New/Old Scam????

Bob K

Silver
Aug 16, 2004
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We just returned from two wonderful weeks in the DR. It makes us want to get on with the move even more. However we did find a new scam job, or maybe an old one we were not aware of. When shopping at Palyero in Sosua we found that we were double charged for at least two small cost items at least twice on each visit. Both would totla about 30 -40 peseos so one would not notice it on a 1500+ peseo bill. We did notice it on the second and third shopping trip however and were refunded our money instantly. A dollar a bill is not a large amount but if they do it 500 times a day it is a lot of money. We even found an old bill in the condo we were staying at (1 year old bill) and they did there too. SO LOOK AT YOUR RECIEPT, and don't let them start checking you out until you can look at the register monitor. Again maybe we just fell for an old scam.

Bob K
 

amy2761

Island Body
Mar 16, 2003
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My wallet is full of Playero receipts and I don't notice anything like that on mine but you never know ..... it'd be helpful if some of the other Sosua members could check their receipts - it may be that you're just special ;)

Stay well,
Amy

P.S. btw - was a pleasure to meet you at Rocky's, good luck with your house and move.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
The Concept of "Customer Service","Goodwill","Repeat Customers"

Just never caught on here in the DR!!!!!!!!
A Dominican would rather "screw" you for a "peso" today,than have you come back 100 times and make 5 pesos on each of your visits!They REALLY just don't get it!!!!!!
I can give you a hundred examples of Dominican business owners who drove away very good repeat customers,rather than refund a few hundred pesos they had over charged.Or a restaurant owner who refused to take a "returned" item off the final bill.My friend aasked the waiter if he could et a "half" order of spagetti,"Sure" he was told! They billed him the entire amount.When he asked why,they said you only wanted "Half",we gave you "Half" what's your problem??They really are "THICK HEADED"!!!
Sometimes the cashier is just too stupid to ring up your order correctly.She/he is more likely to be stealing from the store's owner than from you.
I drive them crazy at the supermarket checkout.I know what items are "On Special",or "2 for 1",etc.And even in the "Circular" if the place has one!The computer usually doesn't have the "Special" prices entered,and Dominicans NEVER watch the register as it displays the price and the item(Way beyond their brain to grasp something that abstract! Show them a MAP sometime if you want a good laugh!)Everytime the computer tries to "screw" me I make them stop,call the supervisor,and correct the price.The other day "National" had yogurt drinks,strawberry,grape,and vanilla flavors,at "Tres por Dos","3 for 2.I took 2 strawberry(because that was all they had of that flavor)and 1 vanilla.When I went to check out,all 3 items came out at their regular price,no "3for2!I made them stop,call the supervisor,and correct the mistake."No", said the supervisor,"they are "3for2",ONLY if you buy all 3 of the same flavor!!!!".....I said" "PoooooooooorFavoooooor",that may be the most stupid answer I have heard yet about why you can't make a sale.The only "Better" one was when I got to the checkout with a blue trash basket,just like in their circular ,which I had in my possesion,and was told it was the ones in the circular that were on sale,"See,they are green!"
Then they always "Round Down" when it is time to give you your change.Your change could be 155.88 pesos,but they like to only give you 155!
Thank God for the women,makes you forget about the "Screwing" you get in the stores and restaurants!
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planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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I have had this experience at Playero and several other larger grocery stores here! You have to watch carefully and catch them immediately or else they will do nothing.

In all cases for me it was a lazy cashier who just wasn't paying attention. One time when made to take an overcharge off the bill, she called me some rather nasty names!
 

amy2761

Island Body
Mar 16, 2003
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I mentioned this to a friend tonight .....

and he said it happened to him at least three times while he was there! He's not a frequent shopper at Playero as he used to live in Cabarete and is close to Santiago now, but is there a pattern here? :eek: I'm not a 'pot-stirrer' but it would be interesting to find out if this has happened to others.

Stay well,
Amy
 

donrael

New member
Sep 26, 2005
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I was in DR back in august and took the family out to eat at el malecon in SDQ; at the end of the nite I found myself fightung over been overcharged for the deluxe order for which I got only the basic. ok, so I was the man cause I got probably 30 pesos off or something like that. not really. when we get home my sister is going over the bill and noticed I was overcharged on everything. an additional 150 pesos i believe. the bill was way over 1000 pesos, so they hid it well.

that definitely brought me back to the DR reality; I had not beenin the country in five years, I guess I had forgotten there for a second.


another scenario.

everytime I went to bocachica we took the bus to the capital to then take a local bus home. I am a bakery freak, I mean I cant stop by without being entice to go in and buy. I just love them.
so anyways, I go in there w/ this entourage of like 8 people whom I tell take what you want, its on me. I do this everytime we come back from bocachica, and by now the second week the lady incharge of the front is my "amiga". ok, so the time before last I got kinda touchy cause customer service was not too good. but since I am a sucker for those baked sweets, I go back for some more goodies. I also told myself to relax on it since I could not expect the same level of customercentric service we obsses over in the US.

well this lady really shined this day. I am here spending over $500 pesos each time I come here buying for everyone and taking something extra for the nite, while most people just buy one item and this old fart sees me looking around to see what else I like and she's telling me to hurry up and go pay up. I told her to relax, she got on my case again, as if she needed to secure that cash on the register. so I had it, if it wasnt cause everyone was eating while they waited for me, I would've gave her back her crap. but oo many of us had eaten into the stuff. So i promised I was never going to go back. VERY nice you danm vegetable, you cost the business a high volume customer only cause you wanted that cash right away. and you lost revenue for whatever else i was looking to add.

I wasnt going to say anything but she earned it. I told her, I was never going back and that she needed a few classes on dealing w/ people. I wasnt nasty at least; but the point got across.

Dominicans are my people, but their level of customer service is beyond bad. I mean...IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE!
 

rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
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donrael said:
I told her, I was never going back and that she needed a few classes on dealing w/ people. I wasnt nasty at least; but the point got across.
What makes you think you got your point across? Did you get better service from her the next time you went?
 

donrael

New member
Sep 26, 2005
169
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rellosk said:
What makes you think you got your point across? Did you get better service from her the next time you went?

rellosk

just by her reaction to the attitude I gave her and what I said.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
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Playero Appreciated this Input

I passed on a copy of this thread to the owners of Playero and they were very appreciative. They took the complaints very seriously and are following up with their employees.

If this problem continues, or if other problems arise that cause people to be dissatisfied, they would very much like to be told.
 

planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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KEn - thanks for doing that. Glad to see they are interested in at least knowing it is going on.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Is there anyone from santiago complaining? Hahahahaha, even cooking pans etc cost 2000 plus pesos in playero. You people are getting ripped off in the north coast. In santiago, we don't have these scams or complains. Ex: I was buying feta cheese (nacional supermarket) which was on sale for 208 pesos / pound. However the special cheese was out and they had the other brand for 348/pound. I asked for the special so upon realizing that the special was sold out, the guy simply gave me the more expensive cheese for the special price. This is considered good business. I often feel like I am still living in USA while living in santiago.
AZB
 

planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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AZB we all know good and bad business exists everywhere!! And we also know scams happen everywhere...... just watch US business news for the best scam artists in the world. YOu paint the north coast as all bad and Santiago as all good.........

It is awesome to hear that National is doing some good business. I was in Santiago on Saturday shopping - I definately prefer it! But let me tell you that in some stores they will try to rip me off just as fast as the ones here in Puerto Plata.
 
Sep 19, 2005
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I shopped at the big grocery store in Santiago every time I stayed there. Its the one that is next to the elevated roadway. Its the largest one I have seen down there. It is very exspensive compared to what you can get for cooked and served food i think. But any way they have scanners....so they would have to run the product over the scanner multiple times to cheat you it would seem. I think even the store LINDA in Licey has scanners i believe. I went to the resturant right next to that small grocery store twice and now that i think of it, they didnt even offer a menu!.. they just told my GF what they had....so how do you EVEN know if they over charged you?....it always seemed pretty cheap. You see the bill in the end, but who is to say how and where that price was derived??????? But the guy was very nice, and the service was great. ...bob
 

HOWMAR

Silver
Jan 28, 2004
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laurapasinifan said:
. But any way they have scanners....so they would have to run the product over the scanner multiple times to cheat you it would seem.
Or the scanned price entered on your bill is higher than the one marked on the product or shelf.