Traveltalkonline.com Forums


SXM Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors SXM Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,434
Posts310,117
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 115
pat 42
Todd 40
jazzgal 40
Member Spotlight
bdeeley
bdeeley
United States of America
Posts: 1,625
Joined: October 2013
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
LONGISLANDSHARON, Sca2la
Who's Online Now
39 registered members (pburke40, davidandsusannj, jrw, bostonbob, Kennys, MrEZgoin, MKGrey, Standrea, KC2SXM, Uksimonusa, NumberCruncher, snman31, GeorgeC1, WWII, Sea_Skyman, xrayman67, Kmon, hkdiaz, SXMBND, Fletch, kaba, Alltech63, Jaybird, RatmansWife, bailau, Leagle49, SeaLady29, ChuckG, JeanneB, Fran, boucharda, jagmansr, 7 invisible), 1,100 guests, and 55 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
El Zafiro payment issues #291813
11/29/2022 08:08 PM
11/29/2022 08:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
I have been requested by a board member to post a note about cash or check payments made to El Zafiro. The member wants to know whether or not anyone has received a refund of cash payments made to the company for lodging not received. If not, has anyone explored whether there is any option to try to recover their money.

Thanks for any help.


Carol Hill
SXM Sponsors
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291816
11/29/2022 08:53 PM
11/29/2022 08:53 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
Traveler
pat  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
Carol,

I was talking to someone earlier who ‘thought’ under those circumstances the only recourse they might have would be to bring suit against them.

As you know, so far we’ve been issued temporary credits by both credit card companies we used with the assurance that we should have the situation resolved (in our favor in all likelihood) within 2 to 3 billing cycles. But credit cards are a whole different ballgame than cash or check.

Doesn’t it sound like fraud if monies were knowingly collected with little to no intention of delivery the services paid for?

Good luck to the parties involved.


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291836
11/30/2022 10:20 AM
11/30/2022 10:20 AM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
F
foreversxm Offline
Traveler
foreversxm  Offline
Traveler
F
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
A refund, Your kidding right? The place obviously had money and lots of other issues and owners are broke or hidden any deposit money so any money guests paid is long gone. If you paid with credit card dispute the charges and hopefully the credit card company will take your loss. You could sue them and waste more money with the lawyers and get a judgment but doubtful you’ll be able to find a asset to collect from. It’s a mess. We lost money on a VRBO’s booking when the owner sold the property and disappeared. Long standing well known well respected hotels are your safest reservation. Really awful when something like this messes up a cherished vacation. Good luck to all. 🍀

Last edited by foreversxm; 11/30/2022 10:24 AM.
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: pat] #291838
11/30/2022 10:25 AM
11/30/2022 10:25 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Thanks for your input, Pat. The person involved is down about $2300, so it's a fair amount of money. I don't know anything about the business organization of this business, but it could be that they have filed bankruptcy and there is no one to sue? And apparently the owner of the business is now off island?

I'm afraid there's nothing the person can do, but the best thing to do would be at least consult an attorney on island. Anyone have an attorney on island they can recommend?


Carol Hill
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: foreversxm] #291844
11/30/2022 12:46 PM
11/30/2022 12:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 558
Florida & Beacon Hill, SXM
GaryB Offline
Traveler
GaryB  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 558
Florida & Beacon Hill, SXM
How long ago did your issue with VRBO happen?
The current policy of VRBO is that the owner is not paid until the guests check in date. They (VRBO) holds all the funds until that time. If anything happens VRBO make an immediate refund. So what you describe could not happen now.
Just want people to know VRBO is a good way to book a rental in SXM.


GaryB
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291852
11/30/2022 04:45 PM
11/30/2022 04:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
F
foreversxm Offline
Traveler
foreversxm  Offline
Traveler
F
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
Good to know. In 2019! Thanks.

Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291857
11/30/2022 08:41 PM
11/30/2022 08:41 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 79
Wisconsin
J
Jenni Offline
Traveler
Jenni  Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 79
Wisconsin
I made the unfortunate mistake of making our down payment with a check. We are out $1,300.00. A couple of months ago I was told by the owner that she would use our down payment to book another place we found for our stay. When it came down to making the new down payment to the other place, she never came through. Our booking was towards the end of March 2023. She said that they were still looking to refund/rebook guests for November and December. That she would refund our deposit as soon as she could. I have not heard anything since. This would have been our 4th year staying there. If there's anyone who has received an actual refund from them directly, not through a credit card company, I would like to hear how you were able to do it. If there's a way for people to get together to try and get our money back, I would be interested in hearing about it.

Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Jenni] #291860
11/30/2022 09:13 PM
11/30/2022 09:13 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
Traveler
SXMScubaman  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
After having tenants become delinquent in their rent payments I have long learned that promises are easy to make but follow through isn't. Good luck on getting it but I wouldn't waste more money in trying to get it back.

Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Jenni] #291861
11/30/2022 09:39 PM
11/30/2022 09:39 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Jenni--thanks for your info. Best wishes.


Carol Hill
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Jenni] #291869
12/01/2022 07:01 AM
12/01/2022 07:01 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,398
Peaceful Eastern North Carolin...
GaKaye Offline
Traveler
GaKaye  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,398
Peaceful Eastern North Carolin...
Jenni, if they have or do file bankruptcy, you would be a creditor in the bankruptcy, although probably pretty far down the list. That assumes bankruptcy proceedings are similar here to the US.

Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291870
12/01/2022 08:35 AM
12/01/2022 08:35 AM
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,992
Westchester /NYC
Colour1 Offline
Traveler
Colour1  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,992
Westchester /NYC
While we were on the island (late oct into nov) I read in the D H that an auction company would be there to auction off any and all properties that could be sold off. The next day they were there with buyers !!! Wishing all of you that are in this process of retrieving said funds good luck!!!!


Sand Gravity, got to love it!
Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291881
12/01/2022 12:27 PM
12/01/2022 12:27 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
F
foreversxm Offline
Traveler
foreversxm  Offline
Traveler
F
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 638
From what I’ve seen, The owner of the property got an court ordered eviction and their was a huge amount of past due rental and other fees well over $100,000.00. The auction was only for the movables, ie furniture, equipment which mostly had very little value. No real property was sold. I understand it the property can be bought for $12,000,000.00 per a local realtor. Any money received from auction on the movables I believe would go to secured contracts like the past due rental to the landlord. Refund of Room deposits would be way down the list and extremely doubtful assets would even be close to the amount owed. If it could be proven the guesthouse owner keep taking deposit money knowing they could not provide a room knowing they would close I suppose fraud could be claimed. Probably hard to prove even in the USA. IMO wishful thinking anybody will get any money back. It’s all long gone.

Re: El Zafiro payment issues [Re: Carol_Hill] #291911
12/01/2022 10:25 PM
12/01/2022 10:25 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 295
Lake Orion, MI
gomer36 Offline
Traveler
gomer36  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 295
Lake Orion, MI
We're at BSV, and a few days after we got here we followed a huge stakebed truck just pulling out of El Zafiro loaded with furnishings.


"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." ~ John F. Kennedy

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1