Destinations › Mexico › Playa del Carmen › Scams
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
17 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Playa del Carmen, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Bills along the main avenue carrying rounds and covers that were not ordered, with the challenge met by staff presence rather than an itemised recount.
Unofficial drivers soliciting at the ferry pier and the coach terminal, quoting in dollars at several times the published zone fare.
Hire cars and scooters invoiced for damage that was present at pickup, with compulsory insurance added at the desk at rates far above the booking price and the deposit held against payment.
Taxis are unmetered and priced by zone, with fares to arrivals several times the going rate; the local taxi union also restricts ride-hailing pickups at some points.
Officers stopping visitors for invented infractions and demanding an immediate cash payment to avoid a station visit.
ATM skimming and card cloning on Quinta Avenida, and standalone machines offering a poor 'dynamic currency conversion' rate as the default.
Timeshare and vacation-club representatives posing as tourist information or transport desks, offering free tours and transfers in exchange for a presentation that runs for hours under pressure.
Change given in pesos against a price quoted in dollars at a rate well below the going one, and card terminals set to charge in the customer's home currency by default.
Drivers and street sellers steering visitors to jewellery, tequila and silver shops that pay them per head, framed as the authentic place to buy.
Cenote and ruins day trips sold from street pitches along the main avenue that run with a larger group, a longer coach leg, and shopping stops that were not part of the sale.
Short-let bookings cancelled close to arrival in high season and relisted at a higher rate.
Machine-embroidered imports sold as hand-embroidered Yucatán huipiles, and imitation silver stamped as .925.
Guides at Akumal implying that a paid tour is compulsory when free public beach access exists.
Beach clubs charging for sunbeds advertised as free with a drink, and adding undisclosed service to the bill.
Cancún airport arrivals hall, where transport desks are frequently timeshare sales and pre-booked transfers are diverted.
Collectors with laminated documentation working the beach clubs and the restaurant terraces on the main avenue.
Men presenting as official guides at the ruins and cenotes, charging for commentary at sites where a licensed guide is available at a posted rate inside.
