Steve0505 wrote:We purchased a house in Ayia Thekla about 16 month ago and about 2 month ago decided to landscape the garden to cut down on weeding etc.
We were recommended to a local garden centre who subsequently gave a price for doing the work.
It'll take about 3-4 days we were told, but unfortunately had to return to the UK before work started i.e. they did'nt turn up when promised.
About 20 calls and 6 week later they turned up, spent 3 week coming and going and eventually reported it finished.
We went back to check the work before paying the balance, but it was'nt finished, and they had dumped all the rubbish outside the house.
Again we rang and waited but nobody turned up.
So back to the UK without paying the balance, but informing them that when it was finished and the rubbish removed we would make immediate payment.
3 days later we had a call from a neighbour informing us that our irrigation timers had been stolen, after 2 days of trying to contact the gardener we found out that he had taken them and he would return them when we paid the balance.
Meanwhile the neighbours are watering the garden whilst we try to get them to finish the work
Is it just bad luck or is this common pratice as any further work we need doing we will use ex pat brits to do it.
Kalosorises stin Kybro = Welcome to Cyprus
It's common practice by shabby business people to do sub-standard work and expect payment for it. The general mentality is if the customer/client does not speak up he/she must be happy with the end result.
To be honest people do not take pride in their work over here, some do, but most are in it for the money. The trouble with quick money is that it does not last.
The people I know who made good money from the British are the ones that were good at their job. But you will need to search for those, and to be honest many Cypriots are not willing to guide you in those terms. People think that if you say good about things you must be good, the trouble is that sometimes you have to say something unpleasant in order to be good to somebody.
Trial and error is my advice, if somebody is crap at their work try somebody else until you succeed. Don't gamble with big money until you have gain trust.
Use who ever you feel most comfortable with, in my experience whenever I dealt with British Cypriots I regretted it, as they often get over accustomed to the environment.
