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.

 

[mstevens]

I research any country I haven't been to before (been visiting Mexico for 30+ years) and figure out what the local customs are and act accordingly.

Well, you say this, but locals don't tip taxi drivers unless the driver does CPR or something. Restaurant tipping is usually spare change or perhaps up to 5% in a fairly fancy place.

 

[Shawn C]

Well, you say this, but locals don't tip taxi drivers unless the driver does CPR or something. Restaurant tipping is usually spare change or perhaps up to 5% in a fairly fancy place.

I understand. Which is why I don't tip 15% - 20% and if I do tip, it's like 20 pesos for loading gear or doing something out of the way.

 

[loady]

I don't know where the Iberostar is, but the highest fare (per person) for a shared van to anywhere from the airport is MXN$208, so as of today about USD$11, The highest FlexShuttle (priced per van, with a capacity of 4 pax) rate is MXN$865, and the highest private van rate is MXN$2,067 (per person!).

So if loady was traveling by himself, he ripped himself off to the tune of at least 44% by walking to Diego's and negotiating with a taxista rather than taking a shared shuttle.

I know reading is a struggle. The only way you got those prices is when 100 other people are also leaving the mini aeropuerto. I was not leaving with 100 people. I dropped off someone for a flight and then left. So I was quoted the outrageous ripoff don’t want to work rate which I didn’t pay by walking five minutes out of the tiny little mini airport across the street. That exercise also burned calories and made me healthier. My legs did not fall off from the marathon. And I am not young. What more can I share to clear it up?

 

[loady]

This is not true. Businesses are not permitted to pick people up at the airport. Private vehicles do it all day, every day. Ever notice that little parking area across the street from the terminal? That's where we park our car when we drive to the airport to pick people up.

That’s exactly the opposite of what I was told by someone on the island. That person said that the shuttle drivers will attack people not in the mafia with violence who are giving people rides. Are you bribing them?

 

[loady]

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 don’t have much desire to return after diving for a week this trip. And really have no desire to leave the closed pampered garden of the all inclusive resort in search of a not better meal or trinket. I can’t fathom why people
Can dive coz every year and not get bored.