Thanks Admin for allowing me to participate. I hope my comments are allowed as I dont wish other happy honest holidaymakers who visit this beautiful part of Corfu to fall prey.
To explain - Just returned from another great holiday at San Stefanos-lovely place, lovely people. There was just 'one fly in the ointment' , so I just wanted to alert visitors to what happened to us as I guess its his well versed 'con trick'.
The 'usual donut man' who walks down the beach, twice a day , every day conned us and I understand since, that we are not the first.
We decided to have one of the donuts just before leaving the beach, to fly home on our last day,and beckoned him over, we asked the price but he didnt respond, he duly passed my husband a donut, put a piece of melon on the top, which we said no (we dont like melon) but he ignored that and gave me a banana, again I said no, just the donut-again he ignored us.
We asked how much , he said 7 euros !, my husband 'no way' we dont want the fruit, just the donut, but he wouldnt take the food back, as my husband was telling him that was ridiculous.
I was just getting some coins out of my purse and at this point the Donut Man put his hand under my hand holding my purse , whilst I had my fingers still in my purse and he quickly , like lightening, tipped the contents of my purse (about 13/14 euros) into HIS hand and threw most the money straight into his money wallet that he had round his waist, giving me a few small coins back. I was shocked as it only took a couple of seconds to do this and my husband told him to hand back the money and told him you have taken far too much ' the donut man just said 'I dont think so' and scurried off. We estimate he took about 12 euros off us.
We are definitley not confrontational people, neither of us too agile at our age and as we were due to leave the beach not long after, we didnt want to cause a scene and allow it spoil our holiday which had been brilliant up to that point. In hindsight if I'd been younger and agile, I wish I'd been able to chase after him and throw sand all over the two baskets he was carrying !
We have to say that he is the first dishonest 'person in Greece' we have ever ever encountered over many years of visits to Greece - it did 'taint' the holiday, but we are not letting it spoil it and wll give him very wide berth next time whilst letting every one we come into contact know, to be aware of this low life of a person. I guess there is always one rotten apple in the barrel as they say....... !
San Stefanos is a lovely place, peaceful, relaxing and every other person than this evil man are lovely honest, friendly, very hard working people to do their all to make your stay great and memorable.
How shocking and distressing and as you say totally unexpected because it just does not happen in San Stef.We have been there 42 times and never seen anything like it.
Thank you for the warning forewarned and all that and I hope it doesn't put you off this lovely little gem of a place.
We been warning for years here and on Facebook about the dirty, thieving antics of the doughnut man.
He is, according to several locals, allegedly part of an Albanian quasi-mafioso gang, works Arrilas, Sidari and Agios Stefanos, is allegedly frequently arrested and just pays the fine and goes straight back. I heard that he may make 200-300 euros a day tax free. He has been seen relieving himself in the sea and not washing his hands.
He takes a wide circle around me if he sees me. Pick up your mobile and say "asteenohMEEah" - the Greek word for police. Or wave him away aggressively. He is strongly disliked by the local people, because he creates a bad impression of the area.
I have used the word "allegedly" above because, as a retired journalist, we must recognise that he may, in fact, be a saintly gentleman of impeccable sanitary habits, whose prices are entirely fair. Your testimony, however, suggests that the allegations are correct.
I always ignore this man and never make eye contact with him, as mentioned he's a perpetual nuisance and his habits are unsavoury. In fact if you watch all these peddlers ( an idling pastime), have you noticed the Chinese woman that offers massages? She too goes from person to person slapping the oil on sweaty bodies doing the "massage".
I've never seen her washing her hands after completing her massage either, I know it's a little different from eating.... but in a salon the technicians always wash their hands in front of you after working on their last client. She makes me shudder...ugh I don't think people realise. (Just my personal opinion).
I shall be watching again this year keeping a wide berth as usual. Thanks for the update.
We saw him several times last week but completely ignored him. He comes across as a very rude man!