Let me start by saying this is not directed to any particular DR1 posters. This is a general observation from many forums as well as face to face conversations with people out and about. Not everybody does the things I'm talking about here and fits the description but if you do you know who you are and you should calm down before your brain or heart explodes.
I have been living in the country for 7 years and I have not once had an important problem that I didn't get resolved in my favor.
Some small things I didn't care about sure like Internet not working very well at a hotel, but nothing important.
The thing I will say is to not assume that every problem is the result of someone trying to rip you off. I didn't say close your eyes and be a naive, gullable sucker. But give people a chance to correct what could be a mistake. Mistakes may happen more often here than what you are used to. Education and Technology are not as good here.
I had the issue many people complain about where I went to a busted ATM. It debited my account but I got no cash. I went inside the bank and spoke to the manager calmly and the money was returned to my account in three days. These things can happen anywhere. It is less frequent in some other places but it does happen.
I had the common issue where LaSirena (could be any store) charged my Dominican bank card twice. The girl at the register was having problems because the computer from the bank wasn't responding. To her the first charge didn't go through but to the bank it did. I went to the bank and they got it fixed in two days.
I had the common issue of a high electric bill from eDenorte. It was causd by the guy reading the meter putting the wrong number down. I took it to their office, spoke calmly with the girl at the desk. This got nowhere because she didn't understand my point about how they charge more per KW after you go over a certain amount. So I asked to talk to her manager and explained it to him calmly and he took care of it.
I have never paid a cop a bribe. I have been asked for donations but I have always said no. Some folks may be afraid to say no to a cop but if you are that concerned about everybody stay in your house and don't ever leave. I was never arrested for refusing to donate. If you don't have anything illegal on you in the first place and weren't doing anything wrong you should be OK. Maybe a dirty cop will try to frame you but it hasn't happened to me yet. If you are that concerned about it keep the number of your Embassy and a good local attorney on you at all times. I actually have my attorney's cell phone number in my wallet and in my phone but I never had to use it yet.
None of the so-called pushy street vendors ever ask me more than once and never stare at me waiting after I have said no. That includes the kids shining shoes. Don't act like there are never beggars on the street where you come from. And at least with the kids shining shoes they are offering to do something for the money instead of the typical beggar that has a cup in their hand and isn't interested in doing anything.
Even the window washers in Puerto Plata ask me now before they hit my windshield with that sponge. Will some do. The ones that don't really know me yet haven't figured it out. But I don't go by there much anymore so I can't really work on that right now.
I don't get poor or slow service at any restaurant or bar that I go to regularly and there are several different ones on that list. At some that I don't frequent I might but that just crosses them off the list for a repeat visit.
OK, bank lines are still slow, but it is what it is. The procedure and the technology is not good. The computer system is terribly slow. The tellers are always very nice with me and apologetic about the wait which is not their fault personally.
Blah, blah, blah. I could go on and on. My point is I don't doubt for a second that people encounter these and many other problems, I just don't see why it is so difficult for people to get them resolved.
If your immediate response is to start yelling and calling everyone stupid then you probably won't get the results you are looking for and you will be bitter all the time and just go to forums to complain about it. Get your blood pressure up, many times over something stupid, and then still end up not getting what you wanted and walk away feeling like a loser that got ripped off.
There was some guy at a restaurant last Saturday at the table next to us that got his bill and it was wrong and he didn't even ask the waittress why or show her the charge. He just started yelling about how stupid everyone is and they always try to rip him off and blah, blah, blah. If you think you are getting ripped off and taken advantage of all the time maybe you are doing something wrong.
I don't feel that I have ever been ripped off or scammed here. Some common sense will go a long way. A scam works because the scammer is good at what they do and the victim is not. Beware of the scammers but don't treat every single person like they are one.
I feel no more sorry for the guy who gives his brand new girlfriend money for her sick relative that he has never seen than I do for the old woman who gave her bank account to the guy that sent her an email from Nigeria. Sure the scammers are bad and should be put in jail but folks have to take responsibility for their own actions as well and stop blaming all their problems on other people.
I always give someone a chance to fix the problem first. Then if I think they are not fixing it I go to their boss if there is one. If we are still not good or I think they are playing me and it is no longer a mistake then I start yelling and will do whatever else I need to in order to get it corrected. By the time we get to that point I will have given them ample opportunity to correct it and will have only spoken calmly and respectfully up to that point.
I swear if I had as many unresolvable problems as some people say they have I'd be looking for a new place to live. How can someone enjoy themselves with all those problems all the time.
Now if a particular business is truly bad we should definitely speak out about that and warn other people. I have done that in the past on other forums, but it is so few and far between that I feel that I encounter a situation like that. And I still get the resolution I'm looking for before I walk away. I just don't wish to do business with them anymore and want to let others know what they tried to do.
So I will always help folks try to get their problems resolved the right way and will always discourage the type of behavior that makes people look like little crying children and nut jobs.
I'm just saying - how you handle the situation really does matter.
I have been living in the country for 7 years and I have not once had an important problem that I didn't get resolved in my favor.
Some small things I didn't care about sure like Internet not working very well at a hotel, but nothing important.
The thing I will say is to not assume that every problem is the result of someone trying to rip you off. I didn't say close your eyes and be a naive, gullable sucker. But give people a chance to correct what could be a mistake. Mistakes may happen more often here than what you are used to. Education and Technology are not as good here.
I had the issue many people complain about where I went to a busted ATM. It debited my account but I got no cash. I went inside the bank and spoke to the manager calmly and the money was returned to my account in three days. These things can happen anywhere. It is less frequent in some other places but it does happen.
I had the common issue where LaSirena (could be any store) charged my Dominican bank card twice. The girl at the register was having problems because the computer from the bank wasn't responding. To her the first charge didn't go through but to the bank it did. I went to the bank and they got it fixed in two days.
I had the common issue of a high electric bill from eDenorte. It was causd by the guy reading the meter putting the wrong number down. I took it to their office, spoke calmly with the girl at the desk. This got nowhere because she didn't understand my point about how they charge more per KW after you go over a certain amount. So I asked to talk to her manager and explained it to him calmly and he took care of it.
I have never paid a cop a bribe. I have been asked for donations but I have always said no. Some folks may be afraid to say no to a cop but if you are that concerned about everybody stay in your house and don't ever leave. I was never arrested for refusing to donate. If you don't have anything illegal on you in the first place and weren't doing anything wrong you should be OK. Maybe a dirty cop will try to frame you but it hasn't happened to me yet. If you are that concerned about it keep the number of your Embassy and a good local attorney on you at all times. I actually have my attorney's cell phone number in my wallet and in my phone but I never had to use it yet.
None of the so-called pushy street vendors ever ask me more than once and never stare at me waiting after I have said no. That includes the kids shining shoes. Don't act like there are never beggars on the street where you come from. And at least with the kids shining shoes they are offering to do something for the money instead of the typical beggar that has a cup in their hand and isn't interested in doing anything.
Even the window washers in Puerto Plata ask me now before they hit my windshield with that sponge. Will some do. The ones that don't really know me yet haven't figured it out. But I don't go by there much anymore so I can't really work on that right now.
I don't get poor or slow service at any restaurant or bar that I go to regularly and there are several different ones on that list. At some that I don't frequent I might but that just crosses them off the list for a repeat visit.
OK, bank lines are still slow, but it is what it is. The procedure and the technology is not good. The computer system is terribly slow. The tellers are always very nice with me and apologetic about the wait which is not their fault personally.
Blah, blah, blah. I could go on and on. My point is I don't doubt for a second that people encounter these and many other problems, I just don't see why it is so difficult for people to get them resolved.
If your immediate response is to start yelling and calling everyone stupid then you probably won't get the results you are looking for and you will be bitter all the time and just go to forums to complain about it. Get your blood pressure up, many times over something stupid, and then still end up not getting what you wanted and walk away feeling like a loser that got ripped off.
There was some guy at a restaurant last Saturday at the table next to us that got his bill and it was wrong and he didn't even ask the waittress why or show her the charge. He just started yelling about how stupid everyone is and they always try to rip him off and blah, blah, blah. If you think you are getting ripped off and taken advantage of all the time maybe you are doing something wrong.
I don't feel that I have ever been ripped off or scammed here. Some common sense will go a long way. A scam works because the scammer is good at what they do and the victim is not. Beware of the scammers but don't treat every single person like they are one.
I feel no more sorry for the guy who gives his brand new girlfriend money for her sick relative that he has never seen than I do for the old woman who gave her bank account to the guy that sent her an email from Nigeria. Sure the scammers are bad and should be put in jail but folks have to take responsibility for their own actions as well and stop blaming all their problems on other people.
I always give someone a chance to fix the problem first. Then if I think they are not fixing it I go to their boss if there is one. If we are still not good or I think they are playing me and it is no longer a mistake then I start yelling and will do whatever else I need to in order to get it corrected. By the time we get to that point I will have given them ample opportunity to correct it and will have only spoken calmly and respectfully up to that point.
I swear if I had as many unresolvable problems as some people say they have I'd be looking for a new place to live. How can someone enjoy themselves with all those problems all the time.
Now if a particular business is truly bad we should definitely speak out about that and warn other people. I have done that in the past on other forums, but it is so few and far between that I feel that I encounter a situation like that. And I still get the resolution I'm looking for before I walk away. I just don't wish to do business with them anymore and want to let others know what they tried to do.
So I will always help folks try to get their problems resolved the right way and will always discourage the type of behavior that makes people look like little crying children and nut jobs.
I'm just saying - how you handle the situation really does matter.