Simple question really. I first noticed the whole commission payment thing after a couple of years here. I know that real estate agents earn commission, insurance agents etc, but every time my husband introduced a plumber or an electrician to an expat friend of mine, said plumber or electrician would be at the gate afterwards and money would change hands. We had some ironwork carried out at our house and it came for the final payment which I gave to the man who had done the work. He then counted out a couple of thousand pesos in front of me and gave it back to my husband. When I asked what he was doing, he said it was commission for my husband as he had given him the job! My husband then gave me half.
I originally thought it was just tradesmen like plumbers, mechanics etc, and also the only people who could earn commission were Dominicans. Then after I had been here a few years every time I recommended someone to an expat, usually a lawyer or a doctor, then afterwards they would come and give me 100 dollars or whatever. I tried to explain to them that I was recommending my friends as I knew they were good at their job, but no difference. I was paid my commission, which I then returned to my expat friends.
Stupidly, I thought that when another expat said ?Go and see so and so as they are good, and tell them xyz sent you? it was because I would get a better service or a cheaper price. No. It is so xyz will get their commission. In fact I am sure the Dominican commission system is now totally entrenched in the longer term expat community here. Why even our very own Mr Guzman is doing it when offering the Dominican constitution in English:
"Identify yourself as coming from DR1 so I can give Dolores and Robert their due"
So any thoughts as to where this system came from, and how many expats here participate in it?
Matilda
I originally thought it was just tradesmen like plumbers, mechanics etc, and also the only people who could earn commission were Dominicans. Then after I had been here a few years every time I recommended someone to an expat, usually a lawyer or a doctor, then afterwards they would come and give me 100 dollars or whatever. I tried to explain to them that I was recommending my friends as I knew they were good at their job, but no difference. I was paid my commission, which I then returned to my expat friends.
Stupidly, I thought that when another expat said ?Go and see so and so as they are good, and tell them xyz sent you? it was because I would get a better service or a cheaper price. No. It is so xyz will get their commission. In fact I am sure the Dominican commission system is now totally entrenched in the longer term expat community here. Why even our very own Mr Guzman is doing it when offering the Dominican constitution in English:
"Identify yourself as coming from DR1 so I can give Dolores and Robert their due"
So any thoughts as to where this system came from, and how many expats here participate in it?
Matilda