BajaNomad

Club Cantamar SCUBA Diving Rip Off

dddelrio - 8-17-2005 at 08:49 PM

: I just spent a week at Cantamar in La Paz. The diving was great but when I paid with my credit card they charged almost 10 percent more than the rates posted on the internet. Then they said it is the banks fault but the hotel just converts the dollars at an outrageous exchange rate - and then tried to blame the bank which actually used a very good rate.

: Cantamar says this is normal but I lived in Mexico for 3 years and this is a very shady and unscrupulous practice.

: In addition, they would ask for a surcharge of 20 dollars to take us to special dive sites but then pack the boat with up to 20 non-divers.

: My advice after diving in Cozumel, Aruba, Curacao, Bahamas, Bay Islands and Costa Rica is go to another dive shop and hotel -- by the way their hotel is a 20 dollar cab ride from the town of La Paz so they hit you up for every little thing you need.

rpleger - 8-18-2005 at 08:27 AM

Thanks for the tip.

Bruce R Leech - 8-18-2005 at 10:25 AM

the Banks here in Mexico charge a very high percentage rate to buy or pay anything with your card. it can run as high as 8 to 14 % this is why most stores and a lot of other business don't except them. we have 3 or 4 hotels here in Mulege that except cards and all charge the extra. one I believe is 12%. you get the Bank exchange rate of the bank that Owens the machine at the business where you are making your perches when you use the card.

so I really don't think you got riped off. I think you just didn't understand how things work here in Mexico.

Diver - 8-18-2005 at 11:00 AM

Thanks for the tip Bruce.

Seems like getting pesos at the cash machine, bank or Bruce may be the best way to ensure you're paying what you think. Sounds like the hotel/diving had some other problems as well.

A few years ago we stayed on the Malecon and arranged a few days of diving through a La Paz dive shop . The 22' Panga was all ours (4 divers) and we had a blast. Wish I could remember the name of the place ???

Ken Bondy - 8-18-2005 at 12:15 PM

dddelrio
That's very disappointing. The Club Cantamar is owned by the Aguilar family which has been an icon for diving in La Paz for many years (Baja Diving and Service). I have never been to their Club Cantamar hotel, but I have dived with them many times through their shop and always found them competent and honest. I wonder how active they are in actually running the hotel? Sorry you had a bad experience with them. Did you get out to El Bajo? If so how is it looking these days?
++Ken++

CortezExplorers - 3-17-2006 at 10:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
the Banks here in Mexico charge a very high percentage rate to buy or pay anything with your card. it can run as high as 8 to 14 % this is why most stores and a lot of other business don't except them.

so I really don't think you got riped off. I think you just didn't understand how things work here in Mexico.


This is all very true, however, speaking as a business owner, we encounter the same problem; the solution - Build the CC percentage charge into your initial pricing, then if a customer pays with cash, offer the percentage as a discount -

everyone is happy and all expectations have been met.

regards
matthew