aggressive selling

[sharktea]

Just returned back from Paphos. We have been visiting Cyprus for 18 years now and found it as beautiful as ever.

However, I was saddened, indeed angered by the amount of salespeople (ex timeshare) who ruined our favourite pastime of walking along Paphos harbour. I was stopped 6 times by these people one of them even had the cheek to ask me if I'd changed my mind on the way back.
Some can be very aggresive.

I know times are hard but when you couple this with the sales pitch of boat trip and restaurant owners it can become very tiresome

Even away from the harbour we were leapt upon by sellers on scooters and twice pestered on the town car park.

Surely they can be some legislation passed on the way they behave not to mention their increasing numbers.

I spoke to many tourists who felt intimidated and said they would be looking elsewhere for the holidays next year.

[Veronica]

Originally Posted by sharktea

Just returned back from Paphos. We have been visiting Cyprus for 18 years now and found it as beautiful as ever.

However, I was saddened, indeed angered by the amount of salespeople (ex timeshare) who ruined our favourite pastime of walking along Paphos harbour. I was stopped 6 times by these people one of them even had the cheek to ask me if I'd changed my mind on the way back.
Some can be very aggresive.

I know times are hard but when you couple this with the sales pitch of boat trip and restaurant owners it can become very tiresome

Even away from the harbour we were leapt upon by sellers on scooters and twice pestered on the town car park.

Surely they can be some legislation on the way they behave not to mention there increasing numbers.

I spoke to many tourists who felt intimidated and said they would be looking elsewhere for the holidays next year.

These timeshare touts are a meance and it is time they were stopped.
If tourists were to send letters of complaint to the cyprus tourist board I am sure that something would be done if people realised how many tourists are being lost because of this.
I appeal to people to complain about them.

Regards Veronica

[BabsM]

Originally Posted by Veronica

These timeshare touts are a meance and it is time they were stopped.
If tourists were to send letters of complaint to the cyprus tourist board I am sure that something would be done if people realised how many tourists are being lost because of this.
I appeal to people to complain about them.

Regards Veronica

We've not met timeshare touts in Larnaca and I wondered what the items in the paper were about. Are they very common in Paphos... what about Limassol?

I do find the restaurant owners along Finikoudes annoying but they usually take 'no' for an answer the first time and judging by how many of these have empty restaurants, I can understand why they feel the need to draw attention to their particular establishment.

[Chris & Andrea]

Originally Posted by Veronica

These timeshare touts are a meance and it is time they were stopped.
If tourists were to send letters of complaint to the cyprus tourist board I am sure that something would be done if people realised how many tourists are being lost because of this.
I appeal to people to complain about them.

Regards Veronica

Hi ~ this problem is definately worsening as the 'gang masters' exert more pressure on these young people to make sales. A colleague from work who was visiting Cyprus for the first time (on my recommendation) was also accosted by these idiots with the usual scratch card ploy. He's well over six feet tall and gave them short thrift, but even he was subjected to abuse when he tried to protect an elderly couple who were being pressured at a bus stop. I'm sure I have read in a local Pafos news article that the police should be informed immediately or that the presense of the touts should be reported at any of the tavernas. Being assailed by any of the staff from the harbour tavernas is par for the course anywhere Greek and some good banter can be had!
Chris

[bobc]

I believe the touts in Paphos were arrested last Thursday, to appear in court 23rd ?

[Veronica]

Originally Posted by bobc

I believe the touts in Paphos were arrested last Thursday, to appear in court 23rd ?

They constantly get arrested, get fined and are back on the streets in no time.
The thing is they earn so much and the fines are so small it is no deterrent.
We have one living next door to us (unfortunately). He constantly brags about how much money he earns. We hear him talking on his mobile in the garden bragging.
They get around 150euros for every couple they drag in that stays for an hour.
So if they take 2 couples a day into a presentation that is 1.500 euros per week.
There is talk that the police are going to get a lot stricter. In my opnion they should all be rounded up and thrown off the island.

[Veronica]

Despite the fact that the police are supposed to have got much tougher on these menaces it dosnt seem to have changed much.
We were down at the harbour today and we counted 8 of these touts pestering tourists in a very small area.
I am always so tempted to shout 'don't do it, its timeshare', but these low life scumbags can get very violent if you cross them. Most of them are high on some sort of chemical fix most the time and very unpredictable.
Someone pass me a gun please

[steveg63]

Hi we experienced these time share 'lead generators' while we were over there 2 weeks ago, nice chappie doing a job, surly people don't still believe/buy into the scratch card win, but hey they must do if they get so much money for 'securing' their prey.

Steve

[dave&carrie]

I have always found them less aggressive than in most places. As soon as they find out you own in Cyprus they lose interest, it is however a bind constantly being approached.

[zeeb0]

fool + money = parted!

Sorry but if idiots are willing to hand over the cash there will always be someone waiting to take it..

I have never been touted in cyprus.. but i have only been to Paphos once and that was on the way through to lara bay.

I might get a T-shirt printed for when i go again.