WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY

[bogota vet]

[This message has been edited by bogota vet]

Patrick,
How do we tell about all the problems with this agency, when someone asks?  I just want to make sure this doesn't get deleted so I posted it seperate.

Patrick this is all I will say for now, because it just a general statements about the problems with this agency:

This I can warn all gringos about Tropicalmates agency:

Be careful that they explain you will have to pay at least $105 US dollar for a hotel room , paid in advance to them before you travel, EVEN AFTER you have paid a seperate membership fee!!!!
So DO NOT join the membership part, just use the tour fee, its cheaper.

Also many many of the girls, the agency will claim do not have a phone or email , but only AFTER you have paid the membership fee will you be told this!!!!!
And then to contact them , you will have to send more money. This happened on several of the girls.

Be very careful, DO NOT to send ANY money to a man named Roberto, who runs the agency in Colombia.

AND DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY TO ANY OF THE GIRLS, AT LEAST UNTIL YOU HAVE MET THEM IN PERSON.

OF THE GIRLS I PICKED, most of them asked me to send money,
they claimed they have no money for internet, no money for school, one girl even claimed the para military was asking for a para tax, and Roberto who works in the agency said she needs you to send the money to her or else the para-miltary will harm her.
When I mentioned this to the lady owner in Sweden, she sending the girls money is a way to show how much you care.
BUT REMEMBER these are girls asking for money even before the man has even met them.

Also the lady owner lives in Sweden, so you will not be meeting her in Colombia, even though that is where you send the membership fee.
A man named Roberto runs the agency in Colombia.
So if a gringo prefers  to met and deal with the owner in person, this will be a problem, you will always have to go round-about with Roberto and the ladyowner in Sweden to solve any problems.

REPEAT: DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY TO A MAN NAMED ROBERTO

[lswote]

... in response to WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by bogota vet on Feb 5, 2003

I stay at the Hotel La Fontana when I am in Bogota.  It is the nicest hotel in Bogota, and it costs me only $54 per day.  It just went up from $50 per day.  There is no hotel in Colombia that should cost you $105 per day.  I would say the price of the hotel room alone should be a big red flag about this agency.

[wizard]

... in response to WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by bogota vet on Feb 5, 2003

Here lies what was once known as tropicalmates.com...

This little known agency committed harikiri on February 6th, 2003... The agency owner disembowelled herself with a computer keyboard while casting disparaging remarks upon those she wished to lure into her web of deceipt... She performed this act while in the throws of depression over her inability to solicit any ignorant, poor and desperate middle class norte americanos to use her pitiful agency... This action was witnessed by those she wished to entice... In fact, the crowd cheered as she bared her true soul for all to see...

She is survived by her trusty dog toto, who unfortunately was eaten by the wolves that were clawing at her door...

May tropicalmates.com rest in pieces...

[bogota vet]

... in response to Epitaph..., posted by wizard on Feb 6, 2003

[This message has been edited by bogota vet]

Along with the other problems I've mentioned and the owner's attitude:,
Here is another important point that needs to be emphasized about this particular Colombian agency. Several of the women are NOT located in the agency city. So the gringo has to pay for her out of town housing, and transportation costs to the agency location. This can add up to some costs.
I found out too late.

BEFORE a gringo ever would join this agency, be sure to ask WHAT COLOMBIAN CITY the girl lives in, you want to meet, and how much more it would cost for her to come to the agency. Get a quote first, no need for surprises.
At least you have been warned.

Here are some good agencies:
www.latin-internet.com
www.latinbest.com
www.latinencounters.com
www.loveme.com (A foreign Affair office Caratgena)
www.latinintro.com
www.classycolombianladies.com

[Patrick]

... in response to WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by bogota vet on Feb 5, 2003

Bogota Vet,

I'll let you decide whether this whole thread stays or goes.  I've banned Tropicalmates from posting (as well as Gmelo).  Agency owners are welcome to post here as long as they remain civil and professional about it and don't use the forum for advertising.  This agency has stepped over the line though.

I see charges on both sides, but no way to substantiate them, so I'm not going to delete their listing.  I checked out their web site and at least one of the complaints (about the $105/night room not being known before joining) was listed on their membership page near the bottom.  I don't see enough evidence to delete their listing.  If any of the women in their agency scam men, then they should remove them if they are presented with sufficient evidence.

One has to realize though that these services cater to both the men and the women and both should be treated equally.  The women usually do not pay for any service, but without both male and female clients, no agency would be in business.

[bogota vet]

... in response to Re: WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by Patrick on Feb 6, 2003

[This message has been edited by bogota vet]

What I was saying it is $550 plus $105 a night, this is something the gringos should ask about.
Many times gringos join and think when they go visit, they can stay at any place they want, but this agency makes you prepay the hotel room of $105 no matter what, even if you are already a member, otherwise you cannot use the agency.
That's why I said use only the travel membership plan, you get the hotel room and the onsite membership all together for the $105.

If they change that policy just make sure you get it in writing. And you remember you are paying a person located in Sweden, so you can forget about ever trying to get back any money.  This holds true with a few other agencies also.

Also quite few of the Colombian girls are not located in the agency city, the member must then pay money to get the girls visit the agency location, and you have to pay for her expenses. You can only meet the agency girls at the agency, no matter where she lives, the agency claims for safety reasons, bottomline is it will cost the gringo extra bucks.
Again this is a policy that the gringo should clarify, maybe in writing with the agency before joining.

All in all, with so many great agencies choices. This one agency, the gringo better get everything clear from the agency owner before joining.
Avoid suprises in this agency.

Patrick, Then keep the thread as is.

MAYBE down the line, this agency will improve and a gringo will come back with something nice to say. But at least everyone is warned.

[littlebhuddha]

... in response to WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by bogota vet on Feb 5, 2003

Is this woman a Russian transplanted in Sweden? I agree that this sounds a lot like some of the Russian scam sites. Her response sounds very Russian also.

[Frank O]

... in response to Re: WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by littlebhuddha on Feb 6, 2003

Sorry man couldn't resist that one!

[Frank O]

... in response to Russian born in Jamaica residing in Norw..., posted by Frank O on Feb 6, 2003

Let's see again a Russian born in Jamaica or has Jamaican blood somewhere residing in Norway running a business dealing with Colombian ladies catering to upper class American men? Does that about cover it! LOL!!!

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Russian born in Jamaica residing in ..., posted by Frank O on Feb 6, 2003

No no, Sweden. Ya mon, a Jamaican Swede. Maybe she had a hand in getting her jaimacano compatriots into bob sled racing.

[Frank O]

... in response to Re: Re: Russian born in Jamaica residing..., posted by Cali vet on Feb 6, 2003

Maybe I was laughing too hard at the letter.

[lswote]

... in response to Didn't she say $450 buys dinner in Norwa..., posted by Frank O on Feb 6, 2003

Yeah, she said it.  And I thought prices in the US were bad!

[wizard]

... in response to Re: Russian born in Jamaica residing in ..., posted by Frank O on Feb 6, 2003

a screen play and sell it to Hollywood... This scenario is a lot more entertaining than some of the crap they create!!! lol...

[jim c]

... in response to WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by bogota vet on Feb 5, 2003

This scenario sounds like the traditional russian scam. Who on this list for more than a month doesn't know not to send money to a girl he has never met. Why would anyone send money to someone in sweden for a girl in Colombia. This string is ridiculeous and the responses are childish. No one here needs to defend oneself against an agency or vice-versa. He said-she said, only makes both parties look childish. Consider getting scamed a learning process and Agency Owners should be aware that they can't please everyone.  If you don't understand read the archives or the russian scam list. At one time there was a gringo in Cali running a list that had photos of a house in Cuba and the girls photos and bios stolen from the net. The guy's agency existed only on the net. JIM C

[bogota vet]

... in response to Re: WARNING ABOUT TROPICALMATES AGENCY, posted by jim c on Feb 6, 2003

[This message has been edited by bogota vet]

The money sent to Sweden is for the agency fee.

Anyway, I will go back to forgetting about this agency, just a bad mistake by me to ever join.  Now at least other gringos will know what they are getting into with this agency, and the extra costs/fees involved.