Yesterday was the day where we met with moving company A, the first in a list of three movers from different companies who will come to bid on the move. They come with pad and pen, inspect our stuff, evaluate the size of the portion of the container we will need to cross the Atlantic and tell us a little about how it will all work. We kind of know how it will all work because of course having been only a few short months ago that we got here we have a very good reference and could practically tell mover guy A what we could expect.
Quite a few things will have to be sold because of the change in voltage from 110 to 220 volts, and even those things I thought we could run on adapters (my sewing machine) won´t work quite right according to mr. engineer husband because the Hz are not the same and the adapter will regulate the current fine but not the Hz--affecting the motor´s speed. So all of our fun, new kitchen appliances will have to be sold for at least half the price we paid for them. And to top it off we bought really nice things because we had gone so long with duct-taped appliances that we were seduced by the pretty, stainless steel "don´t I look great on your countertop" brands and so we spent quite a few pesos more than the average expat probably should have. Even with the sale of all of our appliances we will still have a lot of great new stuff to take back home, a couple of pretty rugs, our sofa set, possibly our tv (Seb isn´t sure if it will convert but he feels about his tv as I do about my sewing machine...love) and some other silly things we´ve collected while here. All of it adds up to a little bit more cubic meters than we left with and mover A estimated the value of all of our stuff at around 120 thousand dollars¨(*). I know it sounds like a lot but if you take a pen and paper and estimate the value of all of your things I think you´d be surprised what it all adds up to. Just think of your dvd and music collection alone! Then start adding up software, computers, kitchen things, beds and armoires, clothes and shoes. It adds up fast. (ed. nope he was wrong!)
Mover A did all his calculations and then said "oh yes, and you do know about the tva and the port exit fees, right?" He explained that since we were leaving before one year there would be a 20 percent tva (tax) on our things and then some sort of 30 percent tax applying to things leaving the ports of Mexico before one year´s time. That´s fifty percent of 120 thousand dollars. Our mouths were on the floor.
Later when Seb talked with moving company A the secretary said that possibly we could "modify" the value of our goods to a more agreeable price. In other words they´d really like the moving contract and they´ll pitch the flexibilty of devaluing our goods to The Company but meanwhile what happens to our stuff if things get hung up in customs because the data doesn´t match? Or what if The Company doesn´t agree to pay this fee, --or decides to chew it out which seems highly likely given past experiences. Seb asked the secretary of the moving company this and she said, "Oh it will be no problem. Don´t worry." but we are a little worried because maybe it will be no problem for anyone else if the stack of cards comes tumbling down, but all the papers have our names on them and it´s our stuff crossing borders.
Somehow I think if customs officials see our flat screen tv, new rugs, our kayaks and all of our baby gear and toys they won´t be buying the modest estimations made by the moving company. Where customs is concerned I think it´s best not to lie. I have often been on the other side of a furrowed-browed señora digging through my luggage at the local airport and she had no qualms about taking my entire suitcase apart at 11:30 pm. The customs agents here are very intimidating and I have no desire to be on the wrong end of them. We´re feeling slightly stuck in the middle again. In fact if I could put a label on this entire expat experience it would be titled just that for a lot of reasons.
It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
*Definitely overestimated on the part of the moving company--that´s over 20k for each room in the house! This guy was crazy!
4 comments:
I am so no looking forward to this when we move in a few months, although we are not taking any furniture or large items. But still I know it will be a hassle. My experience would tell me to not for a second believe them when they say "no problems, don't worry". I've lost count the amount of times I have heard that phrase. They ALWAYS say that because it's easier than telling you the truth. Having said that, it doesn't mean there definitely will be a problem and sometimes I think I would be better off just not worrying about it. It does seem to work itself out in the end and at least you won't give yourself an ulcer in the process! I know, its easier said than done and I will be in the exact same boat in a few months. GOOD LUCK, I hope it all goes smoothly!!!
That was my advice to myself. I bet it will all just work itself out. I just feel uneasy that it´s there looming.
My stomach flipped for you. That is A LOT. I hope it all works out. Try not to worry too much about it, although that's lousy of me to say, because I would be so anxious.
I hope the company covers the full cost and you guys are reunited with your things in no time in a nice cozy home outside Paris.
Our new movers tell us that the 120 thousand for our stuff is waaaaay off. It´s more like half that. We thought that sounded like a lot! We don´t have that much stuff. We have since figured that he included the cars in that and probably didn´t understand that the posh kitchen is not ours but the landlords.
Anyway like Guera says things have a way of working themselves out so I´m not going to let it worry me. I just find it all amusing and frightening the money a company will waste on something like this. No wonder so many companies are in dire financial straits!
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