Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Where’s the change?
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September 18, 2009 at 5:00 pm #197809sumaSalMember
This site is to promote Scott’s book, maps, “most-recommanded”-realtor-friends, the real-estate-ads etc. etc.
The word is commission-commission-commission and NO competition.This website is also the “home-base” from his partner M. Claveria who sold 50 houses in 12 months (not bad, very good commission).
So this website generates a lot of income, so Scott, please don’t cry, many people in Costa Rica suffer more than you do.
The information here is good and valuable, but not only thanks to Scott, but also thanks to the numerous free contributions on the forum.BTW: more than 50% of the articles are ads and try to persuade you to do business with Scott (or one of his friends). Nothing wrong with that, but -again- please don’t cry when our Gringo-friends don’t visit Costa Rica for a while and less money is spend here.
This is my last post too.
Thanks and good luck to everybody in Costa Rica, great country.
Edited on Sep 20, 2009 16:12
September 18, 2009 at 5:33 pm #197810*LotusMemberI think the key will be a balance of what is “free” and what requires “paid membership”. No one ever said accept all information on here as omniscient, but it is a great place to start. I have spent a lot of time in CR over the last 6 years and have a great network of people to assist me. But if you are just starting out here you need reliable guidance. The people Scott recommends on here may not all be angels of charity, but I bet they make sure they work honestly or else have the bright light of WLCR and it’s owner shine down on them. And I am sure Scott vets these people as well. Sure the forum is great with some great regulars, but you can get that on the CR living yahoo board as well. I think the real value of this site is the information and videos it provides of available real estate projects along with other relevant information regarding investing in Costa Rica. . Sure wanting to know how to ship, store a car, forward mail. buy meat, organic vegetables, buy a TV or furniture is important. But laying down a large sum of money to purchase a home in this country may be one of the biggest decisions you make. That is where this site can be invaluable and worth $97 dollars!! Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.
If you are just looking to shoot the sh*t, talk politics or stir the pot a bit, you should not(and don’t have to) pay for that.
September 19, 2009 at 1:26 am #197811enduroMember*Lotus et al
I have to agree with you on what could be free and what should be a “paid service”
Scott has been through a lot (another Brit understatement) to provide us with invaluable information. He deserves to be remunerated for putting himself and his family in danger JUST to provide us unknowing “greenhorns” with distinct and valuable information which I’m sure many people have benefitted from, either mentally, physically or financially.
I would like to see something along the lines of what ARCR does… FREE discussion forum, but if you want more pertinent or specific information, then a paid service could provide that (and does for ARCR).
I’m not saying provide the same type of service as ARCR, just something more… like the personal interview videos, in depth articles relating to specific topics and such… ie what Scott does now… This subscription service could go further, but that’s up to Scott.
If ALL of this site was a subscription site… I may not partake… especially as others are free… and have to agree with others that think that it would be detrimental to the site to be ALL subscription.
A footnote… Many new people who start looking for information may be leary of sending money to Costa Rica, and look elsewhere, find the other free sites and return no more to WLCR…
Best of luck Scott, whichever way you decide to go. From one Brit to another… good job mate!
Brian
Edited on Sep 18, 2009 20:27
September 19, 2009 at 3:31 am #197812OTTFOGMemberWe moved to Costa Rica in Dec of 2007. We found our mover through the site: Barry Wilson of ShipCostaRica.com. We obtained our residency eleven months later with the incredibly professional assistance of Javier Zavaleta and his sister Mayanye of residencyincostarica.com. We formed our corporations and received accounting assistance from Randall Zamora Hidalgo of Costaricaabc.com. Along the way we received an incredible wealth of information about all things small and large that we should consider in the move and in living in Costa Rica. There is no way to quantify the value of the referrals, the confidence in the information, the professionalism/hard work/availability of Scott, and the input of the Forum members. Not to mention the friendships that we have formed with the service providers. Scott, while I appreciate the discount you are offering, in my opinion this is the best $97 per year we could spend in this process. Thanks, Jerry
September 20, 2009 at 7:06 pm #197813jneimanMemberThere is value to the new comer in this forum. But isn’t much of that advice provided through the existing members who have already been through the experience? The long time residents of CR are providing their advice for free, and likely for the pure satisfaction of helping someone else following in their same footsteps.
Would I be here if I had to pay? Probably not.
Just my 2 cents.
September 20, 2009 at 7:14 pm #197814GringoTicoMemberScott,
WLCR has tremendous value to a lot of people, for different reasons. I’m certain that all of us, regardless of our ideology, would like to see that value preserved and nurtured further.
To do so takes money, and frankly, deserves money. I could definitely see how some parts of the site could be monetized.
As a matter of fact, thanks for the free lunch all this time!
I, however, will remain honorably anonymous. I am humbled by Scott’s courage to say what he thinks so openly (no matter how outlandish!), but I would never choose to do so myself. Cowardice? Wisdom? Who knows. Probably a little of both…
September 20, 2009 at 11:09 pm #197815CancertomnpdxMemberDear Scott:
I think you have a done an excellent job with the information you provide on your site. I am a bit concerned that very crazy people have tried to invade your life over this site. You books have help me very much in the purchase of my property last year. During my visit the past two weeks, I need to make some improvements to the way my property is being cared for. With the education I received here from both the input of members and the many articles I have read over the several years as a member, I was able to ask my lawyer the right questions to hire both work to be done on my property plus find someone to help watch my property while I am still in the United States.
I sincerely appreciate the efforts you have made to keep the information posted here clear, concise and honest by being diligent in managing the content of all our postings on this site. Your books, the observations and advice posted here has helped further my own education of how to make my move to Costa Rica over the next few years. Money is only energy, nothing more! If you need to have a subscription fee, I trust your business sense enough that you know best how to keep this site operational for future users. I will look forward to offering my support to keep the doors open for the future.
Again, I am very sorry so many crazy people could cause you such pain and suffer with both law enforce and slander on your own site. This is something nobody deserves in their own house!
I wait will to hear how you will move forward this site into the next level experience.
Thanks,
Tom on a budget in Portland, Oregon — Soon to be Tom in Orosi.September 24, 2009 at 12:44 am #197816ticorealtorMemberI would have to agree with most people, I wouldn’t be one of those that would pay for a discussion board type of a web site. There are some great information and I am now doing research to try this type of a spin in Paraguay. I just can’t see paying a subscription for a blog site.
No offense and I hope that you have great success but I think you will turn new comers away because of all the scams that have been happening.
I just won’t be one of the people paying for it.
September 24, 2009 at 12:20 pm #1978172bncrMemberDamned if you do and damned if you don’t – ah the price of ambition…
September 24, 2009 at 7:16 pm #197818ticorealtorMemberSorry to hear about that Scott! Problems like yours are not new to countries like Central and South America. None the less it is frustrating when you are trying to do a service to your clients and people mess it up like what you have stated.
Down here in Paraguay it is just as corrupt if not more and that is what everyone that has a private biz has to put up with. I guess that is why you don’t see realtors faces on buses….
September 26, 2009 at 10:50 pm #197819rfalvesMemberHi Scott, I have been a VIP for several years and now living here for 3 days. I am not a great bussiness man, but just a suggestion, Go with some advertising, like charging each Realtor a fee for thier exposure, and at this time free advertising for them. There are other ways to help offset the cost to maintain this site. As others say there are other great sites out there on CR. I know I still need assistance from time to time with Tico things. Ron Alves USCG Ret
September 30, 2009 at 6:07 am #197820cruserMemberI am a so called VIP-member just for a few days and overwhelmed with mails with real-estate offers and information. I think mr. Scott already made deals with these Realtors.
Pay for this ? NO, not me !
September 30, 2009 at 1:43 pm #197821AndrewKeymasterWhat exactly do you mean “overwhelmed with mails and real estate offers”?
I send out two email newsletters per week!
You call being “overwhelmed” when you receive two emails per week from someone?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comPS. I just checked my email system to confirm that your email address has received a grand total of six (6) emails from me. S-I-X!
That’s “overwhelmed”? Or, are you the same ‘anonymous’ troublemaker with too much time on your hands – one of the cretin “developers” I write about that has never actually developed anything perhaps? – Trying to cause problems for me in the Discussion Forum?
Or did I ruin an “ocean view” land sale for you? You know, one of the “ocean view” lots that don’t have an ocean view?
September 30, 2009 at 11:30 pm #197822cruserMemberNo mr. Scott, we are temporary living in Heredia and looking for a nice house in a condominium in the Dominical-Uvita area.
6 emails with mostly real estate ads is indeed “overwhelming” but it gives us a warm welcome in Costa Rica. Just want to tell that we will not pay for this kind of information, that’s all. Please don’t be upset.
September 30, 2009 at 11:39 pm #197823AndrewKeymasterWell ‘cruser’ – I’m no technical genius so perhaps you could help me to understand how are you logging on to my site from a computer with IP number 67.227.134.120 which is in Lansing, Michigan. USA if you are “temporarily living in Heredia” Costa Rica?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com -
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