Dive shop recommendation in Cozumel

[Christi]

Correct you did not. It was your choice of words and icons that conveyed a certain opinion about his post. None of which were supportive.

I can't tell if its a legitimately bad shop or instructor since his opinion counts as only one opinion. I suspect for most people there would need to be history and several poor comments to arrive at a well balance conclussion.

When I work thru the logic and the math on the CC charges it seem most likely that he was charge an artificially high exchange rate or the 7% cost of using a cc was passed along to him. The amount is far to high to be account for by differences between the interbank exchange rates and usually cc companies clearly indicate on a seperate line foreign transaction fees.

Additionally, you and others should not take my post as inferring that your operation does not handle CC transactions in a ethical manner. You have clarified how you do it which seem reasonable to me. If my post was taken that way I appologize. My direct experience has mostly been with car rental companies charging a artificially high exchange rate when converting there USD quotaion into peso which are charged to the credit card.

John

No offense taken. To avoid what you have experienced with rental car companies, ask to see their price sheet. All businesses are supposed to (by law) have their prices posted in pesos in their physical place of business and posting in dollars is optional, but a courtesy that most provide. Your cc charge shouldn't exceed their prices posted in pesos.

 

[mauiiop]

Didn't say he doesn't have the right to post his experiences good or bad. But IMO his posts come across more like an axe to grind than legitimately bad instructors and a bad dive shop. Yeh, he probably crossed words with someone, didn't click with his instructor or he's flat out pissed at the $36 difference in his credit card charge.

As far as the cc charge goes, I don't know SD's policies, but I do what the exchange rates are and based on the numbers he provided, it sounds like they charged the going exchange rate. Regardless, they can charge whatever exchange rate they want to. I let my customers know what the exchange rate is before they even arrive so they can choose whether to pay by credit card or not, but I'm definitely not making any extra money on cc charges...it costs us upwards of 7% to accept credit cards here....and no, I don't charge extra for cc charges either.

He does complain about how the class was mixed and poorly organized and wanted to share this. So what if he is new to the board, i say welcome and hopefully he/she will come back to the board, the whole point is to be able to freely share experiences good or bad, i have noticed that people have signed up an spoke very highly of shops and then not been on again for a while but nothing is said about this. And unless you were there in the class or there when they explained about the cc charge it is pointless and non informative to interject. I do not want to offend but i do want to say something constructive.

 

[jkaterenchuk]

No offense taken. To avoid what you have experienced with rental car companies, ask to see their price sheet. All businesses are supposed to (by law) have their prices posted in pesos in their physical place of business and posting in dollars is optional, but a courtesy that most provide. Your cc charge shouldn't exceed their prices posted in pesos.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will need to think about how to do that next time I book the car thru a major rental company on the website. Not sure its possible. Of course I could complain to the USA car company directly but its frankly not worth my time for the extra $25.

John

 

[melissarae73]

Scuba Tony

 

[cowdog77]

Have used this op a couple of times....small boats, good sites, good BT's and great prices.

 

[MARCARIS]

When i dive in Cozumel , i ve always dived with Blue note .
Why ?
it s a small structure with a custom service , the boat Galileo is big and very comfortable , no more than 4 divers in diving team , no limit time ( if you breath more than the others you can finish your dive on the dive guide octopus) . And the most important for me they take their time no rush like the others , a big intervall surface who give you the time to rest on the sundeck with a very good lunch not a vulgar sandwich .Another thing , my family can spend the day on the boat with me , they have a snorkeling service with a guide .
Yes if you don t know try Blue note diving center , very nice people , very friendly .
They also propose a cenotes service , i advice you to try the cenotes it s fantastic !!!

have good trip

 

[jkaterenchuk]

no limit time ( if you breath more than the others you can finish your dive on the dive guide octopus)

Sounds like some good points. However why do you think its a good thing for the guide to allow you to extend your bottomtime by letting you breath off his tank?

John

 

[Christi]

Sounds like some good points. However why do you think its a good thing for the guide to allow you to extend your bottomtime by letting you breath off his tank?

John

Agreed! A DM's (or anyone's) octo is not intended to extend bottom time for another diver, it is there for emergency use. What happens if someone has a true emergency and the DM has no air to give them? I understand he's trying to provide "customer service" by doing this, but it's not a practice I would be boasting about.