Amazing!!!

I can’t tell you how big this is: if you don’t live in Panama, you won’t understand.

Alex Sanchez of InFox in David actually arrived on schedule with my washer, dryer and dishwasher, when he said he would . . . within the hour time window he gave himself!! Incredible!

I can’t recommend these guys too highly. After a miserable experience with a large appliance dealer in the Rey Mall in David, and walking out and saying, “I will not do business with those folks!”, I literally stumbled on the new store of InFox walked in and met Alex, who spoke English, who knew his product line and knew what he was talking about, who understood the Internet and emailed me quotes on time and as promised, who was there when I wanted him to be and wanted to place an order, who took my order in 20 minutes, called me a week later to arrange delivery (had to first come from Panama City, like everything here), and personally delivered the order to my new home in Palmira on the day and at the time promised.

I know that sounds impossible in Panama, but it happened!

Alex is on the left. They have appliances, electronics, and Alex wants your business. Wow! Alex Sanchez, INFOX David, 775-1794, alex@infoxdigital.com Very impressive! And significant savings!

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Our friends Brad and Jackie are on a trip to Costa Rica. Their account is in Banco National, the Panamanian government bank. Before they left they visited the bank to have them “unlock” their ATM card so they could access funds at ATM machines in Costa Rica. Naturally, it wasn’t done. So I get a “HELP!” email asking if I can go to the bank I try to straighten things out. I talk, well my little Spanish and his little English, with an agent named Eduardo who promises to call Panama City (you can’t take a leak in Boquete without calling Panama City) and “research it.” To simplify matters I get Eduardo’s bank email address and send Brad an email, copying Eduardo, so they both have each other’s emails and can work directly.

Here is the rejection that came back:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I’m afraid I wasn’t able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I’ve given up. Sorry it didn’t work out.

:

Connected to 200.46.114.65 but sender was rejected.
Remote host said: 550 Denied by policy

Well . . . “Denied by policy” . . . we sure wouldn’t want our customers to contact us!! Business as usual in Panama.

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David Baker in Potrerillos (not far from Boquete, read about my experience with InFox and wrote:

Richard….i enjoyed your newcomin’ extrano bloq….at least you’re not pretending to know all, as so many newcomin’ blogs in the area….venting your frustration via blog, good idea! welcome to panama!….wish i had this tool when moved permanently to latin america ’bout 15 yrs ago….let’s hope young Alex Sanchez and his (or opportunistic other owner) business will stick around, there ARE a few energetic, hopeful, young people out there, unfortunately they usually fall by the wayside due to lack of support from their fellow countrymen, rabiblanco influence, etc, you will find this is a country of losers, only the very few well connected succeed, always has been, probably will be…..best you and i can do is praise him for his efforts, help him with positve influence, contacts/connections for his future….

as semi-retired design/builder from the states, as well as ex farrier, ornamental ironworker, graphic designer, i wish you well on your efforts on dealing with people who have no incentive to better themselves, not paid enough, not educated enough, no “breaks” due to the ever present selfish rabiblancos and foreigners looking to to maximize their wealth and “live cheap” in panama…..

please stay in touch, will look forward to your next blog (never met a dutchman i didn’t like), have many friends/surfers from Rotterdam, at Rancho Burrica, Pavones area in zona sur of costa rica, at the end of the road, look up ranchoburrica.com if you like…

please stay in touch, hang in there, pay your newcomer dues, keep up your blog….

Well, David, as you point out, compared to you I am a newcomer . . . so I really am not in a position to comment on all of your observations, but thank you for your comments.

Don Ray, who has a great blog called Chiriqui Chatter, writes:

I am not surprised that you have had a good experience with INFOX. Alex and Melissa ate extremely nice people and have given me the best service I have had in David

Here is a post on their new location with photos of their store. http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/03/24/infox-new-location

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My beatiful home in Valle Escondido is looking trashed as we prepare to move. This was our guest room. In Panama if you want boxes you watch for someone with a container moving in and grab their boxes when you can get them.

For my wife, who is in Seattle with are grandchild, soon to depart for St. Petersburg and Moscow with our other daughter, and anyone else who is interested in our new house project, here are today’s pics.

Here’s the library . . . Evangelisto, the 17-year-old son of my Indian farm worker, calls it “blood red.” We were aiming for a “Chinese red”. Oh well . . .

This is the front guestroom shaping up . . . it’s the smaller of the two but it has its own verandah and a sunrise view.

The counter in the laundry . . . someone forgot to order the corners . . .