Consumer Protection Agency in Buenos Aires

[earlyretirement]

i have only had one bad experience with an uber driver. generally i find it works pretty well. i prefer to use cabify when i can because they seem to have better quality cars.

Mine haven't been "bad experiences" per se. Just that it's not a great experience and nothing to justify the hassle factor of waiting for an Uber that NEVER seems to be the initial time that it says on the App. In most cities around the world that I've used Uber, the time that it says it will take to get to me isn't far off from the actual time. But in BA it takes quite a bit longer and several times I just had to cancel the Uber and take one of the many taxis that have passed by in the same time.

 

[Ceviche]

Mine haven't been "bad experiences" per se. Just that it's not a great experience and nothing to justify the hassle factor of waiting for an Uber that NEVER seems to be the initial time that it says on the App. In most cities around the world that I've used Uber, the time that it says it will take to get to me isn't far off from the actual time. But in BA it takes quite a bit longer and several times I just had to cancel the Uber and take one of the many taxis that have passed by in the same time.

In my case, I give lot of value to my time. Every minute is important for me. The 15% I save for the cheaper Uber - while the driver gets lost several times before arriving to pick me up and then gets lost several times before arriving at my intended destination. Its just not worth it. There is something nice about hailing a taxi with a flick of finger..there is a taxi passing almost every minute in major barrios of BA except during football matches or extremely rainy days. And the GPS noise of the route drives me crazy and the drivers are so dumb that they are unable to follow the route despite it.

Many of the taxi drivers of BA are 70+ and I find them really worth it unlike the torture of sitting in UBer infront ( lack of privacy as E. Retirement mentioned plus the GPS noise and loss of time).

 

[earlyretirement]

In my case, I give lot of value to my time. Every minute is important for me. The 15% I save for the cheaper Uber - while the driver gets lost several times before arriving to pick me up and then gets lost several times before arriving at my intended destination. Its just not worth it. There is something nice about hailing a taxi with a flick of finger..there is a taxi passing almost every minute in major barrios of BA except during football matches or extremely rainy days. And the GPS noise of the route drives me crazy and the drivers are so dumb that they are unable to follow the route despite it.

Many of the taxi drivers of BA are 70+ and I find them really worth it unlike the torture of sitting in UBer infront ( lack of privacy as E. Retirement mentioned plus the GPS noise and loss of time).

Exactly! Most of the Uber drivers that I've had are fairly clueless. They were younger and didn't really seem to have a clue (forget about basic things like directions) but just about life in general. With taxi drivers in BA, as Ceviche mentioned they tend to be older. But also many have really interesting backgrounds. Many are highly educated. I always joke BA has some of the most educated taxi drivers in the world.

So unless I'm busy on work calls, I will converse with the taxi drivers in Buenos Aires. About politics, about life, about the City, weather or when planned roads will be busy with protestors. They tend to be well informed and super interesting for the most part. As Ceviche mentioned, I HATE having to listen to that GPS directions constantly running street by street on each turn.

The taxi drivers know each street for the most part. Sometimes there are multiple routes and they will ask which I prefer to take or which I think is faster. The Uber drivers for the most part have no clue. Yes, the only times I've had issues with finding taxis is when it's raining hard out, on Christmas or New Years Eve/Day or during soccer games. But other than that taxis are everywhere and typically even when I tried Uber, I'l see at least 5 to 10 taxis passing while waiting for the Uber.

Sometimes I'd be in office meetings and forget to get cash so I'd take Uber only because I don't have to have any cash but most times it's almost painful waiting for them each time or watching on my iPhone as they get lost trying to get to my location.

 

[sts7049]

maybe you guys have bad luck i've never had ubers get lost. yeah sometimes some of them are a little clumsy with the navigation or app, but if they don't give a good experience i don't rate them well.

personally i refuse to use taxis unless absolutely necessary. their cars are a disaster, smell of smoke constantly, and i don't trust them to use cash or not take advantage of a foreigner.

 

[earlyretirement]

maybe you guys have bad luck i've never had ubers get lost. yeah sometimes some of them are a little clumsy with the navigation or app, but if they don't give a good experience i don't rate them well.

personally i refuse to use taxis unless absolutely necessary. their cars are a disaster, smell of smoke constantly, and i don't trust them to use cash or not take advantage of a foreigner.

Very strange to hear that you don't trust taxis or wouldn't trust them with cash or take advantage of a foreigner. Sure, there might be some bad apples out there but I've never run across any. Plus I've had so many friends and clients that have visited me since the last 90's. Never did any of them have any issues.

I do agree the cars are nicer in the Uber but like Ceviche I put a value on my time.

 

[jantango]

The new Comuna 3 offices in Spinetto Shopping Mall (the entire square block of Moreno & Pichincha & Alsina & Matheu) opened this week after a delay of almost two years. If you live in Balvanera or San Cristobal, this is your place to handle all kinds of city business including community mediation, consumer protection complaints, licenses, AGIP, etc.

I visited the new offices today (after going to Sarandi 1273 that has closed) to file a complaint against the owner and tenant of an apartment in our building that has cockroaches in the apartment and rats in the garden for many years. The owner does nothing to help. The administrator of the apartment does nothing except collect the rent, and the tenant continues living in a mess that is a health and fire hazard affecting the lives of everyone building. After 16 years, it was time to file a complaint with Mediacion Comunitaria.

Much to my surprise, the young woman handling my complaint was an American from Atlanta, Georgia USA, who is bi-lingual, so she was able to get this job with the city government. I explained the situation, provided correspondence with names, addresses, etc. and she completed the mediation request form and asked me which date and time was convenient for the meeting. The people notified must appear.

Comuna 3 has English speakers for both Mediation and Consumer Protection.

Today was the mediation hearing with a tenant in our building. Today was also the grand opening of Comuna 3 with a very large gathering of city employees including Mayor Horacio Larreta. I arrived early for the noon mediation appointment, checked in at the front desk, and waited to be called by the mediator. At 12:15, the mediator Adrian Escouteloup asked if I wanted to wait a bit longer, and I said that I did under the circumstances. They allow a tolerance of 15 minutes for the scheduled appointment for mediation and consumer protection. I ended up rescheduling another date for mediation with Paige Medley, the American from Atlanta. At 1:20 she called me at home to let me know that the tenant did show up for mediation a few minutes after my departure, and that because of the opening ceremony with Horacio Larreta, he couldn't access the Mediation area. The tenant asked that the mediation be scheduled on a Tuesday, since he couldn't attend on a Monday at noon. I agreed and was emailed the new notice of mediation on Nov 13 at noon. Today was the most complicated day for an appointment in Comuna 3, but at least things were rescheduled.

Oct 30 at 9:30 is the meeting with our consorcio administrator and Dra. Liliana Riesgo (lawyer) of the consumer protection agency.

 

[earlyretirement]

Today was the mediation hearing with a tenant in our building. Today was also the grand opening of Comuna 3 with a very large gathering of city employees including Mayor Horacio Larreta. I arrived early for the noon mediation appointment, checked in at the front desk, and waited to be called by the mediator. At 12:15, the mediator Adrian Escouteloup asked if I wanted to wait a bit longer, and I said that I did under the circumstances. They allow a tolerance of 15 minutes for the scheduled appointment for mediation and consumer protection. I ended up rescheduling another date for mediation with Paige Medley, the American from Atlanta. At 1:20 she called me at home to let me know that the tenant did show up for mediation a few minutes after my departure, and that because of the opening ceremony with Horacio Larreta, he couldn't access the Mediation area. The tenant asked that the mediation be scheduled on a Tuesday, since he couldn't attend on a Monday at noon. I agreed and was emailed the new notice of mediation on Nov 13 at noon. Today was the most complicated day for an appointment in Comuna 3, but at least things were rescheduled.

Oct 30 at 9:30 is the meeting with our consorcio administrator and Dra. Liliana Riesgo (lawyer) of the consumer protection agency.

Thanks for the follow up post. Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

 

[sts7049]

"At 1:20 she called me at home to let me know that the tenant did show up for mediation a few minutes after my departure, and that because of the opening ceremony with Horacio Larreta, he couldn't access the Mediation area"

call me skeptical but this just smells like a convenient excuse.

 

[jantango]

No, it was a legitimate excuse. There was a mass of people in the main reception area of Comuna 3, where the escalator and elevator were restricted from use. I used the stairway to leave. People were not allowed to enter unless they were there for the ceremony. It was the most inconvenient time to expect my neighbor to arrive for the mediation on time. At least he did show up and talk with Paige, the person who scheduled it. There was nothing that I or the Comuna staff could do about the situation except reschedule the mediation hearing. I told the lawyer who will mediate that I've waited years to do something about this problem with the neighbor, so waiting three more weeks is fine with me.

 

[jantango]

The hearing for my complaint with our consorcio administrator was held today at Comuna 3 at Spinetto Shopping in Balvanera. The lawyer who handled the mediation asked me to confirm what I presented in my complaint: that we have no fire insurance; the owners' book is not current for voting at meetings of the consorcio; and the monthly liquidation does not show the consorcio bank account and funds. These are the four points I filed the complaint, aIthough I had many others. The administrator waved papers and defended her actions. After listening to both of us, the lawyer summarized the mediation and prepared an agreement stating all the actions the administrator has to complete at a meeting of the consorcio in November or be sanctioned. She is forced to do the job we hired and pay her to do. I thought she managed 20 consorcios, but told me she manages 30 -- an impossible job for one person. It's no wonder she is unresponsive to calls and emails. Far too many administrators in the city work the same way. Consorcios take no action against them, and they continue doing as little as possible while collecting monthly salaries.

Our agreement states that the administrator must hold a meeting during the month of November 2018, the orders of the day will be: appointment of the owners' council (consejo de consorcio), intimate the owners to register their signatures in the signature book of owners, as well as present property title or declaratory to who has not done so yet, debtors of expenses, Janis Kenyon proposes to be depository of the documentation box of previous administrators and the fate of them will be submitted to vote of the consorcio. That day she will also carry the books so that any owner has access to them. Also she must complete in the monthly form of MIS EXPENSAS with the missing data that was discussed in this hearing.

I am satisfied with this agreement. At least it's a start to getting our consorcio matters in proper legal and financial order. If the administrator does not complete the terms of our agreement, she is in violation of the law and subject to sanctions.