sydney long term, stick to the inner city suburbs or along the beaches. There are lots of popular spots, and other travellers who would be looking for housemates. Places along the beaches like Manly, Bondi Beach, Coogee, Cronulla, Bronte and surrounding areas are popular. In the city, for a trendy vibe, try Paddington, Annandale, Surry, Leichhardt, Balmain, or Glebe. But bear in mind these places do attract a premium rental price. Good websites are www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au. Both of these sites do listings for flat shares as well.

The famous Bondi Beach

Street art in Glebe

Finding work
The most popular jobsite is www.seek.com.au so start your search there. If you are signing up with a recruitment firm that specialises in your industry, you can expect an interview so they can find out what you are after and to get to know you in person in order to better place you. Don't be afraid to sign up with more than one. It's also a good idea to find the names of companies you would like to work for because often they will do their own recruitment.

Sydney CBD skyscrapers

Where to shop
Pitt Street in Sydney city is the most popular shopping strip with a Westfield newly opened. In your local area you will most likely find a grocery shop (Woolworths - aka "Woolies" - Coles, IGA, Aldi) for everyday food essentials. For basic homewares and basic clothing, there is Kmart, Target, Big W. The two main department stores are Myer and David Jones. For electronics, try JB-HiFi or Bing Lee. Furniture, electricals, etc: Try Ikea, Harvey Norman, Fantastic Furniture or The Good Guys.

Where to eat
Sydney is not lacking in good places to eat, so there is no point in my listing all of them. But here are a few things I'd like to pass on. Coffee is amazing. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad cup of coffee. Also, you can get amazing asian food here, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese: You name it, it's going to be amazing. If you are a fan of seafood, you should try the Sydney Fish Markets at least once! Be sure to get there early though. One of my favourite cafes in Sydney is Sappho Cafe in Glebe. Newtown is also home to lots of good affordable eats. If you are a fan of good Sushi, then you cannot go past Sushi Rio on the corner of Sussex and Liverpool streets in the city. (Thanks to my lovely friend Amanda for this one!)

This post has been sponsored by the international phone network giffgaff as part of their campaign to share insights by locals into their hometowns for anyone heading there on an adventure. I usually talk so much about London that it was a nice chance to share a bit about my own home and hopefully inspire you to visit, or ease you into living in Sydney, if you happen to be moving there.

If you live or have moved to Sydney, what is your top tip about moving there?

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Update from London

Hi all!

Im back in London and I have been busy getting over jetlag, sorting out work issues, organising catch ups with friends and planning fun things to do. I mean, who wouldnt want to go on a walking tour of Londons toilets, right? The life of a London expat :) Im happy to say that London greeted me with some lovely warm weather (allow me to clarify, that is warm according to London standards), sun and blue skies.

Im lucky to be staying with a friend for a couple of weeks while I sort out my work situation but after that i'll be staying a hostel - last time I lasted 6 weeks before getting a little fed up with inconsiderate people. I did meet my first friend there though so it'll be interesting to see how long I last this time around.

current view from my room - not bad :)

I think that one of the hardest things, when moving to a new country, is feeling settled. And despite having lived in London for 2 years, I dont expect I will feel settled for at least another 6 months.

A big part of this is not having a permanent home. When I left London last year, I had to give up my place and now I will have to jump through all the delightful hoops of the London real estate market all over again. I still cant decide if I should find a place of my own again (and pay through the nose) or start up my own house share. I think once the work situation is settled, that will help me decide.

Such a poser!

In the meantime, I have a little furry creature occupying my friends house who I'm totally in love with and is always on the look out for cuddles and pats. Nothing destresses like a purring kitty dont you think?

Dont forget, the #LondonExpatLife Twitter Chat starts next week, details are here.

Also, my blog has been nominated for Australian Writers Center Peoples Choice Best Blog Awards. If you like what you read, be sure to vote for me - just click on this fabulous button to get started :)

Thanks!

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Does it ever get easier to say goodbye?

No, it doesn't. I have been away from home twice now - three times if you count this recent period at home - and it doesn't get easier to say goodbye to your family, your friends or everything you know or have come to know.

Here is the thing. Even if you are leaving for a great adventure or opportunity, you are still walking into the unknown so it is hard to leave behind the familiar and the comforts of home. If you are leaving a great experience abroad to return home then its hard to say goodbye to those friends you've made, the life you created and that chapter in your life that will soon become but a memory. And if you are leaving home again, for the second or third time, you know what you are getting yourself into. You know about the struggle, the occasional loneliness, the things you will miss about being home, how hard it is on the people you are leaving behind and how much you will miss from each others lives.

Sorry if I'm rambling a bit, it is 7am Sydney time, almost 1am here and I'm on about 2 hours of airplane sleep. Probably not the best time to be writing a deep and meaningful post but I have the time.

OK, so how do you deal with saying goodbye? Here is what I think helps me.

1. Acknowledge your feelings, say what you need to say, feel sad, feel a bit panicky. But set yourself a limit or it might overwhelm you. If you don't think you can do this then just skip to #2
2. Focus on the positives. Why you are going? What is the long term/overall objective?
3. Figure out a communications plan and visits. This will not just help you, but those around you.
4. Distract yourself. Take silly photos, talk about anything but your leaving at the airport. Save that book you have been dying to read or movie you have been itching to see for the departure.
5. Remember that it isn't really a goodbye, you will see the people you care about again.

I have to say, some of these are hard to do and I'm always keen to hear how other people manage. How do you deal with saying goodbye?

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#LondonExpatLife Weekly Twitter Chat

*UPDATE (29th July 2014) - This chat will now be taking place at 9pm LONDON Time on the first Wednesday of each month.

Today I have something exciting for you. I have joined with three lovely London based expats to bring you a weekly #LondonExpatLife Twitter Chat!

This chat is for current London Expats, anyone who is dreaming about moving to London or is already in the process of taking the leap. So, if you want to know what its like to live in London, have questions about the process of moving there or even where to find that perfect cup of coffee, then this is the chat for you. Join in, share information and experiences and meet a bunch of other London expats or wannabe London expats and, who knows, you might just make some good friends in the process!

I will be posting reminders in the lead up to this chat so follow me on Twitter (@TravelsByVP) to make sure you don't miss out.

How it works:

1. The first chat will take place on Wednesday 16th April at 9pm GMT.
2. Beginning at 9pm (GMT) my co-hosts and I will tweet 5 questions at 10 minute intervals
3. Each week (starting 9th April) I will announce a topic on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GlobetrotterPostcards) and you can submit a question on that topic for the following weeks chat
4. When you answer you will need to use the #LondonExpatLife hashtag in your tweet
5. If you would like to co-host, simply tweet the questions during the weeks chat
6. If you have a particular topic you'd like to focus on, shoot me an email on GlobetrotterPostcards@gmail.com

Meet my lovely co-hosts (be sure to add them -and me- on Twitter!)

Sammy (@SammyDornDLT)
London expat via Brisbane. Has been living in London since July 2013.
Loves: The street food, the travel opportunities and the history.
Loathes: Peak hour tube rides and the rain.

Emma (@LondonKiwiEmma)
Longhaul, accidental London expat via New Zealand.
Loves: Exploring, perma-tourism (finding tourist-like delight in a permanent home), history and the secrets behind old doors.
Loathes: Icy pavements, sitting still, bad service, queue-jumping and awkward social greetings. 

HappyEverAfterBride (@Happy_E_After)
Trailing spouse in London (since Feb 2014), have lived over a decade in both Australia and Malaysia.

Loves: The multiculturalism and the better opportunities there is in London for work and life experiences

Loathes: Having to be indoors quite so much and not having easy access to the beach and picnics. 

Me (@TravelsByVP)
London expat via Sydney and Middle East. Ive been in London since January 2012.
Loves: That there is always something to do in London, travel is on your doorstep and its a melting pot of people and cultures.
Loathes: Having to trek for good coffee. And the weather - don't even get me started.

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Announcement: Returning to the London Expat Life

I have some brilliant news I'd like to share today...since leaving London, I have, over the past few months, been doing more than enjoying being home, I have been working on getting back to London.

I'm happy to announce today that I have been incredibly lucky in getting a UK Sponsorship Visa!!! I didn't want to get my hopes up, that's why I never mentioned it but now I can celebrate! And just like the time I got my UK Working Holiday Visa, I'm bouncing off the walls with excitement.

So, London, I'll be seeing you real soon! I can't wait!

P.S For those of you who are interested I will be doing a post about my experience applying for the UK Sponsorship Visa soon so stay tuned or subscribe so you don't miss out.

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Making my first friend in London - The Expat Diaries Linkup

Westminster Abbey

When I first moved to London, I didn't know a soul. My first six weeks were spent in a hostel. I was working nights (remotely) on wifi that kept dropping out every 10 minutes, going cross-eyed reading and reply to ads in the search for more permanent accommodation, trying to adjust to hostel life (it was my first time), and exulting in the excitement of finally having made the move to London and simultaneously fending off the anxiety of being on my own.

Pretty swish for a hostel dont you think?

 The best thing about hostels is that you get all walks of life there and generally, because of the shared-room/facilities setup, people are more open to connecting with others. Of course there are the exceptions such as tour groups, friends travelling together, school groups, sporting team etc who tend to stick with people they know.

Our hostel came with its own knight!

I was staying in a pretty nice hostel with a huge common room, a breakfast/dining room and bar. As the days lapsed I began to notice people who weren't just passing though. There was a girl who spent each morning Skyping with someone back home, a guy who was older than the average crowd who seemed to know all the staff well, a group of young teachers who were temping at different schools while trying to find a permanent placement and home amongst a few others.

Portobello Road Markets

One evening I opted for the slightly quieter breakfast room to work and eventually found myself in the middle of the group of teachers. My ears perked up when I overheard one girl say she had found a room in a really nice area at a bargain rental rate. My first words, to what wold become my first Aussie friend in London, were when I butted into her conversation with an envious "Wow, how'd you manage that?"

Snow in Clapham Common during my first house hunt

It wasn't an instant friendship, I bumped into her a couple more times before I mustered up the courage to ask for her number and, after that, the courage to send her a text inviting her to do something.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Its not easy making friends as an expat, you just have to bite the bullet, get out of your comfort zone and speak to someone. I'm glad I did, my time in London would not have been the same without them.

Yes my new found friends we're nerds Harry Potter fans too

This post is part of the The Expat Diaries Linkup hosted by Postcards from Rachel. Pop over to her site to read more expat stories or to join in the fun.

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Top 5 pros for an Expat returning home

As we descend, the plane skims the clouds, is engulfed by them and then drops below into an overcast Sydney. Its not the first time my home has welcomed me back with rain. My 24+ hours of travelling is almost over and London could not be further away.

What is my brain thinking at this point? Am i missing my friends in London? Missing London itself? Looking forward to seeing family and catching up with old friends? Nope, none of that. My brain is thinking about wonderful, blissful, horizontal sleep. And the fact that the rain is temporary. It is summer in Sydney :) What can i say. I don't function well without sleep. Or coffee.

I said goodbye to London on Wednesday and landed in Sydney on Friday (no clue where Thursday went). Leaving people you care about behind is not easy, even when coming home to family and good friends. I did what i could by way of goodbyes and now I'm here, I'm am determined to make the most of things. I'm sitting here at Circular Quay in Sydney, the sun is out, it is warm and there is a nice breeze. There are pros to coming home, aren't there?

Top 5 pros for an Expat returning home

1 - Spending time with family. My lovely family have been very supportive of my time in London, it will be great to spend time with them now I'm back.

2 - Catching up with old friends. I love all the friends i made in London, but there is something about being with old friends that s just different. I cant wait to see them again.

3 - Getting to know home as a tourist. As my home, I've always neglected to blog about Sydney as i do about other cities i visit. I hope to change that.

4 - The familiarity of everything. I know how to get where i need to go, i know where to find things and that sure is relaxing! Its second nature.

5 - The possibility. Its a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning. For some this may be daunting, but it is, without a doubt, a chance to do whatever you want to do.

While I'm fairly recovered from the madness that is packing up my expat life (though still slightly affected by the stupor of jet lag) I'm slowly waking up and buzzing with excitement for this next chapter. I'm looking forward to enjoying the Sydney summer, the New Years Eve fireworks, the things that have changed and those that haven't (which always makes my time away seem less like a dream), the good coffee and fresh food and, of course, all those things on my pros list too!

What has been your experience returning home? Any "pros" i should add to my list?

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Moving to London and Finding a New Home

Recently i was very lucky to have Internations publish an expat guide i wrote on Finding a New Home in London. If you are moving to London and are looking for a place, be it a shared house or your own, then have a read of my article, it will be a great starting point.

I have been through the rigmarole of trying to find accommodation in London. I have both lived in a shared house and have rented my own place, and for anyone new to London, there are some things that can be a bit daunting.

While writing this article, i did realise that i have a whole lot more to say on the subject than i initially thought so i am considering writing more here in the hopes that others will find it useful. Be sure to leave me a comment or send me an email if there is anything in particular you wish to know.

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2 weeks to go!

Yesterday was my last day at work. In a couple of short weeks i will be heading home. Right now i am happy, elated, bouncing around and excited. It was the right thing to do, leaving my job early i mean. I need to have these weeks to say goodbye to London. There is always more to see but there are a few things left on my list that id like to do before i go and this is the time to do it.

I'm also excited about the next few months. Moving home, catching up with friends...escaping the London winter for the bright, blazing Aussie summer :) I cant wait. I'm excited to have time to catch up on my blogging and i have something up my sleeve that i hope will work out, but I'm going to leave you in suspense and not tell you right now. Hehe. Yell at me all you like ;)

For now, its goodbyes. Will i be back? I don't know. I want to come back, i do love living in London and i have made some lovely friends here. I will miss it. I will miss forgetting that i live in this amazing city and realising with a start where i really am. I will miss the myriad of things to do and opting for a coffee with my friends instead because I've been lucky enough to have found them. I will miss being blaze about going somewhere for the weekend because its close, affordable and doable.

Who knows what the future will bring? All i know is that where I'm standing right now. I'm excited and eager to find out. And, as always, you are welcome to join me on my journey and find out what happens next!

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Buying a ticket home and what that means

I’m really nervous. I have butterflies wreaking havoc inside my chest. I’m scared to even breathe…my life will go off on an entirely new tangent in a couple of months, London will cease to be my adopted home and I’ll have to walk away from the life I’ve built here and friends I’ve made. It’s not that going home to Sydney scares me. Its leaving London. I have had a bit of a rocky ride but I have really enjoyed exploring this city. I have enjoyed seeing things become familiar yet still pinching myself when I see the grand icons of London.

Earlier this week I bought my ticket home. It wasn’t easy. I was riddled with nerves and could barely bring myself to click on the final point-of-no-return purchase button. Such a tiny button, so poingnant. And with that, and a flutter of cyberspace, i'd sealed my path to head home at the end of November. Eeep!

Now i have to get organised. There is so much to do! And i counted, i only have 10 weekends left. My list of things to do in London is *still* as long as my arm! Actually, i think its longer! 18 months in London and i still feel like i have barely scratched the surface. I really love this city.

From a practical perspective it should be relatively easy to pack up my life a second time round - fourth if you count leaving home twice and leaving my expat life as a flight attendant in the sandpit. Leaving people behind however, that never gets easy. I have bought my ticket back to Sydney and that means its real, i have to go and i have to say goodbye. BUT I plan on making the most of my last couple of months here so bring it on London, make me miss you even more when i go!

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Update: My Experience with Westpac

Following on from my last post detailing my experience with Westpac customer service as an Expat, below is the update I wanted to share with you all.

After my that post I called Westpac again and spoke with the Collections department. The lady there was surprisingly switched on and could confirm that there was a block on my account and that I could have my case reviewed (I was curious to see what their process was) by the manager who was unfortunately busy at the time. She said she would refer my case and that once a decision was made it would be noted against my account so I could find out when I called back. I asked her to have someone call me and she said she would ask their contact centre to do that. In the meantime, she said she would process the refund for the balance I had in credit.

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Unfortunately, I didn't hear a single thing for a week. I called a couple of days ago and while the refund was processed, my case was not reviewed and there was no decision. Needless to say I thought that was just very poor service. The lady was, again, surprisingly nice and suggested she bring my case to her manager once more at which point I said forget it. I did not want to wait for a call that wouldn't come, I didn't want to waste my time and I did not want the card anyway, I was just curious. She eventually offered to put me on hold to wait for the manager but I declined. She was in the middle of asking another question when my connection dropped out. I didn't bother calling back. I had my refund, I didn't want to continue being a Westpac customer.

One Tweet later and Karen Ganschow, Head of Customer Relationship Marketing and Digital at Westpac got in touch asking for my contact details which led me to speak with Matthew Weston located in London! Who knew there was even an office here? The Australian contact centre didn't!

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Matt was nice and very apologetic about my experience. He did ask if there was anything he could do to which I said no, the experience had left a bad taste in my mouth and I wanted nothing more than to prevent others having a similar experience. He was honest enough to say he understood. He went on to tell me that it was a known issue that the contact centres required further training, that there was a 24hr service desk for telephone banking and card services (nothing for collections) and how my account was now unblocked (even though I specifically asked for it not to be). I passed on my blog post, along with the 10 tips I believe Westpac could improve on, and he advised he would pass it on to a more senior level.
 
Matt also advised that there is a program in the works for expats due to start rolling out in 6-8 months time that will hopefully allow for more robust banking for Aussies in the UK. And if you want the 24hr contact number for Westpac its 0061 292 939 270 for telephone banking and 0061 363 451 058 for card services. Bear in mind that the card services number is the one I used and got nowhere with in my situation.

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My feedback does appear to have gotten some attention as yesterday, I heard from Spencer who runs Westpac's Twitter account. Spencer also apologised for not coming back to me and advised me that my feedback had been passed on to the appropriate teams. He also noted that their bankers do have the ability to send emails and that their Team Leaders can call overseas. Even Karen contacted me on Twitter yesterday to ask if I felt my issue was progressed.

I think Westpac has a long way to go in their customer service. At the moment, teams appear to be very siloed without much visibility over what other teams do. I do hope they improve, but for now, I made a call this morning to have my account cancelled. While I appreciate Karen, Matt and Spencer's efforts, I shouldn't have had to resort to that to begin with.
 

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A disappointed expat - my experience with Westpac

Following on from my post yesterday about Expat Banking and 5 Lessons Learned, I'm sorry to say that i have not heard back from Westpac after lodging a complaint and them advising they would get back within 48 hours.

I did promise you the full story so here it is, be warned, it is lengthy but i hope you learn a thing or two or at the very least, if you're having a bad, it doesn't seem so bad afterwards ;) 

And its not all bad, I've written 10 things Westpac can do to improve their service for their international customers, expats and travelers.

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Background

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in the year 2012-13 there were 369,500 permanent and long-term resident departures from Australia. Clancey Yeats of the Sydney Morning Herald recently wrote an article about big banks thinking small and how Roy Morgan has found that customer satisfaction with big banks has steadily climbed to almost 80 per cent. I do wonder where Roy Morgan gets such data from and if any of the 369 thousand residents (expats), who may still use their home banks, are surveyed.

I also wonder whether Westpac cares about any of its customers that form part of those 369 thousand traveling residents. 

I have had a Westpac Earth credit card since 2008. I’ve always made regular payments, often paying the balance in full. This year has been hectic for me,and I found out the other day that I’ve missed a few of repayments. I admit it’s not the best thing, but in trying to resolve the issue, my experience could have been so much better than it has been, and might not have resulted in Westpac losing a customer.

Earlier this month I received a letter explaining that my account was overdue and that I needed to pay my outstanding balance as soon as possible. Last week I paid it off and then some. This week I needed to use my card again only to find that my credit limit was not showing on my account.

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Day one: Getting nowhere

On Tuesday I called the "Overseas" number on my credit card and futility ensued, here is what happened:

First phone call: The first person I spoke to didn’t know what was wrong with my account and he put me through to someone else who realised there was a "block" on my card. She put me through to the Collections team, a member of which spent 3 seconds on the call "hello can I have your account number? Hello?" then, click, I was disconnected. The line was bad, I barely got a word out before I was hung up on - nice right? But he probably had SLA's or, as it turned out...he just wanted to leave the office not a moment past the end of his shift...

Second phone call: I called back and explained that I needed to speak to collections about a block on my card. She put me through to collections and would you have guessed it: their hours were up and they were closed for the day! Do their tier 1 support people really not know when their other service desks operate?

Third phone call: I explained to the agent what I’d already been through and asked if there was a way to email the collections team to have them call me since I was overseas. He said a) they couldn’t email, they didn’t have that facility and b) they couldn’t make international calls. Seriously? No, Seriously??? A bank like Westpac doesn’t allow its customer service teams to make international calls? He then said there were 15 minutes before a specialist team would close and maybe they'd be able to help....I was on hold for more than 15 minutes before giving up - after all, it’s only fair that they go home on time too.

Needless to say, I wasn’t happy. I had spent about an hour and a half making international calls, waiting, trying to get somewhere. I wrote a complaint email and submitted it via the Westpac website. They sent me a confirmation email (no tracking/incident number), and advised that if it was urgent, to call them on the listed numbers...between 8am-8pm 7 days or visit a local branch...yeah that’s going to help if its "urgent"...cue eye-roll....

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Day two: Really? There’s nothing you can do?

Yesterday’s events didn’t go any better.

First phone call: I explained the situation and the girl advised that collections were looking into my account, so she would put me through to them. 15 minutes on hold later, she comes back to say she hasn’t had any luck but can keep trying. I asked if she could have them call me back, but she said she would still have to call them to ask, (fine by me) but that if she couldn’t get through, I could call them back direct. She then proceeded to give me the generic customer service number to use as the "direct" number, odd, so I asked for a number I could use from overseas. She gave me the same number that was on my credit card...cue raised eyebrow, that’s the number I'd called her on! Needless to say, I didn’t get a call from collections.

Second phone call: I spoke to a guy who, poor thing, could not do a thing to help but was fiercely defensive and loyal of Westpac and was more interested in pointing out that I'd missed payments than in actually helping me remedy the situation. He made no apologies for the lack of service so far, and an attitude that implied I deserved what I got. That may be, but it’s not appropriate.
However, he did explain that my card had not been "blocked" but it was CANCELLED! He said that "several" letters and phone calls had been made by the collections department. I never received a call...at least not to my international number. He said my "primary" number was an Australian number so maybe they had been calling that instead of my international one. Fine, but that puts me between a rock and a hard place.
The address on my account is a UK address, there is a UK number listed as well. Why didn’t collections call the UK number? Common sense, right? Also, the reason there is a "primary" Australian number is because I couldn’t list a non-Australian number as a primary number! Anyway, I explained my situation again and asked if there was anything he could do? "No." Was there an escalations team that could help or had the authority to help? "No." What would he do if he were in my shoes? He said, did I have another card I could use? Wow...

As it stands I don’t have another card, I don’t like credit cards in general, and the Westpac credit card is the only Australian credit card I’ve ever had. While in Australia the service was fine. As an expat however, this has been a very frustrating experience, which is a shame. I'd had one prior experience which was actually very good when I was pick pocketed on the tube, and they replaced my cards within a few days. The process was simple, hassle free and fast. This situation has been the polar opposite. Clearly the lost/stolen process has had a lot of attention and improvement but similar service is lacking other areas. Sadly, it is enough to tip the scales in the other direction.

I get that I am responsible for not making regular payments and that they are entitled to withdraw their service, but seriously, all it would have taken is for someone with a brain to call my international number as a gentle reminder and I would have paid any outstanding balance. Everyone goes through odd patches in their lives and the banks could use some humanity and consideration. Not to mention that if, in fact, my card had been cancelled, it was a fact that should have taken no more than the first 2 minutes of the FIRST phone call to discover, not a 2 day saga of incompetence, disorganisation, and rudeness. Till this year they never had any problems with me, it’s a shame that loyalty and being a good customer gives you nothing these days.

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How Westpac can improve their service

So to Westpac, if you care, here are some suggestions to improve your service:

1. You need to have a DEDICATED International customer service team

a. This team needs to be available outside of Sydney hours
b. There should have the authority to sort out any issues (even if it’s on a  temporary basis) OR 
c. Have an escalations team that has such authority

2. Generic service desk improvements

a. They should know the hours of operations of other teams b. You need to have a method (that isn’t phone calls) to allow your teams to communicate with each other (at the very least this should be used for urgent cases), logging notes against a customer’s account isn’t good enough
c. If it’s true that your service desks can’t call international numbers, you need to make this possible. Not all your customers stay in Australia all the time or afford to make long distance calls with lots of time wasted on hold.

  

3. Collections team service improvements

a. Every effort should be made to contact a customer before cancelling cards/accounts. They should call any/all numbers listed on an account before taking any action not just the primary number
b. If they cannot get through, they should leave a voice mail

c. If there is an email listed, contact should be attempted that way too

Westpac, if your response to any of this is to a) Say that this is entirely my fault and quote terms and conditions or b) say that all of the suggested improvements are too costly to implement, then I’m sorry, but you don’t really have a customer’s interest at heart.

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Final words

I will reiterate, I’m not claiming innocence here, I know I missed payments (not my intention) and that is my responsibility. All I’m saying is that the process Westpac has to resolve this has not made me feel like I’m a valued customer, nor that their processes support anyone who doesn’t live in Australia. I am seriously grateful that this isn’t an emergency situation otherwise I would be at a total loss. I have spent the better part of the last two days dealing with this, it has really wasted my time.

Lastly, I have waited 48 hours after lodging my complaint and still nothing, I'll continue to chase them especially since my account is in credit and if they really have cancelled my card, i want my money back! In the meantime, if you have had a similar experience, let me know, I’d like to hear what happened, and how it was resolved. Drop me an email or leave me a comment – even if you think I’m overreacting! ; )

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