Alarm Bells?

Here's Bb in the cheap place.  This isn't the real name of the place, of course:  it's called Sanabres.  We started to call it the cheap place many many years ago and the name stuck.  It's still good value for money and family run by two brothers.  We weren't able to go in more recent times as it was all inside, but they now have 3 small tables outside, so this is our 2nd visit in as many weeks.  We had tostadas with anchovies and cheese and shared them.  Delicious!  You can't see the tostadas for the cheese!  

During the day, we had a few challenges relating to our burglar alarm system.  Long story and so stop reading now if you wish.  

Our original company didn't survive the pandemic, so we've been running with an alarm system that we can turn off and on and sounds with movement as usual, but isn't actually connected to anything or anyone.  So although it might give burglars a fright, it doesn't give us peace of mind.   Another company called us a while back saying they were taking on some of the bankrupt company's clients, keeping the system the same, the prices the same and were we interested?  Yes, we were.  Nothing and then more of nothing, despite phone calls and even giving them our bank account details.  Alarm bells?  Eventually, we said we were looking at other companies and this was their last chance.  So, yesterday they finally came and it became clear within the first few minutes that our system was too old for them to just 'take over' and we'd need a whole new system, new prices, installation charges.   I told them in no uncertain terms that we were very unhappy with their service to date (and was having to think hard for the correct use in Spanish for conditionals, i.e. 'If you had come to see us months ago, we would have known this before and could have started to look at alternatives' - I can imagine Jamjar is now translating this into Spanish!).  They left with their tails between their legs. 

So....we called another company who made an appointment to come and visit in the early evening - great, and this was one of the bigger companies and already being used by two of our neighbours.

We then made a phone call to Movistar, who are our providers of internet and phone data, just to get prices and information as they're advertising free installation and a reduced monthly fee of just 19 euros a month till the start of 2022. Just a phone call, remember.   I was then shocked to see an email in from them a couple of hours later, confirming our order of the alarm system AND for 49 euros a month!!!  Bb put on his Mr Angry voice and called to 'cancel' our 'order'.  All confirmed and he asked for email confirmation.  Nothing.  A few hours later, a contract came through for the 'order'.  Mr Angry voice again and this time he was told it wasn't possible to cancel, to which he replied that nobody was getting into our house to install anything, we weren't going to take delivery of anything and we wouldn't be signing anything. They agreed to start a 'reclamacion' - a complaint process.  Of course, they already have all our bank details as we use them for the internet etc. so we now have to watch our bank account like hawks - checked right now and nothing amiss. 

We then got the visit from the other company, used by 2 neighbours.  Nice young chap, who I told as he was wiping his feet and putting gel on his hands and hardly before he was over the door, that we only wanted information and wouldn't be signing anything today.  He was quite calm, not a big hard sell at all, and we did end up confirming with them and they'll be back on Thursday to install the new system.  Of course, a 'basic' system is never enough for us with our having a ground floor patio, roof terrace, balcony, and outside doors on the ground floor to the patio as well as outside stairs from the first floor!  Fingers crossed that this works out.  We were particularly careful to check all the prices, any extras, monthly payments etc.  It's the same chap, Alfonso, who's coming back to do the installation, so that should make it easier.  

Other than that, some desk work, some garden stuff, two decent walks (over 10,000 for me and much more for Bb), we bought a couple of little herb plants (thyme and rosemary) for the new gardening bed and a new hanging plant.  Oh, and we ate our first tomato from the plants - delicious and so sweet!