Cool Vibrations... NOT Cool

This is a word of warning based on my recent experience w/ this shop at Time Square. I made one last souvenir shopping sweep at Time Square before I left last week. I already had picked up a few CDs but was still looking for the Reggae Gold 2011. I stopped in Cool Vibrations to see if they had it & they did. I was talking w/ someone else while still there who asked if I'd checked the CD. That was a clue that something fishy might be going on. I'm used to buying my CDs from Adrian but he didn't have the 2011 edition in stock.

So... I tore off the wrapping & opened the CD. It was a black disc v. one w/ graphics, there was no insert w/ song/artist info, only one disc. Bottom line... it was a knock off. Boy, was I peeved! The store owner obviously knew it was not the real CD. He wanted to know how I knew it was a knockoff. I looked at it. Since I have of them since 1996, I know what to expect.

I insisted on a refund but he wanted to give me a store credit. Are you kidding me?!?! You just tried to rip me off. He kept calling me Cheap Charlie but finally gave me my money back when I told him I was going to get a police officer. As I was later walking past the store when I was leaving Time Square, he & his staff came out of the store and were loudly yelling "Cheap Charlie" at me as I walked by. I simply said, "At least I'm not a tief."

I will never step foot in that store again. Not only is the owner knowingly selling knockoff CDs, he was rude & obnoxious. No cool vibes at Cool Vibrations, that's for sure.

I ended up ordering the CD when I got home.

What a terrible experience! I'm glad you knew what to look for. I'm in the music biz and am adamantly against music piracy. The whole name calling thing was very childish. Thanks for the info. I may go visit them next week and have some fun. Maybe I'll ask if they have Cheap Charlies Greatest Hits....lol.

Thanks for the tip!!!!!!!We would never set foot in there,by hearing your experince.Thank you for the input!!!

Yvonne sorry to hear they were so rude and calling out names. Glad you got your money back. Can't believe your trip is over. Enjoy the rest of your summer with your Mom.

You know, we were at one of the stores in Times Square..looking for a specific size in a pair of swim trunks hubby wanted....we had looked in all the stores to no avail. Well the last store says yes man I can get them soon come. I found it odd cuz I know the stores will all call each other to find other sizes but we waited. While we were waiting the guy says try on the XL..hubby says no I already tried those, they are to big. Finally the young lady comes back and the guy pulls the shorts out of the bag and asks brian if he wants to try them on or was he good...Hubby says yes..I say hang on a minute..look at the tag and they had CUT THE TAG OUT. Not the whole tag mind u...just the part with the size on them. Needless to say we did not purchase anything from him. Wish I knew which store it was. I know it was very close to the little bar in the center of the plaza.

dats real bad mon.........
your so cool about everything to do with Negril Yvonne, so this had to be really bad for you to say sumthin.........
the name calling chit is inexcusable......
you might see this once in awhile on the beach........
but I would never expect it at Times Square.....oh well....
guess wi will stay away from dem like the plague....lol

Cool Runnings, Marko

Cinni that is bizarre glad you did not buy anything there. Sounds like the shopkeepers are ripping people off. Or maybe even the same one as Yvonne.

We usually make one trip to Times Square on each of our reaches....normally to buy some t-shirts and towels. We walk by the "duty-free" jewelry places and laugh at anyone that would actually buy something from one of those places, they don't offer any better prices than what you can get at home especially on Tag Hauer and other expensive watches or jewelry. I am usually not a prejudiced person, but when we walk in places like Cool Vibrations and see the Cuban "Czar" behind the counter and the Jamaican "working class" actually working the aisles in the store it makes us want to throw up. I would rather spend my hard-earned tourist dollars with guys on the beach than with these "Cubans" who take all the profits off of the island. Correct me if I am wrong but this is just my impression of the Times Square gift shops and jewelry stores. Doesn't mean I don't spend about $100 there each trip on souveniers for folks in the states that expect that kind of crap from us when we get back.

M&M

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Originally Posted by Monty&Melo

I am usually not a prejudiced person, but when we walk in places like Cool Vibrations and see the Cuban "Czar" behind the counter and the Jamaican "working class" actually working the aisles in the store it makes us want to throw up. I would rather spend my hard-earned tourist dollars with guys on the beach than with these "Cubans" who take all the profits off of the island. Correct me if I am wrong but this is just my impression of the Times Square gift shops and jewelry stores.
M&M

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I don't think they're Cuban! Are you sure they're Cuban?

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Originally Posted by Bnewb

I don't think they're Cuban! Are you sure they're Cuban?

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Most i have seen, look Indian (from India) to me. Not that it matters, but we do buy some cheap charlie gifts there each trip also. Will watch cool vibrations now though.

They are from Pakistan.

Cinni... Your description sounds like the same place. I usually only shop w/ Adrian at Sunnyside since he is very honest & a really nice guy. I took a chance on Cool Vibrations just for the CD & am sorry I did. I guess they figure most shoppers are bussed in from the AIs & will not notice the rip offs until it's too late. This is a terrible way to do business. Maybe next trip I'll stand outside the store & warn shoppers away. Just kidding.

The flip side of this bad experience was shortly after. I went to Fatty's to get dinner & told her I'd be leaving the next day, thanked her for keeping me well-fed & healthy. She not only got my meal for me but handed me a bag of cleaned ackee. She told me to freeze it & gave me quick cooking instructions for when I get home. It's still in the freezer but I have the other ingredients for making a tasty ackee dish. That was just so sweet & kind, really made my day. This, to me, represents the real Jamaica.

^^^^^^^Agree!!!!-

This is one of the reasons why I ONLY give my business to Beach Boyz at Time Square ~~ nothing worse than being followed around a shop!

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Originally Posted by Patricia

~~ nothing worse than being followed around a shop!

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Yep! My thoughts exactly!

If i'm followed,i'm outta of there!!!-If you don't trust me,i REALLY don't trust you!:)

Being followed around is the worst!!! Right behind you every step - I want to say "Leave me alone and I will buy something!" But I do the same thing - if they keep tailing me I'm outta there!

Are they following to try to convince you to buy something or to make sure you don't lift something, or both?

We have done A LOT of small store shopping in MoBay......in fact we are close friends with one of the Owners....we like being "followed"...the clerk stays her distance but is there to help us, refold what we mess up.....lol....and she also keeps a good running tab of what we are spending..............we never
felt like we were under "watch"....just the opposite in the States...........TRY and find someone....lol...........

tanks for da 'Heads up' on this
businesses like that need to avoided & it wouldn't be a bad ting to let them know why
Wonder how the shop owner would react if people came in looking for 'Cheap Charlie' aka the owner:mad:

On the otherhand good businesses (the majority) need our business & deserve it :)

It amazes me that shop owners who cater to tourists, ruin their own reputation by behaving in such a manner. If only 25% of people reading this message board boycott these stores , that means alot of lost business for these already struggling businesses. It was bad enough that they sold bootleg CDs, but to call you names....they may as well have shouted out" Avoid our crooked business- tourists". I am glad you were savvy and got your $$ back. How many boardies will now avoid this store and tell all their friends? Foolish business owner cutting off his own hand because he had a scratch on his pinky. Bad publicity over a $20 sale....makes no sense.

might be the thought of the store owner is such as " Oh well..I neva see dem again,dey no see mi".......BUT NOW with boards like this and the Internet
growing so fast, they better "Catch-Up", and what they say or do..could be read by thousands in minutes....That old "attitude" wont cut it no more.....

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Originally Posted by Patricia

This is one of the reasons why I ONLY give my business to Beach Boyz at Time Square ~~ nothing worse than being followed around a shop!

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I agree, Patricia. Beach Boyz is the only shop I go to at Times Square. :)

How much did you pay for the disc?

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Originally Posted by TiCtOc

How much did you pay for the disc?

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At Cool Vibrations the asking price was $15US. I was using J$, as usual. The exchange rate he first tried to give me would have made the price $16US. That's the first time someone worked to the exhange rate to their advantage using J$. Usually it's the other way around. I guess that should have been another warning sign. I paid the JA equivalent of $15US.