Warnings and Advice - avoid being robbed...and stay out of trouble yourself!

"Warnings and Advice" is an ominous subject, I know and, hopefully, your visit to Tenerife will be an enjoyable one and pass without incident. I feel, though, that it's my duty to offer you some basic warnings and advice, should you need them in case of an emergency.

Warning and Advice: Pickpockets

Unfortunately, this crime is still rife in Tenerife, as it is, I suppose, anywhere else.

In a holiday destination, though, you can easily be caught off guard.

Ladies, if you are carrying a bag with a long handle, wear it over your head with the strap lying across your body. It is still quite common for a pickpocketing team on a motorcycle or bike to race past you and snatch the bag. They can be long gone before you realise what's happened. They are bound to target women with bags just resting on their shoulder.

Warnings and Advice on pickpocketing techniques that have been tried on me - and worked!

If someone (usually Canarian or Spanish) asks you for a light for his cigarette, then proceeds to put his arm round you, mumbling something in broken English about football, you can be sure that he's rifling through your pockets at the same time.

Similarly, if you are walking past "adult" bars late at night and someone approaches you to try and get you to enter the bar, he might start to "admire your trousers", pulling at them while saying how smart they are. He's picking your pocket as well.

Trust me, I've had money stolen by both those techniques. Any form of physical contact by a stranger, in the guise of "friendliness", should be viewed with suspicion.

Warnings and Advice on "The subtle approach"

There's a pathway in Los Cristianos, leading from the main road (where Hotel Princesa Dacil is) down to the beach. A team of Oriental women used to lurk there and they would approach tourists asking if they had any foreign (ie British) coins they could spare, whilst offering them a rose.

Usually in groups of three, they would, presumably, watch to see which pocket was delved into, to see which one contained the money, then two would keep the tourist occupied while the third dipped in the appropriate pocket.

The last few times I've been down that pathway (ready for them), they've not been in evidence, so maybe the police moved them on.

Warnings and Advice - Sensible Precautions

If you decide to go to a place with packed crowds, like a market, don't have anything of value, such as a passport or wallet, in your back pocket. That's asking to be taken.

Ladies, if you're wearing jewellery on a night out, don't take a short cut through a badly lit route alone, as a thief could jump out from bushes and quite easily snatch a chain from round your neck.

This happened to my partner Alison once, leaving her, understandably, shaken and upset.

The next bit of warnings and advice has been said many times before, but I'll say it again. If you're in the bedroom of your apartment, close and lock your patio doors! A thief will be in and out within seconds and you'll be none the wiser.

Place all your important belongings in the safe at all times, even when you're actually in the hotel room or apartment. (If your accommodation doesn't have a safe - and it should do - the hotel reception or apartment complex office should at least have one.) Use theirs.

Warnings and Advice on The Dreaded Timeshare Touts

Admittedly, these people are not as much in evidence as they once were. Because they were affecting tourism adversely, the government clamped down on them somewhat. But they still can be found congregating in certain hotspots, waiting to pounce on holidaying couples.

One of the latest things is the "scratchcard". Once they have got your attention, they offer you a scratchcard to try, which always, miraculously, turns out to be a winner. The objective is to get you to sign something and, ultimately, you can be sure that you will end up parting with a large sum of money - if you are not careful.

My advice is to just keep walking and, as they follow you an unbelievable distance along the road, making their sales pitch, on no account engage them in conversation. Just keep walking!

For those of you who actually want to buy timeshare, it's better to approach a reputable company yourself.

It is possible, occasionally, to come out a winner with these people. Once, we were approached as we were sat in a bar and a young fellow came up and said if we agreed to attend a presentation the following day, he would give us 40 euros there and then. He said it would be worth his while as we would make up his weekly or monthly quota (can't remember which). Needless to say, we took his money. I also can't remember if we actually went or not.

Remember, they only target couples, so, if you see a gaggle of them lying in wait, then split up, just to get by them. That's what Alison and I do. It saves time.

Warnings and Advice on "Lookie-Lookie" Men

Anyone who has been to Tenerife will know about these people. Usually from Senegal, often on the island illegally, they prowl the bars, promenades and restaurants, selling bootleg sunglasses, watches, belts and other such items.

Usually a polite "no thank you" is enough to make them leave you alone. If, by any remote chance, you actually want to buy anything from them, then really barter them down from their initial price. Keep saying, "no, we'll leave it then", and they'll keep dropping the price. We did this once and the starting price of about 50 euros ended up at about 8! Just shows how much their stuff is really worth, eh?

What I find extremely annoying is when they actually enter a restaurant and pass around the tables, while people are having a meal. Fortunately, a lot of eating places have banned these people from entering the actual building, restricting them to the terrace area.

(Recent years have seen the rise of the "Lookie-Lookie" Ladies. Invariably of Oriental appearance, they also cruise the tables of bars, trying to sell stuff. What is distinctive about these is that the "tat" they are selling is of an even lower standard than their male counterparts - and, irritatingly, usually consists of animated novelties that make a noise! They can be a touch more persistant than the men, often lining up their wares on your table. Remember though, they can't force you to buy anything. They're just a major nuisance.)

Warnings and Advice: The "Find The Lady" Scam

This is truly something for the extremely gullible. Believe it or not, there are still some teams operating this scam in the tourist areas. You know the one, three face-down playing cards get shuffled around on a makeshift table and you have to say which one is the queen. On watching it for a while, you may see some "members of the public" actually winning. These people are part of the scam! They operate in groups of up to 10 people, some posing as fellow holidaymakers, others as lookouts. This activity is totally illegal. You will never win!

Warnings and Advice: Shopping

Unfortunately, shops on the island are rife with counterfeited goods. Here are some tips to take into consideration when buying stuff in Tenerife.

Even though packaging and logos - even brand names - may seem genuine, check them carefully for spelling mistakes, or subtle alterations. They are the fakes!

All goods - especially electrical ones - should be sold with a guarantee. Make sure there is one and that it is still valid when back in your own country. The shopkeeper should have no problem about showing you the guarantee - provided the product is genuine!

You are entitled to ask the shopkeeper to test the appliance in your presence, to verify that it is working correctly.

Hang onto the receipt! This insignificant bit of paper is essential for any situations involving changing the product or repairing it. It may also entitle you to a monetary refund (though not all shops will offer this facility).

If you're paying by card, it's always a good idea to check the amount the shopkeeper has entered. He may (by accident, of course) have entered more than the correct amount.

Making A Complaint

You may have seen a sign up in many bars or shops, saying "Complaint Forms are Available to the Customers". If you have a grievance with a particular retail outlet, you are within your legal right to ask for a complaint form. These forms (bilingual, Spanish/English) enable you to give details of a problem you have had with a particular vendor. Three carbon copies are made of this, one for the shopkeeper and two for you.

The shopkeeper has ten days to rectify the problem to your satisfaction. After that time, if he has not, you submit one of the form copies in your possession to the appropriate authorities, who will then take legal action.

Another option is to approach the Oficina Isular o Municipal de Información al Consumidor, or OMIC. This is the Consumers' Office and they will take your case in hand and deal with it on your behalf. It is worth checking out their website: OMIC.

There is another organisation called the Junta Arbitral de Consumo de Canarias, or System of Consumer Arbitration. This is an arbitration service only suitable for businesses that are associated with it.

Sorry to bring things down a bit, but these unpleasant subjects need to be considered.

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