Xtabi is an X for me

[yetta]

Wow, not a good experience for sure. Try calling the owner David Prebble (hope my spelling of his last name is correct). I have stayed there many times in the past, but not recently. Hopefully, David can help or at least overstand the problem. I know that "stuff" happens in Jamaica, but having someone at the resort say they are calling the "po po" isn't cool. We all try to budget our money but many times near the end of the stay....all of us may want to use our credit card. Good luck and hopefully this type of situation won't happen again. Thanks for sharing your story. We can all learn something every single day, no matter how many times we have traveled to Jamaica. Walk good!

[HarryS]

Here's where I think they went wrong - If they knew there was a problem with their credit card machine, they should have let you know as you were seated. That would have given you the opportunity to make other plans.

If they didn't know, and you were just unlucky and it happened just before you paid, then it's just one of those "things" that happen in life.

In a place like Jamaica, there is an expectation that these things happen and that the infrastructure for things that we take for granted at home, like reliable internet access or phone service, is unreliable. I hate to say it, but going to what is essentially a third world country and putting yourself in a position that you don't have easy access to cash is irresponsible, and that might have something to do with the response you received. I'd be worried about worse things than a restaurant bill going unpaid if I was down to my last $100 in cash, anywhere. They may have been thinking, "Who travels all the way here and can't go get $100?", because in their minds, we're all rich travelers, and you must be up to no good.

You could always do what I do - I work out a spending budget before I leave, then I try to bring 50% more so that I don't have to worry about things like this.

Edit: Maybe I owe an explanation for my strong words about travelling "light" when it comes to having easy access to cash...

About ten years ago, I was kicked off a Caribbean cruise for bad behavior, dropped at the dock in Puerto Rico with my luggage, no hotel room, flights, nothing.

Had a credit card, but I couldn't have been more unlucky - while I was on the cruise they flagged my card for fraud and cancelled it. Had about $40 in my bank account I could get to with my ATM card. Had to use it to buy a calling card to call family back home, and had to ask them to wire me cash so I could get home. Not fun, and I won't travel "light" like that again.

[MissBlue]

Regardless that their lines were down, that's not the point. They had an alternate method of handling the situation right there - they HAVE the old-fashioned 'slide and swipe' machine as backup, and they should have just used it immediately upon realizing that they could not send the CC payment through the usual way. Then they would have had the whole night to confirm the payment going through.

But again, regardless of that, this is not EVER the customer's problem. Most establishments automatically just use the backup swipe machine when this happens; the customer never even knows, nor should they. The customer should NEVER know there is a problem back of house - that's the establishment's concern, not the customer's. And that's what those old machines are for - they HAD it there as a backup - they should have USED it, right away, instead of inconveniencing or hassling the customer, or even worrying the customer with THEIR problem ... never mind then further behaving in an accusatory, adversarial way towards said customer. That's inexcusable. AND it's a guarantee of future lost business -

this was bad management, and snotty, unprofessional, embarrassing behavior.
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[Melody]

Regardless that their lines were down, that's not the point. They had an alternate method of handling the situation right there - they HAVE the old-fashioned 'slide and swipe' machine as backup, and they should have just used it immediately upon realizing that they could not send the CC payment through the usual way. Then they would have had the whole night to confirm the payment going through.

But again, regardless of that, this is not EVER the customer's problem. Most establishments automatically just use the backup swipe machine when this happens; the customer never even knows, nor should they. The customer should NEVER know there is a problem back of house - that's the establishment's concern, not the customer's. And that's what those old machines are for - they HAD it there as a backup - they should have USED it, right away, instead of inconveniencing or hassling the customer, or even worrying the customer with THEIR problem ... never mind then further behaving in an accusatory, adversarial way towards said customer. That's inexcusable. AND it's a guarantee of future lost business -

this was bad management, and snotty, unprofessional, embarrassing behavior.
.

True

[Maryann]

This is what you said in the "Best food you dream about thread": "I just have to say yall's 'dream' choice places make me LOL, but to each his own..."

So, now I'm LOL because looks like your dream place turned out to be a nightmare, but I have to agree with MissBlue.

[Misti1]

I did take cash.....a string of unexpected things relieved me of that cash during the course of a three month stay. We are not talking about a normal length vacation here. You stay in Jamaica from July1-Sept. 30 and see how far cash goes.

[Misti1]

Hey I thought the pub crawl folks were a hoot. They did not bother me at all. What did bother me was Xtabi staff would not even acknowledge that we were there until the pub crawlers LEFT.

[Misti1]

This is what you said in the "Best food you dream about thread": "I just have to say yall's 'dream' choice places make me LOL, but to each his own..."

So, now I'm LOL because looks like your dream place turned out to be a nightmare, but I have to agree with MissBlue.

CAn't be a place I dream of because this was my FIRST AND LAST time ever going there

[Misti1]

One part I left out. When I went to the car to leave the first time and Donna put her body in front of the car, I had written down my card number ,expiration date and security code, so that when they got their act together they could complete the charge. That is taking a big chance in this day and time, but please be aware THAT AT NO TIME was I NOT trying to pay these people.

[tranquilitygurl]

regardless that their lines were down, that's not the point. They had an alternate method of handling the situation right there - they have the old-fashioned 'slide and swipe' machine as backup, and they should have just used it immediately upon realizing that they could not send the cc payment through the usual way. Then they would have had the whole night to confirm the payment going through.

But again, regardless of that, this is not ever the customer's problem. Most establishments automatically just use the backup swipe machine when this happens; the customer never even knows, nor should they. The customer should never know there is a problem back of house - that's the establishment's concern, not the customer's. And that's what those old machines are for - they had it there as a backup - they should have used it, right away, instead of inconveniencing or hassling the customer, or even worrying the customer with their problem ... Never mind then further behaving in an accusatory, adversarial way towards said customer. That's inexcusable. And it's a guarantee of future lost business -

this was bad management, and snotty, unprofessional, embarrassing behavior.
.

right on!!!!!