Question Are You Tired of the Taxi Ripoff?

[living4experiences]

I've just arrived in Cozumel and have been ripped off four times by taxi drivers! I thought I did enough due diligence to be informed about what I should be paying from point A to point B, but the taxi Mafia has little care about adhering to their rules. The first three drivers refused to provide me the rate card. The fare should have been 260 pesos from Casa Mexicana to Iberostar. The first two drivers quoted 350 pesos to which I countered with the correct fare. The price was lowered to 300 pesos. Once I mentioned I wanted to see the rate card, they all of a sudden didn't understand what I was talking about. I walked away and headed down the road on foot to catch another taxi. Driver number three said 300 pesos and also refused to provide the rate card. Now I was running out of time to get to my destination, so I paid the $300 pesos.

Coming back from iberostar, with no option, I was forced to pay the $300 pesos from Iberostar to Casa Mexicana. Once we arrived, I waited till my stuff was out of the van and then I asked the driver for his rate card, to which he did not know what I was talking about. I then typed the question into Google Translate and showed it to him. He looked dumbfounded and wouldn't answer, even seeing the question in his own language. I then went to the front of the van and took a picture of his license plate. He conveniently found a rate card. This rate card was in USD for cruise ship passengers only, for transportation from the International and Punta Langosta Piers. It occurred to me now that the drivers are charging regular tourists the cruise ship passenger rates all the time. This was not a zone rate card and it was not in Spanish or Pesos. When I asked to take a photo of the rate card, he refused. Now I'm angry and telling him that by law he needs to show it to me. He finally let me get a photo, but he didn't make it easy and wouldn't let me touch it. He says that Casa Mexicana is at Punta Langosta Pier. So somehow that means I'm a cruise ship passenger?

I would be interested to know what the community here does in these situations in Cozumel. Besides taking a picture of the license plate, what other photos should one gather in the event of filing a formal complaint? I'm not saying I would take time from my vacation to do so, but this might be enough of an intimidation to the driver that I'm not a customer that will be taken advantage of.

I'm thinking that Maybe I should just get in the cab, knowing the price, and pay it at the destination. If he has a problem with it, then that would be another issue.

 

[ggunn]

After 12 pages of posts, this has turned into a "how much does it cost" thread and veered off my core question. My trip is ending and we've had nothing but constant cheating on everything dealing with money, scooter rental for my friends, dining, taxis. I still never got a rate card from any driver, so I relied on El Graduado's information. The drivers are rude. They continue to say the rates have changed, but nobody can prove it. This has spoiled the experience here. The outright fleecing of tourists is so blatant, and it's the worst that I've ever seen. Mexico=ladrones. It will be a long time before we return, if ever.

I guess it's a matter of perspective and/or attitude. I have been going to Cozumel once or twice a year for a couple of weeks at a time since 1987; I take taxis the whole time I am there, and the overwhelming majority of my encounters with taxi drivers have been neutral to positive. I don't rent cars or scooters, and I pay for taxis and most meals with cash in pesos. The very few times I have been taken advantage of it was usually my own fault, and thereafter I took measures to keep it from happening again.

YMMV.

 

[mediumone]

I guess it's a matter of perspective and/or attitude. I have been going to Cozumel once or twice a year for a couple of weeks at a time since 1987; I take taxis the whole time I am there, and the overwhelming majority of my encounters with taxi drivers have been neutral to positive. I don't rent cars or scooters, and I pay for taxis and most meals with cash in pesos. The very few times I have been taken advantage of it was usually my own fault, and thereafter I took measures to keep it from happening again.

YMMV.

I KNOW it's a matter of perspective and/or attitude.

Our first trip in 2007 was to Akumal. We left the house at 3:00 am PST after a fitful 2 hours of sleep, and landed in CUN to a terminal that was literally overflowing. We formed a line on the tarmac. It took over 2 hours to get through immigration and customs, at about 5:00 pm CST. Yep, the representative from the car rental agency was still patiently waiting.

It would have been nice if the rental had a full tank of gas. I stopped at the first PEMEX to fill up. Those sob's got me pretty good. In my stressed, sleep deprived state, I was no match for those pros. I too, took measures to make sure that it never happened again.

Trip # 2 was also to Akumal, (both trips took place before too much money ruined the quaint, charming vibe), and the next 4 trips were to PDC.

As I stated earlier, the taxista's in PDC make those on Cozumel look like choir boys. We walked out the door educated, and avoided the nonsense that they tried to foist.

On Cozumel, they've hunted us down to return a wallet, another time a knapsack with a phone in it, another time a satchel containing important documents, and another time an important item that I no longer recall.

Except for our diving, everything is in Pesos. While we're waiting to clear immigration, I empty my wallet and pockets of all USD, and replace with Pesos left over from our previous trip.

When spending said Pesos, we act like what we are: Guests.
When we go out by ourselves, we always act like what we are.
We don't go out with people who don't share our mindset. I apologize to our hosts for the jerks being jerks.
We treat our hosts like what they are: a proud, hard working, happy, friendly and welcoming group of people.

Our casual encounters and interactions with our hosts are OVERWHELMINGLY positive, as are our encounters in a business setting and environment.

In summary, two thoughts come to mind:

1) Five blind men and an elephant
2) Every home should have a full length mirror which is used often.

Edit to add:
It's about the same for us; 2+ weeks, 2 times per year.
Now, if I could just get my sorry self retired......

 

[ggunn]

1) Five blind men and an elephant

Five blind elephants encountered a human. The first elephant felt the human and exclaimed, "Why, humans are flat!" The other elephants felt the human and concurred.

 

[morecowbells]

After 12 pages of posts, this has turned into a "how much does it cost" thread and veered off my core question. My trip is ending and we've had nothing but constant cheating on everything dealing with money, scooter rental for my friends, dining, taxis. I still never got a rate card from any driver, so I relied on El Graduado's information. The drivers are rude. They continue to say the rates have changed, but nobody can prove it. This has spoiled the experience here. The outright fleecing of tourists is so blatant, and it's the worst that I've ever seen. Mexico=ladrones. It will be a long time before we return, if ever.

Sounds like a bad experience on several fronts. Perhaps you can start a trip report thread outlining the specifics, especially the dining experiences.

 

[living4experiences]

Other than the taxi to & from the airport, I rent a scooter the entire stay And don't have to deal with finding a taxi


Can you share how you were cheated on dining and scooter rental? Name & shame please, so we can all learn from your experience!

I don't know the name of the scooter company because Casa Mexicana set it up for my friends. I asked the front desk person for a price and was told $35 USD. Three hours later when they were ready to reserve it, the price was then $41. They said that was for the credit card fee, about 20%. After I challenged it, it was then $35.

At Chile Tequila, we added a 20% tip to the bill, but once the credit card was run, the server added 50%. He tried the credit card fee scam. We demanded a refund and they gave us the entire tip back in USD.

Every ride in a taxi was an attempt to overcharge, and even today on the way to the airport, the driver said he left his rate card at home, then conveniently did not understand any more English.

 

[ggunn]

At Chile Tequila, we added a 20% tip to the bill, but once the credit card was run, the server added 50%. He tried the credit card fee scam. We demanded a refund and they gave us the entire tip back in USD.

That is unfortunate. I have been to Cozumel more than 45 times and I have eaten in restaurants all over the island up and down the scale, though I haven't heard of Chile Tequila; nothing like that has ever happened to me. It isn't typical.

 

[DandyDon]

It isn't typical.

I think it is. I have had my card cloned and misused. Now I never use cards other than my debit card at a bank ATM to draw pesos.

 

[SetheryJ]

My blood pressure is worth more than $2.35.

 

[ReefHound]

That is unfortunate. I have been to Cozumel more than 45 times and I have eaten in restaurants all over the island up and down the scale, though I haven't heard of Chile Tequila; nothing like that has ever happened to me. It isn't typical.

Or maybe it's just a recent development.

 

[brsnow]

Sometimes it is just being unfortunate, but I also think many times people can make themselves a target.