# Has anyone been conned by English people in Spain?



## stepper19

I was reading a previous thread on the forum regarding this issue, and wondered if any members have been conned by English people in Spain. 

I spent 2 yrs in Spain but luckily didn't experience this, but my parents are moving there permanently soon and it would be an advantage to make them aware of how they could become a victim of a con.

Obviously without naming names could any members give me examples of what to be aware of?


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## jojo

I was nearly conned by a British second hand car company, they tried to sell me a "ringer", fortunately my OH noticed the very bad join and paintwork - the guy, even after we pointed out the join, denied it - and he was trying to charge us more than the car was worth! We went to a main dealer in the end and got a loverly car.

I did get conned by a satelite installer, who charged me 200e and it only worked for 10 minutes after he left, so I phoned him and got him back. he wanted another 100e as he said it was my TV that was at fault and he would have to redo it all, I told him no thankyou. When my OH came back to Spain, he phoned a Spanish Satalite man who had to unravel everything the Brit had done and put a new receiver in (the receiver that the brit had put in was faulty and that was the problem) - for all that, he charged us 40e

Then there was the British gardener who sat in his car for 2 hours cos he thought I was out and then tried to charge me for 4 hours work (he did 2 hours tops!!!) - he also tried to charge me double cos his friend had helped him. I must be quite scary when I'm pushed cos I ended up not paying him anything cos he ran away when he realised I'd been in the house watching him and his pal listening to the radio in his car

Jo


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## SunnySpain

Hi there,

Fortunately not (so far), touch woody...but I do find a lot of expats are very nosey and that gets right up my nose  they somehow think its normal to ask (after meeting them for just 5 minutes) how much do you earn and how much is your rent......thats probably the main reason I don't bother with a lot of them as I think they are just out for what they can get. But then again I tend to not trust many people and my partner keeps going to the toilet a lot today for some reason and I am starting to suspect there could be something init - lol


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## Pasanada

No, I simply never believed their bull about being ex millionaires, ex builders and my personal fav, ex SAS (all you military types know different!)! 

I've sat in bars and listened to the Billy Brits where I live bull**** the hind legs off a donkey! Thank god I never trust everything I hear!


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## jojo

Apparently its a known fact (not my words, but I've heard it a few times?????) that expats, when they've been here a while tend to "befriend" the new ones cos they've nearly always got money and are gullible?? And looking back, we had a few people wanting us to plough money into this or that business venture

Jo


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## Pasanada

Buenas tardes Jo! 

Unfortunately, there are some unscrupalous (sp?) expats who pray on newbie expats, BUT not all expats are like this.

When I was working in Spain, I lost count of the times I had to help elderly new expats who had been lied to and had parted with alot of their hard earned money; it's one thing about Spain that makes my blood boil!!!


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## SunnySpain

Pasanada said:


> No, I simply never believed their bull about being ex millionaires, ex builders and my personal fav, ex SAS (all you military types know different!)!
> 
> I've sat in bars and listened to the Billy Brits where I live bull**** the hind legs off a donkey! Thank god I never trust everything I hear!


I second that.....and whats more, being an ex-binman myself, having served our country for more than 22 years cleaning the streets (mornings only), I made my 1st million building and selling Eco Duplex's (mainly) made from 100% renewal materials

Talking of Eco Duplex's, I have one left if anyone fancies a viewing - lol


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## Pasanada

Hahahaha!! Is that bull**** I can smell??????  OR have you not washed your overalls???? Lol


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## SunnySpain

Pasanada said:


> Hahahaha!! Is that bull**** I can smell??????  OR have you not washed your overalls???? Lol


Crikey, I did not join this forum to receive such sarcastic comments, what is the world coming to - lol

PMSL Dave


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## jojo

sunnyspain said:


> crikey, i did not join this forum to receive such sarcastic comments, what is the world coming to - lol
> 
> Pmsl dave:d



pmsl !!!!


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## Pasanada

SunnySpain said:


> Crikey, I did not join this forum to receive such sarcastic comments, what is the world coming to - lol
> 
> PMSL Dave


Dave, you know I only mean it!  Lol


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## carefreebrit

If the English are so bad is it better to trust the Scots Welsh and Irish ?


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## Pasanada

Never trust a Jock!!! 

Thats a joke coming from a half Jock!


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## carefreebrit

Black people kicked up a fuss about a certain word beginning with N even though many of them used it amongst themselves. Whilst I doubt that word would be allowed on any forum nowadays, I wonder if any Scots object to being called "Jock" ? Presumably calling your neighbours in Dubai "Rag- heads" would be offensive ? Doesn't offend me, but I am not black nor an Arab.
I have heard many arguments , not all fuelled by alcohol, concerning the labels attached to people from various parts of the UK, and it is surprising how heated the arguments sometimes get.


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## Wils & Nance

carefreebrit said:


> Black people kicked up a fuss about a certain word beginning with N even though many of them used it amongst themselves. Whilst I doubt that word would be allowed on any forum nowadays, I wonder if any Scots object to being called "Jock" ? Presumably calling your neighbours in Dubai "Rag- heads" would be offensive ? Doesn't offend me, but I am not black nor an Arab.
> I have heard many arguments , not all fuelled by alcohol, concerning the labels attached to people from various parts of the UK, and it is surprising how heated the arguments sometimes get.



I am a Scot, don't mind being called Jock, doesn't offend me in the slightest.............call me English then I'm offended...hate it when peeps don't know the difference !

But they say ignorance is bliss !

When I'm getting to know someone, I ask where their from I don't just assume. English is spoken by many countries as a main language....doesn't mean you are actually English !


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## Stravinsky

carefreebrit said:


> Black people kicked up a fuss about a certain word beginning with N even though many of them used it amongst themselves. Whilst I doubt that word would be allowed on any forum nowadays, I wonder if any Scots object to being called "Jock" ? Presumably calling your neighbours in Dubai "Rag- heads" would be offensive ? Doesn't offend me, but I am not black nor an Arab.
> I have heard many arguments , not all fuelled by alcohol, concerning the labels attached to people from various parts of the UK, and it is surprising how heated the arguments sometimes get.


Well maybe so, but lets not get on to that shall we 
The thread is "anyone been conned by English people in Spain

Ive had no experience of being conned, not heard of anyone else around here. I've been overcharged for sure, but that was my own fault for not getting other quotes.

There are con men in every country, so I guess it should be no different here


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## carefreebrit

The reason for my first post was because I am sure the OP meant British not English and I know many people get really ....... off when some people [Usually English] get the two confused. We are not robots behind the keyboards and all of us make mistakes of course, but if I typed the first thing that came into my head without thinking and then checking, either it wouldn't make sense or I would be banned for being abusive [Good thing we are not all face to face perhaps !].
My point was,that it is easy to offend when you cannot have the benefit of eye contact and voice intonation to know what is meant so it doesn't hurt to tread carefully when using labels which may seem harmless to you...... Not everyone has the same sense of humour.

Regarding the original topic, I think many of the Brits out to con others have moved to Bulgaria if a forum I read is anything to go by. There are lots of stories of Brits trusting their fellow countrymen after bad experiences with locals and then being taken in. I suppose we just have to trust to luck or use people with a cast iron guarantee if such a thing is possible.


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## Stravinsky

carefreebrit said:


> My point was,that it is easy to offend when you cannot have the benefit of eye contact and voice intonation to know what is meant so it doesn't hurt to tread carefully when using labels which may seem harmless to you...... Not everyone has the same sense of humour.


You are quite right of course


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## Pasanada

Regardless of nationality, there are good and bad apples everywhere, the British (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish) didn't invent the concept of ripping people off, human greed is applicable to ALL nationalities.

Right, back to the original thread before I get into trouble!!


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## Wils & Nance

Pasanada said:


> Regardless of nationality, there are good and bad apples everywhere, the British (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish) didn't invent the concept of ripping people off, human greed is applicable to ALL nationalities.
> 
> Right, back to the original thread before I get into trouble!!



You are spot on Pasanada...............there is good & bad in all walks of life !
And it's getting harder and harder to trust anyone nowadays.....no one does anything just for the sake of helping someone, there always seems to have be something in it for them !
An old lady fell in the street recently and I went to pick her up...and she held her bag as tight as possible...........I'd like to think I don't look dishonest......that kind of freaked me ! Makes you reluctant to help ? But it's not in my nature to walk on !!!
Nance


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## SunnySpain

Wils & Nance said:


> You are spot on Pasanada...............there is good & bad in all walks of life !
> And it's getting harder and harder to trust anyone nowadays.....no one does anything just for the sake of helping someone, there always seems to have be something in it for them !
> 
> Nance



Now thats certainly true. When we moved house a while back I was looking for someone to help me carry a few heavy items of furniture and the in-laws aged 80 and 82 said don't waste your time even thinking of asking any of the people here to help you becasue they won't....in the end the in-laws helped me move the things.


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## Faro

A lot of Brits out here have dodgy backgrounds - they may have all the patter but they don't deliver or at best their work is very shoddy if not downright dishonest.

Tell your parents to be careful as they would in the UK and only use reputable properly established businesses. In simple terms that means don't use people with no fixed office and operating only from a van + mobile. They are probably not registered and then you have no comeback when things go wrong. Personally I prefer working with Spanish tradesmen - they have a high quality of work and tend to be cheaper as well. 

On the professional side to try find dual qualified and dual regulated professionals and be extremely cautious of the many ex-pat financial advisors who will be trying to get their hands on their pension funds and charge extravagant commissions for re-arranging etc. Really this is where they have to be very careful of the nice polite well spoken well dressed British gent who is only too willing to go out of his way to help them - he will even stand his round - these types are the true con artists and they do exist and who better than wealthy retired couples trying to find their feet for them to prey on!

(SNIP)

Both of these are solicitors regulated primarily by the solicitors regulation authority in the UK which means if something does go wrong you can always bring your complaint in the UK. Spanish Lawyers are pretty much an unregulated bunch and the many local law societies do little to reprimand or bring to task the many failing members on their books. Tell your parents on conveyancing not to pay the standard scale fees of 1% + VAT - just agree a reasonable fee for the property in question and also to ask for a no completion no fee deal just as you would in the UK. Believe me you can get these type of deals in Spain!!!!!

Also the norm out here is everyone is on commission and trying to earn a few euros and a recommendation means commission or there is a mark-up.

I don't know what your parents IT skills are like but you can always seek info on people/business on forums. I'm not sure about this forum but I do see this type of posting on other forums such as spanishpropertyinsight.

So bad are the financial scams that a group have set up an action group and a website. You might it interesting reading costa del sol action group.

You are very right to be cautious for your parents - I hope they take on board any advice you pass on. After 6-12 months they will find their feet and then realise which recommendations are genuine etc because in truth personal recommendations are the best.

I tried to send you email and web links but as a new member I am not allowed but if you Google you should find the people/sites I mention.


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## crookesey

Some folk are just plain stupid, would you ask a complete stranger to keep an eye on your wallet/purse that you have just covered with sand under your towel on a packed beach while you go for a swim? It happens all the time, why do they do it?

I avoid English/Irish bars like the plague, there is always some Jack the lad who wants to befriend you, so not going in any saves me from having to tell him to f--k off. Just keep your own council, never tell a complete stranger where you live because whilst you are out and about they could come calling.I have never made friends quickly, so why should I want to spend time with someone who I don't know from Adam? 

Don't get me wrong, the wife and I often chat to folk in bars and cafes, but it's just light friendly conversation, nothing about personal wealth, business etc. In the UK I would have no problem in having a chat in my local with a tradesman who I know, relative to him doing some work for me, however I wouldn't expect him to be touting for business in the pub.

I tend to keep to these rules.

Buy cars from reputable car dealerships.
Have cars serviced and repaired by qualified mechanics.
Use a local builder to do building work.
Never part with any money until the goods are handed over or the work is satisfactualy completed.

I did however buy a pair of sunglasses from a looky looky man when I found that I had forgotton mine, I still have them three years on.


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## SunnySpain

crookesey said:


> I avoid English/Irish bars like the plague, there is always some Jack the lad who wants to befriend you, so not going in any saves me from having to tell him to f--k off. Just keep your own council, never tell a complete stranger where you live because whilst you are out and about they could come calling.I have never made friends quickly, so why should I want to spend time with someone who I don't know from Adam?



Could not agree more with you Crookesey.
I remember when I first came to Spain and I was in an internet cafe, when some English chap starting calling Steve, saying "you alright Steve, hows everything". I simply said I think you must be confused, my name is not Steve and this guy proceeded to introduce himself and ask me to meet with him for a drink that night.

Being quite new to the place, I said ok and met up with him. I found the chap to be a total weirdo, asking me all sorts of personal questions (which I refused to answer by the way), although I did happen to tell him of cafe bar I quite liked and that was the biggest mistake I made, becasue this bloke then kept turning up out of the blue at the cafe bar he knew I liked to frequent. 

In the end I decided enough is enough and told the guy that I when I finish work I like to spend a little time on my own relaxing, so not to be rude I said that I would pay for his drink, but then wandered off into a corner by myself.

The very same chap then practially stalked me for 3/4 weeks until I told the owner of the bar about him, who then barred the fella from entering the premises

So yes Crookesey I know where you are coming from, there are plenty of weirdos about and you give them an inch they will try their hardest to take a mile.

Regards, Dave


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## Pasanada

Totally agree about the weirdo's! As I was living alone in Spain, I found many numpties thinking I was a vunerable woman.....and a few tried ripping me off. Unfortunately for them, they soon got told to foxtrot oscar (in a very ladylike manner....not!) 

I also got tired of listening to the Billy Brits who were trying and I mean trying!! to chat me up in the bars.....if I had a euro for everytime I heard those immortal words..."I used to be in the SAS BUT I never talk about it.." line, well, I would be retired by now! Considering my background, I knew they were talking hollocks but I fluttered the eyelashes and smiled sweetly at my potential "hero"! I mean, how many men can fit on the balcony of the Iranian embassy????? LOL


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## chris(madrid)

Faro said:


> Spanish Lawyers are pretty much an unregulated bunch and the many local law societies do little to reprimand or bring to task the many failing members on their books.


Erm - That's not my experience AT ALL. Every Spanish lawyer I've met/used has been meticulous - very up front and honest. And "Notarios" are excellent ime.

I've only known one dodgy one - and he was by no means VERY dodgy - just lazy. He worked for my wifes ex-employers (amongst others). And he got well axed by the regulating board. 

What they are of course is VERY conversant with what they can get away with under the law. They'd be pretty useless otherwise. Legal representatives do within the law what their clients ask - it's their job. And they have a LOT more red tape to deal with. It's not always cut and dried. I know - I've been there. 

They have SET TARIFS here. They're not low. Of course if you do a "no receipts" deal to get the price down you have no recourse if they get it wrong as oficially they have not done any work - they've helped. But every lawyer I've used has done the work and only then asked "how do you want to pay?".


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## chris(madrid)

Pasanada said:


> "I used to be in the SAS BUT I never talk about it.."


So - What colour is the boathouse at Hereford (if you've seen the movie "Ronin") - and Which Iranian Embassy? - please be specific. Which balcony too? - do keep up!


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## Pasanada

chris(madrid) said:


> So - What colour is the boathouse at Hereford (if you've seen the movie "Ronin") - and Which Iranian Embassy? - please be specific. Which balcony too? - do keep up!


What boathouse? 

Iranian embassy......don't you read the news??? It was a big thing back in the early 80's - how old are you? lol

Chris, in case you were sleeping when this infamous siege took place, here is a snippet for you to enjoy over your cafe con leche! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_Siege


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## crookesey

Pasanada said:


> Totally agree about the weirdo's! As I was living alone in Spain, I found many numpties thinking I was a vunerable woman.....and a few tried ripping me off. Unfortunately for them, they soon got told to foxtrot oscar (in a very ladylike manner....not!)
> 
> I also got tired of listening to the Billy Brits who were trying and I mean trying!! to chat me up in the bars.....if I had a euro for everytime I heard those immortal words..."I used to be in the SAS BUT I never talk about it.." line, well, I would be retired by now! Considering my background, I knew they were talking hollocks but I fluttered the eyelashes and smiled sweetly at my potential "hero"! I mean, how many men can fit on the balcony of the Iranian embassy????? LOL


Sorry to sound thick but why would someone wish to brag about being a member of the Southport Abstinence Society? And what they were doing on the balcony of the Iranian embassy, God only knows, they couldn't have been p----d, could they?


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## Wils & Nance

crookesey said:


> Sorry to sound thick but why would someone wish to brag about being a member of the Southport Abstinence Society? And what they were doing on the balcony of the Iranian embassy, God only knows, they couldn't have been p----d, could they?



Lol !!! That was good !


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## EP GAZZ

Criminals and weirdo's everywhere.

As we say here in MN the weather may be cold in the winter but it keeps a lot of the rif raf away after all who wants to go live a life of crime in -20 c


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## Pasanada

crookesey said:


> Sorry to sound thick but why would someone wish to brag about being a member of the Southport Abstinence Society? And what they were doing on the balcony of the Iranian embassy, God only knows, they couldn't have been p----d, could they?


Apparantly, us fair maidens are supposed to fall at the feet of these warriors and swoon over their amazing feats of conquering the nasty terrorists.......good job I know better! LOL


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## Faro

chris(madrid) said:


> Erm - That's not my experience AT ALL. Every Spanish lawyer I've met/used has been meticulous - very up front and honest. And "Notarios" are excellent ime.
> 
> I've only known one dodgy one - and he was by no means VERY dodgy - just lazy. He worked for my wifes ex-employers (amongst others). And he got well axed by the regulating board.
> 
> What they are of course is VERY conversant with what they can get away with under the law. They'd be pretty useless otherwise. Legal representatives do within the law what their clients ask - it's their job. And they have a LOT more red tape to deal with. It's not always cut and dried. I know - I've been there.
> 
> They have SET TARIFS here. They're not low. Of course if you do a "no receipts" deal to get the price down you have no recourse if they get it wrong as oficially they have not done any work - they've helped. But every lawyer I've used has done the work and only then asked "how do you want to pay?".


Chris

You cannot compare Madrid to the Costas and likewise for Barcelona. Madrid has many reputable large law firms but their client base is very much large multi-nationals and their work more commercial. 

You only have to read the many ex-pat forums to ascertain how many frustrated people are out there who have filed complaints with the local law societies and got nowhere.

I always recommend dual qualified UK solicitors because they are highly regulated and must carry as a minimum GBP2m in professional indemnity insurance from a list of approved insurers. A Spanish lawyer has only EUR400k professional indemnity from their law society as part of their membership but it is virtually impossible to bring a claim - do you know of anyone who has been successful in bringing a complaint or claim against a Spanish lawyer?


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## chris(madrid)

Faro said:


> - do you know of anyone who has been successful in bringing a complaint or claim against a Spanish lawyer?


Yup. Two. Same lawyer. One got the lawyer debarred. The other reclaimed costs and damages.

My experience btw is that the small law partnerships here outflank the BIG ones with some ease. Certainly here there are some VERY SPECIALISED lawyers.

My "tigers" took on one of the highest respected mega groups and walked all over them. Would not surprise me if they were dropped by my accusers later. But they we doing as they were told - I think they'd have preferred a deal straight off.

Here where we live there seems to be a sort of finders fee agreement between specialists too. Works well.

What I can image happens out in the provinces - is that MANY (especially established ones) lawyers lived of the simple fact that a lawyers letter FRIGHTENS the uneducated/uninitiated. 

They do lots of "cheap advices" - but baulk later if contested. Often because know their client WONT pay a fight they might lose. Seen that happen. 

The problem some face is that other cultures view things differently - sometimes this is good - but not always. They do what they would do for locals - sometimes it backfires. This is what they'll argue to law societies at a guess. 

I imagine there is also PRESSURE given the backlog of cases in Spain to keep lawyers active though. 10 years ago litigation here was less frequent.


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## susanspain

Hola All! 
Newbie here on forum, but in Spain (costa del sol) for 9yrs. 
At first I fell into the trap of 'befriending the wrong sorts' as basically I needed to find my way around. But after being out of pocket a few times, I soon got the hang of it. It would seem there are 3 groups of ExPat I have come across here - 

The quite well off retired type - who keep to themselves/you are only part of the 'club' if you do the same things as them/have same income etc. 

The hardworkers (like myself/the majority of you here I am sure) - who, once you sift through the 'pretenders' are acutually here for the same reasons as you and I and are potential friends to be trusted. (In this group I would also add the poor, but honest retirees who are fun, educated and willing to share what they have got). And then there are..

The downright dishonest. 
Either they are 'flash' but have no money. or
Look down at heel and really do have no cash - except for the next morning brandy. 
The ex-pat mechanics, tradespersons etc who do a poor job/take adantage of us wanting to deal with someone in our own language. 

I'm afraid it is a case of 'keep your wits about you' - as you would do in your own country and only trust people once they are 'tried and tested'! 

PS - Re the Spanish - I have met good and bad also. Sadly on the coast it seems to be that if they think you are a tourist (which they seem to lump us all into) - then you are considered fair game. I ALWAYS check my bills and challenge anything I think is amiss. 

Apart from that - it is a wonderful place to be and I wouldn't change it for anything!
Good luck to your parents. 
sj


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## jojo

susanspain said:


> Hola All!
> Newbie here on forum, but in Spain (costa del sol) for 9yrs.
> At first I fell into the trap of 'befriending the wrong sorts' as basically I needed to find my way around. But after being out of pocket a few times, I soon got the hang of it. It would seem there are 3 groups of ExPat I have come across here -
> 
> The quite well off retired type - who keep to themselves/you are only part of the 'club' if you do the same things as them/have same income etc.
> 
> The hardworkers (like myself/the majority of you here I am sure) - who, once you sift through the 'pretenders' are acutually here for the same reasons as you and I and are potential friends to be trusted. (In this group I would also add the poor, but honest retirees who are fun, educated and willing to share what they have got). And then there are..
> 
> The downright dishonest.
> Either they are 'flash' but have no money. or
> Look down at heel and really do have no cash - except for the next morning brandy.
> The ex-pat mechanics, tradespersons etc who do a poor job/take adantage of us wanting to deal with someone in our own language.
> 
> I'm afraid it is a case of 'keep your wits about you' - as you would do in your own country and only trust people once they are 'tried and tested'!
> 
> PS - Re the Spanish - I have met good and bad also. Sadly on the coast it seems to be that if they think you are a tourist (which they seem to lump us all into) - then you are considered fair game. I ALWAYS check my bills and challenge anything I think is amiss.
> 
> Apart from that - it is a wonderful place to be and I wouldn't change it for anything!
> Good luck to your parents.
> sj


Yes, IMO that sums it up perfectly!

Jo


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## sheilaw

yes look out for so called 'imobilerias' dont on any account give them your deposit money because when it comes to completion they haven't got it and just use the excuse ' cash flow' this has happened to quite a few people recently and then they just disappear when it comes to court and you never hear from them again. fortunately we used a very good abogado, dont skimp on this!!! it will cost you more in the long run.


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## XTreme

Conned by English? Not a chance! Never trusted them anyway!


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## SunnySpain

XTreme said:


> Conned by English? Not a chance! Never trusted them anyway!


I feel the same way, a bit harsh I know, but better to be cautious one thinks.

Conned by Spaniards, yes lots of times, they are professionals when it comes
to taking money from you. As we say, there is a Spanish price and an inflated
price for tourists and anyone they consider not to be Spanish


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## Pasanada

SunnySpain said:


> I feel the same way, a bit harsh I know, but better to be cautious one thinks.
> 
> Conned by Spaniards, yes lots of times, they are professionals when it comes
> to taking money from you. As we say, there is a Spanish price and an inflated
> price for tourists and anyone they consider not to be Spanish


I use one Spanish builder.....by the time it comes to settling the bill, he's so pissed I get little bits for free!  But Paco IS a friend of the family...... tee hee


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## Stravinsky

Yep I always use a Spanish builder and he's brilliant. I even overpaid him by €10 once and he came to give it me back


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## J.O.N.

Stepper19,

The best way to avoid the long con is to avoid investment or business opportunities that come to you. Legitimate investments don’t fall out of the sky and they don’t arrive on silver platters brought by acquaintances. They say that an honest man can’t be conned, so simply do what an honest man does, avoid too good to be true situations that involve taking advantage of loopholes to turn small money into large money. 

As for the short con, just never let your money out of your pocket. Never buy a winning lottery ticket from an illegal immigrant who can’t cash it because he doesn’t have his papers, the ticket is counterfeit. Remember that young good looking people don’t fall for old, homely or fat people in whirlwind romances, unless they are after your money. Never put your money in an envelope with their money to take it all together to a different place, they’ll switch the envelope on you and leave you pigeon dropped. If envelopes come to you several weeks in a row “predicting” which teams are going to win and they are consistently right and suddenly you get an envelope asking for money in exchange of a next prediction, don’t do it, it’s a con. They sent out 100 envelopes naming team A, and a hundred claiming team B. If A wins, next week they mail to all the A dresses, 50 claiming team 1 and 50 claiming team 2. At the end they will have a series of addresses that have been correct four or five times in a row, that’s when they ask for money. Remember, no matter how cheap a price of iron they offer, there is no way that the French government will sell the Eiffel Tower as scrap metal because it is being deemed structurally unsound and will be torn down 2010, that also applies to the copper in the Statue of Liberty. When people bump into you, check your wallet and your watch. If you get phone calls from a bank or a credit card company asking for
information to up date your file, hang up and call your bank or your credit card company. Also
neither Telefonica nor your mobile phone company have maintenance personnel who will call
you and ask you to dial any numbers from your unit for any kind of tests, hang up and call your provider and report the incident. Always keep copies of your credit cards and personal
documents in a safe at home in case your wallet is lost or stolen, and if it is file a report with the police and keep a copy of the report or you could be made responsible for debts acquired from identity theft. Never sign the back of your credit card, instead write “Ask for picture I.D.” 
Remember a dash of paranoia is healthy.

Sorry if I rambled off there,
J.O.N.


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## msvh

chris(madrid) said:


> So - What colour is the boathouse at Hereford (if you've seen the movie "Ronin") - and Which Iranian Embassy? - please be specific. Which balcony too? - do keep up!


Which squadron...what was his third phase training...what size was his beret...did he brew ogin, swim in it or have a wet...pretty much knackers the Walter Mitty's up straight off. Then ask him what his favourite gatt is, for a real laugh.

:focus:


----------



## Stravinsky

msvh said:


> Which squadron...what was his third phase training...what size was his beret...did he brew ogin, swim in it or have a wet...pretty much knackers the Walter Mitty's up straight off. Then ask him what his favourite gatt is, for a real laugh.
> 
> :focus:



Threads 7 months old man, Chris aint here any more


----------



## lenox

I once had a newspaper here which I sold to some Brits - and was never paid. They changed the name instead.
When Brits stiff other Brits - I don't think that the Spanish rise up in horror or with the firm intention of stamping this sort of thing out.


----------



## Xose

lenox said:


> I once had a newspaper here which I sold to some Brits - and was never paid. They changed the name instead.
> When Brits stiff other Brits - I don't think that the Spanish rise up in horror or with the firm intention of stamping this sort of thing out.


If you didn't do what one needs to do to effect a transfer of business ownership, then it's still yours! Oddly enough, there is a "companies house" type setup in Spain also.

Hey, you may have a huge business without a cent of venture capital - now that IS a Spanish trick!!


----------



## jojo

lenox said:


> I once had a newspaper here which I sold to some Brits - and was never paid. They changed the name instead.
> When Brits stiff other Brits - I don't think that the Spanish rise up in horror or with the firm intention of stamping this sort of thing out.



It sounds like the Spanish just let the brits get on with it!!

Jo xxxx


----------



## Tallulah

Xose said:


> If you didn't do what one needs to do to effect a transfer of business ownership, then it's still yours! Oddly enough, there is a "companies house" type setup in Spain also.
> 
> Hey, you may have a huge business without a cent of venture capital - now that IS a Spanish trick!!


Interesting observation, Xose. Just by mixing for the last four years, I've come to realise that there are two economies in Spain. One, the real economy, the other - the black economy. They call it "dinero B" here and the impression I get is that it's huge and functions at all levels and is often the preferred manner of certain business dealings. 

We even had an example ourselves and the quote was "I have sufficient dinero B to balance with suppliers - if you want to pay in dinero B and save some IVA, you can". 

Now, being of sound mind rolleyes I don't mind paying a guy to weld a handle on a gate or somesuch, but I'm ******ed if I'm going to have my alarm installation on dinero B - without absolutely any comeback, especially as I am one of the culprits, having not paid IVA. The installer, bodge job or not, is laughing all the way to the bank. Or should I say - under his mattress.

We had an interesting case in the extended family - where the sister of an uncle through marriage paid a cash deposit on a flat, off plan. Many others who bought flats off plan in the same building, did the same and others used the more common route via the banks on apportioned hipoteca loans on unfinished properties. When the developper went bust, every single one of the via bank folk got their deposits back when the assets of the bankrupt business were sold. The cash buyers (including the sister of the uncle) are waiting to this day and don't expect anything back. 

Moral of this story - pretend one day you need a concrete and legal paper trail. Only use dinero B thinking that if it goes wrong, the money's gone. Sorry for the rhyme - I'm in that mood!

So, yes, difficult to see how somebody can "buy" a business through the correct channels, change its name, carry on etc, having never paid for it - but easy to see how it could happen on "dinero B".

When my parents were looking to buy a property here, we helped them through the process of bank valuations and paperwork, etc. In the end, they put in an offer and did not get the property. Turns out, it sold for over 10k more than the buyer was asking for, never mind knocking off a few thousand, which is what my parents were after. The interesting point here is that the agent who introduced the house to us did not have a contract with the seller. The seller said, it was their buyer not her's (the agents) and so refused to pay her. There was nothing she could do about it. And she was Spanish. So I guess, English, Spanish, Martian - if you haven't done it right "the Spanish" can't do a lot to put it right for you.

Tallulah.x


----------



## Xose

Tallulah said:


> Now, being of sound mind rolleyes I don't mind paying a guy to weld a handle on a gate or somesuch, but I'm ******ed if I'm going to have my alarm installation on dinero B - without absolutely any comeback, especially as I am one of the culprits, having not paid IVA. The installer, bodge job or not, is laughing all the way to the bank. Or should I say - under his mattress.
> 
> Tallulah.x


Boas Tallulah.
Absolutely the way it is here. Not very different to anywhere else if you cut corners, but definetely more "Let the buyer beware" than the UK.

Blacktop your drive missus, bargain offers today, professional job done every time 

Xose


----------



## Tallulah

Xose said:


> Boas Tallulah.
> Absolutely the way it is here. Not very different to anywhere else if you cut corners, but definetely more "Let the buyer beware" than the UK.
> 
> Blacktop your drive missus, bargain offers today, professional job done every time
> 
> Xose


Boas Xose!

I know what you mean - there was a tv programme in England called "Rogue Traders" and that was full of examples of what we call cowboys - rife here too. 

Obviously the dodgy path laying merchants exist wherever you go. But what surprised me in that programme, was one they did on garages - not just the corner garage, but main dealers also. Unbelievable that, say, a Ford main dealer would actually rip clients off. They put it down to the mechanic, but were clearly benefitting from it. That's the problem with "experts" in any field of business - if you haven't got the knowledge in this dog eat dog world, you better do some cross checking. One man's (or woman's) ignorance is another man's (or woman's) financial gain.

Tallulah.xx


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## ANN15

hi tallhular. a year or two late but you might read it before parents are ripped off. 
been ripped off big time (snip), costa almeria.
bought a car from is place at el real industrial est (snip). transfer papers never arrived & when i went to pay them a visit to find out what the delay was, they had vanished almost without a trace, but i now no he is still trading in the area & will be in touch with him & will be taking the guardia along with me. be prepared to be ripped of by the brits, they are not to be trusted, not only my say so.wished i'd known, but i am a woman alone so i was an easy target. DONT TRUST THEM. DEAL WITH THE LOCALS THEY ARE SO FRIENDLY.


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## Stravinsky

ANN15 said:


> be prepared to be ripped of by the brits, they are not to be trusted, not only my say so.wished i'd known, but i am a woman alone so i was an easy target. DONT TRUST THEM. DEAL WITH THE LOCALS THEY ARE SO FRIENDLY.



To tar all Brits with the same brush is ludicrous. I too use mainly Spanish tradesmen, but thats not to say that there are perfectly good British businesses in Spain.

You can get ripped off by Brits in the UK
You can get ripped off by Spanish in Spain.


----------



## Zimtony

Stravinsky said:


> To tar all Brits with the same brush is ludicrous. I too use mainly Spanish tradesmen, but thats not to say that there are perfectly good British businesses in Spain.
> 
> You can get ripped off by Brits in the UK
> You can get ripped off by Spanish in Spain.


The rule of thumb for me with alll expat suppliers (not just theBrits!) is to A) ask if they will accept a cheque made out to their name/company (not El Portador!) B) Insist on a receipt as a guarantee for work done, make sure it has NIE/CIF details and make sure you check against the original. If they can't/won't supply it, don't use them!


----------



## Xose

Zimtony said:


> The rule of thumb for me with alll expat suppliers (not just theBrits!) is to A) ask if they will accept a cheque made out to their name/company (not El Portador!) B) Insist on a receipt as a guarantee for work done, make sure it has NIE/CIF details and make sure you check against the original. If they can't/won't supply it, don't use them!


Excellent Zimtony. Although I would say that applied to all suppliers. Expat or not.

Of course, one would have to pay the VAT then


----------



## mrypg9

Tallulah said:


> Boas Xose!
> 
> I know what you mean - there was a tv programme in England called "Rogue Traders" and that was full of examples of what we call cowboys - rife here too.
> 
> Obviously the dodgy path laying merchants exist wherever you go. But what surprised me in that programme, was one they did on garages - not just the corner garage, but main dealers also. Unbelievable that, say, a Ford main dealer would actually rip clients off. They put it down to the mechanic, but were clearly benefitting from it. T
> 
> Tallulah.xx


Just come across your post which I found interesting..... We owned a couple of medium-sized independent repairing garages in the U.K. Main dealers would often bring vehicles to us for 'difficult' repairs as they didn't have the necessary equipment and their 'mechanics' were really comparatively unskilled fitters. We would charge the dealer the usual discounted 'trade' rate and the dealer would charge the poor unsuspecting customer about three to four times more. Ford dealers were the worst.
One of our branches dealt mainly but not exclusively with HGVs and one truck driver who was waiting for a tacho test was amazed to see one of our guys driving into the workshop for tyres the 4x4 he had dropped off at the main dealer earlier that day!
Back on topic: since being here, I've been conned by an Englishman, a Morroccan and a South American.
I'm an equal opportunities idiot


----------



## jojo

mrypg9 said:


> I'm an equal opportunities idiot


and a non racist one LOL  So am I!!

I think its a bit of a shock to some tho when they come here and find that their own nationality can con them. So altho the brits are no worse than anyone else, its the one that sticks in peoples minds. There are good and bad in all nations!

Jo xxx


----------



## Guest

I know this is an old thread and I do not know the “culture” in this forum of bringing old stuff back, but I am curious if anyone have seen the guy described below.

I have not been conned by any British people, but maybe by a German guy outside the Malaga airport. I say maybe because the whole thing was maybe genuine, only that the guy forgot or was too lazy to pay me back later. This happened: I was taking a plane and waited outside the air port. A heavy-set, blond guy in his 30’s approached me and asked for a cigarette. He had a big suitcase, nice clothes, but no hand luggage, no jacket. He then slowly started to tell his story. He said he arrived from Lisbon where he had attended a golf training course one week and that he now had planned to stay in the Malaga area for one week. On arrival to Malaga airport his jacket and hand luggage was stolen, all his money, papers, ticket etc gone. He had been in touch with the police etc, but the only thing he could do was to try to get to the German embassy in Madrid to get help to get home. He was very convincing and what made me finally borrow him 40 Euros for the bus was the fact that his sun tan was new, genuinely new red. I thought if he was from here and tried to pull a con he would most probably have a tan that people get here. 

Well, a week or so later when I had not heard from him I emailed him, no reply, but no bounced email either... This is now close to a year ago. I do not know if it was a con or not. Maybe someone else have seen the guy or know about this scheme? (Maybe it is a very old trick? I skipped the con art classes in school...). In any way I must give hime credit for doing a good show, a real talent he was if it was all a con. Also if it was a con trick maybe I gave some of you a good laugh here?


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## sensationalfrog

old threads are fun,i find it funny about the dodgy brits,i once had a plumber turn up who asked me where my tools were,fuengirola port is great,2 guys there,bodgit barry and keef no teef,do a great trade conning new bar owners,a toldo that barry put up fell down yesterday,lucky it was closing time,noone in,could have killed some one,but still they carry on,the new people wont listen to get someone decent as it may cost a bit more


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## Donna773

*Beware the cowboys!*

I got conned by a cowboy who charged me 135 euros for a couple of hours work fitting a cat flap and regrouting a couple of patio tiles. He said he was a plumber but had plenty of experience with all sorts of DIY jobs. I have a helpful neighbour who would normally have done the work but this guy seemed genuine and down on his luck so I gave him the work. In the end I had to get my neighbour to redo both jobs. The cat flap came apart after a few days whilst the grouting broke up. Now I know why the cowboy was down on his luck!

(SNIP)]


----------



## djfwells

"..... No, but if anyone needs any plastering doing give me a call ! - or building, or roofing or plumbing, or gardening, or Sat TV Installation. I'm an expert with years and years of experience and my mates will all vouch for me ! "

( Although I only deal in cash, 'cos that will save you money in the long run , and granted, I was a Bus Driver in the UK )....


----------



## UKMarbella2009

*re: anyone conned in Spain*



stepper19 said:


> I was reading a previous thread on the forum regarding this issue, and wondered if any members have been conned by English people in Spain.
> 
> I spent 2 yrs in Spain but luckily didn't experience this, but my parents are moving there permanently soon and it would be an advantage to make them aware of how they could become a victim of a con.
> 
> Obviously without naming names could any members give me examples of what to be aware of?



I was stung by telefonicainenglish website - To cut a long story short, don;t use them unless you like thrwoing away 150 Euros for nothing

Also the costa-action.co.uk website has proved useful when wanting to avoide unscrupulous salespeople.


----------



## lynn

UKMarbella2009 said:


> I was stung by telefonicainenglish website - To cut a long story short, don;t use them unless you like thrwoing away 150 Euros for nothing
> 
> Also the costa-action.co.uk website has proved useful when wanting to avoide unscrupulous salespeople.


Yes, I got conned by that lot when I first arrived, but managed to get my 80 euro back from them eventually by threatening legal action and bad publicity...


----------



## UKMarbella2009

lynn said:


> Yes, I got conned by that lot when I first arrived, but managed to get my 80 euro back from them eventually by threatening legal action and bad publicity...


At least I'm not the only one !

I found all they actually do is type your details into the telfonica website. That's it, no ongoing support, no translation services, nothing.

I lost 150 Euros, because I paid for the 'special' high speed package. However, none of the money I paid them ever went to Telefonica, and the 'special' package they where advertising didn't even exist !


----------



## MaidenScotland

Not exactly staying with the original concept of the thread but thought this might be worth telling you.

I paid a deposit for a property in Spain that I was supposed to complete on in October and for various reasons I couldn´t and yesterday the nice Englishman who I was buying from emailed to tell me that he is not marketing the property and if I am still interested in the next year or so to let him know and as I have paid the deposit. I presumed I had lost it all.

Now how much of a gentlemen is that?... gladdens your heart to know that they are some genuine kind people about.

Maiden


----------



## UKMarbella2009

MaidenScotland said:


> Not exactly staying with the original concept of the thread but thought this might be worth telling you.
> 
> I paid a deposit for a property in Spain that I was supposed to complete on in October and for various reasons I couldn´t and yesterday the nice Englishman who I was buying from emailed to tell me that he is not marketing the property and if I am still interested in the next year or so to let him know and as I have paid the deposit. I presumed I had lost it all.
> 
> Now how much of a gentlemen is that?... gladdens your heart to know that they are some genuine kind people about.
> 
> Maiden


So does the solicitor keept the deposit in the meantime, or has your new english friend got it in the bank because you can't complete ?


----------



## djfwells

MaidenScotland said:


> Not exactly staying with the original concept of the thread but thought this might be worth telling you.
> 
> I paid a deposit for a property in Spain that I was supposed to complete on in October and for various reasons I couldn´t and yesterday the nice Englishman who I was buying from emailed to tell me that he is not marketing the property and if I am still interested in the next year or so to let him know and as I have paid the deposit. I presumed I had lost it all.
> 
> Now how much of a gentlemen is that?... gladdens your heart to know that they are some genuine kind people about.
> 
> Maiden


..... presumably that would be at the same price, and that IF you did wish to continue your original deposit would still stand ?


----------



## jimenato

UKMarbella2009 said:


> At least I'm not the only one !
> 
> I found all they actually do is type your details into the telfonica website. That's it, no ongoing support, no translation services, nothing.
> 
> I lost 150 Euros, because I paid for the 'special' high speed package. However, none of the money I paid them ever went to Telefonica, and the 'special' package they where advertising didn't even exist !


Well it's five years since I was swindled by that thieving bunch of crooks - absolutely disgusting. I'm amazed the lying *******s are still going after all these years. 

The annoying thing is that nobody ever needs to use them. My Spanish even 5 years ago was easily good enough to do everything and even if your Spanish isn't up to it everybody knows someone who can help!!

telefonicainenglish are nasty, sleazy con-artists. It cannot be said loudly enough nor often enough.

Edit, what's wrong with *******s? Oh well...

For anyone who is contemplating using them and comes across this thread in a search, one thing they don't tell you is that everything they charge you is also going to be charged to you by Telefonica - you pay everything twice.

Oh, and if anyone from telefonicainenglish reads this **** OFF!


----------



## UKMarbella2009

jimenato said:


> Well it's five years since I was swindled by that thieving bunch of crooks - absolutely disgusting. I'm amazed the lying *******s are still going after all these years.
> 
> The annoying thing is that nobody ever needs to use them. My Spanish even 5 years ago was easily good enough to do everything and even if your Spanish isn't up to it everybody knows someone who can help!!
> 
> telefonicainenglish are nasty, sleazy con-artists. It cannot be said loudly enough nor often enough.
> 
> Edit, what's wrong with *******s? Oh well...
> 
> For anyone who is contemplating using them and comes across this thread in a search, one thing they don't tell you is that everything they charge you is also going to be charged to you by Telefonica - you pay everything twice.
> 
> Oh, and if anyone from telefonicainenglish reads this **** OFF!




Just to add to that - Telefonica speak perfeclty good english these days - Jsut ask for an english operator when you phone them. Wether the engineer who comes to install the line speaks english is a different matter, but if you can point and wave, you don;t need spanish


----------



## Stravinsky

UKMarbella2009 said:


> Just to add to that - Telefonica speak perfeclty good english these days - Jsut ask for an english operator when you phone them. Wether the engineer who comes to install the line speaks english is a different matter, but if you can point and wave, you don;t need spanish


Yep, unless of course its anything to do with internet and then they pass you to their internet dept in Madrid, and they dont speak a word of English

(unless things have changed in the recent past)


----------



## valencia-hombre

in my experience spain is full of thieves robbers and con merchants. From the guy who offers you a sweet sexy girl for 20 euros and off he goes with the money to mobile phone shops who put credit on your phone and an hour later cancel the transaction. there is such a shop in torrevieja telecomovil in calle heraclio, 30 the guy is a thief and scammer and when you go baack to claim your 5 euros he has the cheek to call u mad and a clown.

Also in the same town there is a guy in the market by the fair at the coast, one day walking past i heard him say to an english lady, hey lady ths 5 euro note is fake, that she'd just paid him with for his overpriced goods. she said give it me back and ill give you another. i stood nearby and watched, he done this 3 times in 20 minutes.


----------



## valencia-hombre

Stravinsky said:


> Yep, unless of course its anything to do with internet and then they pass you to their internet dept in Madrid, and they dont speak a word of English
> 
> (unless things have changed in the recent past)


I'd like one cent for each time an english person has said to me "england is full of foreigners who dont speak the language.

simple solution. in spain do as the spanish do SPEAK SPANISH



what rude ignorant people who go to another country to live and donn't attempt to speak the language beyond, hola, si, no. i imagine of all the english in spain only a handfull speak even basic spanish.


----------



## mrypg9

valencia-hombre said:


> in my experience spain is full of thieves robbers and con merchants. From the guy who offers you a sweet sexy girl for 20 euros and off he goes with the money to mobile phone shops who put credit on your phone and an hour later cancel the transaction. there is such a shop in torrevieja telecomovil in calle heraclio, 30 the guy is a thief and scammer and when you go baack to claim your 5 euros he has the cheek to call u mad and a clown.
> 
> Also in the same town there is a guy in the market by the fair at the coast, one day walking past i heard him say to an english lady, hey lady ths 5 euro note is fake, that she'd just paid him with for his overpriced goods. she said give it me back and ill give you another. i stood nearby and watched, he done this 3 times in 20 minutes.


To which I can only reply: we move in very different circles.


----------



## jimenato

valencia-hombre said:


> Also in the same town there is a guy in the market by the fair at the coast, one day walking past i heard him say to an english lady, hey lady ths 5 euro note is fake, that she'd just paid him with for his overpriced goods. she said give it me back and ill give you another. i stood nearby and watched, he done this 3 times in 20 minutes.


I don't see how that is a scam.


----------



## Stravinsky

jimenato said:


> I don't see how that is a scam.


I think the assumption is that the trader is getting rid of fake 5 euro notes by exchanging them for real ones ... sleight of hand maybe involved


----------



## Alcalaina

valencia-hombre said:


> in my experience spain is full of thieves robbers and con merchants. From the guy who offers you a sweet sexy girl for 20 euros and off he goes with the money to mobile phone shops who put credit on your phone and an hour later cancel the transaction. there is such a shop in torrevieja telecomovil in calle heraclio, 30 the guy is a thief and scammer and when you go baack to claim your 5 euros he has the cheek to call u mad and a clown.
> 
> Also in the same town there is a guy in the market by the fair at the coast, one day walking past i heard him say to an english lady, hey lady ths 5 euro note is fake, that she'd just paid him with for his overpriced goods. she said give it me back and ill give you another. i stood nearby and watched, he done this 3 times in 20 minutes.


This isn´t the Spain I live in. Sounds more like London.


----------



## jojo

valencia-hombre said:


> in my experience spain is full of thieves robbers and con merchants. From the guy who offers you a sweet sexy girl for 20 euros and off he goes with the money to mobile phone shops who put credit on your phone and an hour later cancel the transaction. there is such a shop in torrevieja telecomovil in calle heraclio, 30 the guy is a thief and scammer and when you go baack to claim your 5 euros he has the cheek to call u mad and a clown.
> 
> Also in the same town there is a guy in the market by the fair at the coast, one day walking past i heard him say to an english lady, hey lady ths 5 euro note is fake, that she'd just paid him with for his overpriced goods. she said give it me back and ill give you another. i stood nearby and watched, he done this 3 times in 20 minutes.



I assume most of these characters are British?????

Jo xxx


----------



## mrypg9

valencia-hombre said:


> what rude ignorant people who go to another country to live and donn't attempt to speak the language beyond, hola, si, no. i imagine of all the english in spain only a handfull speak even basic spanish.


I agree with you but you are wrong to assume that 'only a handful' of British immigrants in Spain speak Spanish.
Every one of the friends I have here in Spain speak fluent Spanish. Many are almost bi-lingual. Many are fluent in three or more European languages. Most people who post on this site speak fluently. 
My own Spanish has progressed beyond the 'basic' in the two years I have been here. I'm slightly ashamed that I have some way to go before I can claim to be totally fluent as I have worked as an interpreter/translator but I'm getting there.
I must however confess to being intrigued and horrified by the fact that so many native speakers of English are incapable of speaking and writing English correctly......


----------



## Pesky Wesky

mrypg9 said:


> I must however confess to being intrigued and horrified by the fact that so many native speakers of English are incapable of speaking and writing English correctly......


Chuckle  chuckle.
Think you might have hit the nail on the head there!


----------



## Sonrisa

what rude ignorant people who go to another country to live and donn't attempt to speak the language beyond, hola, si, no. i imagine of all the english in spain only a handfull speak even basic spanish.[/QUOTE]

Disagree. 

I live in Egypt and haven't got the inclination, motivation and desire whatsoever to learn arabic. Really. No want. 

I am not rude or ignorant, I simply assume that when I go to the shops, get my internet up and running, go to the doctors office, or talk to regular people, I will be addressed in English. 

The world has became english speaking, and it's about high time that Spain's service industry realises that there is a need to meet the demands of non spanish speakers by giving a "press 2 for english" option. It is just the way it should be, whether we like it or not.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

> (FROM DIZZIE IZZIE) Disagree.
> 
> I live in Egypt and haven't got the inclination, motivation and desire whatsoever to learn arabic. Really. No want.
> 
> I am not rude or ignorant, I simply assume that when I go to the shops, get my internet up and running, go to the doctors office, or talk to regular people, I will be addressed in English.
> 
> The world has became english speaking, and it's about high time that Spain's service industry realises that there is a need to meet the demands of non spanish speakers by giving a "press 2 for english" option. It is just the way it should be, whether we like it or not.


[/QUOTE]
I don't understand why people expect others to speak English. 
The world hasn't become English speaking. However there are many areas in the world where English is spoken to varying degrees, from the Scandinavian countries to Caribean countries where Pidgeon English is spoken. But from that to the expectation that English should be spoken whereever and by whoever; I think that is unreasonable and unjustifiable.
PS Get ready to brush up your Chinese 'cos that's going to be the lingua franca in 15 - 20 years.


----------



## Sonrisa

Not by everyone, but when we are paying for a service and I don't speak the local lingo, yes I pretty much expect the other end to adress me in a universal business language which at this point in time is english. 


I certainly don't expect to be spoken in our native languages, which in our case are spanish and french. I accept that english should be spoken by most professionals and service providers in most coutries so they can reach to the the customers that don't speak the local lingo. I cannot see why this expectation is unreasonable at all

And Spain is falling behind in that matter. 

Talking about China, a country where we may be moving sometime 2011 if everything goes to plan, I think I am going to have no choice than to start an intensive mandarin course, or I'll be facing serious difficulties.

Sorry..:focus:


----------



## mrypg9

Dizzie Izzie said:


> what rude ignorant people who go to another country to live and donn't attempt to speak the language beyond, hola, si, no. i imagine of all the english in spain only a handfull speak even basic spanish.


Disagree. 

I live in Egypt and haven't got the inclination, motivation and desire whatsoever to learn arabic. Really. No want. 

I am not rude or ignorant, I simply assume that when I go to the shops, get my internet up and running, go to the doctors office, or talk to regular people, I will be addressed in English. 

The world has became english speaking, and it's about high time that Spain's service industry realises that there is a need to meet the demands of non spanish speakers by giving a "press 2 for english" option. It is just the way it should be, whether we like it or not.[/QUOTE]

When I was living in Prague, I learnt enough Czech to be able to communicate with friends and deal with most of the things that crop up in everyday life. My Czech was extremely ungrammatical but people understood me, more or less. 
But no way was I going to bust a gut to learn to speak Czech fluently. CR is a nation of a mere ten million people. No where else in the whole world is Czech spoken. Neither was it likely that I would spend the rest of my days there.
I would be happier if native speakers of English wrote and spoke their own language correctly. I'm often curious as to what kind of Spanish people who say/write 'I done' or 'you was' in English speak?
Not that it matters in the end because like my awful but comprehensible Czech, the point of language is to communicate.


----------



## valencia-hombre

Alcalaina said:


> This isn´t the Spain I live in. Sounds more like London.


perhap you are blind


----------



## valencia-hombre

jimenato said:


> I don't see how that is a scam.


he obviously has a wad of fake notes under his table to exchange for real ones as he knows just how stupid people are especially those on forums like this one


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## jojo

valencia-hombre said:


> he obviously has a wad of fake notes under his table to exchange for real ones as he knows just how stupid people are especially those on forums like this one


A rather sweeping statement dontcha think??? I wouldnt be stupid enough to accept fake notes and I'm on a forum like this one, so there's one acception for you. You're on this forum too, but I'm sure you're not that stupid either are you!!??! 

Jo!


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## jimenato

valencia-hombre said:


> he obviously has a wad of fake notes under his table to exchange for real ones as he knows just how stupid people are especially those on forums like this one


Ok, Gotcha. Did you do anything about it? Tell the Policia or the market authorities maybe?


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## Alcalaina

jimenato said:


> Ok, Gotcha. Did you do anything about it? Tell the Policia or the market authorities maybe?


I doubt it, they are probably in partnership. V-H spots likely forum members coming down the road and points them in the direction of the man with the hidden wad.


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## jimenato

Alcalaina said:


> I doubt it, they are probably in partnership. V-H spots likely forum members coming down the road and points them in the direction of the man with the hidden wad.


Actually the first thing I thought about this was that it ain't worth it for 5 Euros.


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## gus-lopez

valencia-hombre said:


> he obviously has a wad of fake notes under his table to exchange for real ones as he knows just how stupid people are especially those on forums like this one


I take it you're Pensionistas son ? From your posts it's obvious that you've been caught by a few of these things then ? Must just be in your area as around here we've no problems of any kind like that . They must only do it in areas where they know that the old 'rope-a-dope' will work .


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## mrypg9

valencia-hombre said:


> he obviously has a wad of fake notes under his table to exchange for real ones as he knows just how stupid people are especially those on forums like this one



As I said, it depends on the kind of circles you move in and the places you go to.
You obviously spend more time in dodgy, downmarket places than most of us here.
As you are a member of the stupid set who posts -somewhat ungrammatically -on this forum, I'm guessing that you are riled because you have been caught out by this scam, or perhaps another similar?


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## Pesky Wesky

Don't feed it, please.


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## mrypg9

Pesky Wesky said:


> Don't feed it, please.


Point taken. 
I'm off to prepare dinner anyway!


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