Service cost, this ok?

Ta, Are the body work issues rust based, or spanish drivers?
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Spanish/Local drivers not giving 2 hoots about opening doors onto other cars, using bumpers literally, etc. I take the view of fixing said bumps and scrapes when selling a car. Once bitten...

Excuse my ignorance, I know little about the spanish outside of bull-fighting and lunch-time naps. I can live with Corona instead of Stella, but I'd miss English food...
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Oh there's English food/Beer aplenty, we've got a (overpriced!) Morrisons, marks n sparks, usual UK high street stuff in terms of food/retail, guess less of it as it's a small place. Spanish food (real tapas) knocks it into a cocked hat though.

I think my mid-life crisis is starting early, I'm sick of the way things are, and am toying with the idea of buying a small business / franchise. Is business profitable out there?
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Haha :) Depends on what the business is, but, generally speaking the recession hasn't hit here anywhere near as hard as the rest of Europe for a myriad of tax/company management/high employment/government reasons. Unemplyoment is super low iirc, youre talking roughly 250-400 people unemployed at any given moment, out of a working population of around 17/18,000. Lots of work in Online Gaming sectors/Finance/Company Management. It's one of them places that if you give it some effort or find a niche, you'll succeed. Like everything though, there will be things out here that you might find annoying i'd wager. For one, the size of the place, frequent visits to Spain are a must, otherwise can feel claustophobic.

Will send you an e-mail when/if I ever finish work... :)
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No worries.
 
Kingy said:
Spain thread? Do you have a link? I'd like to know more about living in Gibraltar / anywhere warmer but still English culture.

If it's somewhere that you can waltz into without a visa, commonwealth or otherwise, so much the better...
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BVI is where it's at. You'd like it there :cool:
 
Witor said:
Spanish/Local drivers not giving 2 hoots about opening doors onto other cars, using bumpers literally, etc. I take the view of fixing said bumps and scrapes when selling a car. Once bitten...

Oh there's English food/Beer aplenty, we've got a (overpriced!) Morrisons, marks n sparks, usual UK high street stuff in terms of food/retail, guess less of it as it's a small place. Spanish food (real tapas) knocks it into a cocked hat though.

Haha :) Depends on what the business is, but, generally speaking the recession hasn't hit here anywhere near as hard as the rest of Europe for a myriad of tax/company management/high employment/government reasons. Unemplyoment is super low iirc, youre talking roughly 250-400 people unemployed at any given moment, out of a working population of around 17/18,000. Lots of work in Online Gaming sectors/Finance/Company Management. It's one of them places that if you give it some effort or find a niche, you'll succeed. Like everything though, there will be things out here that you might find annoying i'd wager. For one, the size of the place, frequent visits to Spain are a must, otherwise can feel claustophobic.
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Cheers, never had tapas, what's that? What is the predominant language?

monkey_boy said:
BVI is where it's at. You'd like it there :cool:
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Having Googled BVI, British Virgin Islands? Isn't that somewhat wet and windy this time of year?
 
Cheers, never had tapas, what's that? What is the predominant language?
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Official Language is English, taught in schools at all levels and in business. Everyone (local) speaks Spanish too, both are learned from the start really. Ends up with vast majority of people speaking a mix (called llanito locally), some with more Spanish Bias, some more English. No major problem not knowing Spanish at all.

Tapas? Erm, Spanish food, usually served in small plates. Huge variety, pork, fish, spicy potatoes, best google it :) Originally seen as an small acompanyment to wine/beer in order to get you less drunk. Still the same nowadays tbh :)
 
Witor said:
Official Language is English, taught in schools at all levels and in business. Everyone (local) speaks Spanish too, both are learned from the start really. Ends up with vast majority of people speaking a mix (called llanito locally), some with more Spanish Bias, some more English. No major problem not knowing Spanish at all.

Tapas? Erm, Spanish food, usually served in small plates. Huge variety, pork, fish, spicy potatoes, best google it :) Originally seen as an small acompanyment to wine/beer in order to get you less drunk. Still the same nowadays tbh :)
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Ta, are you native, or English expat? (ex)forces?
 
Native, born and bred here. Spent a few years in UK studying and have a few family links there too.
 
Kingy said:
Having Googled BVI, British Virgin Islands? Isn't that somewhat wet and windy this time of year?
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True, but doesn't Gib have awful winters? Cyprus has the rainy season, Canada is cold, the US only let you in if you arrive on the underside of a vehicle, Oz won't let you in unless you have a job or a big bag of money, Hong Kong won't let you use the internet anymore. So that leaves what Malta and South Africa. I'm sure Mark could hook you up with a job fetching diamonds for him, but I don't think you'll get on with the locals :p
 
Witor said:
No, click here, fairly accurate, Mediterranean Climate. Rare to see it drop less than 4 degrees in January. Not seen snow since umm....since records began here.
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Oh fair enough. That'll teach me for spouting second hand tales. What's that standard of living like over there?


EDIT- most important question- do you do the spanish, sleeping in the day time thing in Gib??
 
monkey_boy said:
True, but doesn't Gib have awful winters? Cyprus has the rainy season, Canada is cold, the US only let you in if you arrive on the underside of a vehicle, Oz won't let you in unless you have a job or a big bag of money, Hong Kong won't let you use the internet anymore. So that leaves what Malta and South Africa. I'm sure Mark could hook you up with a job fetching diamonds for him, but I don't think you'll get on with the locals :p
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:D

I might be down to Malta, but you could do the diamond smuggling thing with little'un. With that poker face no-one would suspect a thing! :D

Witor said:
No, click here, fairly accurate, Mediterranean Climate. Rare to see it drop less than 4 degrees in January. Not seen snow since umm....since records began here.
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:cool:

I've been working so many hours that I don't see daylight for 5 months of the year, let alone sun!

You said success comes with a niche right? I could sell snow!

Guaranteed winner! :p
 
Oh fair enough. That'll teach me for spouting second hand tales. What's that standard of living like over there?
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Very subjective question. I'd wager it's high, and getting higher. Goods prices are comparable to the UK, many people shop in spain for foodstuffs, much cheaper. Alcohol is cheap, petrol is cheap(ish). Save tons on £ needed to get anywhere, seeing as anywhere is tops 15 minutes walk. Property prices are not cheap, considering most properties are Apartments/flats. Semi detached/detached house? No chance unless you've got 3/4 million to splurge at least. Huge demand, no space to build unless on reclaimed land. And what is built is usually high-net worth stuff or marina-side modern apartments.

EDIT- most important question- do you do the spanish, sleeping in the day time thing in Gib??
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Hahah, no.* Shops open 9-6/7pm, unlike Spain.

*Summer is different for some shops/places of work. Summer heat can get knackering, not unknown for me to have a wee siesta after lunch...

You said success comes with a niche right? I could sell snow!
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:) Closest place with reliable snow is Sierra Nevada/Granada. About 2 1/2 hours spirited drive, so...you may be onto something.
 
Witor said:
Property prices are not cheap, considering most properties are Apartments/flats. Semi detached/detached house? No chance unless you've got 3/4 million to splurge at least. Huge demand, no space to build unless on reclaimed land. And what is built is usually high-net worth stuff or marina-side modern apartments.
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*sulks*

Need a new plan... :mad:
 
Aha. A wonderful Citroen Xsara 1.6i as a courtesy car tomorrow. (light bodywork damage). Might have to post in the Automatic? post too....
 
Kennysevenfold said:
The OP is asking our thoughts on the quote he has been given for some work to be done to his car and a service. I state my thoughts on the cost of the service.....so CLEARLY im going way off topic :confused:

Get out.
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*whooooosh*

:D

Have another read from post 18 onwards... :)
 
they've got you over a barrel with it being Gibraltar havent they ?

I expect there isnt a large ammount of car maintenance garages on the island ?
 
Yeah, not many garages. Most are main dealers. Spains obviously close, alfa dealer there is around 30 mins away but I'm not sure of the rep. Local one is costly, but at least I know their workmanship is very good, off my limited experience with them and going by mates ana family who've owned Alfas/citroens/fiats (what they sell there)

Always seem to have a steady stream of other cars for repair work too.
 
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