I am sick and tired of being overcharged no matter where I go in the world. Is there?

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Joe.R

Some of these people who are ganging-up on you here are acting like it is in their best interest to pay high prices when they travel.
I also love the morons who advise you to stay home if you don't like it.
That's like saying that blacks in the 1950's should have walked if they didn't like to ride the back of the bus.

dacotah7

Re-evaluate and adjust your thinking. Educate yourself.

Generally nobody rips off anybody else that knows the market, or has street smarts. Do not be a victum, do not let others take advantage of you.

If you go to any tourist area anywhere, in general expect to pay tourist prices. The bargins are found off the beaten path, or around the corner. Just like gas stations in the US. The ones closest to the Interstate exits almost always charge more for the same octane, than those a few blocks away. I always wonder why people fall for it. Even more so when the station next to it is much haigher; why customers go there.

I spent a military tour in Honduras as a purchasing officer. I traveled around the country and got to know it well. As well, I had to know the laws, the import and export business, and how the government and infrastructure works.

I don't know how you calculated what a kayak rental and SCUBA diving lessons should cost but your expectations are totally unrealistic; simply absurd.

Know this; very little if anything is manufactued in Honduras, that has anything to do with technology. Most of that is imported, likely the kayaks, and likely the various pieces of scuba gear. The import taxes often exceed the cost of the item, plus shipping to get it to Honduras, plus shipping to get it to the destination where it is used. There could be an export fee at the point of origin. None of those costs have anything to do with your wages, or the cost of Honduran Labor. It takes a vast amount of financial resoures, and political pull / connections, and various fees, to develop anything there. Business does not work like you think it should, or are used to. Having a time schedule for a project is perhaps a wish, certainly do not expect it to go according to plan as in the US.

You make four times what the average person makes there? Than you don't make very much. Actually if you make minimum wage in some states you may make 6-12 times or more than most Hondurans make. Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America and one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment. The 2007 estimate is 27.8% of the population, per the CIA World Fact Book.

Even though I think your expectations of rates are off-based, and I think the prices you stated they will charge you are fair and reasonable; I would not pay $100 for a 1/2 day of SCUBA diving lessons anywhere. Not becasue it is to much. Because you are ripping yourself off. Because a half a day of SCUBA lessons gets you nothing; maybe not even wet. The best you can hope for is the very basics and going down with a certified dive master, maybe with a small group. With that you could also get yourself in big trouble, or dead.

I went diving in RoatÃ¡n Honduras. I know for a fact you can spend between $450-$650 and become a certified diver in about 4 days, in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Adjust your thinking, and your attitude by educating yourself.

Good Luck & Best Wishes

EDITED:
I forgot to mention that in many countries including some transactions in Honduras, it is customary or even expected to bargin or dicker over the price. Sometimes the stated price is just a starting point.

That is not the case in all transactions, such as the rare fine dining establishments or upscale hotels and resorts, rental cars or airline tickets. It is more likely in Mom & Pop businesses, less poplulated and rural areas, with lower income or un-employed, and laid back environments. There are no hard and fast rules; you figure it out by trying; gaining experiance along the way.

Johan from Sweden

There is no such things as should cost. Prices are different in different countrys due to excange rates and a number of other factors. As well as you find places that are cheaper than america youll find places that are more expencier. Also remember (as stated above) that in some countries youre expected to bargain on just about everything and thus the opening price could be much higher than the actual ones.

If youre interested into how much you can get for your money try to google something called "Big mac Index". It shows how much an Big mac cost in different countryes. Johan.

Blue B

Most of those people will negotiate. You ask how much it is, they tell you some absurd amount to which you chuckle and turn away. Suddenly they feel the need to bargain with you....It's more they ask some ridiculous amount because there are schnooks out there that will pay it but I'd guarantee you that most would take a fraction of the initial amount.

Better to tell them that you'll pay "X" amount and let them decide.

John M

do you have sucker tattoo on your head

stand up to these people and demand a better price or leave

mike

Actually, those are fairly good deals. and of course we are in a recession, which negatively affects them as well.

1Cheapcruise

this is a much larger topic than here in travel/cruise.
You do have valid points though.

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