Are there any consumer protection laws on the island?

I am scheduled to be on the island for the first three weeks of January. We are paid in full, with two post dated cheques, that have been withdrawn from our account. The owner is now claiming that there bank has removed twice the amount of our final payment, and they want me to pay this in cash when we arrive.

We are currently trying to get this settled, but I was wonder what recourse I have?

I certainly don't know about consumer protection laws on Bonaire, but I think the obvious question is why did the bank on Bonaire debit the owner's account on the checks you sent? Did you have enough cash in your account to cover them? Was there a misunderstanding on the total cost of the rental?
The rationale for the owner's request to pay in cash is not really clear.

I think the Bank made the error, they processed it as a debit rather than credit. The money has already cleared our account, so we had the funds. I don't think there was a misunderstanding on the rental cost. It is still published on the web. The amount they want us to pay in cash is more than the full rental cost.

If the bank made the error, I am perplexed as to why the first thought was "It was the customers fault", lets send them a nasty email asking for all the money.

This has put a cloud over the vacation now, I only hope it can be cleared up before we leave. I have a vision of us arriving on the island and looking for accommodation.

Gord, sounds like you should immediately be communicating with the owner until this is worked out. Start with emails, but if necessary bite the bullet and call them. Make sure you are talking to the owner and not a clerk. If you used a travel agent, get them involved. Make every effort to get this resolved BEFORE your trip. Good luck!

Gord, I have never heard of this happening. I agree with Scott, work directly with the owner and calling may be one of the best things to do to get it straightened out. You can also fax the owner a copy of your cleared checks.

When we started in 1999 we accepted personal cheques and learned it the hard way that is does not work. Putting the cheques in here at the banque, they first put it on our account, than they sent it to the bank in Curacao, than it goes to the contact bank in the US (for ours it was in NewYork) than the cheque goes to the bank of origin, than back to NewYork, Curacao and finally to Bonaire and of course each bank took some money off the original amount ... if the time laps is to big, they took the money off our account again and than we had to start to contact the writer of the cheque, go with his answer to our bank, than they contact Curacao, New York, the bank of origin, answers going NY, Curacao ..... we tried also with bank cheques, same problems .... after a few times of these problems we just stopped taking cheques all together. Perhaps the owner of your rental house has not that much experiences with cheques, so the above idea to phone him and get explainations sounds best to me.

I will be phoning them tomorrow. Giving them a chance to check with there bank. The cheque actually cleared our account on December 2nd. I also understand the problems with accepting cheques, however, the $50CDN cost for each International Money order seems a little high for me to swallow.

It would be nice if more operators accepted PayPal, allowing me then to pay with my credit card.

Paying in advance always is risky. However, I called Dive Inn and just gave my credit card number. The bill was paid and my reservation is secure. Was this a dumb thing to do? Maybe, but, trying to get reservations in Bonaire has been extremely frustrating! I just went with the comments of all the people who have dealt with the Inn, plus my own impressions from email. Also, with a credit card, there is built-in protection. Any comments?

Ruth, most of the places on Bonaire require that you pay in full, in advance. I have yet to come across any that just take a reservation with deposit, then let you pay the rest when you arrive on island. A few will let you pay a deposit, but then 30 or 60 days prior to arrival they want it in full.

Brigitte, I had no idea that paying by check was such an ordeal! No wonder why they don't accept checks most places! Wow...what a PIA! Thanks for that bit of insight!

Ruth, Paying by credit card to Dive Inn is OK. We have done that 8 times and have never had a problem with Babs. She runs a first class operation... Ron

Ron, please... first class...
You know, Ron, in french we have this sentence which translate into english will give something like this : there is no smoke without fire.
Now, when recently I email one of my neighbors (when we were staying in Bonaire), I explain to him what wad going on in the topics "Wrong Dive shop" and guess what he wrote to me: the day of his departure, when giving back the keys to his landlord,This person (the landlord)said that the owner of the dive Inn was trying to sell his shop..., if in any case this is the truth then that explain few things, if u see what i mean.
Best Regards
Thierry

Got an email from the owner this morning.

They apologized, and indicated it was a bank error on there side.

My stress level can now return to a normal Holiday Season level.

Gord ~ so happy to hear this for you! I believed it would all work out, but had nothing to add to the conversation. I just want to tell you that I understand the stress, but that once you get on island, it will all melt away. Bonaire has a way of working its way into your heart. Happy holidays and enjoy your trip.

Gord

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quote:

My stress level can now return to a normal Holiday Season level.

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Good deal Gord. Glad the problem was resolved..

Gord,
enjoy diving in Bonaire, it's one of the best diving on earth...

Thierry, Everything has a price. Babs is the owner there is no HE! She offered the dive Inn to me and I would consider it but It is too earlly in my life to make that kind of change. I think it is a first class operation and know of many people that feel the same way. I don't care what you think about the Dive Inn as in my opinion you are a petty whiner.. Ron

Ron, Take it easy on Thierry. Anyone that has spent any time on Bonaire knows that the DI is a first class dive outfit. I think years back they were part of the Sun Set hotel? That was a fun outfit!But we all make mistakes (except my wife, just ask her)some more then others, Thierry might have run into one of those guys. His "whining" led to a boatload of fun remarks, O rings! Let us hope his next trip to Bonaire will be better for him. Bonaire is not for everyone, in fact no one should go there. It's all mine. The Dive Inn could use a little TLC. Who knows, someday I might stay there. Can't beat the price!
So let us play nice, not call others names, and have fun. You bully!

tks Jerry, This is Christmas, Isn'it ?
Let's stay peacefull and well educated...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone

Thierry

Just a general chime in from a hotel owner: Brigitte is right that checks are a real pain and slow. I accept them, but only from my chronic repeat customers.

As for deposits, nearly everyone requires them. I didn't until last week, when I got a wave of cancellations that really hurt. Now I require a day's deposit just for making the reservation, as well as my existing 3-day penalty for no-shows/late cancellations. The problem is simple: it takes a customer several weeks to plan to come to the island. If someone makes a reservation and then cancels less than a week before arrival, the room is nearly guaranteed to sit empty because no one from Europe or America will be able to get here in time to fill it. For a really big hotel, they can manage it by overbooking. Small places with 10 and 12 units can't do that.

Kevin, I don't know what hotel you own, but you might want to put it in your profile name like Brigitte does, or in your profile so that folks know That's too bad about the canellations...I think that if someone has money already deposited or are going to lose quite a bit of it if they cancel, they are more apt to NOT cancel...so probably a good policy

Kevin,

I am sorry you experienced the late cancellations. Those folks don't know what they are missing. You have a very GREAT place to stay.

Cynde,

The linens at The Great Escape are like none other in Bonaire. Their towels and sheets are simply DE-VINE. Light weight cotton coverlet quilts, NO polyester stuff at all!!!

We plan to return The Great Escape in the future and recommend them highly. They have on the premises: internet connection, DVD rentals, a Cuban restaurant, a bar (great happy hour prices - especially Friday nights), a pool and a place to rinse & hang your dive gear. Each room has A/C, bathroom with shower (hot water), small dorm type frig, telephone and a wall mounted hi-tech flat panel LCD DVD/TV with cable. The room we occupied was large and held a king sized bed, sofa and a twin bed.

I think Kevin can book your diving/windsurfing and car rental too.

Yana

Ahhh...Yana, thanks. I did have coffee and used the internet connection at Great Escape last time I stayed at Belmar...thanks for the report.