From the other side of the fence

From the other side of the fence

We've talked a lot about what the Filipinos are like. Here's a true story from an expat about how the expats did him wrong. As I've mentioned before, some of the expats here are as bad or worse then the Filipinos at times. You need to always be on your guard....

This is his real experience here:

Often we read on here of dodgy contractors doing dirty deals to expats.

Lets see a couple of cases from the other side of the fence.

Client from previous work rings up “Help, I have a major water leak but can’t find it” All our guys are busy so as a good will thing I decide to go and help out rather than say “sorry, too busy”

Turns out it’s a under slab leak so start digging inspection holes trying to pin it down and follow the pipe run. Mr X actually visits me several times during the work, discusses things then leaves.

Day 2 trying again to find the leak. Mr X visits repeatedly, at one point saying “ Because it’s you doing the work, I hope you won’t charge me a fortune!”

I reply, “No, just the same rate as if it was one of the guys”

After Day 2 he decides to stop digging, “Do me a quote for a complete re-plumb”

Leave site, do the quote, and send in a bill for 2 days labour.

He rings up, “your quote is too dear, and I am not paying you the two days because you did not find the leak!! You failed at your job so i am not paying you”

(As justice, he had someone else do the re-plumb. The pipework burst above ceiling and brought half the ceiling down)



Case 2

Client Y had us texture about 1/3 of a ceiling that he had recently installed. Other 2/3rds were about 4 yrs old.

“Wow, I love your texture, next week do the rest of my ceiling so its all the same and matches”

Bought the materials, did the work, carried on with other works on his site. Told him how much the ceiling was going to be.

Client Y says “I said paint the rest of the ceiling, not texture it. Paint is nowhere near the cost of texture. I’m not paying that. I wanted you to paint my texture”

Okay I said, lets meet in the middle. Lets agree a figure that you are happy to pay. No response except I will think about it.

Rings me up, “Don’t bother finishing the ceiling, I will do it myself” But its all done I say. “Oh…is it?” says Mr Y

Ended up paying me ¼ the cost.


Both cases within the last 18 mnths here in Cebu. Both cases expats. So as you can see, it's not always the contractor who is the shark!!!!!