Looking for a flatshare in BsAs? Beware of Piso Compartido

[EufemiaEudoxia]

I had a chance to live there for a month and it is only because I needed a room in Bs As very urgently. It is about the attitude of its owners, that I find absolutely unacceptable.

Just before going to Bs As when I was on the phone with them, they were like: call us when you land on Ezeiza, so that we can come and give you the key. The first thing I did when I landed was to call Piso Compartido. I called and called and called and nobody responded. Imagine the situation you are in Argentina for the first time in your life, you have not slept for 36 hours and you practically have no place to go as the people you agreed to contact simply do not answer their cell phone! The good thing is I knew the exact address ( the website does not show it), so I took the chance and just went there. People who lived there ( other foreigners), who opened me the door were absolutely surprised, but helpful enough to offer me their own bed so that I could stretch my legs and take a nap waiting for somebody from Piso Compartido to appear.

Javier, the guy from Piso Compartido appeared with a slight delay of 5 hours and his explanation to this situation was like: Sorry but I was sleeping(!). As I did not have the local currency, he asked me to pay in Euros even if I insisted on a partial payment till I would exchange the money on the following day. He made me pay in Euros calculating the lowest posssible exchange rate, so that I would pay as much Euros as possible. He earned about 100 pesos to his pocket on this " transaction"!

There was the same problem with communication when I was leaving the house. He would not respond to my emails nor calls for three days before my scheduled moving out, which was important because of paid and refundable deposit. Luckily, I did not have that tight schedule with flights etc and I could have waited. Yet, I cannot imagine having such an attitude to people who move out and are about to head to the airport! When he eventually appeared, his explanation was the same: Sorry, I was sleeping(!)

Last but not least, there were also other minor downsides of living there, like constant parties, missing food in the fridge and a room that would not lock at all.

Concluding, I just hope this post will help other expats to think twice before they decide to have something to do with Piso Compartido.

 

[esllou]

sad to hear about your problems. I've always believed in the expression "you get what you pay for" (or better, "pay peanuts, get monkeys"). Was it that cheap?? I hope for your sake it was

 

[jez]

I assume you are talking about: PisoCompartido.com.ar ??

There was the same problem with communication when I was leaving the house. He would not respond to my emails nor calls for three days before my scheduled moving out, which was important because of paid and refundable deposit. .

I'm not saying I agree with them, especially when the terms and conditions are only on the Spanish section of their site & in Spanish but:

"Check out

Es necesario que nos avises tu partida de Piso Compartido con al menos quince días de anticipación, indicando fecha y hora de salida."

You have to advise them 15 days before with your departure details.

Did you sign a contract when you moved in?

As I did not have the local currency, he asked me to pay in Euros even if I insisted on a partial payment till I would exchange the money on the following day. He made me pay in Euros calculating the lowest posssible exchange rate, so that I would pay as much Euros as possible. He earned about 100 pesos to his pocket on this " transaction"!

It's standard to take payment when you arrive. If he gives you the keys and you don't pay he will have a hell of a legal problem evicting you.

Also from their terms and conditions:

"Check in

Al momento de ingresar a Piso Compartido te hacemos entrega de las llaves de la casa y recibimos de tu parte la renta del mes, que puede ser en Pesos Argentinos o en Dólares o Euros al cambio del día. "

so I took the chance and just went there. People who lived there ( other foreigners), who opened me the door were absolutely surprised, but helpful enough to offer me their own bed so that I could stretch my legs and take a nap waiting for somebody from Piso Compartido to appear.

Totally surprised because that wasn't the usual service??

Why not send Javier an email with a link to this website and let him put his side of the story. I believe you had a hard time, but if someone posted negative comments about my property rental on a forum I would to be given the opportunity to respond to them.

 

[rihornos]

Hello
First thing it is not compulsory to pay in dollars or in euros I also rent a flat and never ask for dollars, if I want dollars I go and buy them, and second to leave someone waiting either because she is arriving or leaving the place is not the best idea of service. You don`t tell us if the place was at least nice.
regards
Reina

 

[EufemiaEudoxia]

Yes, exactly this is it: PisoCompartido.com.ar. Of course they had been informed more than 2 weeks in advance about my intention of moving out. I decided to do it, even if my initial plan was to remain there for a longer period, because of their attitude especially because I was paying a lot of money for a room that would not even lock. As for the contract, of course I did not sign any contract with them.

 

[jez]

As for the contract, of course I did not sign any contract with them.

Did you get a receipt for the refundable deposit you paid?

 

[EufemiaEudoxia]

I paid the deposit and did not get any written confirmation. My Argentine friends when they learned about it were like: You can forget about the deposit...Anyhow, I got it back, which is at least something.

 

[marksoc]

Any place that tries to suck from the foreigner tit is to be avoided. Respectable people would charge you the same that they charge an Argentinean for the same service. But PC do some wicked parties,I´ll give you that. Of course they´re on it only for the money (and lots of it). Try to share an apartment with an argentinean next time (using this site, CS, maybe Craigslist, many others).
Sorry PC people, I like when people make money from their work, not from the effort of others.

 

[EufemiaEudoxia]

Any place that tries to suck from the foreigner tit is to be avoided. Respectable people would charge you the same that they charge an Argentinean for the same service.

It is true, a foreigner should not pay more than the local person. Yet the reality is different. Looking for another place here I visited quite a lot of rooms and flats, it is scandalous sometimes how the locals here try to rip us off and what they offer for this price.

 

[Amargo]

Well, I think everyone should pay the same. But the point is that Argentines must present a lot of guarantees which foreigners can't. For the owners is then 'more risky' to rent to foreigners because of the missing guarantees. And risk means more money.
Surely there are many landlords who exagerate this too.