# Bed scam near Fuengirola



## sanpiran

Beware all ex-pats looking for that wonderful new bed in Spain, in particulat the Costa del Sol.
We visited this bed shop, just outside Fuengirola en-route to Mijas. Run, of course, by Brits, which should have been sufficient warning. We've had Brit trouble before.
Their scam is to quote an exhorbitant price for a certain brand of beds, which in the UK certainly does have a 60% discount. But the beds actually stocked are a different brand of beds but the names are so similar that one assumes it is the same company and the store claimed the 60% applies to them. So that a bed costing over £3000 in the UK is reduced down to 1889 euros. But after the purchase, research discovered that the two companies are different and only one had the discount.
We fell for it, forking out 1889 euros, the lady seemed helpful but they wanted the money up-front. We also paid an extra 100 euros delivery, bringing the cost to almost 2000 euros. We could not see how such a large store could operate this scam successfully in that area without being discovered.
We have just discovered that exactly the same bed sells for less than £500 in UK.
I vow never to buy from any Brit run shop again and will now seek legal advice on a denuncia.


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## xabiaxica

sanpiran said:


> Beware all ex-pats looking for that wonderful new bed in Spain, in particulat the Costa del Sol.
> We visited this bed shop, just outside Fuengirola en-route to Mijas. Run, of course, by Brits, which should have been sufficient warning. We've had Brit trouble before.
> Their scam is to quote an exhorbitant price for a certain brand of beds, which in the UK certainly does have a 60% discount. But the beds actually stocked are a different brand of beds but the names are so similar that one assumes it is the same company and the store claimed the 60% applies to them. So that a bed costing over £3000 in the UK is reduced down to 1889 euros. But after the purchase, research discovered that the two companies are different and only one had the discount.
> We fell for it, forking out 1889 euros, the lady seemed helpful but they wanted the money up-front. We also paid an extra 100 euros delivery, bringing the cost to almost 2000 euros. We could not see how such a large store could operate this scam successfully in that area without being discovered.
> We have just discovered that exactly the same bed sells for less than £500 in UK.
> I vow never to buy from any Brit run shop again and will now seek legal advice on a denuncia.


oh dear.....

sad but true, that you will as often be ripped of by a fellow countryman than by a local - if not more often 

not ALL Brits are bad though

out of interest - did they actually tell you it was the same brand, or did you just assume it was??


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## sanpiran

*CDS bed scam*

A greed, not all Brits do it but beware they could be, more so than being cheated by locals.
Yes we assumed the two brands to be the same, but they claimed the discount applied to the company which did not offer the discount.


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## baldilocks

If you want a good bed at a reasonable price why not go to IKEA, quite near you on the outskirts of Málaga. We got ours there and they have been excellent. 
Muebles y Decoración - IKEA to view online


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## goingtobcn

baldilocks said:


> If you want a good bed at a reasonable price why not go to IKEA, quite near you on the outskirts of Málaga. We got ours there and they have been excellent.
> Muebles y Decoración - IKEA to view online


I think it's a bit late for that in this case...

Sanpiran, sorry to hear about the scam


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## baldilocks

goingtobcn said:


> I think it's a bit late for that in this case...
> 
> Sanpiran, sorry to hear about the scam


One has to remember that it is likely that other expats than the OP may read the thread and it may well be that one or more might be looking to get beds here. The sum total of all the threads on the forum is a reference library for many, if not, most questions that may need an answer.


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## goingtobcn

baldilocks said:


> One has to remember that it is likely that other expats than the OP may read the thread and it may well be that one or more might be looking to get beds here. The sum total of all the threads on the forum is a reference library for many, if not, most questions that may need an answer.


Very true, just sounded like it was aimed at the OP  IKEA is world-renowned  I find the IKEA experience quite draining, but can't deny it serves its purpose!


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## sanpiran

*Bed scam CDS*



baldilocks said:


> One has to remember that it is likely that other expats than the OP may read the thread and it may well be that one or more might be looking to get beds here. The sum total of all the threads on the forum is a reference library for many, if not, most questions that may need an answer.


After further research on this furniture company (D****s, alias C**** F******** S****)), I have discovered that its (verbal and as advertised) claims to be part of a company (D****s) in the UK with the same name are completely false. They use this claim to advertise here with a 60% discount, as does D****s in the UK. 
But here the similarity ends. An average UK price for these beds is around 600 euros. The D****s company near Mijas multiply this by 6 to get a price between 3000 and 4000 euros. Then they apply the fictional 60% discount which brings the prices down to about 3 times those in the UK.
All the beds are wrapped up in polythene sheets which makes it difficult to assess the quality of workmanship. The bed bases, once unwrapped are of appalling quality and belong, you've guessed it, to cheap beds.
But there is nothing we can do about it other than warn others to beware. Spain abounds with crooks who find a niche market somewhere, just about legal.
Broadcast this to as many people as you can, there must be many pensioners out there just like us, wanting a luxury bed to end their days in.
At D****s between Fuengirola and Mijas you may end your days prematurely in a cheap bed with an empty bank account.


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## VFR

Excuse my ignorance but what is better about a UK bed ?


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## sanpiran

*CDS bed scam*



playamonte said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what is better about a UK bed ?


You could get three beds in the UK, exactly the same specification/name/manufacturer for the price of one via these crooks.


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## VFR

sanpiran said:


> You could get three beds in the UK, exactly the same specification/name/manufacturer for the price of one via these crooks.


For sure, but please re-read my question.


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## sanpiran

*Bed scam*



playamonte said:


> For sure, but please re-read my question.


I've re-read the question but cannot find a different answer. It's all explained (or implied) in my previous posts, the beds are made in UK, are sold in UK by a genuine UK company and in Spain by this outfit, at 3 times the price, purporting to be the Spanish branch of this UK company.


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## xabiaxica

sanpiran said:


> I've re-read the question but cannot find a different answer. It's all explained (or implied) in my previous posts, the beds are made in UK, are sold in UK by a genuine UK company and in Spain by this outfit, at 3 times the price, purporting to be the Spanish branch of this UK company.


I think what he means is....
why buy a 'British' bed from a 'British' company in Spain, when there are perfectly good Spanish beds to be bought from Spanish companies?

& believe it or not, Spanish companies have special deals too!!


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## sanpiran

*CDS bed scam*



xabiachica said:


> I think what he means is....
> why buy a 'British' bed from a 'British' company in Spain, when there are perfectly good Spanish beds to be bought from Spanish companies?
> 
> & believe it or not, Spanish companies have special deals too!!


We did consider Spanish-made beds but could not locate one meeting our requirements. But in future we will go for Spanish-made products from a store with a good local reputation, providing it meets our needs, even if we have to wait six months!
Brit-run shops are generally there for one reason only - to rip us off. I've not found one where prices of goods, of any kind, cannot be bettered by a Spanish store selling the same goods - if they can be found. But always of course - buyer beware, there are sharp practices even here, such as odd clauses in guarantees.


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