[Philip10]

After reading many postings on the forum, I am beginning to feel that New Zealand tries to rip off migrants at almost everything. Is this the experience of most people or have I just read too many negative postings. I'm starting to think is NZ really the place for me? :(

[clg]

There have been some other threads on this but I don't feel ripped off at all.

[StevieD]

nope can't say we feel ripped off either, depends on what you talking about and what you hearing?

If you mean paying for dental treatment and doctors, well that is just the way of the world, it is coming to UK too with the demise of the NHS.

As for everything else, it is a small economy and economies of scale do not apply as much here as they do in more populous countries.

[lockstock]

No, not at all. In fact we feel we get good deals because we're immigrants.

[peebles16]

Nope not at all so far - would be interested in hearing why you think it's a rip off??

Karen

[ellenmelon]

some business owners do take advantage of the situation that some migrants find themselves in if/when they don't have the local knowledge to know where to find a cheaper sofa or what the usual bond is for a house for example. it would be silly to think it didn't happen, but some people haven't personally experienced it.

[Georgebulldog]

If I have been ripped off then I don't know about it but I don't feel like I have as everything I buy I check the prices on, with so many sales going on all the time it hard to be ripped off but maybe your on about different situations, everyone I have spoken to has been helpful in telling me the best places to go

[swissmissdesigner]

I remember I get ripped off when I moved to USA..
I guess this is the way when you immigrate..

[macs gold]

After reading many postings on the forum, I am beginning to feel that New Zealand tries to rip off migrants at almost everything. Is this the experience of most people or have I just read too many negative postings. I'm starting to think is NZ really the place for me? :(

New Zealand is a place - I struggle to see how it can rip people off, unless people think there is some sort of institutional or national conspiracy!

Our own experience is that more often than not any errors or price changes go in our favour. It is incredible the number of times we get to a checkout and the assistant lets us know and there is another 15% off that today (which was not obvious on the display).

So in general I think the price is what the price is for everyone else. The possible exception is housing, where previous overpaying by migrants has created this perception amongst locals that all migrants will pay top dollar. The fault (if any) for that does not rest with the seller, it lies with the person who says "I can afford to pay such and such so that is what I will pay." without regard to the market value.

[Lambuel+Ruby]

I can't comment on NZ, but the company I do HR for in Oregon is operated by about 75% immigrants. We can/will only hire documented workers and our pay is competitive (welding, machine operation, mechanical, etc.). We literally have the best medical and dental benefits in the country, paid 100% by the company, good vacation, holidays, I personally cook a steak lunch for the whole company every Friday.:cheers (250 people, mind you!)

Business is tough and we've had to let go about 100 people in the last month. It's devastating to the associates with limited English skills, they have a terrible time finding work regardless of their skills. Also hard for the older people, who face ageism in seeking a new job.

With all these painful layoffs, I've just been thinking lately about these amazing first generation Americans. It makes me wonder if there is any reason to think we perhaps DO exploit immigrants, in that building trucks is very hard work. Why is so much of our workforce made up of immigrants? Why aren't more people who are born in the US wanting to pursue this challenging but profitable line of work?

Is it a gross generalization to say that one common denominator in people who are willing to uproot and move to another country (that usually has a better quality of life) is that they have a willingness to take on challenges and figure out/accomplish difficult things?

And if that's the case, could we also see evidence there could possibly be a wide margin for feeling taken advantage of, or at least not feeling comfortable, successful, informed enough, etc. when being emmersed in difficult things?:confused:

Just wondering out loud...will be interesting to see what kind of rousing repartee comes from this thread! I so appreciate every one's candor in addressing these kinds of topics. They help me.
:o

[James 1077]

Our own experience is that more often than not any errors or price changes go in our favour. It is incredible the number of times we get to a checkout and the assistant lets us know and there is another 15% off that today (which was not obvious on the display).

That seems to happen all the time; companies do weekend specials etc without, it seems, telling anyone or marking the prices down on the products. You come along to buy said product, take it to the till and are, pleasantly, surprised by the price.

That said I wish that they would tell you before you get to the till as sometimes I would buy the more expensive model rather than the cheapy I went in for! :p

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

I don't feel i've ever been ripped off in any way, nor had any experience of anyone trying to do so.

Quite the opposite in fact, retailers, in my experience, go out of their way to point you at the best deals.

Possibly there are issues on the housing front, but I don't think immigrants get ripped off any more or less than locals.

If you mean is it more exensive to live here, well that's a whole different debate.

[Familyofmonkeys]

I don't think immigrants exactly get 'ripped off' in normal retail situations...although we Brits are used to paying the asking price in shops and don't question it. Only a few places in UK (e.g. Millets/electrical shops) would do discounts if you asked for one. Here asking for and getting discounts seems to be the norm. With all of the large purchases we have made here.....new washing machine, tumble dryer, new mattress, we have asked for and got a fairly good discount.

Also immigrants do seem to get ripped off when it comes to services. I remember Smiler and Moorf posting something recently about differences in moving costs compared to kiwi's. Sorry, can't find link, but i'm sure some of us immigrants get charged more as people assume that we can afford to pay it.

[Sam B]

The only way I felt ripped off was in the costs of the immigration process itself. I thought these were unecessarily high and I couldn't see what I was really paying for. Speech and Language Therapists, and many other professions on the long term skills shortage, don't earn megabucks and don't tend to have savings, so the costs were hard to pay ... and yet they need these people to come here.

I don't feel ripped off at any other time here.

[peebles16]

I can see the point on property prices well - it's the one thing kiwis comment on to me living here.. The house prices in Canterbury are high and most kiwi folks "blame" the daft Brits coming in and paying way over the odds for properties and driving up the market. So the Mums at school say so it must be right :p

Karenx

[shakyle2906]

We dont feel riiped off at all either!

Although i admit when we were buying our house, we felt the Real Estate Agent tried to take a slight advantage in us not knowing the housing market that well.

Also have to agree, although that hubby is in the skilled shortages work, and he isnt better off financially. At the end of the day though it was our decision to come here, we knew the wages prior.

Sharon

[Nathan]

I really can't imagine a whole lot of immigrants jumping on here and stating, "yeh, I get ripped off all the time, but it's just dumb old me."

I don't think it's unique to NZ, but vendors generally will get the best price they can. It is best to do a lot of research before buying here. On the other hand, I've certainly had many instances where the price was reduced at the till, but I wouldn't say it's the norm.

Do a search of this site and you'll find stories of the immigrant price vs the Kiwi price. My perception is that it is most common with real estate, appliances, cars, and moving.

[JandM]

Apparently, a lot of real estate agents ONLY get commission, no salary, so it's sort of understandable that they'd be for clinching a high selling price. But for us, it comes down to the old thing of 'do your homework', doesn't it?

[Philip10]

Thanks for all your replies, a much more balanced view…phew feel much better especially as my ITA arrived this morning.

Philip :)

[BlueDevil]

Philip,

I and others have said that NZ is not a place to make your fortune. There are some very interesting business opportunities here if you are entrepreneurially inclined (I'm not); but most professionals moving here will not be raking it in; however there are great rewards (perhaps tradeoffs might be better?).

The process is not cheap either; but I think with even a modicum of research, it is straightfoward; its hard to be ripped off if you know what to expect.

When you arrive, there are some expenses of getting settled, figuring out how/where to do things (the unwritten rules of every society). These probably do involve some potential "rip-offs" for some immigrants; I know I've made a few decisions/expenditures I wouldn't have done in retrospect. But I consider that part of the experience/adventure.

I still have a sense of wonder and amusement at being here; but during occasional shifts in the ER fat Auckland, I can tell you that the same human vagaries and vices are at play as anywhere else in the world.

Having waxed philosophical, there is one complete rip-off: that they charge you for ketchup when you get chips (fries). I can't get over it and it really irks me. Ketchup in packet or dispenser form is (I am pretty sure) in the UN Charter as an inalienable human right from any fish and chip store or burger shop. Maybe its in the Declaration of Human Rights or the Geneva Convention, but its somewhere and NZ doesn't do it.

[macs gold]

I can't get over it and it really irks me. Ketchup in packet or dispenser form is (I am pretty sure) in the UN Charter as an inalienable human right from any fish and chip store or burger shop. Maybe its in the Declaration of Human Rights or the Geneva Convention, but its somewhere and NZ doesn't do it.Ha - I say let any fool who wishes to ruin good fish and chips pay for that privilege. Whereas a good fish shop will throw in a slice of lemon. What does that tell you?

[Bruckner]

Having waxed philosophical, there is one complete rip-off: that they charge you for ketchup when you get chips (fries). I can't get over it and it really irks me. Ketchup in packet or dispenser form is (I am pretty sure) in the UN Charter as an inalienable human right from any fish and chip store or burger shop. Maybe its in the Declaration of Human Rights or the Geneva Convention, but its somewhere and NZ doesn't do it.

LOL! So true about charging for condiments. I nearly got my hand slapped when I naively reached for an extra container of soy sauce.

Emily