Rip offs

Not so much recently but I remember when we moved to lakeside and reading about the rip offs. But now looking back it's like the tsunami that never happened and looking forward I don't see any waves. A few examples:

1. "Better count your change when shopping or eating out." We do and haven't seen anything more alarming than anywhere else. And on more than a few occasions been chased down because we forgot our change.

2. "Oh at the mercado and tianguis there are the north American prices and Mexican prices." Good, the prices are more than fair and I'm happy if a local can catch a break.

3. "The cops will stop you for nothing and shake you down." In my years driving here I've been stopped once because I blew through a red light. After a cordial conversation I paid the cop 200 pesos and didn't have to futz with the paper work.

4. "Watch the pump at the gas stations." O.k, I ask for 200 pesos, the guy punches in 200 and the pump delivers 200.

5. Maids & gardeners. We've heard the stories but never one first hand. What we and our friends usually do, if anything, is brag about the great help we have and how we could never afford this luxury north of the border.

6. The taxis, bla bla bla. Jebus, those guys will kill themselves getting luggage up our stairs for a hoped for tip and we've never had a problem getting anywhere.

All that said, I marvel at the top to bottom corruption woven so deep in the fabric of life that a guy just won reelection for city mayor (presidente) with a campaign slogan, "I only stole a little." Then there's the topes, pot holes and Telmex for a thread that could go on forever.

"Don't sweat the small stuff" is true enough: the big stuff is the problem around here.

Yikes, I'm not sweating! What's the big stuff?

oncesubtle wrote:

All that said, I marvel at the top to bottom corruption woven so deep in the fabric of life that a guy just won reelection for city mayor (presidente) with a campaign slogan, "I only stole a little."

The mayor you're referring to is the mayor of San Blas.
He made the news with his recent birthday party,50,000 beers,fifty head of cattle for birria,a banda that charges a million pesos a pop and then there were the videos of him fondling the nalgas of chicas whose skirts he had lifted.
Que sinverguensa.
Viva Mexico

Sheeeet......where was our invite to that fiesta???

My Spanish teacher showed me the video of hizzoner lifting the girl's skirt while they danced on the stage in front of the huge crowd. He did it, and she quickly pulled her dress down. Then about five seconds later he did it again. The girl appeared to be all of about sixteen. A real charmer, that guy.

Nice post oncesubtle. I wonder what fuels these myths among foreigners that they're constantly the targeted victims of rip offs here. I have a few theories about that, none of them flattering toward the foreign population living here.

Rosa Venus wrote:My Spanish teacher showed me the video of hizzoner lifting the girl's skirt while they danced on the stage in front of the huge crowd. He did it, and she quickly pulled her dress down. Then about five seconds later he did it again. The girl appeared to be all of about sixteen. A real charmer, that guy.

"It's good to be the king.".Mel Brooks.

In case you missed it, here's the video of hizzoner lifting the girl's dress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op0l6HNiE28

Rosa Venus wrote: ... I wonder what fuels these myths among foreigners that they're constantly the targeted victims of rip offs here. I have a few theories about that, none of them flattering toward the foreign population living here.

I've noticed the loudest and most likely bearer of bad news/rumor is the disgruntled spouse who wants to go home. Having had so many folks stay here over the years we make it a game as to who we think will and won't make it and are usually spot on. My fav. "Hey Bill how did you like your first day here?" His reply, "The bread is too sweet!" with accompanying sour face. Bye! It's like they become FOX News personified and rumor is fact.

The second profile would be the guy who realizes he made a mistake moving here and can't admit it. He leaves shouting and posting forever all things real or imagined.

As to the dancing mayor, finally, an honest politician!

I know folks who, after a decade in Mexico, still cannot speak even the simplest phrases. They are often the same ones who still think they are being cheated because they remain confused by pesos and exchange rate arithmetic. Oh well......they often stay close to Ajijic and are never found alone in the far reaches of Jocotopec or, heaven forbid, Guadalajara.

CanuckBob wrote:Sheeeet......where was our invite to that fiesta???

LMAO, CBob!

Copy that "suegarn". " Graft Re-election Fiesta Tours" by Noe, etal. Sign me up. Jajaja.

oncesubtle......obviously is not from Texas.

oncesubtle, would love to compare lists, that is too funny. We see many of the same things, the simple things people complain about and it is so easy to have a great life here!!! Salud.

oncesubtle wrote:2. "Oh at the mercado and tianguis there are the north American prices and Mexican prices." Good, the prices are more than fair and I'm happy if a local can catch a break.

Great if you can afford to pay the gringo price. Not all of us can. There can be quite a discrepancy depending on where you're at.

Tony, what is it you want to buy at the Mercado and the tianguis that you can not afford due to "gringo pricing"?

Not a matter of not being able to afford an item. It was a cumulative effect before I did something about it. If someone were on a budget, it's not like they can't afford chicken, it's that they can't afford chicken as often. If a chicken breast is normally, say, 30 pesos, and you're being charged 50... it adds up.

Maybe you could send a Mexican friend shopping for you and see how he or she does.

Tony_In_Mexico wrote:

oncesubtle wrote:2. "Oh at the mercado and tianguis there are the north American prices and Mexican prices." Good, the prices are more than fair and I'm happy if a local can catch a break.

Great if you can afford to pay the gringo price.  Not all of us can.  There can be quite a discrepancy depending on where you're at.

Interesting insight Tony. Could you please list from top to bottom the best and worst tianguis or places to shop? I'm sure more than a few of us would appreciate the info.  tx

The biggest rip off of American and Canadian immigrants in the last 2 years has been the "virtual" car import.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of people spent approx 30,000 pesos each and ended up with fraudulent paperwork.  


This scam could very well add up to over a million bucks

Tony_In_Mexico wrote:

oncesubtle wrote:2. "Oh at the mercado and tianguis there are the north American prices and Mexican prices." Good, the prices are more than fair and I'm happy if a local can catch a break.

Great if you can afford to pay the gringo price.  Not all of us can.  There can be quite a discrepancy depending on where you're at.

I guess you have never heard the expression: "segun el sapo, la pedrada" ?

Hensley wrote:oncesubtle, would love to compare lists, that is too funny. We see many of the same things, the simple things people complain about and it is so easy to have a great life here!!! Salud.

I agree 100% with Hensley. It is a great life here if "we" allow it to be; if we take advantage of all the positive and benefits.

I use to complain about being short-changed, and some goods showing a higher net weight than they actually had, and shelf prices being different than what is rung up at checkout, or getting less gas than I paid for.

No more; I can afford it so why complain?

I might draw the line if I am robbed at knife point or my house burgled, but I will remember, it's the poor people who rob and burgle and unless I'm injured physically, why make an issue.

Time is too valuable to waste it on petty things.

My attitude is Carpe Diem


I'm not looking for an argument, but if "you" need one, please remember the rule about taking it to the Octagon.

I agree. I left my van door unlocked the other night and somebody went into it. They took only half the change out of the ashtray. I guess that was all they needed.

I'm not going to name names, as it were, because the problems were resolved and I couldn't tell you if they are ongoing. After living here awhile and getting better with the language, I started noting what I thought were discrepancies here and there. Not necessarily with a place itself, but sometimes with particular people who worked there. Suspicious, I had a friend go and buy the exact same items I had and we compared the prices. We then went back and pointed out what had happened and I never received the higher price after that. For me, it was especially noticeable when it came to meat weights. With some careful observation while waiting in line, you can tell if they are entering the same price per kilo into the machine as the other people in line ordering the same item. If I see it now (which I haven't in some time) I'd call them on it. Unfortunately, I'm on too tight a budget to let such things slide.

"Great if you can afford to pay the gringo price. Not all of us can. There can be quite a discrepancy depending on where you're at." -- Tony

"... the problems were resolved and I couldn't tell you if they are ongoing.
<...> "If I see it now (which I haven't in some time) I'd call them on it." -- Tony

Your first quote creates a different picture that the second one does.