Saturday 29 May 2021

Week 21 - Hanging around and trying not to get angry

Leaving Dubai is not a happy experience, neither was our arrival. Customer service here isn't the best. Comments from people are to just pay someone, but I have little faith in anyone here, I still haven't had the paperwork from our shipping company or any paperwork at all to say they have our furniture. I had to sign forms, they didn't give me copies. 

We cancelled the internet services and were informed to take the boxes to a local store, on arrival we were shouted at by the meet and greeter and told we were not to drop boxes there and that was that. Boxes were left at the front of the shop and when I tried to take a photo of them in front of the shop sign, I was shouted at again. Peter phoned customer services who again told us to go back to that branch for the final bill, but when we arrived we were told we'd been given the wrong advice and to go to head office. We almost said 'sod it' let them keep the deposit, but we went to make sure everything was closed and we discovered we owed a small sum.

Leaving our Villas has been very unpleasant. The check out form was pre printed with damage and costs to charge us with. This company isn't part of our landlords company, so we've taken the issue upo directly with them. The cost of repairs is the same amount as the deposit. We have an agreement with check in that due to settlement cracks we don't have to repaint when we vacate, but we were billed for that and a clean, which is mad as they made a right mess walking through today with sand blowing in through open doors, let alone the mess they make just to service the air con units. No allowance was made for wear and tear and two air con covers were broken in front of us as well as stating that the front door needs polishing as it is damaged from the sun.

Closing the electricity and water was really easy, done online, final bill sent and credit refunded to our bank account within 3 working days. Great service.

142 Saturday Woke with a migraine. Final check of the Villa, put the fridge and oven back together and all the filters for appliances that we'd cleaned. We dropped off the TV boxes as requested, collected a cheque and closed our electricity and water account, then off to drop a gift with a friend which led to a 3 hour brunch and an afternoon/evening lounging on the sofa watching TV.

We bought this cushion pad when we first moved to Dubai so we had something to sit on


143 Sunday Handed the keys in for the Villa, Peter went off to work and I caught the train back to the apartment. Unexpected firework show on the Palm


144 Monday Check out inspection of the villa, not happy at all. I had my hair cut and a gel manicure, Peter worked from the apartment. Afternoon spent sending emails and providing evidence to get our deposit back. 


145 Tuesday A day of blogging, commenting, walking and drinking coffee. Way too hot to be outside for any length of time, but the advantage of being where we are is I can access everything in a short distance. Spent some time on the beach and went for a swim.

I had gifts for my friends in South Africa that Peter brought over from the UK in February 2020 to take to SA in March. Finally dropped them at a friends sister who lives here and will take them over to SA when she is next allowed to visit.

146 Wednesday I walked down to the beach, the walkway is really rough and the public beach is covered in litter so I walked a little further had a swim, then cut through along a path back to the main road. Except I wasn't on a public path and was barked at to go back on the beach. it was 41c, I said I was lost, sorry but no not good enough, so I said call the police because I ain't going back on the beach and I was escorted through the car park. Really pissed off with this attitude from people in all services here, such job worths. Made a formal complaint to the hotel. Put do not enter signs up then if you're that worried about being invaded.

Peter keeps locking the balcony door, we're on the 32nd floor, no one will be breaking in here.


147 Thursday We popped out for a coffee, I spent most of the day reading and when Peter came home from work we went down to the pool. It was Peter's leaving do, 35 years with the company, 6 of them in Dubai, he's retiring. I enjoyed the evening, it was nice catching up with old faces via conference calls from South Africa, the UK and across Europe. 

Mask wearing outside is almost unbearable, so humid.


148 Friday Last day with the car so we went to Dubai Mall for breakfast, realised the weather wasn't too hot and had no reason to be in the Mall so we went for a drive along the Palm to take before, during and after photos for my construction photography blog posts. We went down to the pool early evening.

I love visiting aquariums, this photo was taken in Dubai Mall.


This weeks blog post really doesn't describe or sum up how we have both felt this week. It's been very emotional and challenging. I've been very pissed off by some comments from people on social media who I know would struggle doing half the stuff we do and have felt a few others have tried to catch me out, whilst many who would normally have an input just haven't bothered. Peter and I are certainly reducing our circle of friends through choice now and wondering why we didn't do this a long time ago.

On the blog this week:

Someones pet cat escaped - Exotic animal on the loose in Dubai

PoCoLo - Hanging around Dubai



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18 comments:

  1. Oh dear. What a rubbish time you have had dealing with leaving Dubai and people being job worths. Some people just like to feel important.
    How lovely to see some fireworks.
    hehehe! That did make me chuckle about Peter locking the balcony door. x

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  2. Glad everything's getting tied up, but what a pain having all the hassles. Love the aquarium shot. They always look so pretty

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  3. Sounds like a nightmare with the deposit, hope they realise who they are dealing with, but agro you could do without. Glad you both had a nice evening for Peter's retirement do. Will be strange not to see your Dubai photos, love that night time shot. Hope you haven't tried to throttle each other yet since you landed back in Blighty x #36

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  4. Sorry to hear that leaving Dubai is proving to be so stressful – it does sound like a nightmare trying to return the boxes for the internet and with leaving the villa. Glad at least closing the electricity and water accounts was more straightforward. Keeping everything crossed that things go smoothly with shipping the rest of your stuff. Lovely photo of the fireworks on the Palm and glad that you had a nice evening for Peter’s leaving do. Sorry that comments from friends on social media have also added to your stress. Hope that this week has been a kinder one. #project365

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  5. I don't envy you at all and would hate the paperwork and bureaucracy that makes international back and forth so frustrating. Sending virtual hugs and hoping that this week will have been more positive #project365

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  6. I am so sorry its been a nightmare leaving and after 6 years you want to look back and remember the good bits not all this stress. Its not long now and you will be back here. Hope it goes as smoothly as it can for you. The whole villa deposit sounds like day light robbery to me. I reduced my circle of friends significantly about ten years ago and havent looked back. Didnt realise how unhappy they were making me until I was out of it.

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    1. so lovely being back in the UK, feel so much better having reduced circle of people we socialise with, less running around and less being let down

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  7. I think moving in any country is hugely stressful and we have been burnt by renting somewhere out and then being charged for damage that pre-existed. Luckily I had pictures to back me up. Fingers crossed you get sorted, bet you cannot wait to be home

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    1. so annoyed with the deposit, we've been stung by the landlord and our tenants in our UK home

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  8. Loved Dubai Mall when we visited.

    I am struggling with the masks in a bit of heat here so can't imagine how it must be there.

    Sounds like it has been a bit of a nightmare trying to get things sorted for your move back

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    1. it's really strange not wearing masks everywhere back in the UK

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  9. I'm so sorry you had such a nightmare. Having to move and pack everything up is a nightmare in itself with out the added stress of jobsworths. We had fun in the masks last august in France with the heat. I hope you got everything sorted in the end and the move home got easier #365

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    1. Back in the UK now, waiting for our container to be delivered, getting easier

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