Expat Community > Colombia

fecherklyn
Joined 2015
Posts: 1459

A broken pipe...or is it?

4 months ago

In Medellin, and I suppose everywhere else in Colombia, you need to have your gas/electricity appliances periodically checked to ensure they are conforming to norms and safe. In Medellin, this verification takes place every 5 years and EPM (in the case of Medellin) usually contract this control to local companies.

Today, my wife´s friend phoned her to advise her of a new scam. Alone at home, her husband was away at their finca, she answered her door to the local contracted control employee who told her he had to verify the equipment as the 5-year period had expired. She verified his ID and his examination took about 10 minutes….¨You have a broken pipe, or leak somewhere, and I must close it down until EPM are able to come and fix whatever is necessary¨. Panic, ¨but what do I do with all our frozen foods…..¨ No problem says the assessor, I have a friend who can fix all of this very quickly so you do not need to depend upon EPM; once it is fixed, I can confirm your service is ok¨ Fortunately, wife´s friend is no fool and she told him she would need to verify directly with EPM. He disappeared, grumbling, but the need to immediately close down the gas/electric services seem to have been forgotten.

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