Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Calis Beach Forum => Expat & Property Owners Q and A Forum => Topic started by: tails77 on August 26, 2013, 19:45:33 PM
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I am having a moan. Why is it when you ask for a quote for improving the garden and pool maintenance these companies always ask how many people living in the block, then send you a ridiculously priced quote that they think you are stupid enough to pay. I cannot believe that a quote can be £2000 to add onto the already existing pool terrace area, perhaps I am wrong. If anyone has any contacts for paving work etc in the garden, that misses out the maintenance companies, then please let me know, or how to order your own chuckle (stone). Added to this, it has also been an absolute nightmare trying to find companies that will do pool maintenance in our area, with one quote coming in at £1500 pound for the pool for 5 months. Apparently, villas have smaller pools than us...our pool is not that big, honestly. Moan over, but any recommends would be appreciated.
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Its one of my pet hates 'quotes'. Some companies think we are millionaires who were born yesterday. We have never worked before, we don't know about electrics, plumbing, car engines, tiling etc etc We obviously had servants to all this for us in our previous life!!!!
The thing that gets my goat is when you ask for a quote and their reply is "where do you live?" I reply it doesn't matter where I live just give me a quote. They are sussing where you live to work out how much money you have and adjust their quote accordingly!. When I tell them that does not matter, just give me a quote, some have got very shirty.
We had a wonderful experience when we wanted some granite for a job. The marble man asked our builder, who was with us at the meeting, how much to charge us. He spoke to him in Turkish without realising we understood every word. When we asked him, in Turkish, why he was asking our builder what to charge (the builder was innocent of any collusion by the way) he went bright red and did not know what to say other than " you speak Turkish?" "EVET" was our reply! Surprisingly the final bill was a fraction of the original 'thought process'!
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Had this problem on 2 occasions. The first time we wanted our flat roof re-grouted. The first quote form a Turkish company was for 6000 tl. the second was for 3000tl and the third was for 600tl Needles to say we went with the 3rd quote. 2 years ago we wanted to build a roof cover of heavy duty metal and got quotes. Again ridiculous quotes costing up to 9000tl. One man wanted to charge us 700tl for 16 squares or metal 10 cms x 10cms. They actually cost 70tl as we had already priced up the whole job previous to getting the quotes and even though we told the men that we did not want them to use any other specs for the metal than what we had given them they still came back with metal half the size and a price that was grossly inflated. My Husband decided to build the roof himself and even though he wasn't qualified in welding he succeeded in completing the job in march last year for a total cost of 2200tl. The Turkish companies must think we are all stupid to ask for these grossly inflated prices and I do hope you have some luck getting someone to do what you want at a sensible price.
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Well, thank you for these responses. I will not give up on the garden quotes just yet, but boy it is very frustrating!
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I used to have all trades looking to get business and remember a painting company coming to the office to ask if they could quote for any jobs our customers may have in future. I was looking to get our house done so thought this would be a good way to see how they operated. They came and looked around and gave me a price which I was expecting to be super keen - I nearly fell over when they told me. I told them no way in a million years and they instantly halved it there and then. Now this really irritated me, they want not the business of painting my house but many more in future and just showed me they are chancers who look to make an obscene amount, then if that fails fall into reasonable territory.
I told them there was no way I could recommend them to my customers, and I asked them to leave. They became a little panicked, and told me they would take me to buy the paint myself and they would paint the house "as a gift". I asked them to leave and half an hour later they finally did. I never saw them again.
This is the attitude that drove me insane, I have plenty of similar stories unfortunately.
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We obviously had servants to all this for us in our previous life!!!!
Quite right sir, well said ... shall I prepare the morning room now?
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The most ridiculous quote."I know,I know"when you can see from their expression they aint got a bl**dy clue.
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This is the main reason why ten years ago a 20 year Renault 9 (or something simliar) was the most popular car on the roads in Calis. Look now - big 4x4's and pick ups.
"The English are coming "
We had a quote for our balcony enclosing the other month. One builder was recommeneded to us so we thought we would give him a chance to quote. As soon as he turned up in his big 4x4 we had a feeling it would be a high quote. Nice chap. Spoke good English and obviously knew his stuff.
His quote - £3500 ytl
Local window man in village - 1750 ytl
Guess who got the job?
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without appearing to defend the extortionate quotes given by various Turkish companies, they are what they are, "just quotes" You either accept or you don't. It's not only the Turks who are guilty of this.
I do remember the practise of double glazing salesman in the UK. For example quoting £7000 for a job, but stating "if you sign tonight we will do it for £4000. After a phone call to his boss, that quote is now £3000. Needles to say most are quickly shown the door, but not everyone. There are stiil plenty of gullible people that fall for this type of sales tactic.
Regarding maintenace, and the remark "where do you live" he should also ask "how many Turks live on you complex, most just won't pay.
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Being ripped off by every" tradesman" in Fethiye was indeed a learning curve for us. We luckily found a man who arranges all our building and maintenance and now we never go anywhere else. He replaced our roof and when a neighbour wanted the same job done he got 3 quotes. one quote was 3 times the price.
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Would you not wish to "name and fame" him, tonysue
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Celal, I have his number too but dont want to be accused Skimming :o :P
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We used to get ridiculous quotes for everything, even small repairs. Now we have Dr John or his son Cem (neighbours) organise repairs etc. who are the most trustworthy people who know exactly who to use and what to pay.
Its not always easy to find someone that you can trust to that extent but there are lots of people recommended on here for all sorts of services so my advice is search for what you need here.
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Yes I was going to say the same - double glazing is a major job and one of just a handful of industries in the UK where we would pretty much expect fun and games prior to finding the real price.
The deeply frustrating thing about Turkey is that it happens on all levels, the double glazing right down to needing one nut and bolt this size - nearly everyone seems to have your cash in their sights, and not just a small mark up.
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Being ripped off by every" tradesman" in Fethiye was indeed a learning curve for us. We luckily found a man who arranges all our building and maintenance and now we never go anywhere else. He replaced our roof and when a neighbour wanted the same job done he got 3 quotes. one quote was 3 times the price.
We were fortunate enough to benefit from mistakes others had made when we bought 6 years ago. We are just as fortunate to still have the same contractor to look after our site and everyone's problems. He is a freind to all and would do anything for anyone.
He just rings someone to arrange any jobs that owners need doing and makes nothing. If he should arrange to do any major jobs he collects quotes from each trade that is used and adds 10%. He then takes responsibilty for the whole job.
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The paint is already peeling in some places on our villa and it was only completed 2 years ago. Its been patched a few times by the builder. I don't know the reason for this - whether the paint was put on before the underlying plaster was completely dry - or whether the wrong type of paint was used - or whatever. We have painted render on our house in the UK and it lasts for many years. Bad workmanship in our Turkish villa, poor/wrong product? How to fix so paintwork can last for at least 5 years?
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Sounds like no barrier against damp - a common problem and there's no easy remedy. Rubbing down and painting every year or two (depending on the extent of the problem and the dampness of the area) is about the best option without huge expense. By coincidence I saw photos of the one year old Jiva Beach Resort Hotel tonight, and it appears to have big damp problems too.
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ArtyMar ıf you saw how much water was pumped for weeks from your plot you would know why you have this problem. We are all built on reclaimed reed beds and its a common problem round here. Bıte the bullet and rub down and repaınt or get ıt treated but that will only last a couple of years then back to square one. Our treatment has lasted 2 years so far but bet we have to start agaın next year. What not to do is put slate/tile claddıng on the area outside because the damp will go inside and up higher.
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Yeah, thanks Scunner and Quackers, I'll ask Rainbow's opinion also when I see them next week. To do rub down and repaint seems like a big expensive job, requiring scaffold etc and all this when we don't even have a Tapu in our names!
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Scaffold!
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Turkish definition of scaffold: 2 x pieces of old 3x3 timber knocked into the wall at 90(ish) degrees, 3 metres apart with a 6x1 piece of old twisted timber laid accross the 2. :-\ 8)
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We have a few patches of flaking paint around our place, we scrape it off & repaint the few patches every year. Its all low down though, no need for scaffold. I think it is just poor (non existent) damp proofing. Someone suggested painting first with a damp repelling paint but if the damp is rising it will come out somewhere so its easier to just patch it.
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Interestingly enough.
Watched Grif Riss Jones last night on the restoration of an old farm. First episode.
It was very good.
Comments by builder, aritech(Spelling) and restorer is that. These buildings don't have rising damp or damp courses. Dont install one or you will get damp.
My, sorry , our hose has 2 foot thick walls and we dont get damp patches.
Also, interesting enough.
Put some long hair on Andy and he will be a twin for Riss.
LOL
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Why is it in Turkey that we are often asked what we have paid for something previously before any further quote is given, too??!
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So they can undercut by just enough to get the job without going too low. 8)
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Someone over there told me that what happens is, they quote a price and if you show surprise (a happy surprise) then they up the next quote for the next people. They continue to do this until the look of happy surprise doesn't come and that's the correct price.
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I think that's more like it!
We met some people who had a larger villa and garden maintained for 500TL a 1/4. They chanced their arm, asked how much we were paying for a more 'professional' outfit, then tried to say £1000 a year.
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A year or two ago I received a call from a guy who tries to sell houses (even though he isn't an agent) telling me he had Russian customers who were very interested in our house. He further explained that they would expect to see the house in perfect condition - so he would need to arrange to have it cleaned and the garden done. Also, Russians are put off by empty pools with leaves in the bottom, he told me, but he could get the pool cleaned and up and running easily.
With all the above he was certain they would buy it. Out of vague interest I asked him how much the cleaning, garden tidy and pool would cost. £1,200!!!
When I told him to sling his hook he said he could arrange it for £600. I told him I simply wasn't interested, and that if these Russian people can't imagine what a pool might look like filled then they shouldn't be buying property abroad.
Somewhat disappointingly he informed me later that day that the Russian couple (who you will remember would definitely buy my house) had decided on reflection not to view it at all :D