We were just walking around Fethiye early last evening and noted two new shops on the pedestrian lane that runs from where Defacto is on one corner and the back of Ramadan is on the other. (Soap Lady lane). What a difference in the two shops.
Coming down towards Defacto on the right hand side of this road. I noted a new very large shop with lots of bags and shoes etc., So we wandered in. Now I usually take a bag home for my daughter and/or my daughter in law. So just picked up a white fake Michael Kors bag for a quick look. Big mistake, the lady assistant came rushing over and asked me did I want it buy it. I said I am just browsing. She then got her calculator and showed me 80TL. I said thank you, will look around, next minute she brought another white bag. I said, yes it is nice. i was finding it impossible to browse.
I always like to look first and then possibly take a picture and send it home, but I did remark to Phil that I thought the white one was possibly one we could take back. Next thing a guy came over with the woman and said 70 Lira for the bag and then started to show me it. I said, look I am browsing for gifts so just let me look around, ( I had also seen some shoes I liked). Then he said, O.K. 60 Lira. I said, I will think about it and tried to get over to the shoes, he then said 50 Lira. So, I said I don't want to buy it right away. Then to our utter surprise, he said to me...Go away, you waste my time and my breath which is precious to me. I will not speak to you again. He gestured at us to get out.. So, that is just what we did. I would not buy from this shop and would advise everyone else to do the same. I have never know such a pushy rude man. He probably would have got a sale from me and I would have been back, but not now. This the sort of treatment I have never experienced in Fethiye and I was really shocked. Phil said this guy must be totally mad to speak to potential customers like this.
I think the shop is called Mendasa It has a big red sign over the top, will check next time I am in.
Suffering from shell shock, we went into the next new shop along which is nearer De Facto. A lovely shop full of Turkish Pottery, Crafts etc., A young couple are running it and they were so nice and not at all pushy. They left us to browse. Lovely stuf and spoilt for choice. We spent about 120 TL and will be back to buy more. The young lady told us they were married and it was their shop.. I hope this shop does well, because this young couple know how to run a business properly. They were very polite and courteous. Incidentally, the lovely decorated tins with soap in at the door display are only 7.50 TL in Calis they are 15 TL. Had to have one of them, soaps smells so good. Glad we visited this shop after our bad experience as it renewed our faith in the genuine shopkeepers of Fethiye
