lv2dive
Formerly known as KatePNAtl
I had read about several scams and thought I knew what to watch out for. On one trip, I got hit with one I had not heard of previously so I will recount it here.
I always get 200 pesos of gas - that way I get a good feel for how much that puts in the tank so can protest if it's not all there. Right after I had changed a couple hundred dollars into pesos, went to get gas (200 pesos). I went to bathroom while dive buddy watched gas process. Gave dive buddy a 500 peso bill to pay for gas. When I came back, dive buddy asked for another 150 pesos - the attendant told dive buddy he only gave him 50 peso note (both the 50 and 500 are in the red
ink family). I was sure I had given him 500 but my dive buddy wasn't positive so we paid another 150 and went back to hotel, Where I counted the rest of our money that we had literally just exchanged that morning. The only money we had spent was on gas so it was fairly easy to do the math and figure out that the gas attendant had scammed us.
We went to the pool and were talking to some other divers about what happened and they said the same thing had happened to them at that Pemex station. Well, that did it for me. I got the keys from my dive buddy and drove back to the station and confronted our attendant. Although I speak only the most rudimentary Spanish, I managed to communicate to the attendant that I was going to go to the police if he did not give me 450 pesos (extra 150 he charged me, plus original change due). He paid immediately.
What worked in my favor:
- I KNEW they had ripped me off so I was confident
- Luckily only an hour or so had passed since we had been there so I was able to find the same attendant. Through gestures and a few key words in Spanish I made no bones about the fact that I knew where the police station was and was headed over there immediately if I did not receive the money I was asking for
- I think the attendant was also very concerned with getting rid of me quickly before his manager figured out what I was asking about.
I think if I had asked for an extra 200 for my troubles the attendant would have given it to me. Honestly I was really torn about whether to report him or not I know I should have but I didn't . I had already gone diving that day and then gotten ripped off and then settled getting ripped off. I don't speak Spanish so trying to explain it was going to be a challenge so I just let it be
When I got back to the hotel and rejoined my dive buddy and our new friends (that we had met at the hotel) at the pool, none of them could believe I got the money back!
I always get 200 pesos of gas - that way I get a good feel for how much that puts in the tank so can protest if it's not all there. Right after I had changed a couple hundred dollars into pesos, went to get gas (200 pesos). I went to bathroom while dive buddy watched gas process. Gave dive buddy a 500 peso bill to pay for gas. When I came back, dive buddy asked for another 150 pesos - the attendant told dive buddy he only gave him 50 peso note (both the 50 and 500 are in the red
ink family). I was sure I had given him 500 but my dive buddy wasn't positive so we paid another 150 and went back to hotel, Where I counted the rest of our money that we had literally just exchanged that morning. The only money we had spent was on gas so it was fairly easy to do the math and figure out that the gas attendant had scammed us. We went to the pool and were talking to some other divers about what happened and they said the same thing had happened to them at that Pemex station. Well, that did it for me. I got the keys from my dive buddy and drove back to the station and confronted our attendant. Although I speak only the most rudimentary Spanish, I managed to communicate to the attendant that I was going to go to the police if he did not give me 450 pesos (extra 150 he charged me, plus original change due). He paid immediately.
What worked in my favor:
- I KNEW they had ripped me off so I was confident
- Luckily only an hour or so had passed since we had been there so I was able to find the same attendant. Through gestures and a few key words in Spanish I made no bones about the fact that I knew where the police station was and was headed over there immediately if I did not receive the money I was asking for
- I think the attendant was also very concerned with getting rid of me quickly before his manager figured out what I was asking about.
I think if I had asked for an extra 200 for my troubles the attendant would have given it to me. Honestly I was really torn about whether to report him or not I know I should have but I didn't . I had already gone diving that day and then gotten ripped off and then settled getting ripped off. I don't speak Spanish so trying to explain it was going to be a challenge so I just let it be
When I got back to the hotel and rejoined my dive buddy and our new friends (that we had met at the hotel) at the pool, none of them could believe I got the money back!
). Since I haven't (yet!) lost the ability to do simple comparative math, I personally find this approach helpful. YMMV, of course.
