False and untrustworthy islanders...

[Señor Quattro]

I've noticed a lot of comments on here warning of false and untrustworthy people. Our default is to not trust people anyway until they have proven themselves - and that's a common sense thing anywhere. But I am curious as to why Tenerife in particular attracts the sort of people who, according to the warnings, cannot be trusted. Are you (they - those who have warned of such) talking about the indigenous population or British ex-pats. In my experience British ex-pats can, I'm generalising here, be a bit unusual. Some have a reason to leave their country of origin, some are escaping something - could be legitimate of course. Of the locals, we have absolutely nothing but good experiences - better than many in the UK. I have found locals to be very genuine, generous, straight and honest. We count Tinerfeños as some of our closest friends and back in the UK I/we have become close friends with ex-pats from Tenerife living in the UK.

This is more than an academic interest; like many, we are considering making Tenerife a home. We're not giving up on the UK, just making the island a place where we do more than holiday. Initially we considered Tenerife to be a place that we might visit often if we owned place here. Now we're increasingly thinking in terms of visiting the UK often from the island - a subtle but important difference in mindset! I am a little concerned though at some of the comments about people - perhaps something that is invisible to visitors who don't spend any length of time really becoming part of the fabric of the place. Insights welcome!!! :whistle:

[marbro8]

to be honest i don't think many members have cause to mistrust ex-pats or the indigenous people of the island, there has on occasion been the odd few but on the whole i think that the only people that get a bad name are the people that go out of their way to rob you like pickpockets and muggers,and the shop keepers who try to mislead you into buying something other than what you see;), and they take double the amount that you have authorized;)

[Señor Quattro]

Well there are pickpockets and muggers anywhere and everywhere. And plenty of tourist places I can think of where the shopping process is an exercise in holding onto your at least a tiny proportion of your wealth. My own experience in Tenerife (in total I suppose about six months of time there spread over five years) is that none of these things were apparent (south west - in and around Puerto de Santiago)

I have picked up on a sense of, let's call it, favouritism when it comes to employment but I don't think that's unusual. And being able to speak Spanish properly counts against a good proportion of Brits when it comes to employment opportunities.

Let's leave the Russian/Chinese issue out of it though I have witnessed two altercations between Russians and Spanish locals and talked to plenty of Spanish locals about their views. That's another post for sure.

But my sense is that there is a prevailing sentiment concerning expats.

[Angusjim]

I've noticed a lot of comments on here warning of false and untrustworthy people. Our default is to not trust people anyway until they have proven themselves - and that's a common sense thing anywhere. But I am curious as to why Tenerife in particular attracts the sort of people who, according to the warnings, cannot be trusted. Are you (they - those who have warned of such) talking about the indigenous population or British ex-pats. In my experience British ex-pats can, I'm generalising here, be a bit unusual. Some have a reason to leave their country of origin, some are escaping something - could be legitimate of course. Of the locals, we have absolutely nothing but good experiences - better than many in the UK. I have found locals to be very genuine, generous, straight and honest. We count Tinerfeños as some of our closest friends and back in the UK I/we have become close friends with ex-pats from Tenerife living in the UK.

This is more than an academic interest; like many, we are considering making Tenerife a home. We're not giving up on the UK, just making the island a place where we do more than holiday. Initially we considered Tenerife to be a place that we might visit often if we owned place here. Now we're increasingly thinking in terms of visiting the UK often from the island - a subtle but important difference in mindset! I am a little concerned though at some of the comments about people - perhaps something that is invisible to visitors who don't spend any length of time really becoming part of the fabric of the place. Insights welcome!!! :whistle:
You seem to make close friends very easily I could count on one hand friends that I would class as close friends but that's maybe just me and an age thing

[Malteser Monkey]

You seem to make close friends very easily I could count on one hand friends that I would class as close friends but that's maybe just me and an age thing

or....................:cheeky:

I think I am a good judge of character - only been wrong once or twice in my life so far. I either immediately take to someone or I sit back take it all in then see how it goes.

Then there are some people straight away I think hmmmm watch this one keep at arms length.

I met a few dodgy characters on the Island but that was the industry I worked in, made them greedy !

Met a lot of very helpful wonderful characters too - s'pose it's the same all over

[Señor Quattro]

You seem to make close friends very easily I could count on one hand friends that I would class as close friends but that's maybe just me and an age thing

What? How do you know I make friends very easily? :wow::wow::wow::wow:

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I guess we are definitely talking about the Brit expat community here...

Well the reality for us is that in an attempt to try to experience the real island, avoid the all day breakfast/Premiership football/Little England in the sun brigade and improve my Spanish, our friends are all locals - Spanish or South American. And it's taken four years to go from being friends to being very good friends (family dinners etc).

I think there is something intrinsically artificial about the lifestyle of many expats that affects their mentality. I've seen this in pre-integration Hong Kong too - immediately familiar and instantly forgotten. Maybe there's an inherent instinct to bond with others on nationality grounds. Which is not a very good foundation for genuine friendship.

But I am sensing from some comments that there are plenty of undesirable Brits in las Islas Canarias. Does Tenerife attract the wrong kind of people is what I'm asking.

[Angusjim]

What? How do you know I make friends very easily? :wow::wow::wow::wow:

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I guess we are definitely talking about the Brit expat community here...

Well the reality for us is that in an attempt to try to experience the real island, avoid the all day breakfast/Premiership football/Little England in the sun brigade and improve my Spanish, our friends are all locals - Spanish or South American. And it's taken four years to go from being friends to being very good friends (family dinners etc).

I think there is something intrinsically artificial about the lifestyle of many expats that affects their mentality. I've seen this in pre-integration Hong Kong too - immediately familiar and instantly forgotten. Maybe there's an inherent instinct to bond with others on nationality grounds. Which is not a very good foundation for genuine friendship.

But I am sensing from some comments that there are plenty of undesirable Brits in las Islas Canarias. Does Tenerife attract the wrong kind of people is what I'm asking.

4 years to make close / very good friends is not something I can do friends yes but close / very good no but as I said probably me. There are good and bad everywhere and Tenerife is no different. I personally only come to Tenerife because of the weather and its an easy travel for winter sun but all day breakfasts / watching soaps / Karaoke / watching footie are all good by me (My smillies are nae working !! )

[ribuck]

I think the perception of untrustworthiness is just due to Brits being out of their usual situation. Back in the UK we developed enough common sense "street smarts" to avoid dealing with the wrong sort of people. In a new environment, it takes a while to learn how to filter out the undesirable elements of society.

My perception is that the average Canarian is extremely trustworthy, but that the untrustworthy few are real rogues because they know they can usually get away with it.

[Ricman]

The comment about reality being invisible as a visitor is correct. You will of course get ripped off but only small time by amateur scallies.
However put some serious dosh down for, say, real estate & a whole new world opens up & the heavy gang come out to play.
This is nothing to do with nationalities only greed & corruption.
My own personal experience over 20 years is that the Canarians are generally OK, some Spanish are rogues & the worst of the lot are the resident English business people doing a real stitch up on their naive fellow countrymen. This is particularly unpalletable as you dont see it coming. Getting justice is always difficult also as the legal system does not favour the victims.
If my take on your thread is correct & you want to reverse your current UK/Tenerife situation then I would say DO IT. This is a fabulous place. However do not buy any real estate initially. Try renting, maybe moving around every 6 months, check it out. You do not have to go very far out of Little England to be as Spanish as you want. San Isidro e.g.
Caveat emptor always.

[KirstyJay]

I think the best defence against being ripped off for any ex-pat resident in Tenerife, regardless of nationality, is to learn the language so you can defend yourself and understand exactly what you are paying for, or read the small print. Anyone that doesn't make this effort if they intend to live here permanently, or for a large portion of their year is asking for trouble.

I have saved a fortune in my 12 years here just because I understand. If you are ignorant to what is happening, then anyone that is inclined to do so WILL take advantage of your lack of understanding. Be it a local, a fellow ex-pat, or anyone else. There are crooks in all walks of life. You just have to ensure you don't allow yourself to become their next victim.

[Señor Quattro]

The comment about reality being invisible as a visitor is correct. You will of course get ripped off but only small time by amateur scallies.
However put some serious dosh down for, say, real estate & a whole new world opens up & the heavy gang come out to play.
This is nothing to do with nationalities only greed & corruption.
My own personal experience over 20 years is that the Canarians are generally OK, some Spanish are rogues & the worst of the lot are the resident English business people doing a real stitch up on their naive fellow countrymen. This is particularly unpalletable as you dont see it coming. Getting justice is always difficult also as the legal system does not favour the victims.
If my take on your thread is correct & you want to reverse your current UK/Tenerife situation then I would say DO IT. This is a fabulous place. However do not buy any real estate initially. Try renting, maybe moving around every 6 months, check it out. You do not have to go very far out of Little England to be as Spanish as you want. San Isidro e.g.
Caveat emptor always.

Hi Ricman

Thanks for these thoughts. Yes - I am considering the benefits of a few months renting to get a sense of a place. We have in the past tended to stay long enough (a few weeks) to stop feeling like a tourist but not long enough to appreciate things like paperwork, utilities, insurance etc. etc. The intention is to eventually buy real estate so it is here (not petty crime) that I'm interested in understanding more. "resident English business people doing a real stitch up on their naive fellow countrymen" Organised crime? Involving estate agents? As you say, this type of behaviour is everywhere, including the UK, so I'm particularly interested in what scams to look out for. We won't be looking for work nor doing any work that is oriented around the local economy.

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I think the best defence against being ripped off for any ex-pat resident in Tenerife, regardless of nationality, is to learn the language.

I'm pretty proficient - not fluent but good enough to not have to resort to English throughout an entire holiday. My UK based one-to-one Spanish teacher is from Candelaria.

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Maybe I need to learn to speak Russian.

[KirstyJay]

I'm pretty proficient - not fluent but good enough to not have to resort to English throughout an entire holiday. My UK based one-to-one Spanish teacher is from Candelaria.

Maybe I need to learn to speak Russian.Good for you. Many expats don't though. Russian isn't necessary unless you need to find a job, but if you did want to learn Russian, our academy has a very good Russian teacher now :D

[Señor Quattro]

if you did want to learn Russian, our academy has a very good Russian teacher now :D

Thanks KirstyJay. I don't want to learn Russian. At all. And I would really like the Spanish culture in the Canary Islands to remain Spanish, not follow the money and become Russian. If I wanted Russian culture I'd go to Russia.

[TenerifeTeddy]

I think the best advice is be to be wary and use people that have been recommended by other people that you know and trust.
This island does seem to attract sharks, and they feed on peoples ignorance and trust.

I have been here 8 years and been ripped off a couple of times by Brits. Many here are honest and hardworking (like us ) but there are always those ready to take advantage.

If you pay a deposit espically for real estate make sure it is paid into an escrow account and not into an unscrupulous agents pocket. Five years ago when the sale of our apartment fell through the agent pocketed the deposit of €9500 and when challenged over it closed up shop and disappeared back to his hole in the UK.

There are less sharks around now, the recession has seen a lot of the bottom feeders die out, but it still pays to be careful.

[warbey]

The Title of this Thread reflects on the "Islanders""

With a little more time spent there than You, I can say

hand on Heart, they are generally lovely People, and I include Mainland Spanish too.

In My Experience, You need to be careful when dealing with People who have moved in fron Other Places.
This includes the Indian People found in Electrical Shops, who would diddle their Own Mothers.
Some are nice People too, so not all are bent.
I am not in a Position to get involved with Property, but if I were, I would consult one of two People
who are Forum Members.

If I had the means to move to Tenerife, and enough to survive on, I would be inclined to go for it.

As a Holiday Location, a lot of Thieves come for the Pickings. Knowing this is a good way to start.
whils't still looking like a Holidaymaker.
Later on You will gradually be left alone as Your skin darkens.

Go for it, and enjoy Yourself..

[Tom & Sharon]

I am of the school of thought that Tenerife is full of sharks, but I suspect it doesn't differ from other similar places in the world where British ex pats " set up camp". I only have experience other than Tenerife, of mainland Spain, where my parents are, but it seems to be exactly the same. I've no experience of it, but I suspect that the other Canarian islands, the Balearics, and the Greek islands would be just the same.

If you wish to relocate to a "sunshine isle" you probably need to be as wary in all of them. It isn't something that will be unique to Tenerife.

[Angusjim]

I am of the school of thought that Tenerife is full of sharks, but I suspect it doesn't differ from other similar places in the world where British ex pats " set up camp". I only have experience other than Tenerife, of mainland Spain, where my parents are, but it seems to be exactly the same. I've no experience of it, but I suspect that the other Canarian islands, the Balearics, and the Greek islands would be just the same.

If you wish to relocate to a "sunshine isle" you probably need to be as wary in all of them. It isn't something that will be unique to Tenerife.

Sharon to be fair on mainland Spain the government also did quite a good job stitching up may home owners with land grabs & crooked local government officials ( I believe Tenerife have also had their share of them as well );)

[Tom & Sharon]

Sharon to be fair on mainland Spain the government also did quite a good job stitching up may home owners with land grabs & crooked local government officials ( I believe Tenerife have also had their share of them as well );)

Oh I think mainland Spain definitely won all the prizes for that Jim. My parents are embroiled in the middle of a court case at the moment actually. Spain is definitely corrupt on that score, and you really need all your wits about you.

We've not really had any experiences in Tenerife with corrupt Canarians, but I'm sure there are some!

The thing is, that the Brits tend to deal with the Brits. When you look for property, you do go to the British estate agents. We did. We went to "the award winning ones" - you know who I mean. You think you are dealing with people who have morals and integrity. They look the part, sound the part, and you feel as if you are buying property in UK. And that's how you can be fooled. You think UK laws and standards are being applied. But they're not. These are wolves in sheeps clothing. They are trying to bleed every last € from you. We came away fairly unscathed, because during our purchase we became suspicious of them, and didn't use any of their offered "services" but plenty do.

Now, I would know who to deal with to buy property fairly and honestly. But that's only something you learn in time.

Then when you arrive, there are people who will only too gladly take your money to arrange Nie's, empadronamientos, residencias, driving licences, health insurance, dental care. I've heard of people being charged 500€ for someone to do their residencia for them! It's that kind of thing that I mean. When people arrive, nice and naive, they normally have a decent bank account balance. That's when these people swoop. They're like vultures, picking your cash and charging for services you may not want or need. They befriend you, and then once all the cash has gone, they drop you and move on to the next lot.

It hasn't happened to us. We are cynical and wary to the extreme. But I have witnessed it happen to others first hand.

And then if you've got a pension fund in the UK, just follow the signs to the nice shiny office, where British "financial advisors" will be only too pleased to help and advise, and relieve you of that too.........

There's a reason these people operate outside of the UK, outside the strict codes of practice and regulations of the UK. And it's not because they want to help you!

[anto3]

Looking for friends I always say I take nothing I give nothing if you want to be my friend that is fine if not **** off. For electric stuff I just use Maya in Las America. For estate agents I use people that are on the Island for 20years and at the moment I am going through that process and when I when finish with them I will write some good stories on here. Mucho assholes akey.

[Señor Quattro]

When you look for property, you do go to the British estate agents. We did. We went to "the award winning ones" - you know who I mean. You think you are dealing with people who have morals and integrity. They look the part, sound the part, and you feel as if you are buying property in UK. And that's how you can be fooled. You think UK laws and standards are being applied. But they're not. These are wolves in sheeps clothing. They are trying to bleed every last € from you.

Thank you Tom and Sharon - this is precisely the kind of thing I was thinking about. This is very helpful advice.

I think it's the same everywhere. Not many of us would automatically invest immediate trust in our local estate agent or financial advisor - I've had my issues with those in the UK. The differences here are, as you imply, that (i) the paperwork can appear to be too complex to tackle without assistance, (ii) the foreign language for most expats adds an additional layer of complexity, (iii) away from home the comforting sound of an apparently friendly, English speaking 'helper' can be seductive and (iv) stringent laws are perhaps lacking in the financial services industries. Where there's money there will be people looking to appropriate it. I can see why places like las Islas Canarias attract these nefarious characters and it certainly answers my original question about what all this talk of sharks was about.

We were visiting (Spanish) friends in an apartment block last year and quickly picked out as tourists (to be fair we did look conspicuously like tourists) by an English chap who happened to be in the block. He clearly assumed that we were there to look at buying an apartment since it was off the beaten track and not a holiday rental location. He introduced himself as a 'property consultant' and gave us his card in case we needed any help. We didn't contact him so have no way of knowing if he was genuine or not but I can definitely see the potential for corruption.

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Looking for friends I always say I take nothing I give nothing if you want to be my friend that is fine if not **** off.

Completely on board with these sentiments. The friends we do have in Tenerife have never offered nor expected anything other than the simple pleasure of our company and us theirs. Four or five years is a long time to groom someone for an eventual payoff so we are increasingly of the view that they are genuine!

We are likely to ask for recommendations from a broad spectrum of people that we know and trust and take a consensus on those endorsements. Then apply plenty of scepticism before any money changes hands. It sounds like being prepared to do a lot of the paperwork ourselves and having a reasonable handle on the language will go some way to mitigating the dangers.

Thanks all for helpful input.

[Angusjim]

I think anyone looking to buy or sell property should seriously consider using the services of Forum members CIM & Young Golfer both are good honest people who give you no bull **** with the added benefits of expert advice from CIM about mortgages. Two Ex Pats doing it the right way:c2::c2:

[melm]

I think anyone looking to buy or sell property should seriously consider using the services of Forum members CIM & Young Golfer both are good honest people who give you no bull **** with the added benefits of expert advice from CIM about mortgages. Two Ex Pats doing it the right way:c2::c2:

Good recommendation AJ I agree ; If we were buying/selling we would most certainly use their services. Too late for us now should have bought years ago:wave:

[anto3]

These guys have been around a long time and as a old timer on here would trust them 100 per cent

[Tom & Sharon]

I think anyone looking to buy or sell property should seriously consider using the services of Forum members CIM & Young Golfer both are good honest people who give you no bull **** with the added benefits of expert advice from CIM about mortgages. Two Ex Pats doing it the right way:c2::c2:


Good recommendation AJ I agree ; If we were buying/selling we would most certainly use their services. Too late for us now should have bought years ago:wave:


These guys have been around a long time and as a old timer on here would trust them 100 per cent

Absolutely, you are right. But the OP does not know them from Adam. So should he trust us, and our opinions? He doesn't know us either!

This is the point really. You have to give yourself time, and find out for yourself. The OP will always find somebody, who will recommend somebody else. But how do you know who you can trust? Who's genuine? Who's a cheat and a liar? Who's a bar room ********?

I know the answer, and so do you. But the OP doesn't, and neither does anyone at the beginning. And that's why you have to be sooooo careful!

[YOUNG GOLFER]

Thanks for the nice comments fellow members......I agree with what Sharon is also saying mind you better to ask on a open forum were people can disagree if need be.
We have sold a few properties for forum members over the last few years one being a few weeks back and another forum members only last Wednesday. We also rent out a few properties belonging to members and happy to say no negative comments of yet. Better looking for someone to trust on here than in a little English bar after a few drinks. Also had today a forum member asking for advice buying a property direct through a bank spent 30mins with them and hopefully put their minds at rest on a few things.

[Tom & Sharon]

Thanks for the nice comments fellow members......I agree with what Sharon is also saying mind you better to ask on a open forum were people can disagree if need be.
We have sold a few properties for forum members over the last few years one being a few weeks back and another forum members only last Wednesday. We also rent out a few properties belonging to members and happy to say no negative comments of yet. Better looking for someone to trust on here than in a little English bar after a few drinks. Also had today a forum member asking for advice buying a property direct through a bank spent 30mins with them and hopefully put their minds at rest on a few things.

I knew you wouldn't mind me making the point though. ;) ;)

[CIM]

I knew you wouldn't mind me making the point though. ;) ;)

It is a good point. I often hear recommendations on here for many things, that simply make me cringe!

I guess the problem is how qualified are people in that specific field to recommend someone else? I liken it to car mechanics - I know nothing about them so if one fixes my car, great. But really I know that I simply don´t know if he´s done a good job for me - unless of course it falls to bits along the motorway and then I know he hasn´t.

Recommendations in Tenerife aren´t always what they appear - If you have a knack for seeing through bull**** then you´ll probably be fine. If however you find yourself swayed by smooth talkers, smartly dressed salesman etc then you will eventually come a cropper.

Thats not to take anything from the recommendations for both Young Golfer and myself of course, for which we are both very grateful and pleased to have - they definitely help and we´ve had people in the office specifically mention the forum so all good!