As some of you might have read on our blog, we ran into an electrical issue whilst staying at the Freedom Shores campground in Isla Aguada, Mexico.The electrical outlet was incorrectly wired and was outputting 240V. Silly me, I didn't test the outlet since other RVs where plugged in without issues. Little did I know, only the outlets for our site (and some surrounding sites where no one was parked) had the wiring issue ...Long story short: the 240V fried our microwave and converter. We spoke to Thelma, the campground owner, and she agreed to cover the repair cost as it is the RV parks responsibility.As we were on our way south for a trip through all the Central American countries, we agreed to get back in touch with her son William (who lives in Houston, TX), once we got back to the US.Last Friday, we arrived back in the US after a trip of 5 months through Central America.Whilst in Central America, we tried to have our electrical issues fixed but no electrician was able to. In the US, we contacted repair companies and people on Craigslist, but all say that 240V fries so many things (motherboard, etc.), that is cheaper to buy a new one!So, as agreed, we contacted William and Thelma with the repair bill for our microwave and converter. Total cost for parts and labor: approximately $600.It's been a week now since we've been trying to get a reply from the people at Freedom Shores. We even suggested to split the bill in half and each pay $300.No reply from them whatsoever. It looks like they're ignoring our contact attempts. Frustrating.Has anyone here had experiences staying with them or dealing with them?P.S. They were very easy to contact when it happened. Now that the bill is here, it's a different story.

Sorry about the problem. That's a nice looking truck camper setup you have.

The sad thing is - many outlets in Mexico are incorrectly wired. Knowledge of electricity - a meter to test outlets - necessary. We have also found problems in some parks in the US. I am not sure how they manage to get 220v wired outlets in Mexico but we have seen them elsewhere - Piramide Inn in Piste by Chichen Itza comes to mind. We have stayed at Isla Aguada but sorry we can offer no help for your problem with them. Sorry this happened.

over the years there has been no owner/manager on site during the off season. Waiting 5 months to make a final claim is not helping the cause, give them a few more weeks to check business emails.

We finally heard back from Freedom Shores today.Bad wiring at the RV park fried our appliances in February this year; Telma, the owner, hired an electrician who confirmed the RV parks liability; Telma agreed to pay for our damages once we got back to the U.S. ... and today, almost 6 months later, we get a phone call from her son William that they will pay nothing because it was our fault. He said that it wasn't his fault (even though his mother, Telma and the local electrician in Isla Aguada told us different back in February) and even though the right thing to do is to pay (imagine what a happy, grateful customer we would be on the internet), he said there's nothing we can do about it since the business is in Mexico and people basically do what they can get away with. Nice.Interesting business ethics down in Mexico! All I can say: beware before staying there. We won't ever again.Even though Telma agreed to pay for all our expenses back in February (upon our return to the US), we didn't even ask for all of it ... but half! I explained to William (the son) that we asked for half since, yes, it's their fault, but at the same time, we should have been smarter by testing before plugging in.As a result, I feel it is my duty to document my negative feedback on the RV park online: here, Trip Advisor, Church's ... Hard to understand some businesses: one unhappy customer can be more expensive than a large amount of advertising.Sorry for my rant, but the phone call with William this morning was just too much. Talk about lack of customer service or honesty as compared to his friendly mother who was willing to help us.

A rant is always welcome along with info about a park but I don't understand the comment Interesting business ethics down in Mexico! . All other countries have good business ethics except Mexico?

Trouble at Freedom Shores in Isla Aguada | Good Sam Community

29 Replies

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
Query PROFECO a Mexican federal consumer protection agency.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
The don't want to tell you "No" down here, because they know you don't want to hear it.

BTW a miswire is 254 volts

127 X 2
Tequila
Explorer
Jul 15, 2014
Anyone taking an RV into Mexico shoudl use either a surge guard or a similar product form progressive industries. you are not the first person I have encountered who plugged into 220 with those results.
bighatnohorse
Explorer II
Jul 15, 2014
briansue wrote:
The sad thing is - many outlets in Mexico are incorrectly wired. Knowledge of electricity - a meter to test outlets - necessary. We have also found problems in some parks in the US. I am not sure how they manage to get 220v wired outlets in Mexico but we have seen them elsewhere - Piramide Inn in Piste by Chichen Itza comes to mind.

We have stayed at Isla Aguada but sorry we can offer no help for your problem with them. Sorry this happened.

I wonder if it is intentional for European or Aussie rigs or something similar then they forget about it?

Side note: I sent a contact form message to the company being bad mouthed with a link to this post. It is always nice to hear from the other side.
qtla9111
Nomad
Jul 15, 2014
A rant is always welcome along with info about a park but I don't understand the comment Interesting business ethics down in Mexico!
.

All other countries have good business ethics except Mexico?
jornvango
Explorer II
Jul 14, 2014
We finally heard back from Freedom Shores today.

Bad wiring at the RV park fried our appliances in February this year; Telma, the owner, hired an electrician who confirmed the RV parks liability; Telma agreed to pay for our damages once we got back to the U.S. ... and today, almost 6 months later, we get a phone call from her son William that they will pay nothing because it was our fault.

He said that it wasn't his fault (even though his mother, Telma and the local electrician in Isla Aguada told us different back in February) and even though the right thing to do is to pay (imagine what a happy, grateful customer we would be on the internet), he said there's nothing we can do about it since the business is in Mexico and people basically do what they can get away with. Nice.

Interesting business ethics down in Mexico!
All I can say: beware before staying there. We won't ever again.

Even though Telma agreed to pay for all our expenses back in February (upon our return to the US), we didn't even ask for all of it ... but half! I explained to William (the son) that we asked for half since, yes, it's their fault, but at the same time, we should have been smarter by testing before plugging in.

As a result, I feel it is my duty to document my negative feedback on the RV park online: here, Trip Advisor, Church's ... Hard to understand some businesses: one unhappy customer can be more expensive than a large amount of advertising.

Sorry for my rant, but the phone call with William this morning was just too much. Talk about lack of customer service or honesty as compared to his friendly mother who was willing to help us.
tepetapan
Explorer
Jun 14, 2014
over the years there has been no owner/manager on site during the off season. Waiting 5 months to make a final claim is not helping the cause, give them a few more weeks to check business emails.
briansue
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014
The sad thing is - many outlets in Mexico are incorrectly wired. Knowledge of electricity - a meter to test outlets - necessary. We have also found problems in some parks in the US. I am not sure how they manage to get 220v wired outlets in Mexico but we have seen them elsewhere - Piramide Inn in Piste by Chichen Itza comes to mind.

We have stayed at Isla Aguada but sorry we can offer no help for your problem with them. Sorry this happened.
cewillis
Explorer
Jun 13, 2014
Sorry about the problem. That's a nice looking truck camper setup you have.

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Trouble at Freedom Shores in Isla Aguada

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