Being ripped off!? Not here...

Good post

What area do you stay in nilonilonilo?

This mirrors my experience, we live in Mosta, it's super villagey and friendly.

You just mention something and everyone is willing to help, neighbours invites you over to borrow sugar, always get free stuff from the green grocers.

Go eat out, order something new when it comes and you dont like it - even though no fault of theirs - they refund you the meal etcetc

Lived in several countries and I even grew up in a small town in rural south africa and the friendlyness here is amazing

Of course, like in every country there are good and bad people. I am having a good experience too but I've heard some pretty unfortunate things from others- mostly to do with greedy homeowners.
As for 'developed' countries having lost a sense of community, I think this is a common misperception. More of a rat race, yes, esp in big cities (of which Malta has none ).

We too experienced mega kindness, on a recent trip to see my daughter that lives in Naxxar we were out in her car and she got a puncture on her drivers side in Mosta.....i told her she couldn't drive on it as it would be much harder trying to drive on the rim and cause much more damage etc. Luckily it happened at the bottom of a road where there was a car garage. The garage manager came over to us asked if we were alright and promptly started getting the jack out ( I do know how to change it but it was a hire car and had no spare!) he gave us another tyre wouldn't take ANY cash and was genuinely kind and happy to help us! We bought him breakfast and coffee all the rest if the week I was there to thank him!
😁 Debbie

The Maltese are the kindest, most sincere and honest people I've ever met anywhere.

Hi all, i am totally new to all this and i would love all the help i can get please..

I hear you mention that the maltes are brilliant people  and i am looking into renting long term and wondering where the best and cheapest part of malta is to rent in and any information i can get would be brilliant,thank you

Some try to take their advantage, like everywhere, especially when you are a stranger/foreigner.
The more you become part of the "community", the better you'll be treated 

Since I learned the prices of some services, I'll not do some work myself anymore, but let other people earn some money ... and get a nice chat as bonus.
Example: 2 tyres lost air over some time (obviously damaged valve), so garage jacked up the car, removed one tyre, put in in the water basin to check for bubbles, replaced the whole valve (from the inside), inflated the tyre, checked again in the water basin, fixed the tyre on the car ... and repeated the same procedure with the second tyre.
invoice for 2 new valves and 20 minutes of work: EUR 4.80 
Same garage, service for the Land Rover, in total 14 litres of different oils and fluids (engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid, clutch fluid, grease) and 2 hrs work: EUR 138 
I remember the mess in my garage when I did the service myself 2 years ago 
Back in Austria few years ago they charged me 76 Euro + VAT for 1 hour of a car mechanic ! ... so I learned to do this by myself ... but here it's not necessary anymore   

Bormla

I just moved to Senglea (after a year in Sliema), and I'm experiencing the exact same things : neighbours welcoming us, helping us, repairs in the house made for free or for a ridiculous amount, everybody saying "hello" in the streets and giving us advices on what to do/ who to contact in case *insert random issue here* happens.

Thanks for your contribution.  My experience has also been very positive here in Malta...lived here now for 2 years and 5 months.  I have lived in the USA, Germany, the UK, and I can say that these people, with a couple of exceptions, are the best.

Hi all,

I totally agree with mantasmo! When I decided to move to Malta, I was lucky enough to find a studio within 3 days after my arrival. My landlady and my landlord are literally my Maltese family. They treated me as their own daughter, we spent together holidays and birthdays and they took care of me all the time. Whenever I needed them they were there for me, no matter what. They are the most wonderful people! I had the same experience with 99% of the Maltese people I got in touch with. I've lived there for 2 years and I cried like a baby when I had to leave. Can't wait to get back to Malta!

Hope you all will be able to see the divine spirit living in the Maltese people! I had this chance!
All the best!
Corina

Oh wow, these replies are filling me with so many optimistic hopes. Thanks folks!

Agreed. This is true pretty much everywhere. Open up a bit and you will eventually meet the good people; walk around afraid of getting "ripped off" everywhere you go, and it's all you'll see.

Guys and dolls in life everything has its good and bad even in Malta like other countries but at the least in Malta your the most secured when you compare with other countries so in life we should look at the half glass full not the other half (EMPTY) so just enjoy your stay summer is next door 

Quite agree Mar Lon M, too many people in life thinking negatively, in all countries/cultures there's good and bad, positives & negatives, but if you always look for the negatives you'll miss the positives. Life's too short to spend it complaining about what you don't like, spend it enjoying what you do like.

At least if we have bad things like other countries and like anything in the world we are living in Paradise at least so please to all forigners just enjoy this amazing island get all the good from it and leave the bad apart you are very lucky that you live here...

for small things, maltese can be helpful and kind. Did you buy a house, did you build a house, did you renovate a house, did you hire an architect, did you have appointments with plumbers, electricians, did you buy a second hand car, did you buy furniture.
I won't give you my opinion here, everybody is already happy. TRUE expats know the reality.

dumbonthepiano wrote:

for small things, maltese can be helpful and kind. Did you buy a house, did you build a house, did you renovate a house, did you hire an architect, did you have appointments with plumbers, electricians, did you buy a second hand car, did you buy furniture.
I won't give you my opinion here, everybody is already happy. TRUE expats know the reality.

I did most of this in fact, everything went perfectly fine and prices were fair. Still very happy with my house and still very good friends with the project manager (who's Maltese btw) 

After I came over my frustration period ...  ... I started finding ways to cash in on things people (local and foreign) cannot find here 
Be it a competent technical solution, consultancy or just an expertise which can be used to lower the offered price of an apartment, vehicle, repair job or refurbishing project.

There are a lot of annoying things, like everywhere else as well    and many other people face the same problem (as you can read in this forum).
But instead of getting upset about the status quo (I did, at the beginning, and even now from time to time  ), I figured out an way to bypass them and provide solutions for others in the same situation.

Especially in the building construction there are lot of local companies selling material and services, but since their own portfolio and workmanship is very limited and instead of proper engineering they only select from sales brochures and tables of their own distributed brands, the client never gets a customised solution.
Best example at the moment are PV installations, how many solutions I've seen which does not fit and - at the end - are overpriced for the actual requirement.
Or the "traditional" a/c business, once you prepare a comparison based on ROI calculations, to the client will chase away the best bidder and his outdated products.
Even comprehensive lighting designs of new office buildings are not even worth the paper they were written on when the basics are not correct.
... and any corrective measures "afterwards" are budget killers 

Take advantage of things you cannot change ... or dare to ask others for help