Scam in POP Airport

[dquick]

I just flew out of Puerto Plata Airport yesterday and saw a new scam. I checked in normally, went through security and customs with no problems. I passed the duty free and went up the escalator, towards the gates. At the top of the gate, a Dominican was set up at a counter with a sign that said "Exit Tax $20". The sign looked official and there were two AI tourist at the desk paying the guy. The guy looked at me and I gave him a dirty look and walked right past him. The guy did not say one word to me.

For those who do not know, THERE IS NO EXIT TAX IN DR. You pay $10 for a tourist card and that is it!

I kept my mouth shut about the scam in the airport. This guy had to pay off somebody in charge, to be set up inside the gate area.

[Hanzo]

I just flew out of Puerto Plata Airport yesterday and saw a new scam. I checked in normally, went through security and customs with no problems. I passed the duty free and went up the escalator, towards the gates. At the top of the gate, a Dominican was set up at a counter with a sign that said "Exit Tax $20". The sign looked official and there were two AI tourist at the desk paying the guy. The guy looked at me and I gave him a dirty look and walked right past him. The guy did not say one word to me.

For those who do not know, THERE IS NO EXIT TAX IN DR. You pay $10 for a tourist card and that is it!

I kept my mouth shut about the scam in the airport. This guy had to pay off somebody in charge, to be set up inside the gate area.

There's an exit tax if you stay for more than 30 days. The tourist card is only valid for 30 days I believe, anything after that is subject to tax. I think staying from 30 days up to 6 months, the tax is 800 pesos.

[JuanElGriego]

There's an exit tax if you stay for more than 30 days. The tourist card is only valid for 30 days I believe, anything after that is subject to tax. I think staying from 30 days up to 6 months, the tax is 800 pesos.

Wouldnt that be something that would have to be paid elsewhere, like when your passport is being scanned to return home. How does that guy know who's stayed there how long? Why didn't he say a thing to Dquick?

[dquick]

There's an exit tax if you stay for more than 30 days. The tourist card is only valid for 30 days I believe, anything after that is subject to tax. I think staying from 30 days up to 6 months, the tax is 800 pesos.

True, but they check this right before you go through imigration. This is why the Imigration agent asks for your passport before you go up to the desk for a stamp. They are checking the date of your entrance stamp.

This guy was set up a the top of the escalator, in the gate area. You are out of the imigration area at this point.

[WickedWillie]

Change the thread title. It's not a scam. There is a US$20 departure tax. There has been a counter to pay this in the departure lounge at POP for years.

Most scheduled airlines include this in your ticket price while most charter airlines do not.

So if you fly scheduled service you most likely will never have even noticed either the charge or the place to pay it.

The guy didn't stop or say anything to DQ as most tourists who travel charter are told to seek out where to pay in the departure lounge at check-in if it is applicable to them.

This departure tax is totally different from visa/tourist card overstay fees.

[deezl]

I just flew out of Puerto Plata Airport yesterday and saw a new scam. I checked in normally, went through security and customs with no problems. I passed the duty free and went up the escalator, towards the gates. At the top of the gate, a Dominican was set up at a counter with a sign that said "Exit Tax $20". The sign looked official and there were two AI tourist at the desk paying the guy. The guy looked at me and I gave him a dirty look and walked right past him. The guy did not say one word to me.

For those who do not know, THERE IS NO EXIT TAX IN DR. You pay $10 for a tourist card and that is it!

I kept my mouth shut about the scam in the airport. This guy had to pay off somebody in charge, to be set up inside the gate area.

Actually, there IS a $20 departure tax in the DR - but it's (nearly always) included in your airfare for the sake of convenience. Charters are an exception (and a lot of the planes that fly in from Canada are charters).

Not saying you're wrong about this guy being a scammer, but there is a fee.

[deezl]

WW beat me to it.

[balcoach]

So many people think they might be getting scammed or screwed. Let's educate ourselves before we start making accusations.

And if you feel you are being scammed in the DR, then there is a simple solution....Don't come back!

Just like the table of expats that sit around and bitch about this and that in the DR... LEAVE if you don't like it, change the channel if you don't like the TV show you are watching...

Thats my rant of the day!!! Whheeeewwww!

[dbneon]

So many people think they might be getting scammed or screwed. Let's educate ourselves before we start making accusations.

And if you feel you are being scammed in the DR, then there is a simple solution....Don't come back!

Just like the table of expats that sit around and bitch about this and that in the DR... LEAVE if you don't like it, change the channel if you don't like the TV show you are watching...

Thats my rant of the day!!! Whheeeewwww!

This is not really a very appropriate solution, is it? Not go back because one dude scammed you out of $20 (supposedly)? That doesn't mean that being scammed should just be accepted neither.

Though it sounds like the OP was wrong on this one.

[balcoach]

This is not really a very appropriate solution, is it? Not go back because one dude scammed you out of $20 (supposedly)? That doesn't mean that being scammed should just be accepted neither.

Though it sounds like the OP was wrong on this one.

It wasn't a scam at all....check the info above.

Have a nice day.

[dquick]

Now I did not see any other flight leaving at the time I was at the airport...but I could be wrong. Maybe if i went to the desk and pulled out $20, the guy would not have take my money. Doubt it...but I could be wrong about that too.

Now I know there is a legit exit fee. I flew AA, I assume this exit fee in included, but can't tell from the receipt or AA's website. Besides trusting the word of the guy at the desk, how is a new person suppose to know he did not owe that tax? As I said, the desk was located right as you get off the escalator.

[natmatt]

There is an exit tax like the others have reported.

When I was going through immigration on a return trip last year, the
agent at the desk that check my passport told me that I had to pay
a tax because he could not find the arrival date stamp in my passport
because on entry they stamped it on a page that was full of stamps.
He referred me to another agent and i showed him the entry stamp
and my boarding pass for arrival flight. The other agent told me that
I did not have to pay and explained why the original agent told me that
I had to pay the tax.

So, to make a long story short, the agent that stamps your passport
on exit will tell you if you have to pay an exit tax.

[balcoach]

There is an exit tax like the others have reported.

When I was going through immigration on a return trip last year, the
agent at the desk that check my passport told me that I had to pay
a tax because he could not find the arrival date stamp in my passport
because on entry they stamped it on a page that was full of stamps.
He referred me to another agent and i showed him the entry stamp
and my boarding pass for arrival flight. The other agent told me that
I did not have to pay and explained why the original agent told me that
I had to pay the tax.

So, to make a long story short, the agent that stamps your passport
on exit will tell you if you have to pay an exit tax.

Ok... lets clear this up.

Exit tax/fee: is $20 and is included in the cost of commercial airline tickets. If you look at the taxes and fee's portion of the original purchase, it will be listed there. If you fly in on a charter (the majorit are from canada) they charge this fee because it was not included in the cost of the trip, the normal charter fliers purchase and all included (flight, hotel, transfer) package the exit tax is not included in this cost.

What NatMatt is referring to is a fine for Over Staying your TOURIST VISA. US citizens have 30 days in-country (and i believe canadiens 60), once you have eclipsed this time frame, you must pay a fine. there is a scale... 31 days to 3 months: 800 pesos, 3-9 months: 1000 pesos and etc... my longest stay before I cleaned my passport has been 7 months so I had to pay 1000 peso fine at the immigration booth where they stamp your passport on the way out. My last trip was just over 70 days , and I paid the 800 pesos. If you over stay, know how much you owe to avoid getting "SCAMMED" by the immigratiion officers jajajajaj

I hope this has cleared up the difference in the two items being discussed.

[blazaveli]

Based on the facts that numerous people have dropped in this thread its cleared there is such a thing as an Exit or departure tax.

With that said... Some of yall need to hold your horses on determining that Dquick is 100% wrong. Personally, there are some questions that I would like answered before I can determine that for myself. Why have I or NO One that I've ever encountered leaving DR ever mentioned this transaction with a dude sitting at the exit escalator collecting the cash for this charge before? We've all talked about the entrance fee of $10 on occasion but never this?? Did they just decided to create a new way of collecting this tax? Was this guy always around and no one ever paid attention?? So we get that there is such a charge and its legit but does that mean that this dude who's setting up shop to collect that Dquick saw was actually a legit collector of the charge???

[DCIronman]

Based on the facts that numerous people have dropped in this thread its cleared there is such a thing as an Exit or departure tax.

With that said... Some of yall need to hold your horses on determining that Dquick is 100% wrong. Personally, there are some questions that I would like answered before I can determine that for myself. Why have I or NO One that I've ever encountered leaving DR ever mentioned this transaction with a dude sitting at the exit escalator collecting the cash for this charge before? We've all talked about the entrance fee of $10 on occasion but never this?? Did they just decided to create a new way of collecting this tax? Was this guy always around and no one ever paid attention?? So we get that there is such a charge and its legit but does that mean that this dude who's setting up shop to collect that Dquick saw was actually a legit collector of the charge???

Because, as Balcoach so thoroughly explained, the departure tax is always included in the price of the ticket with most flights from the US.

Contrary to what Dquick posted, the departure tax is real, not a scam. But most of us flying from the US will never have to deal with it. It's been this way for the 10+ years I've been flying to the DR.

There's really nothing else to discuss. The facts have been laid out pretty clearly.

[Kevy]

Ok... lets clear this up.

Exit tax/fee: is $20 and is included in the cost of commercial airline tickets. If you look at the taxes and fee's portion of the original purchase, it will be listed there. If you fly in on a charter (the majorit are from canada) they charge this fee because it was not included in the cost of the trip, the normal charter fliers purchase and all included (flight, hotel, transfer) package the exit tax is not included in this cost.

What NatMatt is referring to is a fine for Over Staying your TOURIST VISA. US citizens have 30 days in-country (and i believe canadiens 60), once you have eclipsed this time frame, you must pay a fine. there is a scale... 31 days to 3 months: 800 pesos, 3-9 months: 1000 pesos and etc... my longest stay before I cleaned my passport has been 7 months so I had to pay 1000 peso fine at the immigration booth where they stamp your passport on the way out. My last trip was just over 70 days , and I paid the 800 pesos. If you over stay, know how much you owe to avoid getting "SCAMMED" by the immigratiion officers jajajajaj

I hope this has cleared up the difference in the two items being discussed.

100 % correct. i paid the departure tax many times when i flew charter flight to the DR. they stamp your baording card and yo cannot get on the planewithout the stamp.

[blazaveli]

I got you. No disputes from me on the facts. the charge is legit. But that still doesn't really make me say the dude Dquick saw was definitely not a scammer. Whats stopping a scammer from paying someone to get inside and setting up table and collecting money from someone who thinks they need to pay this? Why didn't he stop Dquick? How was everyone else paying this specific dude, directed to him?? Did Dquick need to pay this tax on his exit this trip?? Let's assume he did not because it was covered on his flight... He clearly could have stopped and paid and the dude would have taken his money... wouldnt he??

Because, as Balcoach so thoroughly explained, the departure tax is always included in the price of the ticket with most flights from the US.

Contrary to what Dquick posted, the departure tax is real, not a scam. But most of us flying from the US will never have to deal with it. It's been this way for the 10+ years I've been flying to the DR.

There's really nothing else to discuss. The facts have been laid out pretty clearly.

[Citynights]

Now I did not see any other flight leaving at the time I was at the airport...but I could be wrong. Maybe if i went to the desk and pulled out $20, the guy would not have take my money. Doubt it...but I could be wrong about that too.

Now I know there is a legit exit fee. I flew AA, I assume this exit fee in included, but can't tell from the receipt or AA's website. Besides trusting the word of the guy at the desk, how is a new person suppose to know he did not owe that tax? As I said, the desk was located right as you get off the escalator.

I have seen people getting ready to board their flights & being told they go to desk & pay their exit fee in the past....depends if it is not included in your ticket...I think this happens when you just book a flight on a charter flight...the people that have vacation packages have the exit fee included...hope this helps the desk was located more towards the corner away from lounge & the fast food place...

[DCIronman]

I got you. No disputes from me on the facts. the charge is legit. But that still doesn't really make me say the dude Dquick saw was definitely not a scammer. Whats stopping a scammer from paying someone to get inside and setting up table and collecting money from someone who thinks they need to pay this? Why didn't he stop Dquick? How was everyone else paying this specific dude, directed to him?? Did Dquick need to pay this tax on his exit this trip?? Let's assume he did not because it was covered on his flight... He clearly could have stopped and paid and the dude would have taken his money... wouldnt he??

Alright. I see what you're saying. But as has been posted, some travelers from other countries (not US) don't have the exit tax included in their tickets. Therefore, they do have to stop and pay someone upon leaving the DR. So who's to say that the guy Dquick saw collecting exit fees wasn't doing so legitimately? Personally, I think it's a bit of a stretch to assume that he wasn't.

Now, I'm not saying the shit couldn't be conducted more efficiently (this is the DR). And who knows, the guy probably would've taken money from anyone who offered it to him. But who's fault is that? Really. The guy whose job it is to collect exit taxes? Or the clueless dumbass who just dishes out cash without checking to see whether or not he really has to?

No one is getting scammed in that situation. Someone was just uninformed, and therefore made an unnecessary (yet voluntary) donation to some local's presidente fund.

[blazaveli]

Good points. I agree with you whole heartedly. And come to think of it most people who get scammed are usually those who are ill informed or don't know what the fuck their doing and leave themselves open to be taken advantage of. Which is prolly why Coach is telling them not to come back to DR

Alright. I see what you're saying. But as has been posted, some travelers from other countries (not US) don't have the exit tax included in their tickets. Therefore, they do have to stop and pay someone upon leaving the DR. So who's to say that the guy Dquick saw collecting exit fees wasn't doing so legitimately? Personally, I think it's a bit of a stretch to assume that he wasn't.

Now, I'm not saying the shit couldn't be conducted more efficiently (this is the DR). And who knows, the guy probably would've taken money from anyone who offered it to him. But who's fault is that? Really. The guy whose job it is to collect exit taxes? Or the clueless dumbass who just dishes out cash without checking to see whether or not he really has to?

No one is getting scammed in that situation. Someone was just uninformed, and therefore made an unnecessary (yet voluntary) donation to some local's presidente fund.