Haven’t made a “wasteland” post in a while.

So, I go to pick up my laptop. They run the charge through the card reader three times and they get an error code each time. They call me today and say they have it fixed. I show up. It doesn’t work. I find out that they have charged me 12K because each transaction DID process, and is now being refunded.

I think we need to have refunds on errors issued immediately, with the merchant absorbing the risk. Where the hell is our consumer protection?

So I am out 12K, albeit for three days, and I have no new laptop [technical problem with it]. Sigh.

This kind of incompetence is rife here.

Sh_t doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. Anywhere. It’s exasperating.

So yes, the people are wonderful, and yes, it’s beautiful and yes the food is good, and yes it’s inexpensive. But you have to put up with third world infrastructure and the all too pervasive remains of soviet bureaucratic incompetence – everywhere.