Expat Community > Ecuador

HGQ2112
Joined 2009
Posts: 1640

Banned from International Living (IL)

13 years ago

No...seriously...I have been ***actually*** banned from International Living (IL). Yes...I can explain...and with IL ranking Ecuador as the top global retirement spot for 2 years, I think the connection as to significance to this forum is pretty clear.

IL has garnered quite some discussion on this forum in the past. I am one of those folks that, quite ironically, have been attacked as an “apologist” for IL. Why? Largely because of two points of accurate fact. One, my posture towards IL has been, “Hey, as long as you use them as only one source of many to gather country information, what’s the harm? Just do not rely on them as ***the*** sole source for information or investment decisions”. In fact, right here in our very own forum, if you search under “International Living (IL) Revisited”, you will see me citing complimentary comments about IL. The second reason is that I have always attended one IL event per year, just to see what they are promoting and to survey the latest “offerings” and “recommendations”. I try to keep tabs on any developments in my industry (real estate), however fringe they may be.

It is the latter point that brings me to being banned from IL. Like I did last year...the year before...and pretty much almost every year for 15 years, I sent in payment to attend my one - and only - IL event for the year. It is being hosted right here in Ecuador...Quito to be exact. The locale proved convenient. In fact, so convenient, that I attended the exact same event last year...hosted by the exact same IL....at the exact same locale. My payment was credited...I received confirmation of attendance...I received a schedule of attendee events...hey, I even received a “special” (it’s always “special”) website link to follow conference updates, which included a “super-duper” secret password. It’s all fuzzy now, may have been a handy-dandy “decoder ring” involved, although I often confuse what I receive in my email from some sources, as the intellectual equivalent of finding buried treasure at the bottom of a cereal box. In any case, all proceeded normally, as it had for year-after-year of my attending an IL event. Then...the “dreaded” email came. They had revoked my attendance, were issuing a refund, but regretted to inform me that I would not be allowed to attend the event! No...seriously...it is actually in writing. My IL conference attendance “privileges” have been revoked. I have officially been banned from IL.

I scratched my head. Hey, occasionally I have done things that ***should*** have gotten me banned from this or that thing/event/country...lol. However, I have been quietly and peaceably attending IL events for more than a decade. No incidents. No problems. Nothing. Now...I was persona non-grata...banned. Hey, goes to prove the adage about not wanting to join any club that would have me as a member...or something to that effect. Being a somewhat sane and rational individual (ok, excessive creative license taken here), I did what any other sane and rational person would do. I chuckled and sent an email asking for an explanation as to this decision. I mean...being banned sounds bad, right? So, I wanted to know what I had done to be singled out for such special attention. Especially in light of the fact that not only is this a publicly advertised event, open to all, but I know they still have seats available. You know how I know? Because even since my “shameful” ban...lol...I have received not one, not two...but three email invitations to...you guessed it...attend the very conference I have been banned from attending. Every one of those emails was more urgent than the next about...seats being limited...time running out...yada, yada. Quite ironically - shocked as I am sure you all are - I never received a response to my very polite two-sentence email. The lack of reply leads me to some wild-haired, probably largely unfounded, non-verifiable, pure speculation as to why I could have possibly been banned from IL.

Remember, just “spitballing” here and purely hypothetically thinking out loud, in an effort to make sense of this “injustice”...lol...but here are some thoughts that come to mind about my being banned from IL:

1) Could it be that after attending last year’s event, many of the IL conference attendees closed real estate transactions with my wife and I, not the IL recommended reps in my local area?
2) Could it be that they plan to charge almost $600 per person for their “real estate tours” - the very same real estate touring that myself, or any qualified and truly professional real estate agent would be glad to offer for the whopping sum of...well...***zero dollars***. Yeah, that’s right...lay it on me...as in “free, baby....free”?
3) Could it be that even if you take just my wife’s real estate industry experience alone (28 years) or my same experience alone (28 years), we would dwarf the combined professional real estate industry experience of all the IL coastal reps....combined? Now if you combine my wife’s years of experience and mine...well...you get the picture.
4) Could it be that we have more coastal Ecuador exclusive listing agreements , with actual signed contracts, then the entire IL coastal rep team combined?
5) Could it be that we do not limit folks to “secretive site tours”, but also cooperate with other legitimate, professional real estate agents throughout Ecuador to show their professionally listed properties as well? Why all the secrecy, anyways? Why not just show a client base a cross-section of available listings in an area, from a mixed number of sources (as we do)? No real estate professional - no exceptions - has every good deal in any market covered. Wouldn’t the client benefit from a broader market perspective?
6) Could it be that the IL staff and decision-makers see little value in allowing a couple, with a combined 56 years of real estate experience and with 27 years of international business experience, international travel experience and, yes...***international living*** experience, to attend an event that is supposedly intended to broaden the audience’s perspective on...well...ahem....international living and real estate? Why can I not shake the word “irony” from the cobwebs of my mind?
7) Could it be that despite claiming to have a gigantic readership of loyal followers, with a mega-budget for advertising and other promotional activities, that IL is maybe feeling a bit misguidedly intimidated by two lone people attending a conference stacked with probably 30-50 of their staff members and affiliates? If I were IL, I would like those 50 to 2 odds...so, what’s the issue? Why a ban? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Just to be clear...nothing has changed from my end. Want to subscribe to IL’s newsletter? Sure...just make sure it is only one weapon in your arsenal of information when evaluating your relocation and real estate options. Want to attend an IL conference event? Hey...why not? It’s your money. You earned it. How you spend it is your business and your business alone. Want to get on a “Happy bus” and tour “hush, hush, top secret real estate listings”...hey, why not? Some folks like bus rides and are willing to pay dearly for them. It’s still a free world...isn’t it? I just thought the folks that read good Expat forums like this should have a balanced perspective of any source that is raised on this site...or any similar site.

In the meantime, in a moment of sheer whimsical indulgence, I offer the following: International Living Challenge.

At my discretion, this is strictly reserved to only 100% committed, die-hard, IL can do no wrong...IL walks on water....avid fans. Yes...that’s right...I am talking to you! Well, here is my challenge. Get on your bus...dig into your pockets for the appropriate fee. Tour with IL for 3 days...4 days...7 days...whatever. Pick your absolute best-value property that you intend to buy from their selection of properties. Then take the 5 minutes it will take, contact me at the email below or through this forum post...give me only 24 hours advance notice...and I will show you a property that represents better value. I will not herd you onto a bus...I will not need more than 24 hours of your time...I will not charge you anything...and, hey...I’ll even buy you lunch. What do you say? Up for the challenge? I am willing to put my money where my mouth is...but act now...move quickly, hey, you never know exactly how far this “ban thingy” could reach. Next thing you know, I could be banned from the USA...Ecuador...the entire western hemisphere....maybe the entire civilized planet. It will be harder finding good value deals on Mars...trust me...sometimes cheap is...just well...cheap.

Hector G. Quintana
[email protected]

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