to BRAID... or not to BRAID (a warning from St. Maarten)

[RiveraCruise]

There is a scam in St. Maarten that I want everyone to know about... first a short background story.

We are a family of 4... with a teenage girl and a teenage boy.

We have been to St. Maarten in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2022.  Each year we have hired a local named Leo Brown to be our driver / tour guide. In the five years we have known Leo Brown he has become more of a family member than just a friend.

Every year, we end up at Maho beach to watch the planes land at the airport (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't been to Maho beach).  Likewise, every year we end up having lunch at SUNSET BAR & RESTAURANT at the end of the beach.  This year (April 2022) my son was interested in getting his hair (about 7 inches long) braided by beach vendors.  These vendors are NOT associated with the restaurant and there is a sign stating this.  I followed my son towards the beach where a Jamaican lady asks us if we would like his hair braided.  My son says "yes", and we proceed to a chair where he sits down and, once he is looked at by the lady, I ask her "How much will it cost?"  Her answer is "Seventy ($70) dollars for the top and additional for the bottom".  I reply with "OK, let's start with the top and I will let you know about the bottom when the top is done."  She starts braiding.  Two... yes, you read that correctly... TWO hours later she finishes the top and asked me if she should continue to do the bottom.  Because of time, I said, "No.  We are good."  I follow it with, "How much to I owe you?"  She says, "Fifty-nine braids at five dollars a braid is THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS."  Again, you read that correctly... THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

I reply with "you said it would be $70!!!"  She repeats her $300 statement.  I stand up and walk to the restaurant to get my two nuclear bombs... my wife and Leo Brown.  I get to the table and tell them that the lady wants to charge me $300 for something she said would cost $70 (which is still too much but something I had agreed to).  Before I am done telling them, Leo Brown, followed by my wife, are heading to the beach.  As Leo Brown is asking the lady how she is capable of scamming us, my wife is telling her to take ALL the braids out.  The lady replies with, "OK, I will just taker the $70."  My wife replies with, "You either take them all out or I will... but you're not getting a penny from us."  Mama Bear and Leo Brown were phenomenal.  Other than our time spent sitting on the beach getting my son's hair braided, we lost nothing.  After another 30 minutes, the lady finally finished removing all the braids and walked away saying, "Have a nice day. Enjoy my 70 dollars."   My reply was, "We will.  And I will give an extra $70 to Leo Brown."

In the five years we have known Leo Brown, we have never seen him this upset.  He was upset because he is a proud local from Sint Maarten and does not want any tourist (the number ONE revenue source for the island) to get scammed by anyone... locals or non-locals.

I am sure the lady said it would be $300 because this scam has worked before. 

Tourists beware. My advice is not to get your hair braided at Maho beach.  However, if you want to, please make sure you have the INITAL conversation when the lady tells you the price ON VIDEO.  This way, when she changes the price at the end (and she will), you can show them the video of your agreement.

Best of luck with your future trip.

 

[Lexster]

15 minutes ago, RiveraCruise said:

There is a scam in St. Maarten that I want everyone to know about... first a short background story.

We are a family of 4... with a teenage girl and a teenage boy.

We have been to St. Maarten in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2022.  Each year we have hired a local named Leo Brown to be our driver / tour guide. In the five years we have known Leo Brown he has become more of a family member than just a friend.

Every year, we end up at Maho beach to watch the planes land at the airport (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't been to Maho beach).  Likewise, every year we end up having lunch at SUNSET BAR & RESTAURANT at the end of the beach.  This year (April 2022) my son was interested in getting his hair (about 7 inches long) braided by beach vendors.  These vendors are NOT associated with the restaurant and there is a sign stating this.  I followed my son towards the beach where a Jamaican lady asks us if we would like his hair braided.  My son says "yes", and we proceed to a chair where he sits down and, once he is looked at by the lady, I ask her "How much will it cost?"  Her answer is "Seventy ($70) dollars for the top and additional for the bottom".  I reply with "OK, let's start with the top and I will let you know about the bottom when the top is done."  She starts braiding.  Two... yes, you read that correctly... TWO hours later she finishes the top and asked me if she should continue to do the bottom.  Because of time, I said, "No.  We are good."  I follow it with, "How much to I owe you?"  She says, "Fifty-nine braids at five dollars a braid is THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS."  Again, you read that correctly... THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

I reply with "you said it would be $70!!!"  She repeats her $300 statement.  I stand up and walk to the restaurant to get my two nuclear bombs... my wife and Leo Brown.  I get to the table and tell them that the lady wants to charge me $300 for something she said would cost $70 (which is still too much but something I had agreed to).  Before I am done telling them, Leo Brown, followed by my wife, are heading to the beach.  As Leo Brown is asking the lady how she is capable of scamming us, my wife is telling her to take ALL the braids out.  The lady replies with, "OK, I will just taker the $70."  My wife replies with, "You either take them all out or I will... but you're not getting a penny from us."  Mama Bear and Leo Brown were phenomenal.  Other than our time spent sitting on the beach getting my son's hair braided, we lost nothing.  After another 30 minutes, the lady finally finished removing all the braids and walked away saying, "Have a nice day. Enjoy my 70 dollars."   My reply was, "We will.  And I will give an extra $70 to Leo Brown."

In the five years we have known Leo Brown, we have never seen him this upset.  He was upset because he is a proud local from Sint Maarten and does not want any tourist (the number ONE revenue source for the island) to get scammed by anyone... locals or non-locals.

I am sure the lady said it would be $300 because this scam has worked before. 

Tourists beware. My advice is not to get your hair braided at Maho beach.  However, if you want to, please make sure you have the INITAL conversation when the lady tells you the price ON VIDEO.  This way, when she changes the price at the end (and she will), you can show them the video of your agreement.

Best of luck with your future trip.

 

I have longish hair and thought about doing a braid, but now I'll definitely have to reconsider.

[Carlos A.]

Do you have the contact info of Leo Brown?

[Pattycruise]

There was a woman on my last sailing who had some braids put in at the Bahamas.  The woman quoted $5, she thought per braid, turns out it was PER INCH.Scammers everywhere.    The question is, had the police been called to settle this dispute, how would it have ended.  I suspect she would not have called the police to say she was being ripped off- and would have settled for $70 before it came that far.  (if you were to say you would call them).  A big problem would be for the youngins who think they have no say so to speak up for themselves when they are confronted with a scam artist like this.

 

[FSUFAN]

1 hour ago, Pattycruise said:

The question is, had the police been called to settle this dispute, how would it have ended.  I suspect she would not have called the police to say she was being ripped off- and would have settled for $70 before it came that far.

Local PD are not always your friend.  Went to the Bahamas (Paradise Island) some years back (not on a cruise) as a work reward for top sales reps.  A couple of the guys rented scooters and took off to some far reaches of the island to, in their words, "find some local food/bars".  Well, they found the non-tourist areas and they got robbed, wallets, cash, even their watches. They went to the local police station to file a report. Cops basically called them dummies for leaving the tourist area, said that they should be thankful that nothing worse happened and sent them on their way.  

[Jill]

The panhandlers/beach bag/braiders/massage ladies have been an issue for a long time there. I want say back in 2019 the police were cracking down it so much so that they would all scatter if they saw the police. 
 

We were there in 2017,2018,2019, 2021 and 2022. After Covid they are all back in full force. 
 

We have our favorite locals too and they take care of us like your Leo. Our massage lady (Sandy) always tells us who to stay away from! She’s awesome 

[tonyfsu21]

I don’t get the whole hair braiding thing especially from a random on the beach. It just seems dirty. What about lice? In any case, I’m glad you didn’t end up paying $300 for some hair braids.