To RV parks who are pricing their rates in US dollars. The US dollar is now very high against the Peso, the Canadian dollar has dropped but against the peso the exchange rate is similar to last year. RV Park owners who do this have effectively granted themselves a large price increase, especially a double whammy for Canadians, who are the bulk of their customers. Are they paying their employees or their power bills or taxes in US dollars? Not likely. How many RV Parks in Canada have you been to who charge US dollars? Or RV parks in the US who charge Yen? Everybody should be bringing this up when you go to pay and the owner of the park checks the daily exchange rate and charges you 434 pesos or whatever the current US-Peso rate is, and gouges you. Tell them you are going to try to use parks in future that price in Pesos, like Hotel Mirador in Huatabampito or Roca Azul, and avoid ones that charge in US dollars like Laguna del Tule, Telaquepaque, Totonaka or Las Jaibos. If enough people do it, maybe the message will start to sink in. At least we will make them aware that we do not appreciate being fleeced.

You are free to ask for a price in pesos but realistically, you have a buisness that is primarily geared towards Americans (secondarily to Canadians), so they price in the American currency.Look up the prices for the all inclusive resorts and they do the same thing. They advertise prices in the local currency.For most it's nice because it takes away variability. While currently it favors the park owner, if the dollar falls, the owners will typically honor thier rates. In either case given enough time everything will adjust.

valhalla360 wrote:You are free to ask for a price in pesos but realistically, you have a buisness that is primarily geared towards Americans (secondarily to Canadians), so they price in the American currency.Look up the prices for the all inclusive resorts and they do the same thing. They advertise prices in the local currency.For most it's nice because it takes away variability. While currently it favors the park owner, if the dollar falls, the owners will typically honor thier rates. In either case given enough time everything will adjust.Not true, outside of Rocky Point you would be hard pressed to find any RV park in Mexico that is not at least 2/3 Canadians.

...here's one for you: ..."Mexico Inflation Rate Keeps RisingMexican annual inflation rate accelerated further to 4.3 percent in October of 2014 from 4.22 percent in September, pushed up by higher food prices. Monthly inflation accelerated to 0.55 percent, the highest in nine months. Published on 2014-11-07" (site: Trading Economics, 2014)....whenever a country's inflation rates soar / their currency dives, the only hedge for the population is to use US dollars (regardless of it's legal implications in any given country)....so, what is the World's currency benchmark (against which all other currencies are measured) ? If you recall the Bretton Woods Conference of 1944, thereafter, every country on Earth pegged their currency exchange rates exclusively to the US dollar. Worse in Mexico, Mexico is the US's largest trading partner...so, which currency does the Mexican economy prefer??? Certainly not the ever increasingly worthless Mexican Peso. Try and exchange Mexican currency in Canada, Argentina, Colombia, the Bahamas, the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, etc, etc...and see what happens!In literally every Latin American country I have ever been in, I could use US dollars to either out-right buy goods and services, or to exchange for the local currency (I only exchange just enough; never too much!).

outside of Rocky Point you would be hard pressed to find any RV park in Mexico that is not at least 2/3 Canadians.....nobody in Mexico cares how many Canadian tourists visit Mexico by RV (about 1.5 million Canadians vacation in Mexico annually; how many are RVers? 10,000 ? 5000 ?). They only care how many Americans visit Mexico: a meager 150,000 A DAY !

The use of US or Canadian dollars has become very difficult in Mexico. In an attempt to control money laundering by the criminal set, all tolls must be paid for in Mexican currency. Many/most banks will no longer exchange currency for you unless you have an account there and then there is a monthly limit. Most (except for border areas) businesses, taxis, etc, take only pesos. Change houses are few and far between, IF there are any at all in the location you are in. Times have changed.

Its time to start complaining | Good Sam Community

RonYVickie
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
I know that currency fluctuations affect some prices eventually. We are retired, so I'm not buying major items any more. We are very near to self-supporting with gardens, orchard, chickens in the summer, so as I said, we are relatively unaffected at home by currency fluctuations. I certainly wouldn't buy something that is the equivalent of a week at Totonaka if the price went up 15 % almost overnight, simply because I don't have to. RYV
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jan 12, 2015
Look at a costal de frijols sometime. Or Masa or arroz. Producto de EUA does not mean Estado Unica Autonima.

For that matter look at a can of Herdez duraznos, paquete de pecho de pavo, hot dogs, or even a jar of mayo. Nestle is not a Mexican company. Who do you think owns NIDO the dehydrated milk giant?

Mexico is not as isolated as it was 20 years ago. Merchants levante, grab their TelCel punch in the address of gobernacion and get the official SHCP tipo de cambio for the day. Merchants in giant mercados de abastos gossip and inside an hour everyone from giant vendors to the little indian lady selling onions on the floor off a handkerchief will know the value of the peso.

And SOMEONE runs off with all the proceeds of the now less valuable peso...

I will say this AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN...

Mexico is one of the few countries in the world with such a volatile currency. Now WHY do you think that is?
navegator
Explorer
Jan 11, 2015
Méxicos economy is dependent on the U.S. there is a huge manufacturing industry that it American, most if not the majority of prices are established in dollars and then converted to pesos, Mexico no longer has 100% Mexican banks, the majority are U.S. and the rest are English, Spanish, Swizz, German.

All money transactions are done in dollars, all the pricing of hotel rooms is based on the dollar, if the tourist industry uses the dollar as a base for pricing, no amount of complaining is going to change the way an RV park charges, that is one that the owner does not want to loose money.

You are basically paying the same amount in dollars, just a different amount in pesos, best is to lay back on the amaca have a beer and enjoy.

Hay que gosar la vida loca.

navegator
bighatnohorse
Explorer II
Jan 11, 2015
There's a little truth in all of the previous statements.

A strong US dollar:
Makes Canadian, Mexican, European goods more competitive (cheaper) and easier to sell to the US.
Makes US goods more expensive and difficult to sell and compete in the marketplace.

Travelers, such as us, are immediately affected.
Buyers and sellers are immediately affected.
moisheh
Explorer
Jan 11, 2015
RonyVickie: A lower Canadian $ v the US$ certainly does affect you. Especially in the winter when most fruits an vegetables are imported. If you shop at Wal Mart or Canadian Tire where most of the goods are Chinese prices will go up as those goods are paid for with US$. Very few countries price their goods in Loonies. Look around your house at all the imported items bedding, small appliances, furniture, most clothing and more. Your car contains a lot of imported parts. Both US and Chinese made. Even I-tunes is raising their prices in Canada due to the lower Canadian $. Many Canadian Companies utilize US technology. They pay a royalty fee which is in USD. We are the largest trading partner with the US. About 300 Billion $$ a year!. Some of that $300 Billion must be in your living room! You would have to live off the grid to avoid buying any imported products.

Moisheh
RonYVickie
Explorer
Jan 11, 2015
I think you need to look at the picture a bit differently. When we're at home in Canada and the Cdn$ goes down against the US$, it affects me almost not at all. I'm at home and my currency is worth a dollar at home. If I'm travelling through the US, it will affect me with every dollar I spend. It's pretty much the same the world over viv-a-vis the national currency. Imports go up or down a bit, but that's about the only direct thing. If you don't buy imported items, there's almost no effect. When you see the parks floating with the US$ in Mexico, it's almost completely unwarranted - this is Mexico and they're at home, where a peso is a peso! If you're an American and your dollar sinks against the Euro, how much does it affect you ? RYV
navegator
Explorer
Jan 10, 2015
Some merchants do not want to loose money since the peso is constantly changing in relation to the U.S. dollar, I guess that some remember the devaluation of the early eighties that devastated many, now that the PRI is in., the uncertainty is back, I would not like to loose money just because some politico needs to line his/her pockets.

Mexican businesses have always priced goods with the dollar as a base, why should they loose money?, if RV parks in Mexico want to charge in pesos the equivalent to dollars, that is their prerogative.

I for one hope that more RV's start traveling South, so that those parks that exist will continue, and maybe some will be opened in other cities.

Then of course I am an optimist.

navegator
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jan 10, 2015
The facility is a ruins now. Greed and avarice prevailed. She stormed in from Hornby island and put my stuff out in the front yard, raised rates, reduced services and screamed bloody murder at the Mexican couple who were left no money to run the place. It's all hers, and when the bathroom crumbles into the sea SEDUE is going to condemn the place. Operating an RV park correctly is not easy and this example proves it's not uneducated people who fail at business.

What a shame.
moisheh
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
RVMEX: Hi Fausto: You are the exception to that rule and have always treated your customers fairly!!

Moisheh
darbone85737
Explorer
Jan 09, 2015
I can only speak about Totonaka but it is the only park left in San Carlos. It's maintained and run up to American standards. The price is posted in dollars probably because that is the currency of it's visitors and it's just convenient for the customers. The price has remained the same for all the many years we've stayed there.

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