# Masafi - new system of paying with a sneaky 16% price increase...?!



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Does anyone else use Masafi for their water delivery?

They're usually 120AED for a book of 10 vouchers, so 12 per bottle, but when they called me yesterday they said they no longer use vouchers and have a new electronic system, and to just pay the guy 150 AED when he comes today and they'll credit it to the account. 

He's been, I've paid, and I've just had an email saying 14AED has been debited for each bottle. So that's a 2AED per bottle increase, around 16/17%! That's a sneaky way of doing it! :suspicious:

Any recommendations for other providers? Ideally one who has solid bottles as these thin squishy ones don't work well upside down in those table top cheap water taps from Carrefour (I was looking at changing provider anyway!)


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## ash_ak (Jan 22, 2011)

Yep, very sneaky about the price increase, took us by surprise. We are still sticking with them only coz of the BPA free bottles and they don't reuse old bottles.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

BPA? 

Isn't reusing bottles a good thing? From an environmental point of view. It always suprises me when the delivery guy says to just chuck them as he doesnt have room to take them.


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## ash_ak (Jan 22, 2011)

BPA is bisphenol A, a chemical found in some plastic water bottles. It poses some health hazards according to some studies, we found the Masafi bottles to advertise the BPA free fact, which we didn't find on the other bottles.

Yes, resuing is the way to go, but reusing a water bottle way too many times, specially in the UAE heat when the bottles are transported can release some chemicals into the water which may be harmful and I am probably being paranoid when I am thinking these companies are not following protocol and reusing only a certain number of times before the bottle is recycled.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Ah, ok, thanks for the explanation... good to be wary then!


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxStewartC (Mar 3, 2012)

Aafter lots of research, I concluded that Masafi was the healthiest water in UAE; not desalinated, but natural spring.


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## mo87 (Mar 23, 2014)

Whaaaaaat! That's so sneaky!
Good bye to that feeling of achievement as a good deal hunter when I buy the coupon booklet and save a little,,,,,
Sadly I'll stick with them as for now they are the best in health and taste wise,,,,,


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## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

Pardon the newbie question: is tap water undrinkable or is bottled just a preference?


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

It's drinkable but the taste seems to vary. When we were in a temporary residence in the marina I thought it was ok and we drank it, but were we are now in the palm it tastes soapy, not nice with tea. Plus for some reason I'm still amazed that the cheap kettle we've had for 9 moths is still spotless and has no lime scale! In England it would have been furry within a month!


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## CHFIII (Mar 21, 2014)

Emanef said:


> It's drinkable but the taste seems to vary. When we were in a temporary residence in the marina I thought it was ok and we drank it, but were we are now in the palm it tastes soapy, not nice with tea. Plus for some reason I'm still amazed that the cheap kettle we've had for 9 moths is still spotless and has no lime scale! In England it would have been furry within a month!


So the water is very soft and mildly funky? ;-). Just an educated guess but that sounds like it comes from an evaporation/condensation of sea water. Minerals are left behind like other distillation methods hence no scale in the coffee pot or iron but it will dissolve chemicals and pick up odors and tastes easily. I ask because a good carbon filter should take out smells and tastes of that sort cheaply. Important for the ice maker even if you drink bottled. A good inline filter with a sediment per filter chamber and a good carbon block chemical filter at your kitchen sink should cost under 100usd and replacement cartridges under $50 replaced every six months or so. Adding to my pack list


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

I prefer Arwa because of the supposedly lower sodium, and their bottles which are shaped better than Masafi or Al Ain. I avoid Masafi ever since they reduced their caps to a coin's width to save costs


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

StewartC said:


> Aafter lots of research, I concluded that Masafi was the healthiest water in UAE; not desalinated, but natural spring.


Enjoy while it lasts, the water table is dropping rapidly. I actually don't buying the cheap imported municipal water like Aquafina because of that.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
The problem with tap water is not so much the minerals (although being de-salinated that is a real issue) - it is more to do with how it is stored and distributed within your own building or villa.
It is not uncommon for freshwater and waste water to be in concrete tanks separated only by the single concrete wall (which allows seepage between the tanks - as it is near impossible to prevent this).
Domestic filtration products will not remove the potentially harmful bacteria that could be present in this slightly contaminated water.
It is for the above reason that we drink bottled water - but that has it's own problems regarding the plastic bottle chemicals, water quality control, sanitizing water coolers etc. etc.
Cheers
Steve


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Sorry, I meant using the bottled water the kettle is spotless! I don't like the taste of it in our current apartment so we just drink bottled. We wash food with the tap water, but use bottled water for actually cooking (steaming, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc).

Our fridge has a water/ice thing but stupidly it was never plumbed in (why bother putting those in if you don't do that?!) and I've never worked out how to plumb one up to a water bottle...!


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Oasis is 9 AED a bottle..


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

vantage said:


> Oasis is 9 AED a bottle..


Hi,
There is a big difference between normal tap water that has been through a factory process and natural spring water that has been treated to ensure it is potable.
I have visited a number of UAE water companies in the course of my job and would personally pay more for spring water than other types.

Cheers
Steve


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

So Oasis is just bottled processed tap water?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Emanef said:


> So Oasis is just bottled processed tap water?


Hi,
With the exception of Masafi - I believe most are just that.
Cheers
Steve


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## blazeaway (Sep 28, 2011)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi, There is a big difference between normal tap water that has been through a factory process and natural spring water that has been treated to ensure it is potable. I have visited a number of UAE water companies in the course of my job and would personally pay more for spring water than other types. Cheers Steve


Never liked the fact that Oasis is next to an Aluminium plant - just doesn't seem right


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## lahori (Oct 27, 2013)

Nestle Pure Life

They are also phasing out BPA bottles. 
Good strong bottles.


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

blazeaway said:


> Never liked the fact that Oasis is next to an Aluminium plant - just doesn't seem right


We like Oasis based upon the lower sodium content.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Just to follow up on this.... I emailed Masafi just to query the price increase. Someone called me straight back and explained that the price was always 14 dihrams per bottle but people using the old vouchers got 10 for 120, so those people who were previously using vouchers and are now on an account will have 170 credited to their account each time they pay 150 in, so it is actually pretty much the same as before (she says it's about 15 fils more, so still a very slight increase). Apparently they've had to explain that to a lot of people.....!


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## plckid (Jul 25, 2013)

Emanef said:


> So Oasis is just bottled processed tap water?





blazeaway said:


> Never liked the fact that Oasis is next to an Aluminium plant - just doesn't seem right



Yes it is Desalinated water. 

Oasis Get the water from Dubai Aluminum (dubal) . I believe people should avoid desalinated water. Never compromise on water people especially in the gulf. It is better to pay for water than to pay and suffer from health problems.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

plckid said:


> Oasis Get the water from Dubai Aluminum (dubal)


That just sounds wrong! Think I'll stick with Masafi!


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