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Write from the Heart

In my blog I will write about whatever has my attention on the day I write, sometimes it will be funny, sometimes packed with information that I hope will prove useful for those living in Spain.

Cowboys in Spain
Thursday, June 26, 2014 @ 5:35 AM

When we lived down in Andalusia, we knew that many of the so called spaghetti westerns were made in that area in the 1960s.

 

One of the most famous is the Clint Eastwood film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. For Brits living in Spain it is wise to be aware that some of the cowboys are still alive and well and living in Spain today.

 

Like their namesakes of the past there are the good the bad and the ugly. What has prompted this post is one of these modern day cowboys. This particular cowboy makes his living fitting and supplying satellite TV.

 

This cowboy has been fitting and sorting out my friends satellite package for about five or more weeks. Due to his shoddy workmanship and inferior products, my friend has not had what she paid for.

 

The cowboy charges top of the range prices, but gives anything but top of the range workmanship.

 

I heard that today he turned up and sorted out the latest of a series of problems and for the moment my friend has satellite TV. My friend had waited over a week without any satellite TV for this cowboy to come.

 

The set-up was not cheap and the service was terrible, he was full of promises that most of the time he failed to keep. Some of this was obviously down to the fact that he had a large part of the money up front before he started the job.

 

Unfortunately it was only afterwards that my friend has found out that many of our friends had similar problems with him.

 

Some of these other people have problems with the cowboy's work that are still going on. So when you look for someone to do a job, don't think that just because they are British they are honest and are going to do a good job for you.

 

Just because they are British does not mean that their products will be better than products that a local tradesman can fit.

 

It is sad that there are Brits out there that have no scruples when it comes to getting you to part with your hard earned cash. They also have no problems when it comes to doing as little as they can get away with doing.

 

If you are going to get a job done by anyone, ask them for the names of some of their satisfied customers so that you can get in touch with them. After all his customers will most likely be fellow Brits too. If he is worth his salt, the satisfied customers will be only too happy to recommend his work.

 

It is not a good idea to give most of the money up front before the start of the job. If you pay up-front they have no incentive to make your job their priority.

 

Unfortunately my friend found this out the hard way, along with a lot of other Brits. We know a couple of people who are also waiting on this man coming back and sorting out problems with systems he has fitted.

 

Remember just because someone is charging a lot for the work it does not mean that your are bound to get a good job. Paying a lot also does not guarantee that you will get the best products either I know that my friend hasn't.

 

The cowboy came today and got her system up and running, but I feel that this will not be the last of her problems with her satellite set up.

 

I truly hope that I am wrong and that from now on it will be trouble free, but I doubt she will be that lucky.

 

The photo is of me and my hubby in Bryce Canyon it is the closest thing I have to a cowboy photo..



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3 Comments


SandrainAlgorfa said:
Friday, July 4, 2014 @ 9:10 PM

Totally agree with you Maggs. These people play on the insecurities of people who are scared to call in Spanish tradesmen because of the language barrier and the fear that they won't get a good job done. Our experience is that not only do most Spanish tradesmen do a great job, they're also cheaper, and eager to see that you're happy with the service.


Mike said:
Saturday, February 21, 2015 @ 2:32 PM

Why do you not name this Rip Off Merchant
Why are people so stupid and give people like this money up front
Any trades person requesting payment up front is always dodgy
I would not deal with any Brits on this coast ever most are all Con men
It has been happening for years why can't you people never learn!


pah1547 said:
Saturday, February 21, 2015 @ 9:15 PM

I agree, there are a lot of cowboys around. This was made obvious when we bought our village house and we were looking for builders, etc. to renovate the house. We were given all sorts of different rubbish about what work was needed and the prices were something to be believed. We wanted a DPC installing and with our house being built in 1930 it is primarily made of stones bonded together with some sort of cement. How can you inject into this to form a waterproof barrier? You can't so we were very lucky I had an electro osmosis DPC fitted in a house in the UK in 1983. 2 years on ,we have no damp. We were recommended a builder who in turn recommended an electrician. They have been excellent, never requested money up front and in fact at times, I have owed money to them for ages. When you find someone you can trust, recommend them as they deserve the good reputation they have built up over the years.


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