tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post6149256030390811615..comments2021-10-05T19:44:46.905+02:00Comments on BerlinBites: My MistakeJon Lebkowskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16248713335392018033noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-9663803751521523722007-05-10T17:36:00.000+02:002007-05-10T17:36:00.000+02:00I remember that BVG episode as well. What a hoot! ...I remember that BVG episode as well. What a hoot! As I've said for years: Service ist ja ein Fremdwort auf Deutsch.Dr. Sardonichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056254715481052250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-16602082423081569062007-04-18T20:53:00.000+02:002007-04-18T20:53:00.000+02:00Well, yeah, I do navigate the bureaucracies here a...Well, yeah, I do navigate the bureaucracies here alone. Nobody every offered otherwise. <BR/><BR/>I will say, though, that since I've been gone I've noticed that all my dealings with US bureaucracies have been marked by a weird courtesy, as if someone noticed that people weren't happy and actually went in and did something about it. This includes the DMV in Texas, my bank there, and -- my word! -- the Post Office. And the telephone company was already beginning to wear a human face lo those many years ago when I left. <BR/><BR/>As for the S-Bahn folks, many years ago, BVG instituted mandatory classes in politeness for all its employees who had to deal with the public (and this was back when there was a guy in a booth selling tickets, if you could get him to stop reading the <I>BZ</I>), and a number of them quit rather than go to the classes because they didn't feel being polite was part of the job description. True!Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-36544160156008331172007-04-18T20:43:00.000+02:002007-04-18T20:43:00.000+02:00I should also have mentioned that although I don't...I should also have mentioned that although I don't agree with the myth that Berlin inhabitants are uniformly rude: no more and no less so than elsewhere in my experience, rather less in fact (as Ed said earlier, this is a pretty informal city), all my in-person brushes with the S-Bahn <I>have</I> been unpleasant, which is why I am not looking forward to that trip to their Nordbahnhof office.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-21025132780540405002007-04-18T20:32:00.000+02:002007-04-18T20:32:00.000+02:00Bleistifterin, yes there is some irony in an ameri...Bleistifterin, yes there is some irony in an american complaining from dour bureaucracies, isn't it? Nobody in his right mind in the US wants to have <I>anything</I> to do with the Feds, the DMV, the courts or just about any bit officialdom if he can avoid it. I think a general problem of foreigners who complain of german bureaucracy is that they try to navigate the system on their own. Having made that mistake in the US, here I retained the services of an accounting and tax advisory firm even before I moved in and they deal with all that for me. They made one major mistake last year but they cleaned up pretty well and I am sure I would have made many more on my lonesome.<BR/><BR/>Ed, France and Italy have their own very dour and rigid bureaucracies, too. Once you are there, don't say you hadn't been warned ;-) Again, one word: Courteline.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-19108571986021746382007-04-18T20:13:00.000+02:002007-04-18T20:13:00.000+02:00daggi, maybe the VBB cards are not hard to cancel ...daggi, maybe the VBB cards are not hard to cancel for you but I got nowhere with them by email and then a friend of mine who called the S-Bahn Kundenbetreuung number got nowhere with them on the phone either; apparently you have to go in person to an S-Bahn center. Sending a letter (presumably with the tickets enclosed) is out of the question since I couldn't prove I sent them the tickets and once I don't have them anymore, I am stuck with the fee. Also, I am pretty sure I did not opt for auto-renewal when I made the original purchase yet it did auto-renew.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-62015155113990801302007-04-18T19:13:00.000+02:002007-04-18T19:13:00.000+02:00daggi: George W. Bush. I assume.Ed: I know. That's...daggi: George W. Bush. I assume.<BR/>Ed: I know. That's why I tried not to explode in your face but rather sizzle gently within a water bucket if that metaphor works. And I agree with you: there is a spirit and a bureaucracy in this country that can hold you back. Sometimes it's like walking in a swamp. But if I am broke, I am rather in Berlin than anywhere else in the world... at least rent and food is cheap, and I will have decent medical care if needed. :-) I am actually halfway looking forward to apply for Hartz IV next year!Bleistifterinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226239410957429548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-51776175948784603372007-04-18T10:23:00.000+02:002007-04-18T10:23:00.000+02:00GWB?<I>GWB</I>?daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-90033696278843602122007-04-17T19:47:00.000+02:002007-04-17T19:47:00.000+02:00Bleistifterin, I pretty much agree with what you'v...Bleistifterin, I pretty much agree with what you've said here, believe it or not. It's just that the last few weeks have been hellish with all this stuff landing on me, my being sick for most of it, and my finally just snapping. I realized that I've been here 13 years, and the equation of what I put in as opposed to what I get back has radically changed, and I'm going to stop trying to get along. <BR/><BR/>I know it's different. Hell, the U.S. feels different to me now. And yeah, I know: America's never treated foreigners particularly well, and it's not getting better. Just be glad you're white and not Arab or African. <BR/><BR/>I'd feel the same way if I read about a talented German who went to American and had been slapped around the way I have been, and I don't doubt there are one or two who could write that story. But at my age, I'd like to be able to accomplish a lot more than I'm going to be able to do here, and I truly do believe that it's the dominant society here that's doing a lot to hold me back. Hey, I've been here 13 1/2 years, and the first eight were fine. Time to move on, is all. <BR/><BR/>Yeah, I generalize too much. But I get generalized about, too. Lots of Germans I've met see GWB when they see me, and that pisses me off. <BR/><BR/>It's about being exhausted and disappointed. I'm sure it'll look better once I move on.Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-43610755002868367122007-04-17T17:39:00.000+02:002007-04-17T17:39:00.000+02:00Daggi - you are fabulous!Ed - being German myself ...Daggi - you are fabulous!<BR/>Ed - being German myself I often have to swallow real hard while reading your blog. I try to see your point though - I grew up here, so many things that upset you are very normal for me. I just wish you could stop generalizing so much. I mean, you even admit that there is a difference between "people you know" and the bureaucrats. <BR/>Also, why do you reiterate this myth about Germans not having any sense of humor if you do not even speak the language? gimme a break!<BR/>I am not trying to excuse anything or anybody here, but. One should think that someone who is as versed in travelling as you are should have accepted the category "different" by now. It might look similar to the world you grew up with, but it's about as different as Africa or Asia would be. Accept it. Stop fighting it.<BR/>And yes, you should read what you sign. Always. <BR/><BR/>Besides, I don't know how long it is since you lived in the US, but be assured it's not all fun and customer-service there either - especially if you are not a US-citizen. Especially after 9/11.<BR/><BR/>Btw: have you tried asking the Adlon if a) they can extend your certificate over April 19, and b) if personal, i.e. if you are allowed to give it to someone else (=sell it)? Since they cannot simply give you the money, maybe your friend Tim can get his money back and send you a cheque instead? If you call and talk to them, nice and friendly, I am sure something can be done. And they must speak English there too.Bleistifterinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226239410957429548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-83565671965111896392007-04-17T12:12:00.000+02:002007-04-17T12:12:00.000+02:00better get over there quick Ed, before Sarkozy mak...better get over there quick Ed, before Sarkozy makes everyone dance to the same beat! meanwhile, speaking of the devil, i got my new bahn card in the mail yesterday, with lots of happy greetings from DB! turning over the attached letter i scanned the small print and found that one must cancel the cards auto-renewal in writing at least six weeks before the expiration date... now to try once again to squeeze the funds out of my employer...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-38117956210084883642007-04-16T21:48:00.000+02:002007-04-16T21:48:00.000+02:00Olivier, you're right: Switzerland and Austria ("I...Olivier, you're right: Switzerland and Austria ("It's like Germany, except the food is good") are right out. There was a rumor about an English-language magazine being started in Amsterdam a few years ago that wanted my help, and I would have moved there to work on it had it come to be, but I remember how relieved I was when it went up in smoke. I am tired of Germanic cultures, and although Holland is less Germanic than some, it's still got that cleanliness and Ordnung that drives me nuts. <BR/><BR/>Now, I know you'll agree with me that France isn't a place overburdened with a sense of Ordnung. And for now, that's just fine with me.Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-30183902142954810592007-04-14T16:51:00.000+02:002007-04-14T16:51:00.000+02:00the yearly VBB cards sold by the S-Bahn are very h...<I>the yearly VBB cards sold by the S-Bahn are very hard to get rid of, too.</I><BR/><BR/>No the're not. Ever seen the small ads in <I>Zweite Hand</I>? Or look on ebay. You can't cancel a subscription taken out for a year, as that's what it is. And you get those tickets at a 20 % reduction purely because you're buying the entire year's worth (at once, at that reduction, I think). As far as I know, you can persuade them with a friendly letter to take back the tickets you don't need, and they will refund you the difference, removing any discount you got but you would now have no right to, as you didn't fulfil the conditions of the discount. If you ask nicely. You've got no right to your money back.<BR/><BR/>Always read what you sign...daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-77126979783330233232007-04-14T00:52:00.000+02:002007-04-14T00:52:00.000+02:00Ed, I speculate that maybe the Germans have such a...Ed, I speculate that maybe the Germans have such a thing for Ordnung because their history (and I don't mean just recent history: in the middle ages the place was a hotbed of heresies, jacqueries and so on, culminating in Luther and the Reformation) has shown such great potential for Unordnung? Also, if you think you have it bad in Germany with Ordnung, I have one word for you: Switzerland.<BR/><BR/>Austria isn't exactly cool either. I was told once by a bank employee there: "Wegen der Karten möchte ich jetzt nicht viel drum herum schreiben" (this straight from the email). I wanted to close an account and they wanted me to return the VISA card, even though it was expired, otherwise they'd have to cancel it and charge me EUR 36.34 for it. When I tried to argue that it made no sense to cancel an expired card, that's when she hit me with the above. Yowza! All in all, I must say I enjoy Germany a lot more. My neighbours, for one thing, are angels; I'll have to give them a parting gift when I move.<BR/><BR/>And since Ed's post was intended as a warning to the unwary I'll add my own: the yearly VBB cards sold by the S-Bahn are very hard to get rid of, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-35727262852733068282007-04-13T19:51:00.000+02:002007-04-13T19:51:00.000+02:00You are the exception to the theory I'm working on...You are the exception to the theory I'm working on. (That's a good thing in my opinion). I've noticed that most Americans that I've met(all but you), who've been in Germany 15 years or more, seem to have become more German than the Germans (sounds like Sean may be one of these guys, as even most Germans I know can rant for hours about Ordnung, Deutsche Bahn and crappy neighbors). I know an American down here (17 year resident) who only speaks German to me and is Ordnung-exemplified. Anyways, just wanted to say that you give me hope that I will not become an Ordnung-loving Frau someday! Good luck with the bailiff!Christina | AmiExpat.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990953167325306238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-1625910085221870282007-04-13T14:58:00.000+02:002007-04-13T14:58:00.000+02:00All those who want Daggi to set up an English-lang...<I>All those who want Daggi to set up an English-language consumer help organization raise your hands!</I><BR/><BR/>Only if I get paid lots of lots of money for doing so. I'm the new Lynn Faulds Wood (or, in US English, Ralph Nader). <BR/><BR/>Having worked in retail here for a good few years, I can say I've been more than surprised on occasions by dodgy pricing rules (fake special offers and the like) and the lack of consumer rights compared to in the UK. Though no doubt people are getting badly conned there too - "rip-off Britain" being a cliché of late.<BR/><BR/>The Bundespresseamt don't issue press cards - only the journalists' unions or publishers' associations. You don't have to be a member of the unions though to get one, if you don't want to. You just have to pay for it, as opposed to getting it "free" (covered by the union dues) - if you can prove your principal source of income is journalism, of whatever sort - via bills, articles, transcripts etc. Even stuff about culture will do!daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-15958155333114906322007-04-13T14:26:00.000+02:002007-04-13T14:26:00.000+02:00All those who want Daggi to set up an English-lang...All those who want Daggi to set up an English-language consumer help organization raise your hands!Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-73940368277779477102007-04-13T14:20:00.000+02:002007-04-13T14:20:00.000+02:00super - i'm in but too bad i already have a BC50! ...super - i'm in but too bad i already have a BC50! i have to say though, that the Friendly Frau at DB Alexanderplatz did point out the stringent cancellation requirements when i first purchased it. Which is a good thing, since i see i don't want to get anywhere near the <I>Kundennichtdialog!</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-16476306301543019172007-04-13T14:17:00.000+02:002007-04-13T14:17:00.000+02:00Yeah, I'm paying and letting it go at that. The pr...Yeah, I'm paying and letting it go at that. The price for the ongoing education. <BR/><BR/>Too bad I didn't know about the half-price card, although when I started buying them, I wasn't allowed to get a German press card because, as the guy in the Bundespresseamt told me, I was writing about culture, not politics or business. "But don't you want the foreign press to know Germany has culture?" I asked, rather amazed. "Those are our rules." <BR/><BR/>Ah, Ordnung!Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-67599320733511225932007-04-13T13:45:00.000+02:002007-04-13T13:45:00.000+02:00William:intended for journalists, who get a BahnCa...William:<BR/><I>intended for journalists, who get a BahnCard for half price, assuming they've got a German press card, and one that doesn't renew itself </I><BR/><BR/>http://www.bahn.de/bcj<BR/><BR/>Only if you've got a *real* press card, that means issued by one of these organisations:<BR/><BR/>- Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV)<BR/>- Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union (DJU) (IG Medien, DAG und ver.di)<BR/>- Bundesverband Deutscher Zeitungsverleger (BDZ)<BR/>- Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger (VDZ)<BR/><BR/>It's a BC50, it's half price compared to what it usually costs. I think you have to apply online.daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-41590026830683906572007-04-13T13:19:00.000+02:002007-04-13T13:19:00.000+02:00After I posted that comment, literally 2 minutes l...After I posted that comment, literally 2 minutes later, the phone rang. It was the Deutsche Bahn. I only answered because I thought it might be someone wanting to give me a job. I want some money back on two tickets that were sold to me at a ticket machine that I didn't want or need. Cut a long story short, I went to Zürich a while back, and as part of the ticket buying process I was offered the chance to buy a "City Mobil Ticket" for public transport in the city (I assumed) I was travelling to, i.e. Zürich, on the day of arrival. I assumed this, as there are a) no tickets on sale in Berlin called "City Mobil"; and b) why would I need a ticket for public transport in Berlin on the day of my journey to Zürich? The train left very very early in the morning, and covered all of Berlin to Zürich. I also have a monthly ticket. "Great service, <I>Hut ab, Bahn</I> I thought, as I pressed "yes" - easier than fiddling around with ticket machines and zone systems that I won't understand and probably only take coins I won't have the moment I arrive.<BR/><BR/>Hang on, I said a few minutes later. These "City Mobil" tickets are just "Berlin AB Tageskarten" - but called "City Mobil". And only valid on that one day. And never afterwards. Off to the station to ask if I could give them back, or at least have them changed for normal Tageskarten, costing exactly the same. No. But you can fill in this form and they'll probably send you the money back somehow. That was 2 months ago.<BR/><BR/>So, it was the Bahn. "Kundendialog" they called themselves, but it was more "Friss oder stirb". "We've got a form from you, two tickets, I don't know why you gave them back and when, I can't read the form either." Me: "well, it says exactly on there why I've given them back, and if you only get one small line to write the reason on, that's not my fault. And it also says where and when I gave them back, as there's a rubber stamp from Berlin Alexanderplatz, the name of the colleague there and the date." Him: "I don't care. It's your fault. You used the machine, you bought what you wanted and we don't refund them. But if you like, out of kindness we will give you 10 Euros of travel vouchers, valid for a limited period. Isn't that nice." He was very smarmy. Me: "How much were the two tickets worth then, I can't see that on the copy of the form and tickets I have in front of me now?" Him: "12,80 Euro". Me: "How about a travel voucher for 12,80 then? Him: "No. That or nothing. Our vouchers only go in steps of 5 Euros, either, 5, 10, or 15 etc." Me: "And 15 then?" Him: "No. 10 or sod-all. " Me: "And replacing them with two normal tickets of the same value for the same zones that need to be validated, so I can use them when I like". Him:"I don't want to enter a dialogue with you." (Aha! <I>Kundennichtdialog</I>!)Me: "Ok. Then I'll turn down your offer, as you're extremely smarmy, rude and arrogant and have no idea about customer service (I didn't actually say that, but surely he should have known that you let people let off their steam and finish their sentences, wait two seconds and then say "Unfortunately..." as opposed to butting in mid-sentence with the words "That or nothing, it's your choice, take it or leave it". It usually works and makes your working day so much more pleasant, cod psychology is what it is) and I'll get in touch with the Schlichtungsstelle Mobilität." Him: "You do that, see if I care." Me: "Can I have your offer in writing, maybe as an email". Him: "No. For 10 Euros it's far too much work for us, we don't bother with that." Me: "Okay then, bye. Have a nice day. I'm off to my driving test now, so I hope I won't have to rely on the Deutsche Bahn as much as until now."<BR/><BR/>Which I then did, well pissed off and not very calm and collected as you need to be for such things. I passed anyway. <BR/><BR/>Ed: do I take it you've paid up then? Probably the best course of action, but I think trying to get it back is a good idea. In any case, you could argue you didn't understand the contract you signed (and they never tell you about) for a never-ending BahnCard, that has to be cancelled 3 months before the new one starts; and therefore it was invalid. As something you don't understand can't be legal. And you might get the money back sometime when you really need it (more than now)...daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-65475511954739852242007-04-13T13:14:00.000+02:002007-04-13T13:14:00.000+02:00daggi - whats all this about the journalist's bah...daggi - whats all this about the journalist's bahn card - is it cheaper? my employer is currently paying for mine, so i don't care either way but since i recently picked up a press card (assisted by another "arbeitgeber") i might prefer a cheaper one in the future. <BR/>and ed - i empathize with your experience of 'zu schnell sprache' on the telephone. who can make heads or tails of what they are going on about? i always hang up the phone, look over at my colleagues, and say 'i dunno what that guy was saying but it sure sounded important!'....and do tell about these dastardly neighbor's occasional sex bouts - are the pets actually involved?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-36058514918753304412007-04-13T11:30:00.000+02:002007-04-13T11:30:00.000+02:00Dammit, Daggi, where were you when I needed you? A...Dammit, Daggi, where <I>were</I> you when I needed you? Ah, well. Great info, although my limited German skills and absolute terror of talking German on the phone, where people tend to speak as rapidly as they humanly can, might still have resulted in a disaster. <BR/><BR/>And Sean, your sarcasm is <I>such</I> a delight; you must have all kinds of useful social skills. I get to hear my neighbors' pets and occasional bouts of sex, but even though a lifetime of playing music (it's part of how I make my living) has taught me about respecting others' aural space, I've always considered a little tolerance to be part of urban life. After all, I never had to face this problem until these folks moved in. But I guess tolerance doesn't rate very high on your scale, either. Enjoy your Ordnung.Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-14533738438663177062007-04-13T08:17:00.000+02:002007-04-13T08:17:00.000+02:00I replied that I didn't want the card and wasn't g...<I>I replied that I didn't want the card and wasn't going to pay for it or use it. And that, I thought, was the end of it. </I><BR/><BR/>That's the problem. When you bought your BahnCard - or as it says, your "automatically, annually renewing BahnCard-Abo", you were doint that, buying a card for every year until you cancelled it.<BR/><BR/>So you would have had to have paid for the second card, but no more. The Bahn don't go in for <I>Kulanz</I>.daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-14862161933524899022007-04-13T08:15:00.000+02:002007-04-13T08:15:00.000+02:00Never phone the Deutsche Bahn "BahnCard-Service" n...Never phone the Deutsche Bahn "BahnCard-Service" number that they give you, as it costs a bomb. I prefer the freephone alternative (intended for journalists, who get a BahnCard for half price, assuming they've got a German press card, and one that doesn't renew itself automatically) - it's 0800 43 00 354. I had to "cancel" the BahnCard "subscription" I didn't want but was forced to take out about 4 times - I tend to cancel immediately after buying one, and keep cancelling until they finally acknowledge it.<BR/><BR/>And then yesterday, I got a letter informing me that my "order" had been processed, as had my "request", but to do what I want, they need my "new" BahnCards. i.e. suggesting that despite me not getting any new card, as it had been cancelled, they would require me to send these new non-existent cards back. <BR/><BR/>A quick search on the net for alternative numbers to the expensive one they tell you about was firstly fruitless - lots of answerphone messages with "This number is not in use, for BahnCard please phone this expensive number". And then I found the 0800 one - which even works from my non-mobile mobile. And as it costs *them*, I got put through quickly.<BR/><BR/>New computer system, the BahnCard department moving from Schortens on the Dutch border to Frankfurt/Main and general Bahn incompetence meant I should just ignore the letter. The card is apparently cancelled and I won't get another one (they even *apologised*). But in case I do, I've got all my emails, faxes and letters cancelling the old one, and their acknowledgement.<BR/><BR/>If you can't pay up - though the matter of the baliff makes it a bit risky - I'd get in touch with the "Schichtungsstelle Mobilität", which is a kind of consumer protection organisation intended to mediate between the Bahn and annoyed passengers. It's an official thing and is run by the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD), who like trains, but don't like DB much. It's free (funded by the state) - you have to have complained to the transport company concerned first and then you can go to them (including copies of all correspondence).<BR/>https://www.schlichtungsstelle-mobilitaet.org<BR/><BR/><I>Schlichtungsstelle Mobilität<BR/>c/o Verkehrsclub Deutschland e.V. (VCD)<BR/>Postfach 61 02 49<BR/>10923 Berlin<BR/>Fax: 030/469970-10<BR/>Mail: schlichtungsstelle@vcd.org<BR/><BR/>Von Montag bis Freitag können Sie sich zwischen 9 und 14 Uhr auch telefonisch unter 030/469970-0 an die Schlichtungsstelle Mobilität wenden. </I><BR/><BR/>Or pay - noting "Unter Vorbehalt" on the payment slip - and then get in touch with them or, say, the Ombudsfrau of the Berliner Zeitung, a Frau Karin Stemmler. She's pretty good at sorting out this kind of stuff.daggihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022009818282469503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052429.post-23313756318257157922007-04-13T01:04:00.000+02:002007-04-13T01:04:00.000+02:00Don't quote me on this, me not being a lawyer or a...Don't quote me on this, me not being a lawyer or anything, but there are clearly defined limits on what the <I>Gerichtsvollzieher</I> can take; household essentials (furniture, normal TVs etc) and equipment needed for work (including computers) is taboo. The impression I get from TV (programmes about people in debt seem to be all the rage at the moment) is that anything that's not of obvious, easily saleable intrinsic value, is basically safe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com