[cebuexpat]

I have held my tounge long enough on this one.... I am not singling anyone, nor do i even remember who wrote, most of the things I read... So dont anyone think I am talking about them personally.....

I have seen on forums all over the Philippines, and also from personal experience here. Expats or soon to be expats will post or talk about, well did you go to this restaurant, or go to that bar, or this massage place, or that spa... Then they will continue with oh yes, and it was only P ???? which is a very large amount. Some paying up to P 1000 per a meal, or staying at a resort for P 20,000 to 30,000 per night..... Now I am so happy for them, and hope they can do that everday of their life. I wish they could have what ever they want or do what ever they want in life....

Here is my beef... Some of the same ones, ones I know personally, (not on this forum) and then others I see posting and see articles from, are the very same ones who if they come to your business, they will bitch about a P 60 for a beer. They will die if you say they is entrance fee if you watch the show and dont eat, (Very small amount) they will act like you have took their first born child when you give them the bill.... But then again, you see them posting and telling you where they eat, what they done, where they have been, all that is very expensive....

Dam, I cant even do that. I have one friend here a expat, him and his wife has a high class of friends. They go to the nicest restaurants, they wear the nicest clothes, and go to all kinds of fancy get togethers... When he is dealing with me, well you would think he is living on the street. Oh give me discount this, give me discount that, oh that too much, oh i cant afford that. One day I finally told him.... You need to stop bringing all that sad, sob story's to me and putting on my back... Why not give that to the ones you spend most of your time with and are doing all those very expensive things with..... Dam I already am giving you more just at regular prices then they are... and you want to bitch at me..... Thats enough of that...

I can understand everyone needing to save money, and be careful... And if I was in a nipa hut, with some bowls sitting out front and you dipped you own food. Yes, I can see. But when they walk into a 5 million peso building, and want to bitch about a beer cost of P 60, or a meal cost of small amount . But you see them going to other places and eating and drinking and paying very high prices...... WHAT THE DEAL WITH THAT........

The one that really gets me, is other business owners who i know, do that, but in their own business its worse.... They would not give you air in a jug if you did not pay their asking price, ( which is mostly the same or higher than the one you have ) If you ask for discount, well they just laugh....

So what makes expats do this..... Is it jealousy, what is it ????? I personally will tell you, and you can ask from those who know me, I never ask for any discounts, I never ask for something free.... I dont bitch about prices of things. Well let me say I dont bitch about prices of things that I have the same, or are within reason or decent. I surely dont do it to other expats, or their business.. ( especially as simple as beer.) I know how hard business is here, and would not have the disrespect for that.... I will accept a beer from someone maybe the first time i meet them or visit their place. But after that, if they offer, I say No... You cant earn a living giving away beer I will pay my bill..... Nor would you ever hear me say to them Oh this is to much, or that is very high ( especially when mine is the same, or I spend more than that at other places.) Even if they was a reason to feel that, I would not tell them. I would just keep it to myself and go on..... (unless they really pissed me)

This is not only in business, but also in buying or selling, doing job for each other, in just about any kind of money exchange..... Now again, I will say not all are like this, but I have run across more then a few that is like this....

This post has been edited by cebuexpat: 25 April 2010 - 03:12 AM

[brock]

I have been in business all my life, and all friends and family think they should get a discount,But you are in business to make money, so you cant do that, If you give discount to everybody you know, you will not be in business very long.
Its the same with expats or tourists, They think because you are an expat also,Then you should give them discount, As if you are in the same club.
And as you say, they ask for a discount on your prices, But never ask for a discount in a filipino bar charging the same, You can do without those customers.
lots of people just cant seem to understand you simply cannot keep giving money away if you want to succeed in business.

[tropicalpenpals]

Interesting point.. I have to admit for me it depends on context. If I am invited somewhere to do reviews and they want me to review stuff (e.g. asked me to do it) then it would either be a payment on agreement or a few free beers or food generally its upto them as I know how hard life gets here sometimes and would still do a review if someone said "sorry we are broke at the moment but once up and going ill sort you out". With an answer like that its probably not only going to get a review I would never ask for anything either as honesty is more important.

Now if its just that I know the owner I don't ask for discount or complain about prices as its a business. Just because I am visiting the place doesn't mean I have a right to rip into things purely because I didn't get discount or free drinks. We get enough crap like that from locals! E.g. Fiesta when nearly 50 guys from my airsoft team with their partners expected to come and drink 9 crates of Grande and free food for all. Result being none of them came as I refused to let them come. If they hadn't been discussing how to fleece me for free food and beer to each other in Cebuano on a forum I own they would have probably had their free night out. But its the manner they done it in which has now resulted in the Christmas parties I also do being cancelled. I will keep my catering, live band and beer and spend the money on a trip to Hong Kong instead. I don't mind being the thrifty one.. as too many people have more than two faces.

Beer prices is an odd one though getting back on topic as I hear people complain about the prices of drinks all the time comparing one place to another but I haven't heard any of them being forced to drink beer! It's not always monitary though as many people just want to pick at things especially as people get older or they know the owner and like to have their say.

All I can say about that though CebuExpat is to hell with them..lol youve been here longer than me and probably just as many people want me to fail as they do succeed. Whichever way life goes chatter from the negative or positive will either go up or down based on how your life goes. But at the same time it doesn't matter. As its what you do with your life that matters the rest is just static..

[ekimswish]

I used to think that - black and white - Filipinos were all a bunch of moochers because everyone I encountered was doing it. But the last year I've met people showed me different, poor people who worked hard to save me money when we hung out. I've also seen other Filipinos with money step up and sponsor the party because they enjoyed doing so, which showed me I wasn't the only one "expected" to pay for things, and it wasn't just because I'm white, as I used to think.

I've seen now that there are disgraceful moochers out there, and if it seems like they're everywhere, it's simply because you're an easy target. But there are a lot more people who would be embarrassed to ask you for something.

My wife used to be afraid to say no to people and I told her that ain't right. What gives them the right to approach you so confidently and ask for something, knowing that if you say no they're just going to bad mouth you to everyone else as "plastic"? They should be afraid to ask you for something, and respect your right to say no. You should know that, after all you've been through as an OFW, you've earned the right to own your money. It takes a lot of balls to badmouth someone else over how they spend their money when it ain't on you! lol...

I guess I've just come to see how other Filipinos with money spend their money, and they're not shy to sponsor a party or a local event, but they enjoy doing it. I don't think they give out their money against their will, and good people respect that. So if you say no to someone or something and lose some friends or respect, those weren't people you need as friends anyways. A good friend will respect you anyways. It was something I'm not sure my wife ever thought of before, lol, since she used to be poor. A lot of Filipinos, I find, who used to be poor, aren't comfortable with money. They think they owe it to everyone, but they don't, and it takes time and experience for them to realize they're sick of being taken advantage of, and to learn when's a good time to buy lechon for others, and when it's not necessary, or affordable.

Also, visiting the Philippines is different from living there. Visiting it's like everyday needs to be a party or something. Living there, you need to bunker down and live life at a realistic pace.