Who to trust in argentina - expats !

Hi Charlie,

sorry but I had to moderate the company's name you're talking about. We don't allow people coming here and talk about this or that company when they didn't present themselves before. Most of the time they want to advertise their own business, which is not expat-blog's goal (to offer free advertisement).

Thanks for your comprehension,

Julien

Julien, I agree, smells of advertising a business.
It's not true that all Argentines are bad to deal with. Some may try to take advantage of you (but what's new with that though because no matter where you go in the world - expats and tourists most often end up paying more than locals or don't know how the system works), but I've seen some companies that I know to be American or with American partners in Buenos Aires that are completely taking advantage of foreigners.

On our last trip to find a place to live, I emailed both Argentine and American companies and to be honest I got replies from both. I also didn't get replies from some companies, and not all of those were Argentine.

Bottom line is to go in with your eyes and ears open and talk to as many people as possible who have already dealt with people there and can recommend those people that are reliable and trustworthy, and even then, you can never be sure that you won't have a bad experience.

If anyone wants to talk to me more about this, feel free to email me.
Laura
movingtoargentina.typepad.com

A friend of mine visited Argentina a few years back and had a wonderful experience.  In keeping with the Board Policy of no specific business name recommends on here feel free to email me or send a message I will be happy to provide a contact.  He said it was truly a great experience.  TO THE MODERATOR I HOPE THIS MESSAGE DOESNT VIOLATE THE BOARD POLICIES.

i have had to deal with many business here. never had a problem with honesty yet. It's not like other countries such as cuba where there are three economies (one for tourists and one for locals + the black market). As a tourist you'll pay more for housing (due to it's usually furnished and short term nature, but almost everything else is the same, with only a few small touristy exeptions coming to mind. But even those differences are small. Like all companies you just need to do your research first. But saying argentine companies are risky and not pleasurable to deal with is a unfair generalization.

Aerolinas Argentina seems to have a different pricing option depending on where you are a resident and their website is not clear about it and may give you a reservation for a price that you can't get when you go to pay for your ticket!

Aerolineas Argentina does have two pricing systems, one for residents who can show a DNI and the other for foreigners/tourists. There are many places that have a two tiered system particularly if it's something that a tourist might use. For instance the Tren de la Costa comes to mind. I unfortunately have to agree with a previous poster that many prices do get jacked up if you're not from Argentina or even often if you're in Buenos Aires and you're not a Porteno. But, that happens in many places in the world, it's not just Argentina being singled out.

sapphos wrote:

...There are many places that have a two tiered system particularly if it's something that a tourist might use...
...But, that happens in many places in the world, it's not just Argentina being singled out.

Yes it happens in many places in the world but the price difference can be *really high* here in Argentina sometimes.  I.e. I was once told that a certain transfer at Iguazú would cost foreigners US$40 and when I asked what the price for locals was the man admitted it was only 25 pesos! i.e. 5 times less...

Anyway, the good thing is that I don't notice this happening as often now as it did a few years back.

I'm married to a local and have been here for 7 months now.  As confirmed in previous posts above, the two tier pricing system definitely exists in tourism and real estate rentals.  Many tourist areas (Recoleta, Puerto Madero) charge a premium and because the tourists don't venture off the beaten track, they're unaware that there is better quality to be had, often at a fraction of the cost. 
It's interesting to note however, that even with the premium prices many tourists feel Argentina is still good value compared to what they would pay closer to home.  My advice would be, if you're planning a visit, research, google and review blogs as much as possible before you come, so you can hit the ground running.  When you arrive shop around and most of all ENJOY!

I've been living in Argentina for 3 years now. Prices can be different for local people but once you are in, it's ok. Neverhteless, I would suggest people who "freshly" arrive here to be carefull on one point: Argentines who are "too" friendly and want to help you for free, who take you to visit places... might have some interest in helping you. In a way or another, you may find out after a while that they are looking for money.
Also, I would suggest if you rent a house / flat to make sure there is an alarm system.
If you want to buy a house / flat, do your shoping before buying. In that case, prices often drop for us! The best is to visit houses where the price is written in newspapers...
Enjoy the place, be careful and everything will go fine!