Ono...work this one out.
 

A friend of mine was helping someone out to get an internet connection.They went to Ono and sorted everything out and were told it was 29 euros for the contract.

A bit later Ono called and said it wasnt 29 euros but 60.00 euros.When questioned why they said it was because of the surname of the applicant.

Can anyone explain why????..sounds a bit scammy to me.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Sounds like a misunderstanding somewhere, maybe down to language difficulties?

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

My friend has lived in spain for 32 years.Her spanish is very good.Needless to say they will be going elsewhere.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Extranjero price?

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Well that is what the OP is suggesting, but the concept is so ridiculous then there must have been a misunderstanding

Because I am sure big multinational companies like Ono would do that - what the hell would they have to gain?

Some British people in Spain like to cry "racist" when it suits them, but there is almost always an easier explanation, if only they understood

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

I agree it seems ridiculous, and I'd seriously question whether it could ever be a matter of policy. Still, I'm oft surprised at the crap so many companies get away with that they'd never get away with in the UK or most of the rest of Europe.

...and here at least, the two-price system is not an uncommon practice (and by the way it has everything to do with profiteering and nothing to do with racism), so I'd have some difficulty being shocked in the unlikely event it were proven to be true.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

There is a two price system in tourist areas, but this isnt anti-foreigners, it is offering lower prices to regulars and people who live there

When I lived on the Costa del sol, a place that used to charge 2 euros 50 for a coffee for tourists charged us 1 euro

Whether they would have charged us the tourist price if we were speaking English, I dont know

Btw, this happens everywhere in the world, tourists nearly always pay more

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Not always the case, but in Madrid it's quite common for a bar owner to "invite" you to a drink when he realises you're a guiri. Of course this is marketing - they hope you'll spread the word among others, and perhaps add a little to the bar's image (they tend to have more of a Sherlock Holmes or Hugh Grant image of Brits there, it's a totally different atmosphere to the coast). So the flexible pricing can work both ways.
And yes, bar owners all over the place like to charge less to regular locals. Just a lot less common in the UK where the breweries, pubcos etc have so much power.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

But still illegal

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Illegal practicies in Spain, really? :D

Personally I love the way we get lots of free and cheap goodies from the local shops to encourage us to come back. My son gets balloons, toys, pastries etc from the panaderia and fruteria

One thing I've noticed is that Spanish businesses constantly undercharge according to their quote. Removals companies, garages, taxis, furniture shops, bathroom shops have all quoted me a price for a work or product, but then when they deliver they have charged me less than they quoted - which is a nice surprise, but doesnt make much sense business wise

And there are numerous occassions when in El Corte Ingles, Decathlon etc the price charged has been much less than that stated on the ticket, normally they say its because they havent changed the ticket yet - again doesnt make much sense

Maybe its because I am British like steviedeluxe says :D

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

only illegal if you're charging someone more than the listed price, surely?

if the owner of my regular bar wants to charge me a bit less, or 'round down' to the nearest euro, how can that be illegal - it's only really like them buying me the occasional coffee

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

In Playa Flamenca at the market we used to buy a few things to send to the UK as presnets or because they wanted them. Our Granddaughter wanted a pair of the little Spanish dancing shoes, and we went to one stall to buy them, he told us one price, we haggled and got a little discount, we then said in Spanish we're not tourists but residents, and got a further €2 off the price.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Yes, but according to some, it never happens. Then later, of course, the admission that it does happen but it's OK because it happens everywhere.

Funny, I never had it happen in Germany. Or Holland. Or Sweden. Or France.. Italy, yes.. UK obviously not.

By the way, I'm no tourist. I have residency and a NIE, just like anyone else, and believe me, at some shops (especially garages) my price is still much higher because they assume I'm a "rich" foreigner who can afford it (just look at my surname to verify), and is naive enough to accept a much higher price than the rest without complaining. The one thing I hate the most is the quote of "about €100" for a car repair, and when you pick it up, it's €600, and they replaced things having nothing to do with the problem, without even calling you to ask your permission. That really pisses me off.

So, now I send a Mallorquin friend to do business with those shops on my behalf. Siempre mas barato!

Is it legal? I don't know, but I'd have to reckon it's not exactly illegal. And it's certainly not racist.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

If you dont speak good Spanish, then you are still a tourist in the eyes of the locals - which is actually pretty true. Most Brits are in Spain because of the sun and sand, and less so for Spanish people, culture and business

As I've said before on this forum, personal relationships are everything in Spain. The ability to make the odd joke or smart comment in the right place in priceless. People need to be able to warm to you. This is obviously a very foreign concept to the British ;)

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

So it is OK to profiteer at my expense. Thanks for straightening me out on that.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Profits have to come from somewhere, its not as if people are raking it in at the moment.

This concept happens everywhere, even in the UK. It is why a single journey on London public transport costs so much money, because only tourists buy them. All the locals have travelcards

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

I forgot to add that the Ono rep suggested that my friend put the contract in her own name too and not the applicants name..it all sounds very odd.

But like I said she has lived in the same area of Valencia city for 32 years..is in business herself so is unlikely to be taken for a ride.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

No of course it is not anti-tourist it's just plain discrimination.

i.e. illegal

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

What a load of rubbish

I repeat, I lived in London when Ken Livingston doubled the price of a single journey on the tube, justifying it by saying that this type of ticket is only ever bought by tourists

I love the warm and friendly Spanish customer service and all the perks that being a "local" brings. Its one of the reasons why I choose to live and bring up my children in Spain, despite all its economic failings!

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Maybe you should re-check the thread on Spanish customer service and it's numerous failings, many of which belong back in the dark ages, rather than the 21st century.

You still seem to be living in your own parallel universe C'man.

Being local and familiar to any business, anywhere in the world will always be expected to get you decent service, but that's no excuse for treating strangers like something the cat's just dragged in.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Well obviously, since my experiences in 6 years of living in 3 very different parts of Spain are so contrary to everyone elses on here

What can I put that down to? Its either that I have a very positive outlook or that I only ever speak in Spanish on the street - or a combination of the two

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

.......or maybe it's your holier that thou attitude that makes everyone jump at your command. ;) :rofl:

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Genuine question. Does Spain have anti-racism laws like the UK ?

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

No wonder the country is on it's knees:lol:

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

I think what cman is trying to say is that the right attitude and a friendly nature can get you a long way. I often ask something like this "dame el precio españolas por favor, porque aunque estoy Inglés no soy rico" A little twinkle in the eye with a phrase like this can work wonders.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Oh my God, I wouldnt go around saying something like that, its pretty offensive. You're basically saying that they are trying to rip you off

But you've got the right idea

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

It's not offensive! It's realistic. I'm not going to beat around the bush anyway for the sake of not hurting somebody's sensibilities and then pay double for my diplomacy! And yes, in my opinion being ripped off is the default setting here. They do it with no level of malice at all. It's just if they can get more it seems to be popular nature here to try it on.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Well I think all 2 tier prices will all go by the wayside because of the new rules that were brought out in jan 2013.

As every item has to shown in detail along side the price, I don´t think it will be possible for lower prices for locals


Unless they itemise as:

coffee guiri 2.00

coffee non-guiri 1.00

(although I must admit I have never experienced a difference in price between regulars and non regulars).

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

The place I went to had the prices listed. It was in a tourist area and clearly said 2.50 for a coffee, but they only charged us 1 euro. We only went a couple of times so charging us less didnt work ;)

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

And then they wonder why they cannot even rise to be in the "mileurista"
bracket.:rofl::rofl:

That way of business will make a few customers happy for a short while, but I cannot see the logic of not charging the stipulated price.

I would feel like a charity case in that instance and ill at ease, and wonder what it is about my apprearance that would make the owner do such a thing?:D

On the other hand inviting a customer for a drink on the house makes them feel welcome and appreciated.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

I would (uncharacteristically) agree with CMan to the extent that this is a cultural issue rather than a legal one.

If you want to get by in Spain, you need to understand that there is a different view about what is "moral" or "right". I think it was best characterised to me by a Mallorquin friend who said "It's not right to take advantage of people you know ...

Otherwise, I reckon it's fair game, which is 180 degrees counter to our polite English mentality (or German or Dutch or...). We tend to go nuts when someone takes advantage of us - even in the smallest way. We have the law on our side, we have the OFT and so on... But here, it's different.

I have to believe it's due to lingering, deeply-embedded sentiments as a result of history. For decades, the law and the government represented something that is not there to serve their interests, rather it represented an obstacle to almost everything in life. Utter disrespect for the law and anything governmental was the norm, but they had to play "good citizen" on the surface, whilst making their own way "under the table". Corruption, black money, and back-door deals were completely normal. Sound familiar? Well, it was MUCH worse back then...

Then all the guiris show up with wads of money like they'd never seen before. Easy pickings for a society which had been oppressed for so many decades. I have to believe this is still well-entrenched in the culture (evidence of it is all around).

Most of the locals I know regard the law and the government (and guiris they don't know) with limited respect (for good reason), and when the law is an obstacle or some faceless guiri wants to buy something, they know that guiris believe the price you tell them is THE price (they love the Germans for this reason). And the "get what we can even if it's a bit dodgy" view extends to even the most "respectable" businesses in society - happens all the time with the utilities, the car shops, many others. It's just the way it is.

...many seem to have no guilt in "getting the most they can get", even if it's a bit dodgy. They feel they deserve it. Again, not our usual upbringing up north.

OK it exists... ...but does that make it right? Sorry, I just can't bring myself to subscribe to it.

Yet, I'm constantly surprised how little the Spanish seem to be attracted to "northern" style offerings with outstanding selection, services, fairness, or other things that we "northerners" tend to clamour after. It's as though they don't trust it.

Maybe Cman is right. Perhaps it's just part of the "charm".

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

OK, not a bad post, except for the exertion that the Northern Europeans only do things the "fair" way. Where did you get that idea from?

British society is built on an imagined sense of institutionalized "fairness" that delegates the individuals sense of morality to a greater un-named "good". The concept is the very definition of Britishness and helps tie society together. It is the one omnipresent when family and local identity has fallen to pieces. It's aim is to divide people into good and evil, the "just" and "injust". Read the Daily Mail and you get the idea. There is nothing fair about this, it serves as a way to de-individualize people and take power away from them.

On a separate point of pricing - Part of my work is for companies who want to decide how much they can charge for their products. To do that, they segment the market and work out how much different types of people are willing to pay. They then sub-brand their products to be aimed at people with various levels of wealth

e.g. a so-called "luxury" product will cost maybe 1% more to produce but will have a price of 100% more than the basic product. In fact two products may cost the same to produce but have two very different prices depending on the person it is targeting

This method is part of free market capitalism, and is what amideisals advocates so strongly. It fools consumers into thinking that they have lots of choice when everything is really the same but with different packaging, all designed to extract the most money out of people

In this respect, the small business in the tourist areas of Spain are simply charging what they think they can get away with from different sets of consumers. That is exactly the same as what big business does and is a smart business model

I went to Cuba a few years ago, there you have to pay 20 times the price of what the locals pay for anything. In amideislas' argument then this would be unfair, but in my moral world, it is incredibly fair. I earn more and can afford to pay more

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

If a local shop in the UK (or Germany or France or Denmark or Holland or...) decided to charge you more simply because you are Spanish, then they would be subject to all kinds of nasty legal action. Period. Certainly in Germany. The UK has become pretty questionable in many areas these days, so perhaps it's more the exception than the rule.

But more than that, what's fair is simply fair. In the free market economy (of which you are a major beneficiary), a fair price is a fair price. Period. Competition will take care of that.

If one shop charges double what the next shop charges for any like-item, people buy from the other shop. Period. It's natural. It's fair, and it's the way it should be.

In the free market economy which you are a major beneficiary (yet loath so much), products are affordable to the masses because of competition. Without it, cars or computers or bathtubs would only be available to the elite and "privileged". The free market you hate so much is the very reason you and billions of others can communicate via this medium. Otherwise, it would only be for the "elite", which you would also despise.

But that's the problem with you lefties (by the way, I used to be far more liberal than you, until I was exposed to the real world - but that's another story).

You guys love to sit in your cushy armchairs and criticise everything, find blame for everything without even considering what your real problem is. Most often it's simply jealousy or contempt for your mother, or some other personal problem.

You'd probably rationalise that we shouldn't have cars or any other modern products because they're bad for the environment, cause us all to be child molesters, or whatever other rationalisation you can come up with, yet in the same breath would be screaming bloody murder that your "elite", "rich" and "privileged" neighbour can have all those things whilst you cannot - and how unfair our system is. Are you beginning to see the irony in your position?

In most places in the free world, you can rely on free market competition to settle prices within a certain range - so you can be reasonably assured that if the price is €29, then that's more or less what others will be charging.

Unfortunately, particularly in my area, there is little attention paid to competition. So, in one shop, a toaster is priced at say, €19.95 (if there's even a price on it). But the very same make and model of toaster in the next shop will be €49.95. In the next shop, it will be €13.95. And if you're a guiri - well, anybody's guess. Depends on how you ask :-)

So, you are forced to hit every shop in town before making a decision, OR buy the one in front of you for whatever price they ask, and be very pissed off when you find the exact same thing next door for 1/3 the price.

Is it unfair? Well, you can debate that point, but IMHO it's certainly is every bit as greedy, self-centered and dodgy as what you want to claim everywhere and everyone else to be.

But back to my original statement, I reckon it's a cultural characteristic. It's no secret that Spanish favour buying from "friends" or family or who they "know", not necessary from the guy who offers it at the lowest price. I think it's a trust thing more than anything. After all, in Spain, it's easier to count those you can trust than those you can't.

And if you want to claim the rest of the world is worse, then I can only say you obviously haven't been anywhere else. Try living somewhere else for a change. It would be good for you.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

The twinkle in his eye is through trying to decipher your dire Spanish. How long have you been living there?

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Oh Ha ha ha. Lo que me cuesta esta la gramatica. Supongo que mi vocabulario esta mejor que muchas aqui! 3 years since you ask. And the twinkle is in my eye. Although I'm well beyond my 'pretty years' I still believe in being charming...if a bit cheeky.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Nasty, unnecessary comment.

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Spot on analysis

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

That analysis is only spot-on if you subscribe to the popular notion that anyone less prosperous than you is simply an innocent victim of those more prosperous than you.

Naturally, you bear no burden of responsibility, because you are neither of them. You're the good guy. Everybody else is the problem.

I'm just relieve we all don't subscribe to such a sanctimonious ideology (yet).

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

I went out to get some potatoes for dinnner
the first shop I got to they were advertised at 30c a kilo
but they had none

I walked on down the road and found a shop selling
potatoes for 60c a kilo
I remonstrated with the shopowner that his were twice
the price of the first shop

The shopowner looked me up and down and said
He hasnt got any, I have - do you want some or are
you going to get out of my shop
:frown:

Nuff Sed
`

Re: Ono...work this one out.
 

Exactly, very sad to see the ever increasing trend to that way of thinking.