Peso/US dollar exchange rip off in RP restaurants.

YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Noticed in some of the restaurants in Rocky Point they scam you by charging you twice for the exchange rate if you want to pay in pesos. When I get to RP I take out a lot of pesos at an ATM, then prefer to pay in pesos to not get ripped off by the restaurant's reduced exchange rate. But then I noticed some restaurants total your bill in US dollars, and if you want to pay in pesos some restaurants give you a crappy exchange rate again to re-convert your bill back into pesos. I kinda got into it with the owner of the restaurant that's across from the Penasco del Sol hotel (can't remember the name of the restaurant but its the nice one in the shopping complex across from the hotel) because on the menu my breakfast meal was 90 pesos, coffee was 14 pesos, so with taxes my bill should've been around 120 pesos. My bill was just under $9 US dollars. But when I went to pay in pesos he charged me $140 pesos because he said he had to reconvert my bill back from US dollars to pesos. I told him that was absurd, why was he charging me to convert my bill from pesos to US dollars, then back to pesos. A lady in the restaurant who lives in RP overheard our conversation and stated a lot of restaurants do that, its their way of making a buck or two off of every customer without them realizing it. I don't care about the buck or two, its the principle of it all.
 
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YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
It was in the same strip mall as the other Wrecked at the Reef across from Penasco del Sol, but I can't remember its color or name. It has a propane flame display in front that they light up at night. Been there a few times, great restaurant, great food, great service, they just try to make a couple extra bucks off ya if you look non-local trying to pay in pesos.
 
Hillbeartoe

Hillbeartoe

Guest
Ahh ok, just making sure it wasn't South Side Jillz. Big Blue place with outdoor horse shoes and such. That would have been a shame.
 
YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Yes, that was the place Ben21. I'm very careful not to trash somebody's business, but it is what it is. It was obvious he made a buck or two on my bill converting it to US dollars and then back again to pesos because I wanted to pay in pesos. I told the owner at the till why not just give me a bill in pesos in the first place? But he insisted he had to charge me an exchange rate again to reconvert it back into pesos. I know I'm being repetitive and it all sounds completely ridiculous, but that's what happened. If I went back again I'd check my bill carefully, and because I'll be paying in pesos I'd insist it be totaled in pesos, not US dollars.
 
mexicoruss

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
There is a simple rule of thumb here regarding paying in pesos or dollars.

If you see a price in dollars on the menu and you are good with it, pay in dollars. If you see a price on the menu and it's in pesos and you are good with it pay in pesos.

If it is a popular gringo hang out you are going to want to pay in dollars for the most part, if it is a taco stand or purely Mexican hang out you will pay in pesos.

If you are in a gringo hangout and you are good with the dollar price and you decide to pay with a credit card your card will be billed at the high bank rate exchange rate and converted to pesos as it is deposited into a peso account for the restaurant.

In the frontera we use both currencies, as you travel further south you can only use pesos.

I don't think it is a rip off I think it is a misunderstanding about how it is. When I transfer from my dollar account in Mexico to my peso account in Mexico and I know the bank rate for buying pesos is 14.5 to 1 and the bank only gives me 14 to 1 is it a rip off or a service fee? I call it a service fee. Everyone makes money in the monetary exchange business. Because its business.
 
ben21

ben21

Guest
Honestly I'm no expert in currency, but it just seems odd that there would be any "service fees" to pay with pesos in Mexico. I always expect them when paying in dollars though. At the very least, the staff should probably say "hey, if you pay in dollars, there won't be a fee."

I think the owner of Max's also owns another restaurant or two in RP. He's always been really nice to us when we've been in there, so this won't stop me from going, but they should probably re-examine this policy.
 
mexicoruss

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
Let me clarify, we have to exchange money here all the time as business owners. It is a cost of doing business. But If there was a price in pesos on the menu that should be the price you pay. So if they said they needed to convert your pesos to dollars and then back to pesos that was wrong, the menu price should be changed.
 
tequilatodd

tequilatodd

Guest
YumaJames said:
Yes, that was the place Ben21. I'm very careful not to trash somebody's business, but it is what it is. It was obvious he made a buck or two on my bill converting it to US dollars and then back again to pesos because I wanted to pay in pesos. I told the owner at the till why not just give me a bill in pesos in the first place? But he insisted he had to charge me an exchange rate again to reconvert it back into pesos. I know I'm being repetitive and it all sounds completely ridiculous, but that's what happened. If I went back again I'd check my bill carefully, and because I'll be paying in pesos I'd insist it be totaled in pesos, not US dollars.
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Are you sure is was Max's? Isn't that place owned and operated by Max himself? An American?
I have met him and never seemed the type to cheat you out of a couple of bucks
 
mexicoruss

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
The man's name is John McBride, he is a great guy and I am sure that this is a misunderstanding of some sort he and his wife Max run very popular restaurants here and have a sterling reputation and I count him as a friend.
 
GV Jack

GV Jack

Snorin God
I have had many a breakfast at Max's and an occasional dinner. I have never been disappointed nor have I felt cheated.

The highlight of our breakfast is their fabulous Bloody Mary, right AZ Dan? John is indeed a solid great guy.
 
YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
I agree. Like I said in my above posts, I'm very cautious in saying anything bad about anyone's business, and the owner seemed like a solid guy that wouldn't scam people. But I still don't understand why I was charged a reonversion fee to change my bill from US dollars to pesos so I could pay in pesos, but it is what it is.
 
playaperro

playaperro

El Pirata
mexicoruss said:
The man's name is John McBride, he is a great guy and I am sure that this is a misunderstanding of some sort he and his wife Max run very popular restaurants here and have a sterling reputation and I count him as a friend.
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Funny I always called him Max, very friendly fellow, likes to shoot the coffee with new inductive's to Pto Penasco. Try buying a beer with pesos at say JJ's.
 
flicks

flicks

Guest
YumaJames said:
It was in the same strip mall as the other Wrecked at the Reef across from Penasco del Sol, but I can't remember its color or name. It has a propane flame display in front that they light up at night. Been there a few times, great restaurant, great food, great service, they just try to make a couple extra bucks off ya if you look non-local trying to pay in pesos.
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Max's
 
H

HILL BOY

Guest
mexicoruss said:
Let me clarify, we have to exchange money here all the time as business owners. It is a cost of doing business. But If there was a price in pesos on the menu that should be the price you pay. So if they said they needed to convert your pesos to dollars and then back to pesos that was wrong, the menu price should be changed.
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But that is after mucho shots and I just don't care love Mexico.


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