Navigating the Service Maze - An Expat's Guide to Business in Ecuador - Updated!

The $1,000 discount cost him, conservatively, 80–100 hours of his time and an enormous amount of stress. That is not a deal. That is a tax on not having the right person in the room.

I have been living and working in Ecuador for over a decade. I am not writing this to criticize the culture. I am writing it because understanding it keeps you out of trouble.

There are three dynamics that consistently create problems for expats in commercial transactions.

The Culture of Communication

There is a strong preference for expressing complex thoughts and feelings with broad, ambiguous and even poetic, words. A frustrating or disappointing experience might be called "aggressive" or "violent," not because it was physically so, but because the emotion behind it was so strong. Similarly, something deeply upsetting could be described as "abusive" or "oppressive." This style of communication, while rich with emotion, often lacks the precision needed for business.

Additionally, most Ecuadorians I have met are not fond of extended, serious conversations. There is often a desire to move from uncomfortable topics to "small talk" or gossip as quickly as possible. Having to interrogate, assess, or debate is not seen as a comfortable way to interact, which can leave you with unanswered questions and a lack of accountability. When you add to this a generally lower command of the Spanish language compared to their northern and southern neighbors, it is easy to see how simple, avoidable misunderstandings can pile up.

A Lack of Long-Term Vision

Many Ecuadorians are focused on the present and the immediate future, and they may not be as concerned with how their decisions will play out in the long run. In many cases, "the problem started when the crisis started," which makes it very difficult to proactively prevent issues before they arise. A salesperson who promises "it ships tomorrow" may genuinely believe tomorrow — and then tomorrow becomes next week, and next week becomes next month, and by then the person who made the promise has moved on to other things.

Accountability Structures Are Not Built In

Many Ecuadorian businesses — even well-established ones — operate without the kind of project management infrastructure that expats from the US or Canada take for granted. A salesperson may genuinely intend to follow up but has no system to remind them. A delivery may genuinely be delayed but there is no customer communication protocol. The store that ignored Steven for weeks was not necessarily malicious — they may simply have had no one whose job it was to manage customer communication during delays.

When you are an expat with limited Spanish and no independent contact inside the business, you have no way to move the process forward on your own.

I want to go back to two experiences I have written about before, because they illustrate the same pattern from different angles.

I recently had to use the warranty for a new electric oven I bought. My partner, who is Ecuadorian, and I are proactive people who expected to navigate the process with relative ease. We were wrong.

We discovered that the people we were in contact with were not customer service representatives at all — they were salespeople. Their attempts to help consisted mostly of "I am talking to someone" or "I am waiting for an answer from someone," with no clear procedure for how to actually process a warranty claim. Many of the phone numbers listed online for the company were not working. We were fortunate that an acquaintance who had facilitated my partner's credit line for the purchase agreed to act as a liaison — and even that took four days of back-and-forth just to get a response.

Twice I asked if I needed to bring anything besides the product to the warranty drop-off. Twice I was told no. I brought copies of documents anyway. Of course, I ended up needing them. The entire process took one full month, and I had to arrange my own transport to retrieve the item afterward.

The lesson was the same: without a clear accountability structure, a simple warranty claim becomes a weeks-long project. And this was a straightforward consumer electronics purchase — not a custom furniture order or a dental procedure.

Back in 2018, I was assisting a journalist who was working on the Venezuelan refugee crisis in Ecuador. During her stay in Cuenca she chose a "regular" 4-star hotel. I am not a hotel connoisseur, so I will not pretend to know what defines a 4-star hotel. I would, however, expect a reasonable level of service.

She asked about kitchen hours upon check-in, as she was mindful of her schedule. As we had some time before our first appointment, she ordered a coffee. Nearly half an hour passed with no coffee in sight. She called to inquire and was given unclear answers that did not clarify whether the coffee was done, on its way, or still being prepared. She waited another 15 minutes and then gave up. She ended up having to eat nearly all her meals outside the hotel because she could not rely on the service.

The staff were not rude. They were not trying to cause harm. They were simply not coordinated, not paying attention, and not operating with any accountability to the customer experience. This is not unique to Ecuador — but it is common enough here that you cannot assume that paying for something guarantees a corresponding standard of service.

This is the section I want every expat considering a major purchase in Ecuador to read carefully.

A paid independent advocate is not a translator. Here is what they actually do.

Before the transaction:

• Research the vendor's track record with expat customers and, where possible, with custom orders specifically

• Identify red flags in contracts before you sign — including payment schedules, delivery clauses, and warranty terms

• Negotiate contract terms on your behalf, including payment schedules that protect you (never full upfront on custom work)

• Be present at signing to explain every clause and flag anything that does not match what was verbally agreed

• Document the condition of items at purchase with photos and written records

During the wait:

• Act as your single point of contact for follow-ups — businesses behave differently when they know a third party is tracking the process

• Escalate in writing when promises are broken, with copies of all communication retained

• Provide you with weekly updates so you are never left wondering what is happening

When things go wrong:

• File formal complaints — civil, consumer protection, or otherwise — with supporting documentation

• Correspond with the vendor in Spanish, shielding you from direct confrontation

• Negotiate partial refunds, compensation, or restructured delivery terms

• Manage the relationship so you do not have to

The key difference: A free advocate has accountability to the relationships that are at stake, particularly if he or she knows the vendor they just recommended. A paid advocate has accountability to you — and puts their professional reputation on the line every time they witness the signing of the contract or sign a contract on your behalf.

This is not about blaming or judging the culture. It is about empowering you to navigate this unique environment more effectively. While you cannot change the culture, you can change your approach.

Here are the five habits I recommend to every expat in Cuenca:

1. Communicate proactively and smartly. Ask the same question multiple times, but do it politely and not in a confrontational way. When you get a rejection, ask for the reason why — and be aware that many Cuencanos do not like to say a direct "no," so you may need to learn to read between the lines. Mastering WhatsApp is a game-changer. It is the primary way to follow up with people here and creates a written record of your interactions.

2. Plan for the worst-case scenario. Always carry extra copies of important documents. It is far better to have an extra copy in a folder you never use than to waste 45 minutes running back to get one. Take your own pictures of products, contracts, and receipts. Keep a paper trail and your own digital record of every important transaction.

3. Find your legal and financial allies before you need them. Do not wait for a crisis to find an attorney. Seek out a good legal professional for preventive consultation. They can teach you how to set up a paper trail for civil complaints and navigate a system that often operates on different rules. In a place where you can get an honest legal consultation for $20 to $40 per hour, it is a small investment that could save you thousands in the future.

4. Manage your expectations. Before you jump to conclusions, take a moment to ask enough questions to understand what is really happening. You may find that the level of service you are used to in your home country simply is not possible here because the entire economic, logistical, and management structure does not exist. There are things that are a great value in Ecuador — access to healthy food at a low cost, a beautiful climate — but consistent, high-end service is often not one of them, regardless of what you pay.

5. Make it a priority to know who you give your business to. If you become too focused on the wrong reasons to support a business, you might be supporting someone who is just using that trade as a means to get by. Many service providers are just trying to have something productive to do while looking for something else they want. You would be unfair to those who are trying to specialize and be professional in that field by giving the former most of your business.

After three months, Steven finally received his furniture. He offered this assessment, which I think is worth quoting directly:

"If you are buying something directly from their showroom floor, ok. If you want any level of customization, go elsewhere."

That is the market speaking. One bad experience does not close a store. But it closes it for a category of transaction. And that category — custom work, large purchases, anything requiring follow-through over weeks or months — is precisely where an independent advocate pays for themselves.