My husband and I lived in Ecuador in a furnished apt. The land lady was an absolute wack job and did several messed up things to the tourists there - including chasing a girl from norway around with a gun.
Our package 4 has FINALLY arrived (4 months after it was supposed to) and it has come to our old address. My land lady is refusing to give my husband the package (I am back in the states) until he pays her 100 dollars. She gave us a COPY of our rent "contract" before I left but it is merely a piece of typed on paper - I told Alberto to try to get the original and then pay this ridiculous amount (getting rent contract and package).
Do you all think it is worth it to do this? Cant we just get everything online or MIGHT there be some kind of extra info in the package???
Who could I contact about this absurdity?? Isnt stealing mail a federal offense in the states - would it apply to other countries? Could I get the embassy to send her a letter about consequences of stealing peoples mail???
Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful
Mucho thanks!

I would pay the $100 bucks, get the packet 4 from her, and then shoot a flamming arrow ito her house.

Give her fake money, take the packet 4 and fling some poo at her

Well first and foremost, get the packet off of her...


Theeeeeeeeen, get your hubby to follow the neighbourhood dogs around for a while and make a dog poo collection, that will last a few days, put em into brown paper bags, light em up on her front doorstep, ring her doorbell and run like hell!!!

Orrrr, you could just get him to show up with the local constabulary to collect the packet 4 and see if she still insists on getting the money from him... but personally, I like the first way....

j,
You could call the Consulate and ask them what's in the packet. #4 is usually only the interview date and the instructions for the medical. You should be able to reconstruct this from the Consulate folk directly.
If worse came to worse, I'd pay her, but I'd try my other options first. I'm a cheapskate.

Thanks for the suggestions - like the one about poo .....
Husband went and took care of the prob - she decided to extort less money out of him but i guess it was a good thing to get the package because it had specifics that we didnt find on the net or from the embassy. Like that my husbands medical exams will only be good for 2 weeks before the interview date (the website says 2 months) etc.

Anyways the ecuadorian land lady will get her own. I (and others) are reporting her to lonely planet and they are publishing a new ecuador guide. Hopefully our complaints will make it in the book!

Chau!

Does she have a cat? LOL

Ummmmmmmm...... ::

Photocopy some cash to give to her and then report her for having counterfeit money.

Call the consulate and ask to pick up a new packet.

Ohhhh I like this idea much much better!
Can you just picture what will happen to her once caught