chislenko

Went to buy some paint today, thought I got on quite well with the local Portuguese store owner.

How much for 5 litres....fingers tap furiously on the calculator......"Well it should be 75 euros but as I know you, my friend, I can give you X discount making it 49 euros"

That is expensive says I.

Best I can do says he.

So retires to the local where I meet Rui, local Portuguese lad who likes a drink and doesn't seem to have a lot of malice about him. Has a bit of a moan about how expensive paint is in Portugal, Rui can't believe the price either.

Rui goes to same store, says nothing but they know him from the village so know he is Portuguese, picks up the same tin of paint, goes to the counter, 35 euros!

I know a lot of people on here deny that "double pricing" goes on but this is a true story which happened today.

GeniB

Otherwise known as 'mates rates'

riv

Presumably this could not happen at Leroy Merlin and similar ?

liveaboard

Chislenco, this must have been a rude wakening for you.
On the bright side, your friend Rui defied nationalist lines and intervened to show up the dishonest shop keeper.

In some places I've been, a local would never dare side with a foreigner that way.

chislenko

I expect not as items will be price labelled, but unfortunately we have nothing like that near us, just the local hardware store where nothing has a price on it.

BlackBeardie

Credit to you for posting - and to Rui. Unfortunately it does happened. It depends on whether the particular Portuguese you are dealing with bear you some sort of grudge - as a foreigner It's not limited to hardware stores. Very unprofessional I know, but true.