Cozumel/Mr. Sancho's Beach Resort-BEWARE!!

[inkkognito]

Even though this thread relates mainly to Cozumel, it got me to thinking about an experience we had in Grand Cayman. I definitely DO NOT think it is right for cab drivers anywhere to rip people off, nor do I think it is right for Americans to treat people in other countries rudely for no reason except that they feel superior. Unfortunately, we got stuck sharing a cab with the original Ugly American and his family. We were coming home from the beach, and since it was a large van cab, the cab driver was waiting for enough people to fill it. Already in there cab were a man, his wife, and his toddler, as well as another couple. The whole time we were waiting, the father kept harrassing the cab driver about having to pay for his child. He kept saying, "I can't believe you're making me pay for my BABY!" She was old enough and large enough to take up a seat, but he kept saying stupid things like, "She's so cute that you should pay me!" He just wouldn't shut up, and the rest of us were cringing. Then he asked the driver, "Can I take your picture?" The driver was confused but said, "I guess so," and Mr. Ugly said, "Good, because I want to show everyone back home the man who made me pay for my BABY." Finally, on the way home, he told te driver, "You are not getting any tip because the money I'm paying for my baby was your tip." Sheesh! What an idiot! Ripping people off is never acceptable, but I can see how people from other countries get a bad impression of Americans. I like to think that we only have a few bad apples from the U.S.A., just like there are a few bad apples in other places, so hopefully none of us will judge the many by the few.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[mcnuss]

My point is that something should be done about the cab situation. It's a total scam that should not be ignored by the cruise industry.

We are talking about one reported incident here. The majority of the posts tell us that this is a rare situation. If it were happening a lot, there'd be a lot more posts on the DIS and other boards. So I think calling it a "total scam" is extreme.

As someone who travels a lot, I can assure you that I've been ripped off in cabs in the good old USA more often than in any foreign country. Look around you, scams abound right here at home. Kick-backs, authorities who look the other way, that's not something that only occurs abroad.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Yep, scamming tourists happens right here in our own backyard too.
Case in point:
Arrived late on my last solo trip staying OFFsite... had mears reservation but they were nowhere to be found and no one at the desk- I was told by cab drivers and one driving a little van-cab that Mears was closed (obviously I know now that this was a lie!) I started asking prices to get to my hotel by cab- way too expensive. I asked the guy with the van-cab- also way too high. (In my opinion- both quoted $40 rate when my Mears reservation had been $28 round trip... which btw I still haven't gotten a refund from since I didn't use them. I was out there almost an hour and Mears never showed up during that time)
But another couple of women overheard and needed a ride too on the WAY to my hotel- and one was very verbal (not in a mean way- just outspoken... which I usually am too but in this case I was out of my league- not having used a taxi before EVER. LOL) and she negotiated a combined price for us... he agreed to taking us all together and when those two got off they would pay what the fare was at that time- and I would pay the difference at my hotel OR total $40 for us all- whichever was more.
Well, when they got off the fare was at $28 and I watched them pay him with a $20, a $10 and a $5 (obviously tipping $7)- when he got to my resort the fare had continued and was at $40... so I only owed $12 by our agreement- I pulled out a $20 to pay him that (tipping $8 which I thought was reasonable- plus it was half what it would have cost me to go by taxi fares quoted earlier) and he said I owed him $40!!!! He'd already gotten $35- with my $20 equals $55 for what was a $40 fare to my hotel- plus taking their 2 bags out at their hotel too ofcourse.

We had a little "discussion" in which I had to control myself not to get loud- and finally we were talking so long that someone from the front desk came outside- at which time he heard me once again telling the driver that he was not going to change things once I got there- hand him the $20- grabbed my luggage and walked in the hotel. No telling what he might have done if the hotel employee wasn't standing there. ??

Then later on one of the many taxi rides I took to get to DTD which was about 3 blocks away (but I was being lazy and didn't want to waste the time to walk across those busy intersections) -I was almost ripped off again! One price quoted when I got in- tried to up it by $10 when I got there. $17 for a 3 block trip? I don't think so! I stood my ground and only paid him $10 as by that time I was becoming accustomed to taking a taxi and ALL my other trips had come out to $6-7 depending on how many redlights we had to sit at.

So you can get ripped off anywhere... or atleast they'll attempt to. Even in Orlando in the good ole USA! I can certainly see it happening more often when they KNOW you have to get back on board the ship at a certain time... just like the driver tried to take advantage of me at 1am at the airport... even to the point of lying that Mears was closed at that hour! I imagine since I was quiet and let the other lady do the talking/negotiating- that he thought once she got off and I was alone- he could run me over. He didn't know what Texas gal he was messing with. LOL

I learned my lesson in Cancun many years ago too. Not with a Taxi but the same "lesson" (being taken advantage of and backing down because you don't want to get in trouble with the law there LOL) We were on a boat/party excursion and met another couple our age- we went back to one of the clubs together and spent the evening there talking/drinking. We were paying for our drinks as we went along- and quite a few times this couple insisted on paying for our round of drinks with theirs. We WATCHED them pay them each time. Later they left- and I went to the bathroom before we were leaving... and when I returned my husband had left to meet me inside the front door and was getting into an argument with someone there! Turns out they wanted us to pay for ALL the drinks that evening- saying that us and the other couple hadn't paid for the drinks all night and had put them on a "tab" to pay later. I ended up paying for all the drinks the entire night (already paid for!!) just to stop the argument before my husband lost his temper (didn't take much back then... when he was younger LOL) and we ended up in some jail or something! LOL (but seriously- the employee was arguing and someone that looked like either security or police or something was there also)
Totally got ripped off... but what could we really do? It's not like we kept receipts all night...