SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, GUANAJUATO – In a developing story out of this historic Mexican city, 96-year-old Canadian expat Alan Clegg has ignited a firestorm on social media after publishing a 837-word viral post in the Civil SMA Facebook group, accusing the AT&T store in Plaza La Luciérnaga of deceit, poor service, and overcharging.
Clegg alleges that on Monday,April 7th, he and his partner entered the store to inquire about renewing a phone plan, only to be “spun a series of lies and half-truths” by an employee named Karla. Things escalated quickly, with Clegg accusing Karla of having “absolutely no Spanish – perhaps intentionally,” and later claiming that “Their understanding of English deteriorated.”
The comments section on the SMAllende exploded, with many locals firing back at Clegg.
One commenter, Ricardo, wrote: “You are an immigrant in my country and must learn that we speak Spanish.”
Another, Fernando, piled on: “You intentionally have no Spanish, so what’s your problem? The entitlement coming from you people is insane.”
Clegg went further, alleging that he and his wife were overcharged by 2,000 pesos, prompting questions about billing transparency and accountability for foreign customers.
This journalist visited the AT&T store at Plaza La Luciérnaga to get their side. Karla, the employee involved, confirmed that Mr. Clegg signed all necessary contract documents, which included full pricing breakdowns.No further comment was issued by the store.
The incident appears to be part of a larger pattern of expat complaints against this particular store.
Steve, another expat, reported arriving to find “five employees sitting around doing nothing.”
Chaz Miller posted a 2-star review, claiming that Mexican cell phone service is one of the few things more expensive than in the United States.
David said the service was terrible and that the staff didn’t even acknowledge him.
Interestingly, another David later defended the store, stating that he has renewed his plan there every year and had never experienced anything but professional service.
Raymundo, a local bilingual resident, added that his own positive experience may be because he speaks both English and Spanish fluently.
This isn’t the first time Clegg has taken to Facebook in frustration. On February 8, he claimed he was called a “Stupid American” while shopping at Costco in Querétaro. Later in that same post, Clegg went on to blame former U.S. President Donald Trump for the insult.
And the bad luck didn’t end there. After the AT&T incident, the Cleggs taxi’d down the hill to Silverya Restaurant, hoping for egg rolls and a good old-fashioned plate of chicken fingers with ranch dressing.
Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for a family day off. With no English-speaking restaurants available along the strip and the ones that were open only served Mexican cuisine.
The disheartened couple returned home hungry, frustrated, and without their chicken fingers.
It’s worth noting that this is the second disturbance at Plaza La Luciérnaga in just a matter of days. On Saturday, a group of 28 gringo boomers stormed the mall in an attempt to reach the U.S. Consular Office to protest—though what exactly they were protesting remains unclear.
Even though the consulate was closed, the group gathered and protested anyway, further intensifying public tensions.
Two incidents. One location. And a growing rift between expats and locals.
Source: SMAllende Friends
