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Peter P
10-12-06, 19:49
I don't think there has been much reported on shopping in Buenos Aires. I was in Buenos Aires recently a couple of times and I thought it was pretty good for man's suits and shirts, quality and value for money, especially given that you can get a 15% VAT refund at the airport.

First time I bought a suit at a shop called Oscar Pucci in Ave Santa Fe near 9 Julio. Excellent service, excellent shirts and suits, with further discount (coz of the amount I bought) alterations within 24 hrs and free delivery to the hotel at no extra costs. Highly recommended.

The second time, which was a few weeks back, I bought from a store called Tombolini on the second floor of Galerias Pacifico. I liked their design and service attending me was not bad. I was there on a Saturday afternoon and was to scheduled to leave Baires on the following Monday afternoon. The attendant and store manager told me that my suit could be altered by the next day, which is Sunday, and will be sent to my hotel with my shirt and tie. I paid up in full, like the first time, and went about my other weekend recreation. However, come Sunday night, and then Monday morning, nothing arrived. I got worried and had to cancel a meeting on late morning to go to the store to find out what happened.

I was there almost noon time, hours from my departure. The store manager, recognising me, whipped out my shirt and tie from a closet behind him and told me that they had forgotten to deliver them to me. I was completely shocked as I was positive he knew I was leaving that same afternoon. It seemed to me they had no intention of delivering to me on Monday before I depart at all!

I questioned him on my suit and he claimed that it was delivered to my hotel on Sunday night. I insisted that I did not receive it and he called my hotel to check. After several calls, they realised that they had delivered to the wrong hotel! I asked the store manager what he was going to do about it. He simply shrugged and said me to go and collect it from the other hotel.

I could not believe the kind of service I was getting! Throughout this entire episode, no one bothered to apologise at all. I stormed out and went to collect the suit myself from the other hotel, which was not a problem. However, it was so obvious that after making the sale to me, the store attendants were no longer interested in giving me any service at all. And to think that If I had relied on them, I would be completely ROBBED of my purchases!

Although I am happy with what I bought, I just like to share with you guys this story to watch out for this store. I think this store deserves to be blackmarked for unethical practices. Remember, TOMBOLINI, second floor of Galerias Pacifico.

Thought I would start a thread and if anyone has experiences of this sort, would be good to share with the rest of us.

Hunt99
10-12-06, 21:11
I never buy anything except food and drink.And pussy.

Jaimito Cartero
10-12-06, 22:16
In cases where they're supposed to deliver things on a tight schedule, I would always pay with a credit card, and have the due delivery date on the invoice. That way you can dispute the charge if your items aren't delivered.

I haven't had anything done in EZE, but in Asia, I always leave a balance and pay when they're delivered. The one time I prepaid as you did, "they forgot" to bring them as well. I think it's similar to paying a chica upfront. You take away much of the incentive to perform.

Timba8
10-13-06, 01:06
I had a pair of shoes made and checked in with the store everyday a few days before my departure. They got them to me on the day I left with the glue still wet.

The plus side is that they are exactly what I wanted. I picked the hides, and they came out beautifully for US$80.

Thomaso276
10-13-06, 12:01
The whole downtown shopping experience is setup for tourists. I haven't even walked into Pacifica in three years but I live 2 blocks away.

I do seem to get a better response and deal when I tell vendors that I live here. Then again, I wear alot of old clothes as I prefer to look poor when walking around!

Hunt99
10-13-06, 12:08
Then again, I wear alot of old clothes as I prefer to look poor when walking around!Thomaso, there's old clothes, and then there's OLD CLOTHES. This snapshot of you in a leisure suit confirms that you are still a man of style, even if you've been out of fashion for 30 years.

Moore
10-13-06, 19:33
I would also also avoid Galeria Pacifica, probably Patio Bulrich in Recoleta as well. Abasto is the best mall in Argentina IMO. Alto Palermo is also decent but not as good or as big as Abasto in the Once area. Unicentro is the largest mall but I don't think it's any better than Abasto and its way out in the northern suburbs by the Panamerican highway.

You can (or could) get a top quality Dior suit for under 800 pesos at the CD store there after the VAT/USD discount. I only had to put down maybe 10% deposit while they were altering which only took a few days. Excellent service and expertise there.

Also at Abasto: Bowen is good higher end casual stuff, Soho is sort of like Argentina's version of the Gap. I've bought some great leather shoes at Stork though it's a lower end place.

Thomaso276
10-13-06, 19:51
I like that jacket! It has panache, or is it pancake?