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Newcomer What are you biggest complaints about living in Argentina?
- Thread starter Frisel
- Start date
My main frustration with living in Argentina is encountering individuals who constantly complain about their life here. Life is shaped by our own perspectives and actions.
Having frequented this forum extensively, although I haven't officially resided in Argentina, I've made numerous visits and was once married to an Argentine, so I'd like to share my perspective.
In my experience, Argentina isn't as dire as some portray. When I visit, I typically stay in the middle-class neighborhood of Palermo. I've never encountered overcharging from Argentine taxi drivers, received hostile stares on the streets, or experienced price gouging from local shop owners. Violent incidents like robberies, drug-related issues, poisonings, or assaults have not personally affected me or anyone I know. I've never heard gunfire, grenades, or encountered any military conflict. Additionally, I don't have friends or family in Argentina involved with subversive groups engaging in violent confrontations with authorities.
Based on my understanding of Argentine culture, while emotions can run high, disputes are generally not resolved through physical force, death threats, or local mafia involvement. While Argentina may not be flawless, it stands as a civilized country. For those with differing opinions, I'd suggest spending time in alternative regional options like Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, or the Dominican Republic's equivalent of middle-class Palermo for a few months and reevaluating how many of those concerns still hold true.
In my experience, Argentina isn't as dire as some portray. When I visit, I typically stay in the middle-class neighborhood of Palermo. I've never encountered overcharging from Argentine taxi drivers, received hostile stares on the streets, or experienced price gouging from local shop owners. Violent incidents like robberies, drug-related issues, poisonings, or assaults have not personally affected me or anyone I know. I've never heard gunfire, grenades, or encountered any military conflict. Additionally, I don't have friends or family in Argentina involved with subversive groups engaging in violent confrontations with authorities.
Based on my understanding of Argentine culture, while emotions can run high, disputes are generally not resolved through physical force, death threats, or local mafia involvement. While Argentina may not be flawless, it stands as a civilized country. For those with differing opinions, I'd suggest spending time in alternative regional options like Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, or the Dominican Republic's equivalent of middle-class Palermo for a few months and reevaluating how many of those concerns still hold true.
There's a mix of positive and negative aspects here. To grasp the downsides, it's essential to understand the concept of being "vivo," a lifestyle ideal for many, but not all, residents.
A few anecdotes illustrate this reality:
Items left momentarily unattended are at risk of disappearing, even if they lack significant value. Personal experiences include the theft of old walking shoes while dancing, a pilfered shoe bag, and the loss of glasses over a decade old. Tourists have fallen victim to stolen laptops, emphasizing the need to avoid carrying valuables and keeping money safely in pockets.
Customer service tends to be front-loaded at the point of purchase, with diminishing attention afterward. A frustrating example involved a prolonged internet outage from Telecentro, with no resolution despite persistent calls and continued billing. Switching to Fibertel brought another challenge, as a service technician inappropriately pursued a romantic connection with a customer's ex-girlfriend.
Littering is prevalent, even with garbage cans nearby, and crosswalks, contrary to their intended purpose, often require pedestrians to yield to cars. The symphony of neighborhood dogs barking adds to the ambient soundscape.
If one can tolerate the described neglect, Buenos Aires offers a vibrant experience.
A few anecdotes illustrate this reality:
Items left momentarily unattended are at risk of disappearing, even if they lack significant value. Personal experiences include the theft of old walking shoes while dancing, a pilfered shoe bag, and the loss of glasses over a decade old. Tourists have fallen victim to stolen laptops, emphasizing the need to avoid carrying valuables and keeping money safely in pockets.
Customer service tends to be front-loaded at the point of purchase, with diminishing attention afterward. A frustrating example involved a prolonged internet outage from Telecentro, with no resolution despite persistent calls and continued billing. Switching to Fibertel brought another challenge, as a service technician inappropriately pursued a romantic connection with a customer's ex-girlfriend.
Littering is prevalent, even with garbage cans nearby, and crosswalks, contrary to their intended purpose, often require pedestrians to yield to cars. The symphony of neighborhood dogs barking adds to the ambient soundscape.
If one can tolerate the described neglect, Buenos Aires offers a vibrant experience.
Did you break up with her because she shared her number with another guy? Is that the reason she's now your ex?There's a mix of positive and negative aspects here. To grasp the downsides, it's essential to understand the concept of being "vivo," a lifestyle ideal for many, but not all, residents.
A few anecdotes illustrate this reality:
Items left momentarily unattended are at risk of disappearing, even if they lack significant value. Personal experiences include the theft of old walking shoes while dancing, a pilfered shoe bag, and the loss of glasses over a decade old. Tourists have fallen victim to stolen laptops, emphasizing the need to avoid carrying valuables and keeping money safely in pockets.
Customer service tends to be front-loaded at the point of purchase, with diminishing attention afterward. A frustrating example involved a prolonged internet outage from Telecentro, with no resolution despite persistent calls and continued billing. Switching to Fibertel brought another challenge, as a service technician inappropriately pursued a romantic connection with a customer's ex-girlfriend.
Littering is prevalent, even with garbage cans nearby, and crosswalks, contrary to their intended purpose, often require pedestrians to yield to cars. The symphony of neighborhood dogs barking adds to the ambient soundscape.
If one can tolerate the described neglect, Buenos Aires offers a vibrant experience.
No, she dismissed his advances. The relationship soured later on for unrelated reasons. They swapped numbers so she could reach out to him in case of technical issues, but it seems he had ulterior motives. My ex was completely transparent with me about the messages he sent her
earlyretirement
Moderator
Buenos Aires is great on one hand but can be very frustrating on the other. My biggest complaints:
- People are HORRIBLE drivers here. They don't respect pedestrians (even if you have a baby stroller). They weave in and out and don't stay in their lanes. Just awful.
- People don't have a thought of a long term mutual relationship. They live for today and don't really care to build up a good track record for the long-term.
- While it's gotten much better than before. Lots of people still smoke which even if you're outside it can be annoying.
- Lines, lines, lines. Sometimes you can be in line at the supermarket a while. No real efficiency. No real sense of customer service like in a first world country (especially the USA).
- Lack of great produce (fruits and veggies) in most places compared to the endless amounts of selection in the USA.
- People take forever sometimes to get back to you on quotes, etc. In the USA there is so much competition and great service that people bend over backwards to provide a quote and provide great customer service and deliverables.
- Needless to say the wicked and very high inflation. If you're earning US dollars or foreign currency it's easier but even still the inflation is wicked there.
- Having to deal with cash. In the US or many parts of Europe you never even deal with cash as everything is electronic.
- Horrible banking system (long lines at banks too).
- Horrible customer service and long wait times to get service on utilities (gas, electricity, internet, cable, etc can be a real hassle). I had the gas that had to be repaired in one of my properties and it took 7 MONTHS. (I also have many friends that also had similar waits on gas. One friend went over 1 YEAR waiting to get their gas fixed).
- Returning stuff in the stores that doesn't work can be a major pain. (The customer is definitely not always right). In the USA it's super easy to return stuff at most stores. Heck, some places you don't even need your receipt and they will give you back credit even months after you bought it.
- While it's gotten better people still let their dogs sh*t on the sidewalks and don't do a good enough job cleaning up. Even in their own neighborhoods where they live! No respect.
- Many neighborhoods still has a big problem with graffiti. A shame to see nice properties constantly spray painted in Palermo. I have several friends that have a problem with this. They just budget having to get it cleaned up every few months.
- No working judicial system. I can tell you some horror stories. NO vehicle to get things worked out legally in the event of a dispute. (At least not quickly). No small claims court. Sending a carta documento is almost worthless. Legal disputes can takes YEARS and even when it goes in front of a judge, there is severe corruption and even judges can be bought it seems.
- Nonsensical employment laws. Through various companies I'm dealt with I've employed hundreds of employees in Argentina and again I can tell you horror stories. Even when you work in white, pay all your taxes and treat your employees well they will take advantage of you and you have to deal with never-ending employee issues.
- Electronics and things like clothes are really expensive. Speaking of clothing the clothing is not great quality and crazy what they ask for. Things like jeans for a baby can be the same price as an adult.
- No Amazon Prime or equivalent. In the US I barely go to any store for anything. With Amazon Prime I can order almost anything and get it on my doorstep the next day for no shipping fees. Even things like paperclips, paper, white out, whatever. Ordering anything/everything is super easy and you can get it quickly and affordably.
- There are so many outlets to get amazing service done for just about anything in your apartment/home. All quickly and easily in the US. In Buenos Aires it can be a constant rape to get good people. And even if you find someone good and dependable and honest. Because of what I mentioned above with people living for today, many times I've found that they will eventually screw you and you have to find someone else dependable. Yadda, yadda, yadda. All over again.
- Air quality is pretty horrible there.
Enough? I could list more but those are probably the main things that come to the top of my head. Don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful place and I love Buenos Aires quite a bit and always will. Still, just some things if you're accustomed to a really efficient place like the USA where for the most part everything works extremely well and efficient with checks and balances and limited corruption.....some people just can't get accustomed to it.
- People are HORRIBLE drivers here. They don't respect pedestrians (even if you have a baby stroller). They weave in and out and don't stay in their lanes. Just awful.
- People don't have a thought of a long term mutual relationship. They live for today and don't really care to build up a good track record for the long-term.
- While it's gotten much better than before. Lots of people still smoke which even if you're outside it can be annoying.
- Lines, lines, lines. Sometimes you can be in line at the supermarket a while. No real efficiency. No real sense of customer service like in a first world country (especially the USA).
- Lack of great produce (fruits and veggies) in most places compared to the endless amounts of selection in the USA.
- People take forever sometimes to get back to you on quotes, etc. In the USA there is so much competition and great service that people bend over backwards to provide a quote and provide great customer service and deliverables.
- Needless to say the wicked and very high inflation. If you're earning US dollars or foreign currency it's easier but even still the inflation is wicked there.
- Having to deal with cash. In the US or many parts of Europe you never even deal with cash as everything is electronic.
- Horrible banking system (long lines at banks too).
- Horrible customer service and long wait times to get service on utilities (gas, electricity, internet, cable, etc can be a real hassle). I had the gas that had to be repaired in one of my properties and it took 7 MONTHS. (I also have many friends that also had similar waits on gas. One friend went over 1 YEAR waiting to get their gas fixed).
- Returning stuff in the stores that doesn't work can be a major pain. (The customer is definitely not always right). In the USA it's super easy to return stuff at most stores. Heck, some places you don't even need your receipt and they will give you back credit even months after you bought it.
- While it's gotten better people still let their dogs sh*t on the sidewalks and don't do a good enough job cleaning up. Even in their own neighborhoods where they live! No respect.
- Many neighborhoods still has a big problem with graffiti. A shame to see nice properties constantly spray painted in Palermo. I have several friends that have a problem with this. They just budget having to get it cleaned up every few months.
- No working judicial system. I can tell you some horror stories. NO vehicle to get things worked out legally in the event of a dispute. (At least not quickly). No small claims court. Sending a carta documento is almost worthless. Legal disputes can takes YEARS and even when it goes in front of a judge, there is severe corruption and even judges can be bought it seems.
- Nonsensical employment laws. Through various companies I'm dealt with I've employed hundreds of employees in Argentina and again I can tell you horror stories. Even when you work in white, pay all your taxes and treat your employees well they will take advantage of you and you have to deal with never-ending employee issues.
- Electronics and things like clothes are really expensive. Speaking of clothing the clothing is not great quality and crazy what they ask for. Things like jeans for a baby can be the same price as an adult.
- No Amazon Prime or equivalent. In the US I barely go to any store for anything. With Amazon Prime I can order almost anything and get it on my doorstep the next day for no shipping fees. Even things like paperclips, paper, white out, whatever. Ordering anything/everything is super easy and you can get it quickly and affordably.
- There are so many outlets to get amazing service done for just about anything in your apartment/home. All quickly and easily in the US. In Buenos Aires it can be a constant rape to get good people. And even if you find someone good and dependable and honest. Because of what I mentioned above with people living for today, many times I've found that they will eventually screw you and you have to find someone else dependable. Yadda, yadda, yadda. All over again.
- Air quality is pretty horrible there.
Enough? I could list more but those are probably the main things that come to the top of my head. Don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful place and I love Buenos Aires quite a bit and always will. Still, just some things if you're accustomed to a really efficient place like the USA where for the most part everything works extremely well and efficient with checks and balances and limited corruption.....some people just can't get accustomed to it.
I don't have a plethora of complaints. However, if there's one aspect that tends to be a primary concern, it's the issue of earning a living here, where your salary becomes the number one complaint. Another significant concern, as previously mentioned, is the lack of efficiency. For example, at supermarkets, they have 'self-checkout' kiosks where you scan your own items, only to bring the receipt to an actual checkout counter where an employee verifies the scanned items and processes the payment. Another minor grievance is the challenge of forming proper lines; I've noticed this at outdoor events where people don't always form lines but approach the counter directly to place orders. Despite these considerations, if you have income from abroad, Argentina can be a pleasant place to live overall.
earlyretirement
Moderator
A blast from the past. At least now they have Mercado Libre. It's not nearly as good as Amazon Prime but I use it all the time there.
Howard Stern
Active member
Ha, ha. A few years old but most of your complaints @earlyretirement still exist today! But Thank God for Mercado Libre!
Great list! I think many of these things will get fixed with Milei. Especially the labor laws. The cost on electronics has come way down since years ago. Judicial system is a mess. @earlyretirement you lived there a long time and I think I read you had a bunch of companies there. Have you had any disputes with the legal system? Can you share any with us?
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