Scams in D.R.

@Terryoh

Hopefully you filed a complaint via the AirBnb app. I once had the same experience and AirBNB suspended the member for 60 days from renting via thier platform

So I am from Los Angeles and in LA, the guy or girl  that offers to "help" is not trying to help you. They either spotted you from a distance ( working alone ) or the "spotter " saw you and the team of crooks has their next victim lined up. As long as they separate you from something, they win. Luggage , money or all of the above.

First rule, have your transportation figured our BEFORE you leave the terminal. If someone offers  to help you, refuse with firmness. if they persist look for the nearest cop and point out the person. most likely the cop will know them as regular hustlers.

SO long story even longer, apply this same methodology when arriving at the santo domingo airport. the hustlers are EVERYWHERE , the moment you leave the plane until you are in the car going to your hotel. If you have to much luggage to handle that is NOT good, they are looking for you. BE FIRM, know exactly what to pay, how do you know? before you leave where ever you are coming from, figure it out. distance to the hotel, taxi rates. If you have the patience , USE UBER! the cab drivers will tell you uber is not at the airport. NOT TRUE, go upstairs to arrivals and call Uber. I have done this, it works. and the price is set by uber.

The biggest scams in DR are the police. It doesn't matter what city. They seem to recognize immediately that I'm from the USA, even though I'm sitting in my rental car. They look for something, anything I could possibly have done wrong, whether it's legit or not, and offer to accept a bribe to avoid my getting a traffic ticket. They are criminals with badges.

@gainkeeper

I sort of disagree, I have found a mix or maybe they looked at me differently then you. When I got my first ticket for going down a one way. It was kind of funny, when I made my turn to soon and was going the wrong way, people were trying to tell me in spanish, thats when I realized, luckily there was no traffic and i flipped a u-turn quickly. as I was making my way I saw the cop standing in the middle of the road. he flagged me over and when he  saw i did not speak spanish, used his phone to say give me your license and passport. I did and then he showed me 100.  I said pesos? ( knowing thats not what he meant. )  he said USD. I read before I came to DR , that was going to happen and what to do. I told him i did not have 100USD (  actually did ) and the cat and mouse game began. He then said, how much do you have ? that's when I knew I had him. I told him I had little pesos and he gave me a sour look. gave me the ticket and gave me back my drivers license and passport and showed me the turn I needed to make to get on the freeway. Later that day when I was at el conde restaurant , where many ex pats hang out.   I told them what happened, they looked at each other and asked what I was going to do with the ticket. I told them I was going to find the station given on the ticket and go there and pay the fine. THATS when they started laughing, they said, if you do that you will pay MUCH more because they are corrupt. They told me to toss the ticket because the cop already has. And I did.   

There are multiple stories and multiple solutions.   Yes the police here tend to be  bribable.  (is that even a word?)    They are no longer grossly underpaid and the higher levels are working to stop this corruption!

Some areas are way worse for these events then others! 

Been driving here for seven, nearly eight years, mainly in SD but most places around the country. Fortunately, despite dire warnings, so far I have yet to be stopped, although my Dominican born wife has been, albeit a fair cop for using her mobile at traffic lights, for which she received a ticket.

If you do get a ticket and don't pay it, a word of warning, you may not find out about it until you try to leave the country or try to get a no criminal record certificate for renewing your visa. Either way it's not the most convenient time to find out and have to pay it.

It is worth checking online beforehand anyway particularly if you do much out of town driving, tickets are frequently issued for speeding without the motorist ever being told.

@brandonleverett

We live in SD and for years have been taken/picked up by family thereby avoiding the scrum. Since the infamous underpass collapse however the journey from West SD to Las Américas has become such a pain that we have started using a pickup car service. So far have used them three times, twice from and once to the airport and no complaints, puntual, well turned English speaking driver and a modern vehicle. Called Welcome Pickups, you book and pay online or via their App. Depending on the number of passengers and pieces of luggage it cost between 25 and 33US$, not bad, if only for the hassle factor.

Sounds like a good service!

@stevehombredelmar

hey thats good intel, i have always seen the transport from the airport to whatever hotel as an opportunity for a honest driving company , with fluent english speaking drivers, to get steady customers. It will just be a matter of time before turo or a similar service makes it way to the DR.

@stevehombredelmar

Is there a way to  check if a ticket is in the Dominican system?

@brandonleverett Hi what type of ticket are you referring to?

@gainkeeper Interesting. You can get the sun but corruption and other unsavory activities tend to be the norm in in these smaller countries.

@Yessir Punta Cana

traffic traversing the wrong way on a one way street