Included services - Life Porters
Alongside our 360° concierge service and supplier sourcing, we include a mix of essential, free-to-access services in your membership package, all designed to keep your life back home in perfect balance.
Personal review
Your membership starts with a personal review for you to share with us those aspects of of career, family, lifestyle, and property that you wish us to support. As well as helping us get to know you, this can be useful in identifying where specialist input may be needed, now and in the months ahead.
We revisit each year to reflect any change in circumstances and to identify where further support or advice is needed.
Hosted UK address and mailing services … coming soon
Our full hosted in-bound and out-bound mailing and parcel service will be launching in 2023. For now, you have the option of routing in-bound and out-bound letter-based correspondence via our main UK address for mail management and physical or electronic forwarding.
Post received on your behalf can be redirected on a regular basis, or opened and scanned so you receive it instantly by electronic transfer. Post will only be opened by a director of the company and the contents kept in strict confidence.
You can also send us your UK mail digitally for us to print and send on your behalf, or send us a single batch by international mail for us to send out individually on your behalf (a great solution if you have a long Christmas card list).
There is no charge for scanning but postal charges for redirection or for outbound mail in the UK will be charged at cost.
Our hosted services are designed to be more secure and reliable than traditional postal redirection services or virtual address providers, while playing a vital role in helping you maintain supplier and financial arrangements.
Hosted UK telephone number and call management… new options coming soon
Our full hosted telephone service will be launching early in 2023. For now, you have the option of directing calls to our main landline number for call management and message taking.
When launched, our hosted number service can be used as the destination for any UK landline or mobile telephone number you wish to retain. Having a UK telephone number can be invaluable in maintaining UK-based supplies and contacts. Once the calls reach our switchboard, we will be able to divert all calls to your overseas number, have a voicemail and call recording which you can call in to collect, or we can answer the call on your behalf to take a message. As well as saving your time and cutting the cost of receiving UK calls overseas, it can help avoid the irritation of being woken by cold callers when you are in a different time zone. Any calls we answer on your behalf would be handled sensitively to avoid revealing your location.
Preferential FX rates
Our relationship with a major currency trading institution enables our members to access currency exchange rates that would not otherwise be available to individuals. Once your relationship is established, you can connect with your FX account manager directly and confidentially each time you wish to transact.
Secure property key-holding
We can hold your property keys as the primary key-holder or as an emergency backup. These are stored securely and only released when signed out by a director of the company who has received prior confirmation from you. The key-holding can be invaluable when the property is empty, or between tenants or when works are being undertaken, whether we are co-ordinating these as a project, or liaising with your appointed agent or trades. Where a property needs to be opened for others to view, inspect or scope, our key-holding services go hand in hand with the vetted personnel provided by our specialist property people partner.
Terms and conditions
Click here to download a copy of these terms and conditions.
- Definitions
- Life Porters or Us or We means Life Porters Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under company registration number 11269234
- Member or You means an individual user with a paid-up subscription to Life Porters’ services
- Membership package refers to the type of membership subscription purchased, such as individual, couple or family, or any other option at any time offered
- Contract means the legally-binding agreement between you and us for the supply of membership services or goods and services commissioned on your behalf with other suppliers
- In writing means communication by letter or email, or any other medium that allows information to be addressed personally to the recipient, enables the recipient to store the information in a way accessible for future reference for a period that is long enough for the purposes of the information, and allows the unchanged reproduction of the information stored
- Fees means any charge for services by Life Porters or by suppliers whether calculated on a fixed price or unit rate basis
- Concierge services means the services provided by Life Porters to members as part of their membership
- Benefits or Packaged Benefits or Included Benefits means those goods and services included in an individual membership package without additional cost beyond the membership fee
- Request means a member-initiated demand for provision of goods or services
- Services means any services offered to you by us or facilitated by us on your behalf with a supplier
- Goods means any goods that we supply to you or facilitate on your behalf in the number and description set out in the related order
- Supplier means a provider of goods or services that is a separate entity from Life Porters
- Order means confirmation by a member to progress with contracted services or goods from Life Porters or its identified suppliers
- Privacy Policy means the terms by which we deal with confidential and personal information received from you via our website, over the telephone or any other means, and how this may be collected, stored, processed
- Website, Portal or Platform refers to our website https://lifeporters.com/ or any app-based gateway we develop to offer our services
- Terms or Conditions: these terms and conditions as amended from time to time as set out in 3
- About these terms and conditions:
- We are Life Porters Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 11269234 whose registered office is at Kemp House, 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, email address info@lifeporters.com and telephone number 020 7846 0096.
- In becoming a member and accessing our membership concierge services and making use of the included benefits of your membership package, you accept these Terms and Conditions will apply to all services and goods you purchase or we provide or facilitate on your behalf and acknowledge that your rights and remedies under these conditions will be against Life Porters Limited only and no other entity, except where you have entered into an independent contract with a supplier facilitated or introduced by us, when, unless expressly provided otherwise, all your rights and remedies for such services or goods will be against the supplier.
- These conditions will take effect and be binding upon our acceptance of your membership application and will remain in force until the expiry or termination of your membership.
- We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time and your ongoing membership will be subject to the latest version and your continuing use of our services will be considered agreement of any such new conditions, which will be published on our website at https://lifeporters.com/terms. Where we are required by law to do so, such revision will be advised to you through a direct communication route.
- In using our services, you confirm that you understand and accept the Privacy Policy set out on our website and that you consent to such use of your personal information.
- Becoming a member
- Acceptance of your application for membership is at the sole discretion of Life Porters and no reason must be given for any decision made.
- Every member must be at least 18 years of age and have legal authority to enter into a membership agreement with Life Porters.
- All personal information you provide when you apply must be accurate and any subsequent changes notified immediately.
- Your membership is personal to you and you are responsible for keeping any login details confidential and for ensuring no one else uses your membership. Where joint or family membership is provided, only those individuals named and confirmed in the original order are members.
- No membership is transferable.
- Joining and membership fees are due in full according to the terms of the selected membership package upon acceptance of your application and in advance of any services being provided.
- Payment of the joining fee, or your first payment in respect of membership fees if you have chosen a membership package where no joining fee is charged, will be taken as your confirmation to us to start to supply our services.
- Joining and membership fees must be paid using a payment card which you have authorised us to use to deduct such payments, unless we have agreed an alternative method of payment enabling automated collection by us, such as Direct Debit.
- The joining fee covers the set-up of your account and may include the provision of services from suppliers. It is non-refundable in all circumstances.
- Membership fees are non-refundable other than in the following specific circumstances:
- You can choose to cancel your membership within the first 14 days of your membership application being accepted if you inform us by email to info@lifeporters.com within the grace period, and we will acknowledge your request. In these circumstances we will refund your membership fee after making any deductions for services provided or facilitated up to that time, including those included benefits provided as part of your membership package where these have commenced. Because digital communication may not be delivered due to circumstances beyond our control, if no response is received within one working day, please call us on 020 7846 0096 to confirm your request.
- We reserve the right to cancel your membership where we have reason to do so and will refund fees for any unexpired period on a pro rata basis.
- Payments from members, whether made using a payment card or a direct debit mandate, initiated via a link on our site or in response to a payment request we raise, for joining and first membership fees, or for ongoing renewals and service charges, will be handled on behalf of Life Porters by Stripe secure payment services, a company with its own security protocols. Members can manage their subscriptions and other transactions via the dedicated Stripe portal for members of Life Porters
- Ongoing membership
- Your membership will continue automatically until terminated in accordance with these terms.
- Membership fees will be charged using the original payment card you provided unless you advise us of an alternative no less than 15 working days before the payment is due. If the alternative does not fall within our standard forms of accepted payment, or is not a chargeable payment card, we reserve the right to refuse it.
- Where a payment card expires, you are required to provide us with the new card information no later than 15 working days before the existing card expires.
- If your payment card is lost or stolen, we ask that you notify us immediately.
- All membership renewals are due for payment according to the chosen membership package and we reserve the right to collect renewals up to five working days in advance of the anniversary date to ensure continuity of service delivery:
- Annual renewals will be charged on the calendar year anniversary of your original joining date.
- Monthly renewals will be charged on the calendar month anniversary of your original joining date.
- If we are unable to collect your fees using the payment method provided, or the payment fails for any reason, we reserve the right to charge a handling fee for failed transactions and the time spent in contacting you for updated payment information.
- We will provide you with information about any planned price increase for your membership package no less than 30 days before the fee renewal falls due.
- We reserve the right to refuse to provide new services or to fulfil existing provision of services, whether from ourselves or from suppliers, where membership fees are outstanding for payment.
- Where new membership packages are introduced, or personal circumstances change, and you wish to transfer to a different package, we will endeavour to enable your transfer, subject to payment of any additional fees which may be due, which would be charged on a pro-rata basis to the next fee renewal date and due for payment immediately. Where you wish to change to a membership package with a lower cost, the transfer is at our discretion and no pro-rata refund of fees will be made for the remaining period of your existing subscription, although we may agree that in making such a transfer we will extend the remaining term of your membership, subject to your usage to date and period of time left to run.
- If you wish to commission or make use of services that are outside the provision of your existing membership package, we reserve the right to withhold such services until you agree to transfer to the appropriate membership package and have paid the relevant fee.
- What your membership includes
- Concierge services: Each member is able to make ad hoc requests for goods and services to support their lifestyle. The Life Porters team will manage these requests on behalf of members and identify relevant suppliers and make proposals for services to satisfy the requests.
- Packaged benefits: Each member is entitled to make personal use of the included benefits during the period of their membership, as set out in the membership package at the time of ordering. Such included benefits are subject to availability and may change without notice. Where benefits require direct interaction with a supplier, we cannot be held liable for their availability.
- Any other services we choose to provide from time to time and which we make available to you under your membership package.
- We reserve the right to modify the concierge services we provide to you and to add or remove the benefits included within your membership package.
- Fair use policies may be imposed by ourselves or by suppliers of benefits where such provision gives unrestricted access and your ongoing usage is deemed to be unreasonable.
- Using your membership
- The nature of the membership services provided requires Life Porters to facilitate or purchase goods or services on your behalf. We agree to provide such services in accordance with your membership package, subject to the following:
- If we are unable to undertake any commission or request for goods or services, we will advise you as soon as we are able.
- If a request is made that falls outside the scope of your membership package we reserve the right to refuse to act.
- We reserve the right to refuse to act on any commission which is in violation of laws or regulations, or offends taste and decency, at home or in your local jurisdiction
- We reserve the right to modify services or commissions to accommodate legal, regulatory or decency issues, where this does not materially affect the service provided.
- We reserve the right to discontinue services, to provide new services and to accept commissions in new areas and from new suppliers without reference to existing members.
- Requests for commissioned goods or services may be made using any of the published communication routes, but you should not provide any confidential, sensitive or financial information unless you have access to a secure route which we have confirmed as being appropriate to use.
- Members acknowledge that telephone calls will be recorded for monitoring and training purposes without use of a warning tone and that all messaging and correspondence (including e-mails, SMS and instant messages) will be retained electronically for the purposes of membership management to ensure that material terms and information are accurately recorded. The member understands, accepts and agrees that such records will be admissible as evidence of any instruction or communication and that these records belong to Life Porters.
- The delivery of services by Life Porters will be in English. Where services are required in another language, this may give rise to additional costs for language translation or interpreter services.
- Member services will be available during the business hours published on our website and outside these hours member queries and requests can be submitted via our 24-hour telephone answering services or via the electronic means provided for attention on the next working day. By prior arrangement we can provide services outside our normal business hours but reserve the right to make an additional charge for any such out-of-hours services, which would be notified in advance.
- Any request for services or goods will be confirmed and the cost and terms of payment advised before any facilitation or action is undertaken on your behalf. You will be asked to confirm the details are correct and to give your acceptance of the price and payment terms before any order is progressed. Where it is not possible to provide a fixed price in advance, an estimate will be provided and you will be asked to agree a budgetary ceiling. This allows you to check and amend any errors before the contract commences and performance of the order is undertaken.
- Life Porters may perform chargeable services beyond the scope of your membership package. As with provision through a supplier, you will be given an estimate and costs will not be incurred or charges made without your prior approval of either a fixed figure or an agreed budget.
- Any quotation or estimate of fees provided through Life Porters, whether for our own services or for goods and services provided by an independent supplier, will be valid for a maximum period of 14 days from the date provided, unless we expressly provide otherwise.
- Where suppliers provide descriptions of goods or services, or supply editorial content for the Life Porters website, we shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies or misleading descriptions.
- Life Porters will use reasonable endeavours to vet and validate suppliers, where possible, such as checking their insurance, qualifications and professional memberships, and to seek reviews from previous clients. However, members are responsible for requesting and using such information to make their own judgement as to the suitability of suppliers.
- We will make every effort to deliver timely, quality services, but where services or goods are required for a specific date, or estimated delivery dates have been provided, we cannot be held liable for any delays which may result, and time shall not be of the essence in performing or facilitating such services.
- You accept that where Life Porters facilitates or commissions services on your behalf with suppliers, we may be paid a referral fee or we may make a handling charge. Such payment does not mean we are responsible for delivery of the services or fulfilment of your order.
- You authorise us to charge any previously notified commission or handling fee due to us against the payment card we hold on your behalf or to add to any invoice we raise or for such sums to be charged by a supplier who will then make the payment to us.
- Unless otherwise stated in writing by us, when you order services facilitated by Life Porters which are to be delivered by a supplier, you will enter into a contract directly with the supplier for the provision of goods or services and you will be bound by the supplier’s terms and conditions, which will include their terms in relation to cancellation and return of physical items.
- The supplier’s charges for the performance of services or delivery of goods will be payable by the member directly to the supplier, unless it has been agreed otherwise.
- Where you authorise Life Porters to supply your payment card details to a supplier when ordering a product or service, you acknowledge and agree that Life Porters will not be liable for the use of the payment card by that supplier if we have acted in accordance with your instructions.
- We will liaise with suppliers on behalf of members in identifying services but once a contract is agreed the responsibility for communication with the supplier is expected to pass to the member. In circumstances where it is more appropriate for us to continue to liaise on your behalf during performance of the contract, or you request that we do so specifically, we reserve the right to charge you an additional handling fee or to charge for the time spent, with any such costs advised and subject to agreement before we act on your behalf in this way.
- You undertake to ensure that you have the funds available to pay on demand for any goods or services commissioned through Life Porters and we reserve the right to receive or facilitate payment in full before delivery of goods and services, whether these are provided by ourselves or through a supplier.
- Where payment is not required in advance, you undertake to confirm the method of payment at the time of ordering, and the full amount may be charged at the agreed time without further notification to you.
- Where projects take place over a longer period of time, are of higher value or involve a number of parties, we may ask you to place funds in escrow. This makes use of a secure, independently provided method for international payments provided by Shieldpay or any other provider of equal standing selected by us at any time. Funds will be released upon your approval, and you agree this will not be withheld unreasonably.
- Delivery of goods outside the UK or receiving goods on your behalf into the UK may have associated customs duties or sales taxes. It is the sole responsibility of the member to pay or recover such monies and Life Porters will have no liability for any items held by any customs or border agency.
- A contract for the supply of products or services is made with the relevant supplier only, with Life Porters acting as an agent for the supplier and, unless expressly provided otherwise, all your rights and remedies are against the supplier.
- We disclaim all responsibility for any act, omission, loss or damage caused by a supplier or for their poor performance, whether or not arranged by us, and will not be liable for any injury, damage, delay or negligence by a supplier or the member in connection with any of the services or products proposed or contracted.
- Any modification or cancellation of the original request must be directed to the supplier by the member and no variation of any contract, whether relating to the description of goods, services, fees or otherwise, can be made after it has been entered into unless the variation is agreed by the member and the supplier in writing.
- We cannot be held responsible for securing or making refunds for services commissioned with suppliers, whether purchased directly by you, or by us on your behalf.
- The nature of the membership services provided requires Life Porters to facilitate or purchase goods or services on your behalf. We agree to provide such services in accordance with your membership package, subject to the following:
- Ending your membership
- If you do not wish to renew your membership at any time after the initial 14-day grace period outlined in 3.10.1, please advise us by email to info@lifeporters.com no less than 14 days before the next fee renewal is due, whether you pay monthly or annually, and we will acknowledge your request and confirm the end date for your member services. Because digital communication may not be delivered due to circumstances beyond our control, if no response is received within two working days, please call us on 020 7846 0096 to confirm your request.
- Where subscriptions are made via our partnership with payments processor Stripe, you may also manage your subscription by using the dedicated Stripe portal for members of Life Porters.
- As outlined at 3.10 above, membership fees are non-refundable except in the circumstances outlined and if you cancel your membership no refund will be made for any unexpired period of time on your membership package and you will have continuing access to services included in your member package until the end of your paid-for membership period.
- We will provide you with information about any planned price increase no less than 30 days before any such increased fees become due for payment by you, at which time you can choose to discontinue your membership from the next payment date by giving us no less than 14 days notice as provided for in 7.1.
- All monies owing to Life Porters or a supplier at the date of termination are due to be paid immediately upon termination, or before the end of the paid-for membership period, whichever is later. In the event that any such monies remain outstanding beyond this date, we reserve the right to debit these immediately from the member’s payment card or their alternative agreed payment method then in force.
- Complaints and Disputes
- If a dispute occurs or complaint arises with our services, please contact us immediately using the email address info@lifeporters.com and we will investigate the issue and endeavour to respond within two working days of receipt of your notification or as soon as reasonably practicable.
- Any dispute or claim arising out of these terms and conditions shall be governed by English law, and the parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
- Where you have a disagreement with a supplier we have introduced, we will endeavour to assist you in resolving any such dispute, but your contract will be with the supplier and we may be unable to intervene on your behalf. Any claims or losses between a member and a supplier will be in accordance with the terms of the supplier’s contractual agreement.
- Limitation of liability
- We will not be liable to you as a member for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, exemplary or consequential loss including but not limited to loss of contracts, savings, reputation or goodwill, arising in any way that is related to the use of our services.
- Our total liability to you as a member in respect of any losses arising under or in connection with your membership, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall be limited to the total value of your regular membership fee.
- Life Porters shall have no liability to you for any loss, damage, costs, expenses or other claims for compensation arising from service requests or any instructions supplied by you which are incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate or arising from late arrival, non-arrival, or where performance is delayed or prevented by any other act or omission by you as member.
- Life Porters shall not be liable to you or be deemed to be in breach of these conditions by reason of any delay in performing, or any failure to perform, any of our obligations in relation to the services, if the delay or failure was due to any cause beyond our reasonable control.
- Except as expressly set out in these conditions, all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded from these conditions.
- Nothing in these conditions excludes the liability of Life Porters for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or sub contractors; or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or breach of the terms implied by section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (title and quiet possession).
- This clause 9 shall survive termination of these conditions.
- Waiver
- No failure or delay by a party to exercise any right or remedy provided under this agreement or by law shall constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No single or partial exercise of such right or remedy shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.
- Force Majeure
- Neither party shall be considered in default of performance of any obligations under this Agreement if such performance is prevented or delayed by Force Majeure, which shall be understood to be any cause which is beyond the reasonable control of the party affected and which is forthwith, by notice from the party affected, brought to the attention of the other party, including but not limited to war, hostilities, revolution, civil unrest, strike, lockout, epidemic or pandemic, government- ordered restriction or cessation of activity, accident, fire, natural disaster, wind or flood or any requirements of law, or an act of God.
- Generally
- Life Porters may at any time assign, transfer, mortgage, charge, subcontract or deal in any other manner with all or any of its rights and may subcontract or delegate in any manner any or all of its obligations to any third party under this agreement.
- This Agreement is personal to you as a member and you shall not assign, transfer, mortgage, charge, subcontract, declare a trust over or deal in any other manner with any of your rights and obligations under this agreement without the prior written consent of Life Porters.
- Unless expressly provided no person who is not a party to this agreement shall be entitled to enforce any of its terms or have any rights under or in connection with it.
- Nothing in these conditions is intended to, or shall be deemed to, constitute a partnership or joint venture of any kind between any of the parties, nor constitute any party the agent of another party for any purpose. No party shall have authority to act as agent for, or to bind, the other party in any way.
- If any of the above provisions are held to be illegal or unenforceable such provisions shall be severed and the remainder of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless the business purpose of this Agreement is substantially frustrated thereby.
- These Terms and Conditions assume that each member is entering into any contract as a consumer. If this is not the case, you must tell us, so that we can provide you with appropriate terms.
Version date: 5 September 2022
Partners
Become a partner
If you deliver a gold standard service then join us, sharing your expertise to support our world-wide community
connecting the dots
If you deliver services that would be a fit for our community of expats, supporting them in managing the life they have left in the UK, and you’re committed to being the best in class, with an attention to customer service that sets you apart, we’d love to hear from you.
We are looking for true partners, not transactional relationships, and will only make the connection to our community where providers have a strong reputation and track record of client satisfaction, which continues to be endorsed by our members.
We want to enable our members to live their best lives, by giving them access to excellent, unbiased advice for any specialist support or services. Each of our members must have the utmost trust in each of our partners, confident that they will not be sold services they do not need, or experience inflated prices or poor service.
Drop us a line or give us a call to talk about how we may be a match.
- Us | Our approach
A collaborative approach to lifestyle management
We bring decades of experience in creating and nurturing award-winning communities and networks. With Life Porters, we have created a hub of collaborative support to deliver personalised, focused outcomes for each member of our community. And because we are independent, you won't get any hard sell as we seek out the best solution to help you master the maze of life.
Trust
A positive lifestyle management experience relies on trust. Every member of the Life Porters team is focused on getting to know your unique needs to build a strong, personal relationship where you are confident to place your trust in us. We aim to stand in your shoes, drawing on a range of perspectives and experiences on the issues facing expats and world travellers.
Knowledge
We select our professional partners and specialist providers based on their knowledge and expertise in handling the type of real issues that you encounter living and travelling overseas. And because we focus on best practice and lasting partnerships, each must demonstrate a commitment to the highest levels of customer service as well as professional excellence.
Ready to find out what Life Porters can do for you?
Services
When the sky is the limit, everything becomes possible
Think of us as your guide through the maze of life’s complexities, when your life involves different time zones, domiciles and international travel.
Breaking boundaries
You’ll enjoy a bundle of benefits when you join the Life Porters community, with a range of essential, free-to-access services in your membership package:
- annual review to identify specialist support needs including assets, family, relationships and career
- hosted UK postal address with inbound and outbound mail management
- virtual UK telephone number with call diversion and inbound call management
- preferential rates for foreign exchange currency transactions
- secure key-holding services for UK property
And our 360° lifestyle-management concierge service connects you to all the other specialist services you need. Some of the most common areas that we facilitate are detailed here. If something isn’t listed, just ask and we will look for a solution.
Quality assured
The internet is an infinite source of information, product suppliers and service providers: but it’s not easy to identify the trusted and reliable among so many. For an expat, it can be even harder – at a distance, out of local networks, and maybe a different time zone. Life Porters takes away the burden of researching, validating and liaising, giving members a one-stop route to access quality providers.
how it works
Giving you access to specialist knowledge, personal guidance and lifestyle issues management
Getting to know you
Your membership starts with a personal review covering your assets, career, family and lifestyle. As well as helping us get to know you, this can help identify where specialist input may be needed, now and in the months ahead.
We revisit each year to reflect any change in circumstances and to identify where further support or advice is needed.
Our aim is to keep all aspects of your life in balance, whether keeping you updated on the implications of new legislation or to identify important life events coming up.
Concierge-style lifestyle management
Every member has access to our lifestyle management services whenever they need, via our member portal or by phone, WhatsApp, email, messenger or however you choose to communicate.
We will facilitate requests on your behalf, whether organising a birthday present for delivery in the UK, or commissioning specialist services, whether you need an a lawyer, interior designer, education consultant or life coach.
Professional and specialist support
We match verified suppliers to the needs identified during your personal review or when you contact us with a problem to solve. All costs will be set out in advance, comparative quotes obtained where appropriate, and submitted in writing to you for consideration.
If you decide to go ahead with any supplier service, you can deal direct, or you can commission us to manage the relationship on your behalf.
Essential services included
We include in your subscription a range of free-to-access essential services, including a hosted virtual UK telephone number, a hosted UK postal address, and inbound and outbound mail management. We also provide access to preferential rates for currency transactions, More information about how these services work for you round the clock can be found here.
Just for you
Special and bespoke packages are available, such as for students coming to the UK, which includes accommodation search, expense management, and a pastoral care package.
Financial safeguarding
With long-distance transactions, both sides need to be sure that payment on the contract will be problem free. The buyer needs to be happy that everything has been delivered before making payment. The supplier needs to be confident that payment will be made on the agreed terms.
Payment at the time of ordering is usually suitable for smaller purchases, but when it comes to larger, more complex transactions, and those taking place over time, members of Life Porters can access escrow facilities through our partnership with an FCA-regulated, HMRC-registered provider. This allows for confident negotiating by giving reassurance to both sides; the contract price or instalment is transferred into the escrow account when the contract is agreed and held until the buyer confirms completion or delivery.
portering reflections
“No one wants to think about their parents not being able to cope. When you can’t even drop by, it’s doubly hard. It was a huge relief knowing specialist care was in place, and all the necessary legal paperwork to manage things. I had no idea what was needed.”
“We may live in a global economy, but it’s getting harder and harder to find financial solutions when you live in a different country. There are so many restrictions on what accounts or lending you can access. You need to tap into specialist knowledge these days.”
“It sounded simple – just find a tutor online. But it’s a minefield. It’s so hard to check their references or that they really know the curriculum. Having access to an education consultant, who came up with a shortlist of validated professionals was great.”
Ready to find out what Life Porters can do for you?
Life Porters Welcome
Hello and welcome
We're here to help expats, world travellers and busy professionals get the most from life overseas.
Our lifestyle management concierge services help you manage the UK life you leave behind, with specialist knowledge and support to tackle the legal, financial, family and career issues most likely to affect you and your personal wellbeing while you are away.
We are with you throughout your journey – helping you prepare to leave, taking the strain while you are away, right through to supporting your return. And if you’re already overseas, we can hop on board any time.
The right mix
We’re your trusted adviser and source of everything to make you feel better when you wake each day. There’s a dash of your best friend, a sprinkle of your therapist, a squeeze of your mother, a twist of your personal PR guru and a big dollop of very efficient PA, all backed up with specialist professional knowledge. Think of us as your wellbeing warrior: always on your side, fighting to make your life better.
Like magic
Becoming a member gives you access to our unique lifestyle management concierge services, all designed to match the life you lead, as an expat, global traveller or busy professional. First, we get to know all about you, so your personal porter can help you identify and manage all the support you need, drawing in quality-assured, price-checked professionals and specialists as needed.
Freedom pass
Typical concierge services focus on getting you into the right restaurant or front row at events, but we are all about helping you tackle the personal tasks that hold you back or keep you awake at night. When you know your life is in order, it's easier to enjoy yourself and live every day to the utmost. And of course we can introduce you to the best front-row facilitators whenever you want.
Ready to find out what Life Porters can do for you?
- Us | Our values
Well-being
Commitment
Respect
Individual
Partnership
Quality
Integrity
Accountability
Innovation
Value
Performance
Simple
Values matter
The words shown here are not a random list, they go to the heart of who we are, what we expect of ourselves, how we want to conduct our business, and the way we select and work with our business partners. They are what drive us in trying to deliver the best possible outcomes for our members.
At the heart of everything, we are focused on the well-being of every member, with a commitment to treating everyone with respect and as an individual.
We want to work in partnership with members and business partners to deliver quality services with integrity and accountability.
We are committed to ongoing innovation to ensure we continue to deliver the best value through a high-performance team.
Importantly, we want to keep it simple for everyone.
Ready to find out what Life Porters can do for you?
- Us | Our story
Life Porters was the outcome of a series of conversations
Friends, family and colleagues told stories of needing support to manage daily life, because they were out of the country in a different time zone, or because their life as a busy professional meant there simply weren’t enough hours to deal with the everyday. The response from Life Porters founder Maggie Taylor was to bring together the specialists and services needed to create a one-stop solution, drawing on her experience in creating member networks and working with professional services.
Different time zones
The friend living in Hong Kong who was going through a marriage breakdown and needed emotional support as well as professional advice on the implications of their expat status on a potential divorce.
The daughter who was trying to manage the grieving process together with the legal process after her father died, travelling backwards and forwards long haul to manage probate, sell his property and dispose of assets.
The expat parents living in Asia who needed to find the right education back home in the UK for their child with special needs to reach full potential, and to plan the career move that would bring them back.
Same challenges
The Australian expat who wanted to head home for a sabbatical to introduce her new baby to family, but needed help managing the life that she would have to leave on ice in the UK, including her much loved dog.
Or the London-based mother, holding down a demanding job and international travel, with no time to plan a holiday, find an au pair, or even book a brunch with a best friend.
New solutions
Common across all these stories was the challenge of remotely managing family and personal affairs. Most recently, the human tragedy of Covid-19 has escalated these difficulties.
Drawing on this common thread, Maggie could see the need for someone able to step in and take the strain, with the knowledge and expertise to identify and source the different experts and services needed to solve each problem. At the heart, the support would be focused on individual wellbeing, enabling improved quality of life through personalised support to free up time that would otherwise be spent in dealing with difficult and time-consuming issues.
This drew on her experience of creating and building member-based communities and networks over three decades, together with a background in marketing for clients in professional services, where she had seen how people simply did not know where to start in reaching out for specialist guidance, especially when the issues were emotionally challenging.
Life Porters was born.
Ready to find out what Life Porters can do for you?
Member Portal
To log in to the member area, you will need to use the email address and password you provided at the time you activated your online account, when you first became a member.
To manage your subscription payments or to update your card payment information you will need to use the email address you provided when you first became a member.
If you have any problems logging in to your member profile, have forgotten your log in details or can’t find your account activation link, just contact us via email, phone, livechat or social media and we will get you back in as soon as possible.
Here’s a quick link to all our contact routes :
Insight
Learning for life
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Wellbeing by destination
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