Eating at LAX? Leave your credit card behind!

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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We had lunch at LAX this afternoon. It's been a while since we last ate there, but it's always been a nice place to chill out and have a bite and a cold one.

We ordered drinks. My beer came to me at room temperature! I politely complained that it was warm, and the waitress politely told me that they had just re-stocked the fridge. About five minutes later she changed my bottle with one that had it's wedding dress on (La vestida de novia), the way I like my Prezzie!

I ordered the diablo pizza and the missus ordered the fish balls. I do like Lax's pizzas, and this one was perfect. However I can't recommend the fish balls. A sort of dry mix of bread, seasoning and fish flakes. No taste of fish at all. But the salad was good.

Anyway digressing from the main title of this thread....

At the bottom of the menu, they advertise that they now accept credit cards. A shock as most of the restaurants are still living in the dark ages and only accept cash, including most major currencies at rip-off rates.

The proviso for paying by card is a 10% tip included, a 10% office charge and ITBIS at 16%

So all in all an EXTRA 36% on top of the advertised menu tariff!

Whereas if you pay by cash, you pay the 16% ITBIS and tip what you want.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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I guess the DGII is slowly making it's way North :)

As far as I'm aware it's illegal here under the consumer laws to charge additional for credit card usage.
 
May 29, 2006
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It's illegal but my understanding is the CC companies charge higher fees in the DR.to There are many more disputed fees from vendors who charge more than what the consumer paid for. You see posters here all the time saying they were ripped off when they used their CC. It may have changed, but the one time I used a card, they had to spend 10 minutes on the phone to validate my card.

There is the reality that vendors avoid ITBIS when they use cash. The OP says the ITBIS is extra when you pay by card when it should be paid whether you use cash or not. Plenty of vendors out there will charge ITBIS and then just pocket the money.
 

belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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Once stayed in a hotel in the DR, owned by an expat... the difference for the roomprice was an astonishing 40% if paid in cash, instead of Visa...
 

jinty05

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Feb 11, 2005
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Blackbeards Hotel in Costambar states on their web site that a 20% surcharge will apply if paying by credit card. Illegal or what?
 
Jan 17, 2009
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I'm surprised that you just noticed that LAX charges extra for a credit card. I've been going to LAX often for the past 4 years. The note on the menu has been there since 2007. It used to be a bit lower than the figure you mentioned; around 20% more or so.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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While I use my card....

I guess the DGII is slowly making it's way North :)

As far as I'm aware it's illegal here under the consumer laws to charge additional for credit card usage.


very sparingly in the D.R., for other reasons, I have found that most of the establishments I have used (one being a DR1 advertiser) seem to add a fee for using a CC.

Perhaps we can get clarification from Fabio over in legal.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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So did I, Don, SantiagoDR showed me my error in thinking LAX airport.

My mistake!

I thought I was posting in the North Coast forum.

Mods, please could you amend title to LAX (Cabarete) please?

Sorry for the confusion!