Does This Tactic I Did Overseas Make Me an OzBargainer Guru or Would You Feel Too Embarrassed to Do It?

GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 18:00
Last edited 04/09/2017 - 20:06 by 1 other user

OK, here's my story. I was in Cuba a couple of weeks ago. I was in a small town (Vinales) and decided to hire a motorcycle for the day. The cost was US$25 for the day plus US$10 for the full tank of petrol (in Asia you normally can rent a motorcycle for only $5/day!). Hiring cars is very expensive in Cuba, bet on US$60-$80/day!

Anyway I used the motorcycle all day and noticed that my fuel gauge showed nearly full before I had to return it (it was working!!). I felt that I did not get value in the cost I paid for fuel (local price was about AUD$0.90 per litre). Since I had paid for the fuel I felt that it was mine and so why should I give it back for free to the owner. So I decided to recoup my costs and sell my fuel to somebody who wanted it at a 50% discount.

So I went to the only gas station in town since that is where people would go if they needed fuel, right? When I arrived I found out that the gas station had run out of fuel (this happens most days in Cuba). So I thought this would make it easier for me to sell my fuel. It only took a few minutes when I met another motorcyclist who had come to buy fuel. He was told there was no fuel in the gas station so I approached him and offered him my fuel at half price! He said yes (of course!). I then asked if he had a hose siphon and a bottle to measure the petrol. He said he had one at his house just a short distance away. So we set off to his house down a dirt road as it started to pour down with rain. Just as we were about half way to his house (about 1km away), he ran out of fuel for his motorcycle! (lolololo). So he ended up pushing his motorcycle by hand that last few hundred meters.

After a short time, we arrived, he found a bottle and hose and then we siphoned out all my petrol leaving just enough for me to return the bike immediately after. The gauge then showed empty!

So, I got my US$5 back which I otherwise would have 'lost' giving it back to the owner and it was a win/win situation for the guy who was able to get petrol for his bike and at 50% discount and for me who got some of my unused petrol money back.

Does that earn me a gold star in the extreme OZBARGAINER category? Would you feel too embarrassed to do this also?

Travel

Comments

  • hungerlord on 04/09/2017 - 18:07
    +69

    This is legendary

    • footyboy on 06/09/2017 - 18:19
      +24

      It really isn't.

  • dasher86 on 04/09/2017 - 18:07
    +88

    Unless you made a friend it was not worth the time and effort for $5.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 18:17
      +58

      I had the time and it makes for a great travel story!!

      • [Deactivated] on 04/09/2017 - 21:54
        +13

        That story is well worth $5

        • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:43
          +9

          That story is well worth $5

          He didn't pay $5 for the story. He paid a lot of time and effort which was subsidised by $5.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:42
        +15

        You had a necessary good which was in demand but not supplied.

        I would've auctioned it to the petrol station customers. Could've garnered at least $20!

      • YellowDieselGolf on 06/09/2017 - 19:02
        +1

        Great story? That's subjective.

      • alikazi on 07/09/2017 - 08:32
        +4

        It would have been a great story if you actually helped that guy and donated the $5 away when you came back to Aus. Otherwise, it's just a story of how cheap you are (and that's why it will work only on ozbargain).

    • itbargainhunter on 06/09/2017 - 15:05

      In plot of most of US Criminal Soap Opera the Protagonist would probably got shoot by pulling out a stunt like that.

      Glad that OP not lived in one. Well play.

  • retiredfeline on 04/09/2017 - 18:25
    +3

    Twist, motorcyclist was told by the owner you would be likely to sell your fuel since the station ran out. But I reckon this sort of improvisation is common in Cuba.

    • scrimshaw on 04/09/2017 - 19:32
      +71

      Even better plot twist, the buyer was also an ozbargainer and on his return he will brag about how he saved 50% off fuel in cuba from some random stranger.

  • KaTst3R on 04/09/2017 - 18:35
    +59

    Seems like a lot of risk for $5. He could have led you to a remote place, things go south and tries to rob you of the bike using a knife.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 20:23

      Nah…. it was broad daylight, deal was made in the the town and the 'gut' feeling was ok with this guy and place. Interestingly, the guy had a Frech traveller staying with him who was a bit stranded since he had lost his credit card!! No….it wasn't stolen by the guy buying the petrol.

      • John Kimble on 04/09/2017 - 21:40
        +54

        Lucky for you no crimes ever take place during the day!

        • terrys on 05/09/2017 - 09:59
          +2

          Cuba, not Trenchtown, Kingston Mon.

        • MrTweek on 07/09/2017 - 08:21
          +1

          Bad luck for you that you see an axe murderer in every stranger.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:51
      +8

      Seems like a lot of risk for $5. He could have led you to a remote place, things go south and tries to rob you of the bike using a knife.

      Nah, I've watched a lot of horror movies. So long as you don't have pre-marital sex or take drugs, you'll survive.

      • itbargainhunter on 06/09/2017 - 15:06

        or as long as OP didn't travel with his GF who he just proposed.

        • Helmuth on 07/09/2017 - 08:26

          Or he's a cop in the last week before he retires.

        • Slippery Fish on 07/09/2017 - 09:26

          @Helmuth: or as scary movie put it, black American. It's not racist if it's how American films actually go.

  • ronnknee on 04/09/2017 - 18:42
    +10

    Only 50%? What an amateur.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 20:28
      +3

      I'm not one to take advantage of people! I'm an honest OZBARGAINER, right!

      • ronnknee on 04/09/2017 - 20:52
        +7

        You can be honest and still sell it for a (higher) fair price. You paid 10 USD for petrol and you sold it for 5 USD. Honestly, who do you think got the bargain?

      • jonathonsunshine on 04/09/2017 - 21:06
        +4

        Sounds like you're taking advantage of the motorcycle rental guy?

  • Ughhh on 04/09/2017 - 18:50
    +9

    Sounds like a waste of time and quite risky for $5

  • steven6 on 04/09/2017 - 18:52
    +12

    If the servo ran out of fuel, then it's a 'sellers market'. Then when he ran out of fuel it's even more of a 'sellers market'. Should have charged him more. lol

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 20:25
      +8

      Nah….I didn't want to take advantage of people's situation. I was happy to help the Cuban people! After all, that's the visa category I chose to get into the country!!

      • Kangal on 04/09/2017 - 21:23
        +3

        Then, why didn't you siphon it at the petrol station and given it for free…?

        • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 21:49

          'cuz, I didn't have a hose!

        • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:53
          +5

          Then, why didn't you siphon it at the petrol station and given it for free…?

          He didn't want to help them that much.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:55

          @GOCAT9:

          'cuz, I didn't have a hose!

          But you could've given it away for free at the motorcyclist's house…

      • Scrooge McDuck on 04/09/2017 - 23:57
        +5

        Nah….I didn't want to take advantage of people's situation. I was happy to help the Cuban people! After all, that's the visa category I chose to get into the country!!

        Was the motorcycle renter not one of the Cuban people?

        Rob Peter to pay Paul.

  • PVA on 04/09/2017 - 19:03
    +1

    Rental cost for a car is not a bad price at all, $60 is ok.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 20:23
      +1

      that's US$60, not AUD$60

      • PVA on 05/09/2017 - 12:23
        +1

        Yeah, I knew that. Not that much to rent a car at all.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 21:46
      +2

      not for a true Ozbargainer!

    • ilikeradiohead on 07/09/2017 - 13:27
      -2

      That's double the price of a rental car in a developed country.

  • bobbified on 04/09/2017 - 20:03

    Waste of holiday time… wouldn't have worked out well if you got robbed.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 20:27
      +3

      ….also would not have worked out if I had got struck by an asteroid at his house either! You just never know do you! Sometimes you just have to go with your gut!

  • 87percent on 04/09/2017 - 20:06
    +22

    The more i read the forums section, the stupider I feel sometimes.. so many dumb threads

    • outlander on 04/09/2017 - 20:35
      +3

      The road to smart is paved with stupid

      • Kangal on 04/09/2017 - 21:24
        +3

        What is the road to stupid paved with?

        • Aniseed Steed on 04/09/2017 - 22:24

          Blowhards and braggarts?

        • phocus on 05/09/2017 - 10:22
          +18

          80K high yield investment cars

        • outlander on 05/09/2017 - 10:29
          +1

          More stupid. Believe me, there's enough to go around.
          Worlds most renewable resource

        • Slippery Fish on 07/09/2017 - 09:28

          @phocus: best use of this I've seen. Lol

    • onetwothreefour on 04/09/2017 - 22:11
      +5

      Reading threads like this makes me feel intelligent.

  • sahh on 04/09/2017 - 20:44
    +1

    Do you take this approach with everyday life or more of a one off because you were overseas?

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 21:45
      -1

      I'm an Ozbargainer!!! Bit of both probably!!

    • Slippery Fish on 07/09/2017 - 09:30

      In Aus he has a hose and when you go in to pay for your petrol he siphons it back out to sell at 50% off.

      Lol how mad would you be if that happened.

  • Aniseed Steed on 04/09/2017 - 20:51
    +3

    Maybe if we each gave GOCAT9 a gold star and a pat on the head, and then send him off to bed, it'll bring an end to this thread?

  • SydStrand on 04/09/2017 - 20:54

    I've scrimped overseas, but this is way too much trouble for $5. I've returned and sold bikes with half-filled tanks (I once had to push a bike under the Vietnamese sun for 3 hours - made me paranoid about fuel levels), picked up some good karma, and used the time better than waiting at a petrol station.

  • zappy32 on 04/09/2017 - 21:01

    Did you get pesos or CUC? From what I heard it wasn't work getting pesos as no one would accept them from foreigners.

    • GOCAT9 on 04/09/2017 - 21:44
      +1

      I got CUC. Not true about pesos, you heard wrong, I used pesos every day without problems.

  • onetwothreefour on 04/09/2017 - 22:14
    +6

    Sometimes I feel that we should change the name of this website to OzBragging.com.au

  • Birchy on 05/09/2017 - 08:39

    It would only make you a guru if you converted that $5 into $20 of value.

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 09:25

      Does $20 of 'moral' value count instead, and that's US$20 and not AUD$20!!

  • Hoju on 05/09/2017 - 09:54
    +10

    I love this story, not because of the ozbargain saving $ approach but because you spoke to a stranger and worked together to solve something.
    The world is becoming a shitty place where we're too scared to talk to strangers and bury our heads in phones, so hats off to you sir for having an adventure.

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 10:25
      +3

      Thanks for that. The other thing I should mention is that all the negotiation and discussion with the local Cuban was done in Spanish which is not my mother tongue (being English of course (OZZIE!!)

  • Peck on 05/09/2017 - 09:55

    Must have been a terrible destination/very long holiday if that is some of the way that you spent your time there. Who got to suck on the hose and the 1st mouthful of petrol? I think that this make you 'Nutz'!

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 10:26
      +1

      Good point, fortunately it was the buyer who did the sucking. I remember he had a few goes to get it going so probably tasted a bit of fuel in the process!! By the way, it was a GREAT destination. In the end I will probably remember it for the friendly people, very safe country to travel in and for all the lobster dinners I had (dirt cheap). Highly recommended destination.

      I will make another post in a day or so about how ATMs work and their access in Cuba, because Cuba is a special case for ATMs.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 05/09/2017 - 11:49
        +7

        Good point, fortunately it was the buyer who did the sucking.

        So you got a bit more than $5…

  • Ozpit on 05/09/2017 - 10:03
    +1

    I would have sold the whole motorcycle to the guy at half price, bought a suitcase full of fat cigars and then caught the next plane out of Cuba.

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 10:31

      Nice thought, the only problem is that the import limitation on tobacco in Australia is only 25 cigarettes for 25g! I was offered cigars hundreds of times tho!

  • Bluberry on 05/09/2017 - 10:06
    +4

    I dont really belive much of this story. My gut tells me this is a load of BS. If it is true, Imho i think this should be listed under acts of utter stupidity.

    First, its not worth the time and effort for $5. Moreover, you put yourself in serious risk of harm. This is exactly how dumb tourist gets robbed and beaten up.

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 10:34

      I bet you have never been to Cuba! Go there and you will see that your 'gut' needs a transplant and that you would have a different opinion from what you are saying after visiting. My gut has probably more safely traveled, trouble free miles under the 'belt' (sic) than yours!!

    • BucketsJackson on 05/09/2017 - 12:45

      Cuba is very safe and the people generally very friendly. You can get hustled in the bigger cities, but Vinales is pretty small and despite being a tourist spot, I didn't see anything that would have put me in serious harm - and I was staying in a Casa outside of town a little bit and walking most places at all times.

      Cuban people really are wonderful.

      • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 15:34

        totally agree with all that! Only after going does one believe this!!

  • Aniseed Steed on 05/09/2017 - 10:11
    +3

    Lord Byron says, "Portraits, sir, or the incident did not transpire!"

  • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2017 - 12:04
    +8

    Congratulations on sounding astoundingly poor and scabby.

    EDIT: That being said, I have given away the remaining fuel on my bike rental in asia before. Why not. It is lots of money for some people and barely a minute worth of my wages.

  • foxmulder on 05/09/2017 - 12:33
    +2

    This could be the next story in Fargo season 4.

  • BucketsJackson on 05/09/2017 - 12:43

    You could have done a nice deed and given the guy the fuel perhaps? Not sure on what your budget was, but is $5US really that much for you? Particularly if you are travelling to Cuba which can be quite costly to get to from Australia having to fly through either Mexico/Canada/UK to get there… also everyday costs are so low in Cuba when holidaying (I spent 2 weeks there 4 months ago) that it seems like a big waste of time tbh… admire the hustle though!

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 15:36

      I guess I cud have, but I still did him a big favour by giving him a 50% discount. By the way, we flew to Cuba directly from the USA (Miami).

      • BucketsJackson on 05/09/2017 - 17:27

        How on earth did you do that? We were told that is not possible unless you are classified under a special exemption.

        "US airlines cannot provide boarding passes to foreign nationals travelling to Cuba, unless they can certify they are travelling on one of the 12 Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) travel categories. Further details can be found on the Cuba Sanctions page of the US OFAC website. If you are travelling to Cuba for tourist purposes do not attempt to book travel on a US carrier."

        http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/americas/caribbean/Pag…

        • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 20:17
          +2

          Technically your advice was correct, but the reality is different; your advice was incomplete (I hope you didn't trust a travel agent in Australia!!). If you had done your travel research thoroughly for air travel direct between the continental USA and Cuba you would have found out that whilst that advice is technically correct, ALL travelers (US and foreign) make an electronic declaration during the check in process of which visa category they are going to Cuba on (there are 12). If you are going just as a 'tourist' then the visa category that most travelers choose is "helping the Cuban people". This is an official US visa category. It is not vetted! After stating that you get your boarding pass issued, no questions asked.

          Bear in mind two other things:
          1. The Cubans (immigration) don't give a shit about your visa category, that is just American imposed sanction bullshit. They welcome you with open arms as a tourist.
          2. You HAVE to buy a Cuban Tourist Card from the US airline before boarding which you use at Cuban immigration (it is pink vs green if bought in other countries). This costs anywhere between US$50 and US$100 depending upon which airline you fly with.

          I was going to put up another post of travelling to Cuba from the US and also how ATMs work in Cuba for cash withdrawals etc.

  • Shame on 05/09/2017 - 15:31

    A true OzBargain Guru would have sold the engine oil as well

    • GOCAT9 on 05/09/2017 - 15:38

      Nah, I had to be able to ride the bike back to the place where I rented it from. Anyway, have you ever tried to siphon oil!!

      • GregMonarch on 06/09/2017 - 22:08

        Hope you checked if his tyres had less tread than the rented bike… in case they were worth swapping over.

  • Ozpit on 05/09/2017 - 18:47
    +4

    Like a few of the others, I think it was pretty mean spirited of the OP to have not just given the petrol to this guy. Christ, he was a guest in his country and a free tank of juice would have meant a lot more to the guy than a lousy US$5 to the OP. At most, maybe the OP could have swapped it for a chinwag over a coffee or a glass of the local brew. That would have meant far more to me than a lousy five bucks. I would have walked away with a nice feeling, and the Cuban would have been left thinking that, hey, maybe not all foreign hombres are assholes after all.

    • jchowx on 06/09/2017 - 14:18
      +1

      Totally agree with this statement! All this effort for $5, if you're after a good story you should've just given it away for free

      • GOCAT9 on 06/09/2017 - 15:59

        Its not about the money bro, its about the story and experience!

        • Ughhh on 06/09/2017 - 19:00

          Not a story that would get you laid unfortunately.

          More heroic to just donate to the locals.

        • nickj on 07/09/2017 - 16:10
          +1

          @Ughhh: If he wants to get laid, then the OP should just modify it to suit! Take the same story, insert something small at the beginning to show the owner was a bit of a dick, and delete the last 2 paragraphs about getting the $5 back (stories are about people and conflict and connections and drama, not getting $5 back!), and instead rock the ending like a boss: So he goes with the guy to his house, and the guys says "thank you, thank you so much, my wife is unexpectedly in labor and I have not been to fill up with petrol because the petrol station is always running out, I do not know how we will get to the hospital!", and as they arrive at the house the baby is crowning. OP helps deliver the baby, fills the guy's bike up with fuel (for free), helps the guy and his wife and their new baby onto their bike, and the happy family ride off together in the sunset, bound for hospital to get their new baby checked over, waving and saying "thank you so much for visiting Cuba!". Then OP returns his bike, and as he pulls in and stops, now his bike cuts out because it's out of petrol, and the owner's jaw drops at how well timed it was, and how well the OP screwed him out of every penny of petrol.

  • TransportPosters on 06/09/2017 - 14:25

    What a great adventure, bro/sis. Thanks for sharing.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2017 - 15:02
    +1

    Very creative story 7/10

  • aimon on 06/09/2017 - 15:46
    +1

    Sorry to be harsh but i don't find this a good story nor a good use of time to save $5.

    • GOCAT9 on 06/09/2017 - 16:01
      +1

      see comment above about money!! The money is incidental. If I had GIVEN the petrol away, would you still have said that it was a waste of time - probably!!

  • onelove on 06/09/2017 - 16:02

    Hope that rental guy is not reading this thread.. lol

  • djmm on 06/09/2017 - 16:17
    +2

    TLDR version: Ozbargainer saved $5 by spending time and energy driving around to sell fuel. Not to mention risking his life driving to some stranger house im Cuba.

    The said person then came back to Aus and bought some $800 ipad he hardly use.

    • abb on 07/09/2017 - 11:10
      +1

      but it was marked down from $805 so it was a good deal

  • Ank85 on 06/09/2017 - 16:50

    He is a ozbargainer. He got the fuel when needed at 50% discount

  • movieman on 06/09/2017 - 17:34

    Well done OP.

    Question… How much were the flights to Cuba from Australia?

    • mooboy on 06/09/2017 - 17:48
      +1

      Before or after he siphoned fuel from the plane equal to the surcharge amount?

  • DiscoJango on 06/09/2017 - 18:30
    +4

    please invest in yourself and your career so you arent scrounging around for 2 hours just to save $5.

  • starspawn on 06/09/2017 - 18:59

    That is pathetic

  • JelIyfish on 06/09/2017 - 19:11
    +2

    Spend thousands on flights to take an afternoon out to save $5, yeah gold star for you…

  • methdd on 06/09/2017 - 19:40

    So divide the cost of the holiday by the number of days and hours of free time you had there. Work out how much your holiday time really cost in $/hr. Now realise you spent an afternoon at THAT cost to save $5 USD.

  • foxmulder on 06/09/2017 - 19:51

    Hopefully you don't have your wife and kid(s) in that motorcycle to save money on car rental.

  • crozza on 06/09/2017 - 20:22
    +1

    thinking the OP got the desired response. So well done OP. For me, over the top for $5 saving.

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