Today, lunch time.
We were having our meal, when the doorbell rang. My husband answered and the voice said he was a knife-sharpener (afiler) and asked if we needed to sharpen knives. My husband instinctively replied we didn't need his service, and came back to the table to eat.
I commented I wanted to take our two IKEA scissors to sharpen at the ferreteria down the block, as I had seen a sign offering the service, but my husband said 'Let's give it to this guy, instead'. We were thinking we would be helping a guy in need, saving money and getting the service immediately. My husband spoke again to the buzzer but the guy had left.
My husband wore his shoes, took his wallet, the two scissors and went chasing the knifer sharpener by bike.
He finally catches up on him and asks how much he wants to sharpen the scissors (he shows two scissors). The guy says 440 pesos, and my husband agrees.
After the guy is done grinding, he asks my husband 800 pesos 'since it is two pair of scissors'. My husband is startled because it was clear that he had two pair of scissors to grind since the beginning, and starts telling the guy he had showed him two pairs and so the price was for both scissors. However, the guy insists, so my husband gives in, takes out his wallet and gives the guy 800 pesos.
The guy sees my husband wallet, and tell him to give him 1600 because the 440 price was per blade, and each pair of scissor has two blades... my husband is pissed and raises his voice, since he realizes he is getting scammed. However, another knife-grinder approaches the two and start supporting his fellow grinder, saying that the price is always 'per blade'.
My husband replies that for 1600 pesos he could buy new scissors and that he is not paying 1600 pesos -- they can keep the scissors if they want to. They say he has the money anyway, while my husband tries to scour the area to see if there is a policeman to call --- of course, there is none.
My left initially on foot because he was afraid they would kick him off the bike, then jumps back on his bike and comes back home in a hurry. Anyway, they saw him coming out the gate and getting back in, plus they had just buzzed the door, so they know where we live.
My husband is still very angry for chasing a scammer to be scammed and the running away, but I am just happy that nothing worse has happened - he had a full wallet with money, documents, cards etc. - and he was not hurt.
I am not aware of the going price for grinding blades, but I hardly believe a knife-grinder makes thousands pesos per day
About 4 years ago, in San Isidro, the knife-grinder who buzzed asked 300 pesos and it was quite a lot of money even back then, but we thought maybe here scissors aren't as cheap as in Europe.