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]

First visit in 1996

Newbie.

 

[sharky60]

we always have a rental car.

 

[DandyDon]

we always have a rental car.

Texans do like to have cars handy and at their disposal, but rental cars can be expensive, a pain to park at times, and a liability.

 

[ggunn]

Texans do like to have cars handy and at their disposal, but rental cars can be expensive, a pain to park at times, and a liability.

Not I. The only time I have rented a vehicle on Cozumel in the last 25 years was to take an excursion around the island, but I got really tired of being the daddy while the party was going on in the back. For the past 10 years or so we have been hiring a taxi van for the day to take us, and it has worked out very well. The cost differential is negligible and I can enjoy an adult beverage or two without being worried about getting a tour of a Mexican jailhouse.

 

[mcpowell]

Not I. The only time I have rented a vehicle on Cozumel in the last 25 years was to take an excursion around the island, but I got really tired of being the daddy while the party was going on in the back. For the past 10 years or so we have been hiring a taxi van for the day to take us, and it has worked out very well. The cost differential is negligible and I can enjoy an adult beverage or two without being worried about getting a tour of a Mexican jailhouse.

+1

 

[ggunn]

Not I. The only time I have rented a vehicle on Cozumel in the last 25 years was to take an excursion around the island, but I got really tired of being the daddy while the party was going on in the back. For the past 10 years or so we have been hiring a taxi van for the day to take us, and it has worked out very well. The cost differential is negligible and I can enjoy an adult beverage or two without being worried about getting a tour of a Mexican jailhouse.

I will just add that we have a relationship with the driver who has the taxi van (cab #350), and we contact him ahead of time whenever we are going to be on Cozumel. In addition to the around the island excursion, whenever he is available he takes us to and from restaurants for dinner in the evenings as well as to the airport when we leave.

 

[SuperSusanita]

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.

I see several reasons you are having more than the usual problems. First, resorts are natural target for overcharging, and they almost always get away with it. Two, it is helpful to negotiate the cab in Spanish. If you cannot do it, try to make friends with someone near the resort who will call a cab for you and negotiate it. if you are in good enough health, act like you are going to walk all the way and eventually you will find a little cheap cab that’s just sitting out there not doing anything and will give you the deal of the century. You already know to pay in pesos, because it’s like you’re not even the same person if you speak Spanish and pay pesos. If you ever find a fair taxi, be sure and get that person’s contact information and call them whenever you need a ride. I, too, have negotiated until I was out of time and then had to pay whatever. No one prefers it, so I feel your pain. Even with the newer exchange rate, 100 pesos is still only a five dollar markup, so when budgeting dives I always add extra in case of taxi bandits. Also the person who said stay in town is brilliant. I like to stay at Casa del Sol or Hotel flamingo… They are a half block from my dive shop.

 

[SuperSusanita]

Ps— Cozumel is bad… Cabo is the worst for million dollar taxis. At least there they have Uber.

 

[ggunn]

Ps— Cozumel is bad…

That is a matter of opinion, an opinion that I do not share. I have no beef with the Cozumel taxi system.

 

[Shawn C]

I concur. Cozumel taxis are cheap in comparison to the mainland. This is especially true in Tulum.