# the 'electric meter scam'



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

our local police in Jávea have just put out a warning via the ayuntamiento

essentially there is a group of people going around insisting that you have to have your electricity meter changed & demanding that you pay them in cash.

they are NOT official

if it's happening here you can bet your boots it's happening elsewhere too


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> our local police in Jávea have just put out a warning via the ayuntamiento
> 
> essentially there is a group of people going around insisting that you have to have your electricity meter changed & demanding that you pay them in cash.
> 
> ...


Why would anyone be stupid enough to fall for that one I wonder! But I guess someone will!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Stravinsky said:


> Why would anyone be stupid enough to fall for that one I wonder! But I guess someone will!


apparently people already have 

they are probably playing on the 'fact' that everyone has to change to those 'smart' meters or upgrade or whatever....


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> apparently people already have
> 
> they are probably playing on the 'fact' that everyone has to change to those 'smart' meters or upgrade or whatever....


Yes, but it's not compulsory to change to a smart meter (they aren't even using them yet).

And, more importantly, the meter is owned by your electricity supplier so it's them who have to pay to have it changed/replaced/upgraded.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Yes, but it's not compulsory to change to a smart meter (they aren't even using them yet).
> 
> And, more importantly, the meter is owned by your electricity supplier so it's them who have to pay to have it changed/replaced/upgraded.


yes, _*we*_ know that - but not everyone does - which is why the scam worked

_everyone _knows that your gas company will make an appointment to check your piping etc. & won't demand cash upfront - but clearly everyone _doesn't_ - that scam has been working for years & years...


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> yes, _*we*_ know that - but not everyone does - which is why the scam worked
> 
> _everyone _knows that your gas company will make an appointment to check your piping etc. & won't demand cash upfront - but clearly everyone _doesn't_ - that scam has been working for years & years...


When I was away last year, my husband fell for this scam, much to my disgust on finding out (and the fact it cost us 250 euros) . 
To give him his due, we have had so many inspections on our house over the years, because we have made changes slowly rather than all at once, and often only one or the other of us is there to answer the door to the inspectors. So he just thought this was an inspection neither of us had dealt with. 
(He should have realised that paying 250 euros there and then was a bit much though! :frusty.

I've reminded him of this new scam and this thread by the way.
So fingers crossed while I'm in the UK....


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We tend to tell everyone who comes asking for money to go away, with varying degrees of politeness, depending on their approach. If they're genuine, odds are they'll return.

I have an extremely suspicious nature, bred after decades of teaching the young.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> We tend to tell everyone who comes asking for money to go away, with varying degrees of politeness, depending on their approach. If they're genuine, odds are they'll return.
> 
> I have an extremely suspicious nature, bred after decades of teaching the young.


Oh so do I.

But these type of incidents fit in with what I have been saying about not understanding the rules and feeling a little browbeaten by it all.

We have had so much hassle from official (and unofficial) sources here. 
For example, building licenses having to be re-applied for (with threats of fines) and paid for again because they went missing at the local council, electricity turned off because two departments failed to communicate with each other, a local verbal 'agreement' about rain water collection overriding council-approved building plans... 
I could go on, but it gets depressing....

But it comes down to the fact that, while I will stand firm and say 'come back after making an appointment' and then check the caller out, my husband immediately thinks 'more hassle!' and pays up.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Solwriter said:


> Oh so do I.
> 
> But these type of incidents fit in with what I have been saying about not understanding the rules and feeling a little browbeaten by it all.
> 
> ...


I quite understand...
Moving from the UK to the Czech Republic was one of the best things we did as living there prepared us for everything being an immigrant can throw at you.
Corrupt officials who did nothing or did things very slowly unless bribed, sour resentful people who tried to rip you off because 'all foreigners from the West are rich', greedy rapacious landlords, bent police, inefficient workmen, shoddy goods in shops, total ignorance of customer service....
Compared to all that, Spain has been a doddle.
A friend who had wanted for years to move to Prague finally did. Settled in her new apartment, she decided to make a pot of tea so went out for fresh milk, her first shopping expedition in her new home country.
When she got home and opened the carton it was sour.
CR in a snapshot.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Cold callers here are introduced to our 2 yr old boy and told he deals with all enquiries.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Yes, but it's not compulsory to change to a smart meter (they aren't even using them yet).
> 
> And, more importantly, the meter is owned by your electricity supplier so it's them who have to pay to have it changed/replaced/upgraded.


That isn't necessarily true. With a new property or meter change,You have the choice of renting the meter or paying outright for it . If you do then any meter problems/changes in the future are down to you.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

thrax said:


> Cold callers here are introduced to our 2 yr old boy and told he deals with all enquiries.


and is he backed up with the animal on the Dangerous Dog thread


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