img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-7::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-7{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-8::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-8{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-9::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-9{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-10::before{padding-top:46.97265625%; }img#mv-trellis-img-10{display:block;}Luxurious hotels lining a turquoise beachfront, buzzing shopping streets, tropical vibes throughout, and cheap flights galore: it’s no wonder Americans love Cancun, probably the best-value sunny destination year-round.
As gorgeous as it may be, no trip to Cancun is exactly a walk in the park.
Traveling internationally comes with its fair share of challenges, from different border rules to language barriers, and in Cancun’s case, the widespread scamming culture has been known to cause problems for newcomers not yet familiar with the modus operandi south of the border.
There are many ways you can feel cheated on a Mexican Caribbean vacation, but this major scam has been grabbing headlines lately.
What Are Tourists Faced With Landing In Cancun?
The Cancun taxi saga is well-documented, with tourists being caught in the crossfire between registered drivers and rideshare platforms for years now.
If you’ve never been to Cancun, you should know transportation options out of the airport are not exactly limited, but they may be considered suboptimal if you’re used to North American or European standards.
Though there is a Maya Train now, and buses are available. Usually the fastest way out of the main terminal and into the Hotel Zone is taking a taxi, with travel times of approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic and ill-intentioned drivers operating in the vicinity of the airport know it.
There have been a number of incidents involving non-registered drivers posing as licensed professionals: they will usually overcharge tourists, turning the taximeter off and charging them hundreds of dollars.
The official rate starts at only $24, and in certain cases, Americans (who are typically seen as easy prey) will be charged over $100, or far more absurd amounts, for a half-hour ride.
If you don’t agree to the exorbitant fee, and you can’t argue your way out of it, you can count yourself lucky if you’re not driven to a remote location and forced to withdraw money under threat.
As reported by The Cancun Sun, non-registered drivers have even turned aggressive towards guests on occasion, and this is hardly news, but there is a new development in the Cancun taxi scam scandal that will prove significant.
Even if you’re a frequent visitor or a seasoned traveler, if you’re not careful, you might fall victim yourself:
What Is Cancun’s New Scam Affecting Tourists?
The Cancun Sun notes that ‘some tourists’ who recently visited Cancun came across a new scam.
We have always encouraged our readers to pre-book their airport transfer, preferably via their accommodation provider, in advance in order to avoid going through the so-called Cancun Airport Shark Tank.
Unfortunately, malicious drivers are now resorting to lying to travelers who had booked transportation through their hotel, essentially acting as a replacement for the actual driver, and trust us, they can be very convincing and will do their best to get you in the car with them.
The main incident that gave rise to these new concerns refers to the Xcaret guest case:
In sum, one of these drivers told a tourist booked to stay at the world-class Cancun resort that their transfer was unavailable and the hotel had sent a replacement.
The driver attempted to charge the tourist a cripplingly-expensive rate and told the hotel would ‘reimburse them’ later.
The most shocking part? The scammer went to such lengths as pretending to call the hotel to ‘verify’––and if you don’t speak a word or two in Spanish, that’s where it gets trickier.
At that point, the tourist started noticing something was off and refused to proceed with the driver, avoiding a financial headache right at the start of their much-needed vacay.
So how can you avoid it too?
This Is How You Avoid It
One important factor to always take into consideration is your communication with your hotel, travel company, or activity provider.
If they’re a serious business, and all of Cancun’s five-star guest properties are, they will never send a replacement driver without letting you know in advance, as well as informing you on the new driver’s details.
Additionally, even if a replacement is needed, the new driver is likely to still be waiting outside the terminal, holding up a placard with your name on it for clear identification.
In order to be on the safer side, contact your hotel to inquire about the driver’s name––in that case, you can ask them for that very relevant piece of information and confirm their identity ahead of entering the vehicle.
Again, that’s just if you want to be on the safe side––usually a placard with your name is indicative enough of a reliable driver.
Cancun is a relatively safe destination, with very few tourists being affected by violence, unlike other parts of Latin America––on the other hand, the good old sham companies and fraudsters are endemic, so taking extra precautions is necessary.
Here’s Why You Should Be Careful Taking Official Taxis Too
Lastly, even when taxis are legit and licensed to operate, there have been instances where they harassed tourists for preferring to use rideshare apps, like Uber when commuting to and from the airport.
In one case brought up by The Cancun Sun, a driver who noticed female tourists were searching for their Uber driver followed them around the airport to try and prevent them from boarding.
There have been more serious cases, including full-fledged car chases and drivers smashing car windows with tourists inside mistakenly believing it was an Uber: it wasn’t.
Unsurprisingly, Uber currently does not operate on this route due to pressure from taxi drivers, who wish to keep exercising a monopoly on airport operations.
The good news is (we guess?) that taxi drivers seem to be very respectful of hotel-arranged chauffeurs.
Vinicius CostaVini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Appeared first on: traveloffpath.com