Spain is an extremely popular destination among Britons, whether they are visiting for a holiday or looking to relocate more permanently.
While the European country is loved for its sun, sand, sea, exceptionally varied landscapes, delicious cuisine and relaxed way of life, no place is perfect. An expat in Spain shared one thing he "hates" about life in Spain.
James, originally from New Zealand, moved to Spain in 2011 and has since fallen in love with the country. On his YouTube channel, Spain Revealed, the expat gives his insights into all things Spain.
While he is extremely happy there, there are a few things to be aware of. He said: "I can't handle the spam phone calls in Spain - they are out of control.
'I can't handle the spam phone calls in Spain - they are out of control'
YouTube / Spain Revealed
"It will generally play out like this: you're in the middle of something that is really hard to do at the same time as speaking on the phone, such as cooking dinner or changing the baby's nappy.
"And someone will call you, you pick up, there will be silence for a moment and then a click. And then a voice that sounds like they are 10,000 miles away and in a room with 10,000 other muffled voices will greet you - overly politely - and then try to sell you the world's best mobile phone offer.
"And sometimes there's nobody there and you just listen to silence and say 'Hola, hola, hola,' as if somewhere, someone is watching you."
James revealed that spam phone calls have been on the increase in Spain since the Covid pandemic.
According to a 2023 report by Hiya, which protects people from spam and fraud calls, France and Spain experience the highest phone spam rate in Europe.
For those thinking of moving to Spain, there's a key website that comes in handy when fending off spam calls.
You can sign up to the Lista Robinson (The Robinson List) to "opt out of these calls".
Its official website reads: "The Robinson List Service allows you to easily and free of charge avoid advertising from companies to which you have not given your consent to send you advertising.
"It works for advertising by telephone, postal mail, email and SMS/MMS."
While James admitted signing up to the website worked for him, it didn't completely work for his partner, Yoly.
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Spain is a popular option for Britons looking to move abroad
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James continued: "And the insidious part is that sometimes these aren't just spam phone calls - they're scam phone calls, often trying to trick people into changing electricity companies."
He warned that older people who might not be as "savvy" with these calls frequently fall victim to phone scams.
James shared a second thing he "hates" about living in Spain, calling it his "arch nemesis".
