Oops! I forgot I was in Argentina

Estafador/a. If you're thinking about coming to Argentina, remember this word, you'll most likely use it at some point. It means swindler (the form ending in a is used for female grifters and con artists).

I've made the move to Belgrano and therein lies the story of my latest foray into the world of conniving tricksters. When you rent a temporary furnished apartment here, you seldom have a chance to see it before placing a deposit because it is likely occupied. You rely on the description of features and photos on the rental agency's website, perhaps take a walk past the outside of the building (or along the block if you don't have a specific address yet), and hope for the best.

The apartment we're in really is quite nice. The kitchen is twice the size of my apartment in Recoleta, the balcony is deep enough to hold a table and chairs, and the layout feels more roomy overall. However, it lacks air conditioning, something which will be essential in a couple of months as the climate turns hot and very humid.

I specifically searched for apartments with air conditioning. It was one of the three absolute requirements on my list. When I took possession of the apartment, I had a positive impression of it and didn't pay too much attention to details. That was a mistake. I should have printed the web page and brought it with me so I could check off every single feature listed. Of course, even if I had, it might have turned into a disaster. If I refused to take possession, I'd be standing on the sidewalk with boxes, bags, and suitcases up to my eyeballs and absolutely no alternative on the spur of the moment. Naturally, the system is rigged because the entire amount of the rental contract is due when you take possession. That makes rental fraud an alluring way of life.

I actually didn't even know what to look for. Some sites list air conditioning as "split frio/calor" and until this happened, I didn't know what a split really was. Once Luciano came to our new home after work, he quickly informed me what a split is and that we certainly don't have one here.

I drafted an email to the rental agency and asked them what they intended to do about it (along with several other more minor features that were absent). That was almost a week ago and I still haven't heard from them. Instead, they passed it on to the owner and told her to fix things. They've already got their commission, obviously the landlady won't use their agency again, and therefore they'll move on to other suckers. Remember what you learned earlier? Estafadores.

The owner and I have reached an agreement, the best we can do under the circumstances. She's not at fault because she opened the apartment to the agency for a full inventory and photo session. They knew exactly what was here and chose to falsify the information. The dueña (landlady) and I will reduce the contract by one month (out of the original three months) and she'll refund half of my last month's rent. Then the rental agency should refund the other half as a deduction from their commission. We'll see if they agree to it or not. I assume they won't and that I'll then have to play hardball with them.

Next time I will remember that I'm in Argentina and scrutinize everything thoroughly. Anyway, here's a photo of the view from the balcony. The green area in the lower right is the edge of Plaza Barrancas (Hillsides) de Belgrano, a lovely park I walk through almost every day. The weather now is cool so A/C isn't a concern and we've enjoyed some relaxing repasts al fresco.