Peso Exchange Rates and the Taxi Mafia

[DandyDon]

I get confused at the grocery, too - figuring out which package gives me the best deal. They have stickers with the cost per unit, if you can knell down that low, and read the tiny print. :silly:

The 18 egg cartons seem like they should be a better deal than the dozen packs, but usually not. I can get that one.

 

[ggunn]

When I am on Cozumel I just get pesos from a trusted ATM and pay for everything in pesos rather than trying to calculate whether dollars or pesos is the better deal on every purchase. I figure that on the whole I will come out better dealing in pesos, but I don't pay a whole lot of attention to the numbers. I deal with numbers all the time when I am not on vacation; all this finagling is too much like work.

 

[mmmbelows]

It gets to be exhausting doesn't it? It gets even worse... how about the places with a menu in dollars and they bring you the bill in pesos? You have a $40 dollar meal, they bring you the bill, it's in pesos ( 410 pesos) and you want to pay in US dollars so they convert the 410 pesos to $60 us! You're walking down the sidewalk slowly adding things back in your head... wait.. you had the fish for $15, I had the hamburger for $18...

The good news is most of the dive businesses I've interacted with in cozumel are pretty honest and don't play these kinds of games.

 

[ggunn]

It gets to be exhausting doesn't it? It gets even worse... how about the places with a menu in dollars and they bring you the bill in pesos?

FWIW, that has never happened to me on Cozumel. But I carry a pocket calculator with me all the time I am there (mostly to help my mom figuring tips), so if I have to I can cipher my way out of it. Have you tried turning the menu over and looking at the other side?

 

[Zman96]

It gets to be exhausting doesn't it? It gets even worse... how about the places with a menu in dollars and they bring you the bill in pesos? You have a $40 dollar meal, they bring you the bill, it's in pesos ( 410 pesos) and you want to pay in US dollars so they convert the 410 pesos to $60 us! You're walking down the sidewalk slowly adding things back in your head... wait.. you had the fish for $15, I had the hamburger for $18... The good news is most of the dive businesses I've interacted with in cozumel are pretty honest and don't play these kinds of games.

When I go somewhere for the first time down there, I will usually keep the menu at the table with me just to make sure this doesn't happen. As far a places "stealing" with the exchange rate, when they show both rates they are not stealing, they are just charging a exorbitant convenience fee.

 

[gopbroek]

I have always liked it when there is a sign posting a really poor exchange rate like 10:1 and then being presented with a bill for say $50 USD, I would hand them a 500 peso bill in that case.

 

[DandyDon]

When I go somewhere for the first time down there, I will usually keep the menu at the table with me just to make sure this doesn't happen. As far a places "stealing" with the exchange rate, when they show both rates they are not stealing, they are just charging a exorbitant convenience fee.

And the owner may well have printed the double priced menu as a courtesy when such an exchange rate was fair.

I have always liked it when there is a sign posting a really poor exchange rate like 10:1 and then being presented with a bill for say $50 USD, I would hand them a 500 peso bill in that case.

:laughing:
​

 

[Skittl1321]

And the owner may well have printed the double priced menu as a courtesy when such an exchange rate was fair.

Likely. You can't expect them to print a new menu every time the rate changes.

I spend a lot of time on cruise critic. There are people who say they PREFER the 10:1 to the shops that exchange at 12:1 or something because "it is so much easier to do the math".

Since all these people probably have smartphones in their pocket, the statement just baffles me. Yes, moving a decimal point over one is easy; but if you can't divide by 12 (or 14, or 16, or whatever)- let the calculator do it.


I am still wondering: if the bill is quoted in dollars, is there any 'gotcha' to letting them charge the CC in dollars?

 

[ggunn]

It's interesting to me to watch which prices vary with the exchange rate. The "right" thing would be to hold the pesos price steady and let the dollars price float, but usually it's the other way around, at least with hotels and dive ops. An irony is that the taxi fares in pesos hold relatively steady.

---------- Post added August 4th, 2015 at 09:20 AM ----------

Likely. You can't expect them to print a new menu every time the rate changes.

Something I see a lot is the prices on little white stickers that they can easily change.

 

[AdivingBel]

I have always liked it when there is a sign posting a really poor exchange rate like 10:1 and then being presented with a bill for say $50 USD, I would hand them a 500 peso bill in that case.

Interesting that would work in a restaurant ... I've had taxi drivers tell me $6 dollars when I ask for the fare rate and when I say "Pesos?" they say 60. I guess if they work the 10 to 1 both directions then it's a "convenience charge" if you pay in dollars (as long as 60 pesos is the going rate for the ride). I've found the taxi drivers to be pretty honest and helpful, but I don't catch rides at the long lines at the piers.