Baffling Payment Methods. Anyone speak Spanish?

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jordieshapiro

New member
Dec 25, 2007
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Hi Community,
Your advice is so helpful to so many first time travelers!

I'm corresponding with Hotel Acaya, and seem to be very close to confirming our stay there. They speak almost no english over there and I'm having a hard time understanding how they'd like me to pay or reserve my room.

Below is a snippet of their last email. Citibank is mentioned, and I can't understand how it can be relevant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Para confirmar la reserva, preguntamos un deposito : donde usted vive?
Tenemos cuentas en peso y dollar en Republica Dominicana y cuenta en
CITIBANK en USA.


Thanks!
 
R

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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jordieshapiro said:
Hi Community,
Your advice is so helpful to so many first time travelers!

I'm corresponding with Hotel Acaya, and seem to be very close to confirming our stay there. They speak almost no english over there and I'm having a hard time understanding how they'd like me to pay or reserve my room.

Below is a snippet of their last email. Citibank is mentioned, and I can't understand how it can be relevant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Para confirmar la reserva, preguntamos un deposito : donde usted vive?
Tenemos cuentas en peso y dollar en Republica Dominicana y cuenta en
CITIBANK en USA.


Thanks!
Click to expand...
No way in the world anyone serious would write that the way they wrote it.
Must be a scam.
It sounds like they wrote it in an other language and used a translator program.

PS: Do not send them any money or personal info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
K

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
2,845
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Rocky said:
No way in the world anyone serious would write that the way they wrote it.
Must be a scam.
It sounds like they wrote it in an other language and used a translator program.

PS: Do not send them any money or personal info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I agree with you. This does not sound or look like your standard correspondence from a hotel. Believe me, I work in the sales department of one.

What they're asking is where do you live and they're informing you that they have accounts in pesos and dollars in Citibank in the US.
 
C

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
jordieshapiro said:
Para confirmar la reserva, preguntamos un deposito : donde usted vive?
Tenemos cuentas en peso y dollar en Republica Dominicana y cuenta en
CITIBANK en USA.


Thanks!
Click to expand...

The translation is as follows:

In order to confirm you reservation, we ask for a deposit. We have accounts that accept pesos in dollars here in the DR and an account in the US with Citibank for wire transfer of funds.

I took the liberty of adding the last part as this is based on my experience here in the DR working with some businesses and banks. I personally think doing a wire transfer is relatively innocuos in that you don't have to give out your credit card number, on the contrary the hotel gives you their info and you go to your bank and do the wire transfer to them - very common here.

You just need to make sure that it is a reputable hotel ie, did a friend recommend it to you or was it found by a web search? If the latter, post a thread on the forum to see if anybody here has stayed there before.
 
J

jordieshapiro

New member
Dec 25, 2007
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I hesitate to believe that this is a scam. I found them through searching message boards and reading tons of mostly good reviews. I spoke briefly (although ineffectively) to the owner on the phone. And I'm convinced this place exists. If this turns out to be a scam, I will let you all know. Thanks.
 
C

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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jordieshapiro said:
I hesitate to believe that this is a scam. I found them through searching message boards and reading tons of mostly good reviews. I spoke briefly (although ineffectively) to the owner on the phone. And I'm convinced this place exists. If this turns out to be a scam, I will let you all know. Thanks.
Click to expand...

More than likely it isn't. As I said, what they are asking for in terms of a deposit and payment methods are very common here. Let me know if you have any more problems, I'll be glad to make a phone call for you too if need be.
 
CG

CG

Bronze
Sep 16, 2004
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Hotel Acaya exists, is open and it?s located on the Playa Bonita, it's run by French folks and has a good reputation - have had friends stay there....

Hope this puts the op at ease a little,
 
R

Rocky

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CG-LT said:
Hotel Acaya exists, is open and it?s located on the Playa Bonita, it's run by French folks and has a good reputation - have had friends stay there....

Hope this puts the op at ease a little,
Click to expand...
Now that explains the poor Spanish.
As I said, it's Spanish from a translator program.
It's all wrong, but if they are French and don't speak proper Spanish, I can see that making sense, except that they must not be too bright, if they can't even ask a local to check to see if what they write makes sense.
 
B

benetlyne

New member
Feb 2, 2003
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poor translation or not to bright

If they are french and talking to someone speeking english why would they translate in spanish ??? maybe a wire transfer through western union would be a good idea.

And beside if you look at there web site the prensentation is in french, spanish and coming soon in english. Someone must be talking english there:ermm:

Ben
 
R

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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benetlyne said:
If they are french and talking to someone speeking english why would they translate in spanish ??? maybe a wire transfer through western union would be a good idea.

And beside if you look at there web site the prensentation is in french, spanish and coming soon in english. Someone must be talking english there:ermm:

Ben
Click to expand...
Apparently not, nor in Spanish, as that part of the website is also "under construction".
Anyhow, the good news is that their lack of linguistic skills indicates something other than a scam, although I still wouldn't be giving personal bank info online to anyone.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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514
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Tell them the following:
Pagar? con mi tarjeta de cr?dito cuando llego. No puedo mandar detalles personales ahora.
Confirmame mis estad?a, por favor.

Cordialmente,

Your Name.

all that says is that you 'll pay with your credit card when you arrive. I cannot send personal details now. Please confirm your dates. Cordially,
You.


HB
 
D

dahlia

New member
Nov 21, 2006
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asking for a deposit

Well, I don't really see the problem : they ask you for a deposit and they probably want to know where you live in order to give you the most appropriate bank account where you could make the deposit, that is all. In no case they ask you for personal information - at least that is the way I understand it .
Acaya is a very well known and nice hotel on the beautiful beach of Playa Bonita - very calm place, which can be a quality or not, depending on what you are looking for.
 
J

jordieshapiro

New member
Dec 25, 2007
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Thank you guys for snoopin around on my behalf.
It is bizarre that their Spanish is suspect. I had a pitifully unproductive phone conversation with someone there, and his language was spanish. I've had a few email transactions since my last posting and sent them a deposit yesterday for my stay (through a website called Xoom.com. I haven't heard anything back from them, and I'm leaving for the D.R in less then 48 hrs. Just part of the fun of last minute vacationing.

Chip, you mentioned you would be up for giving them a call. That's a tremendous favor to do for a stranger. If you see this, and you have a chance, my girlfriend and I have been waiting anxiously for a confirmation from them and if you could help us we'd be so relieved.
Hotel Acaya
Tel: (809) 240 6161
We're trying to reserve a "Superior Room" with Air Conditioner on Jan. 2nd and 3rd.
and my name is Jordan Shapiro

Talk to ya you guys
 
C

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
jordieshapiro said:
Thank you guys for snoopin around on my behalf.
It is bizarre that their Spanish is suspect. I had a pitifully unproductive phone conversation with someone there, and his language was spanish. I've had a few email transactions since my last posting and sent them a deposit yesterday for my stay (through a website called Xoom.com. I haven't heard anything back from them, and I'm leaving for the D.R in less then 48 hrs. Just part of the fun of last minute vacationing.

Chip, you mentioned you would be up for giving them a call. That's a tremendous favor to do for a stranger. If you see this, and you have a chance, my girlfriend and I have been waiting anxiously for a confirmation from them and if you could help us we'd be so relieved.
Hotel Acaya
Tel: (809) 240 6161
We're trying to reserve a "Superior Room" with Air Conditioner on Jan. 2nd and 3rd.
and my name is Jordan Shapiro

Talk to ya you guys
Click to expand...

Jordan

I talked to Sebastian, the manager? and he said he received the funds from DHL and that you have a Superior room w/AC reserved from the 2nd to the 4th.

The guy spoke Spanish fluently and for a moment I thought he might be Dominican, but the is French.
 
T

thurston

New member
Apr 21, 2007
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Rocky said:
No way in the world anyone serious would write that the way they wrote it.
Must be a scam.
It sounds like they wrote it in an other language and used a translator program.

PS: Do not send them any money or personal info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Was it a scam over at Hotel Acaya, or just bad communication? had a bunch
of friends stay over there not so long back, all good.

Great work, Chip
 
G

granca

Bronze
Aug 20, 2007
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What a pleasant thread leaves a nice taste behind. Why aren?t they all like this?
 
J

jordieshapiro

New member
Dec 25, 2007
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Hi,
Having finally arrived at Acaya, I feel the need to set things straight. Although I think it?s been made clear that Hotel Acaya is in no way a scam, it should also be stated that it?s a gorgeous resort. The hosts, Sabastan and Josy are warm, friendly French people who do speak english well, in addition to Spanish and French. They run their resort/hotel with efficency and with an able staff, and they have an outstanding French resturant on premises.

I just don?t want any of the previous speculation to effect their business.

Happy Travels

jordie
 
F

Francescoizzo

New member
Jan 24, 2005
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I stayed there, and loved it

The Acaya is a great place. Stayed there for a week in March 2007 and I, too, had to do the weird deposit via Citibank in the United States. It all worked fine. That's what you have to deal with if you want to stay at a place which isn't very advanced technologically. But it has obvious and enormous advantages as well!
 
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