Theft at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta Grand Luxxe

[DoEcon]

Just FYI - you were not "robbed." If you had been robbed, you would have known it was happening at the time, most likely with a weapon in your face and threats of personal harm if you didn't hand over whatever it was that the "robber" was demanding. What you are complaining about, while frustrating for you to have to find your AirPods, isn't a major crime that demands the type of response you think it does. Your statement that you wouldn't have any expectations if they had "handled it with respect and dignity" is a wild one, given that at the end of the day you did not suffer any loss.

Yes, I am not a native English speaker. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[davidvel]

Hi everyone, the text below describes what happened, which I originally posted on TripAdvisor. My first question is do we have any recourse to receive compensation for what happened? The compensation I expect is that Vidanta will refund the amount they charged us for one week (~USD2,000). The second question is, what would you have done if you were in my shoes? We considered not telling security, anticipating that if we did, the housekeeper--the person most likely responsible for the theft--would get fired. But then my father convinced me that our inaction would increase the chance that the thief would do it again.


We stayed at Vidanta last week. The day before check out, housekeeping was cleaning our room while I was working on my laptop in the living room. When housekeeping left a couple of hours later, I wanted to go out for a walk but could not find my AirPods- they had just been on the dining table a couple of hours before I picked up my laptop. We searched everywhere inside the room. Finally, I thought of using the "Find Nearby" function of the "Find My" app on iPhone since it would have been impossible for the AirPod to go anywhere. We could not find it anywhere inside the room. Before giving up, due to a couple of awkward reactions from the housekeeper that stuck to my mind, I thought maybe, just maybe, the AirPods were not inside the room! As soon as I walked outside the room, Find My started tracking the AirPods... The distance got shorter as we got closer to the housekeeping cart, and when we got close enough, the arrow pointed to the service room behind the cart. We went inside. There was another smaller cart, near which the distance on Find My became 0. We looked inside what looked like a garbage bag. The AirPods were hidden in a small paper basket underneath some Kiwis and other things. We video-recorded the hall, cart, and where the AirPods were placed and then called security. We were appalled by what happened mainly because we left far more valuable things in the room, like cash and our travel documents, so we spent the next few hours checking to ensure we had not lost anything else. The security said they would investigate and get back to us within 48 hours. In the evening, when we came to close our bill for departure the next day, we confirmed that we would receive a timely response. The front manager at Tower IV (Salvador) promised us a response by January 23rd, while another Concierge named Alejandra was present (please forgive any typos in the names; I quickly typed them in my phone). Nobody contacted us as of January 26. Instead, we had to spend time trying to find the right number and extension to call. After a long wait and multiple transfers, I was told that the AirPods were just found outside the room, and the housekeeping forgot to bring them back. I am not accusing a particular person of theft, but I am certain that theft has occurred (AirPods do not walk). Given the overwhelming evidence (some of which I omitted in the interest of brevity), this sort of response is unsatisfactory and an obvious attempt by Vidanta to avoid responsibility.

Here is how I summarize your story, correct me if I mis-state anything:
You were in your room working on your laptop while housekeeping was there. You had last seen your Airpods on a dining table. Later after housekeeping left you could not find your Airpods.

You then track the ipods to a maid cart in a trashbag using find my stuff. Your conclusion is that a cleaning lady stole your Airpods as you sat adjacent in the room? And you demand $2,000 for your hundred dollar pods that you retrieved? And you posted on tripadvisor, then came here?

Easyrider may be on to something, as this smells to high heaven. If you left cash and other valuables, why wouldn't this crooked housekeeper take that stuff when you weren't there during other cleanings? Airpods are probably lying around in every room, and next to every beach chair and lounge. Why did she want yours? Why didn't they take cash left out?

 

[Talent312]

Assuming that your AirPods were in fact stolen, under the circumstances you describe, a credit of $100-200 or a couple of dining vouchers would be appropriate. But it doesn't appear they are going to appease you.

So, you remain dissatisfied with their customer service, such as it was. In the real world these days, CS everywhere is notoriously absent or inept. Call a merchant. You will wait on hold and then have to wade thru a myriad of menu options.

My suggestion: Chalk this up to experience and move on.
.

 

[DoEcon]

Assuming that your AirPods were in fact stolen, under the circumstances you describe, a credit of $100-200 or a couple of dining vouchers would be appropriate. But it doesn't appear they are going to appease you.

So, you remain dissatisfied with their customer service, such as it was. In the real world these days, CS everywhere is notoriously absent or inept. Call a merchant. You will wait on hold and then have to wade thru a myriad of menu options.

My suggestion: Chalk this up to experience and move on.
.

Fair enough. I guess I am just upset that I took this matter so seriously and cared so much for their employee not to get in trouble--despite having no explanation other than she committed theft--whereas Vidanta did not even apologize for the possibility of theft. Instead, they implied (as many people here did too) that we put the thing there! Their haphazard response, forcing us to stay in the room for an hour, not following up, etc., just exacerbated the situation.

As I reflect, the other thing is expectation setting. Grand Luxxe and the resort, in general, were so outstanding in many respects that I was truly surprised by both the incident and company response. As a young professional, I was so impressed up until the incident that I started studying this site for the path to owning a two-bedroom at Grand Luxxe for the future in which I want to visit Mexico more often. In a way, I am glad this happened because I now know it is not for me.

 

[DoEcon]

Here is how I summarize your story, correct me if I mis-state anything:
You were in your room working on your laptop while housekeeping was there. You had last seen your Airpods on a dining table. Later after housekeeping left you could not find your Airpods.

You then track the ipods to a maid cart in a trashbag using find my stuff. Your conclusion is that a cleaning lady stole your Airpods as you sat adjacent in the room? And you demand $2,000 for your hundred dollar pods that you retrieved? And you posted on tripadvisor, then came here?

Easyrider may be on to something, as this smells to high heaven. If you left cash and other valuables, why wouldn't this crooked housekeeper take that stuff when you weren't there during other cleanings? Airpods are probably lying around in every room, and next to every beach chair and lounge. Why did she want yours? Why didn't they take cash left out?

You make a great detective. Your questions are good, but they provide no useful information other than accusing someone you don't know.

 

[chellej]

If you got your air pods back, you have no loss. If you didn't get them back or they were damaged in some way then you might have a claim for the value of the airpods.

 

[davidvel]

You make a great detective. Your questions are good, but they provide no useful information other than accusing someone you don't know.

Questions don't provide information, the answers are supposed to.

Given all the facts you provided, it seems much more likely that the airpods accidently made it to a trash bag, than a housekeeper stole them while you were present in the room and nothing else, including money left out.

 

[easyrider]

I guess I am just upset that I took this matter so seriously and cared so much for their employee not to get in trouble--despite having no explanation other than she committed theft--whereas Vidanta did not even apologize for the possibility of theft.

This is an outright lie. You didn't care whose life you affected, imo. You are trying to rip off Vidanta by blaming a maid.

You are posting anonymously is another reason to think you are a liar head.

You took it upon yourself to track down the airpods and then entered restricted areas to find your airpods where you took pictures. They probably have you on camera placing the airpods into the garbage. You probably also wrapped the airpods before placing them in the garbage as you didn't want your airpods to get dirty.

You were not damaged financially because you still have your airpods, but you wanting compensation means that compensation was likely the motive all along.

One thing I am glad about after reading through your posts is you have identified yourself as a poster that I wouldn't feel comfortable in a transaction.

Bill

 

[DoEcon]

Questions don't provide information, the answers are supposed to.

Given all the facts you provided, it seems much more likely that the airpods accidently made it to a trash bag, than a housekeeper stole them while you were present in the room and nothing else, including money left out.

Yes, it is possible!

 

[DoEcon]

This is an outright lie. You didn't care whose life you affected, imo. You are trying to rip off Vidanta by blaming a maid.

You are posting anonymously is another reason to think you are a liar head.

You took it upon yourself to track down the airpods and then entered restricted areas to find your airpods where you took pictures. They probably have you on camera placing the airpods into the garbage. You probably also wrapped the airpods before placing them in the garbage as you didn't want your airpods to get dirty.

You were not damaged financially because you still have your airpods, but you wanting compensation means that compensation was likely the motive all along.

One thing I am glad about after reading through your posts is you have identified yourself as a poster that I wouldn't feel comfortable in a transaction.

Bill

Oh Bill... I would love to hear your take on whether UFO sightings are real.

 

[Eric B]

Frankly, I've done the back of the house tour at Vidanta NV and seen the screening process that the staff there has to go through when entering and leaving the property. They all go through metal detectors and are not allowed to bring phones, etc., onto the property. It does seem quite odd to try to conceive of a motivation for a housekeeper there who doesn't have a phone and can't afford an iPhone anyway to steal a set of airpods that they couldn't verify even worked. It would also seem odd for someone with that sort of motivation to leave them stashed in a garbage bag within 40 feet of the place they took them from when someone else on staff would likely empty the garbage that was left there.

This whole thing sounds like a misunderstanding to me. OP should just be happy they didn't go through a Vidanta sales presentation - that's where the real action is that everyone should be concerned about!

 

[DoEcon]

Frankly, I've done the back of the house tour at Vidanta NV and seen the screening process that the staff there has to go through when entering and leaving the property. They all go through metal detectors and are not allowed to bring phones, etc., onto the property. It does seem quite odd to try to conceive of a motivation for a housekeeper there who doesn't have a phone and can't afford an iPhone anyway to steal a set of airpods that they couldn't verify even worked. It would also seem odd for someone with that sort of motivation to leave them stashed in a garbage bag within 40 feet of the place they took them from when someone else on staff would likely empty the garbage that was left there.

This whole thing sounds like a misunderstanding to me. OP should just be happy they didn't go through a Vidanta sales presentation - that's where the real action is that everyone should be concerned about!

Oh we did. We fell for it unfortunately. Thank god I had a work call at noon that I had to take, which forced to wrap up. The last attempt was cute though. They took us to a room for doing a sales survey.. which we quickly figured is another sales pitch.

As for the detectors, yeah, other people said this here, which has changed my perception towards no theft. The only thing I am left with is why it was hidden so seemingly deliberately underneath rags/fruit/jam. As a reminder, the orange bag didn't have garbage in it.

Lastly, I have let this go after hearing a few reasonable arguments here. So, everything else is just having fun exchanging on this site. Thanks all who were respectful and thoughtful in sharing your perspective.

 

[easyrider]

OP should just be happy they didn't go through a Vidanta sales presentation - that's where the real action is that everyone should be concerned about!

I agree. The presentations are something everyone seems to complain about.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

The only thing I am left with is why it was hidden so seemingly deliberately underneath rags/fruit/jam. As a reminder, the orange bag didn't have garbage in it.

You probably intentionally placed it in an identifiable bag so you could find it among the regular garbage. What a plan. The only thing left is for karma to whack you if it should.

Bill

 

[Monkeyboy]

I don't believe your assertion of the device being purposely stolen. In fact , I kind of think you are making this up and posting this here in an attempt to get something for nothing from Vidanta.

The reason is that the personnel are scanned and searched before they leave work. You can see them lined up if you are at the right place at the right time. Housekeeping jobs at a place like Vidanta are hard to come by.

Another reason is that maids don't earn enough to afford iphone's or the accessories. An iphone in Mexico would cost about $25,000 pesos and a maid earns under $105,000 pesos a year.

I can barely see a maid mistaking an airpod for garbage but I can't see a maid jeopardizing her livelihood for an airpod.

Bill

Question I have is does everyone else’s find my feature work this well for iPods? I opened the find me feature to test and now I can’t find them in my house.

 

[heathpack]

@DoEcon I think your expectation of your entire stay being comped is over the top. Just asking for that much, when you were out nothing in the end, is what makes folks question whether you’re being truthful. Folks will naturally wonder if the hope of $2000 might cause you to make a story like this up.

Since you’ve already asked for the $2000 and undermined your own credibility, I would persorally just drop it. I doubt you’re going to get any money and continuing to post your story on social media starts to look like an attempt at extortion.

 

[davidvel]

Question I have is does everyone else’s find my feature work this well for iPods? I opened the find me feature to test and now I can’t find them in my house.

Are they in their case? It won't find them if so. If not, click play sound. Also it can't find them if the batteries are dead, but should show the last location.

 

[dioxide45]

Here is how I summarize your story, correct me if I mis-state anything:
You were in your room working on your laptop while housekeeping was there. You had last seen your Airpods on a dining table. Later after housekeeping left you could not find your Airpods.

You then track the ipods to a maid cart in a trashbag using find my stuff. Your conclusion is that a cleaning lady stole your Airpods as you sat adjacent in the room? And you demand $2,000 for your hundred dollar pods that you retrieved? And you posted on tripadvisor, then came here?

Easyrider may be on to something, as this smells to high heaven. If you left cash and other valuables, why wouldn't this crooked housekeeper take that stuff when you weren't there during other cleanings? Airpods are probably lying around in every room, and next to every beach chair and lounge. Why did she want yours? Why didn't they take cash left out?

I don't get the impression that the OP even retrieved the AirPods themselves. I understand that they left them there and reported the issue? As they later say that the AirPods were found outside the room and that housekeeping forgot bring them back. If it were me, knowing my AirPods were there I would have just taken them and moved on. But to each their own.

 

[Monkeyboy]

Are they in their case? It won't find them if so. If not, click play sound.

Thanks they are and I found them.

 

[LeslieDet]

I don't get the impression that the OP even retrieved the AirPods themselves. I understand that they left them there and reported the issue? As they later say that the AirPods were found outside the room and that housekeeping forgot bring them back. If it were me, knowing my AirPods were there I would have just taken them and moved on. But to each their own.

When I asked that question about the AirPods, the OP failed to respond instead claiming that I had a "question-driven logic". LOL. Just say whether you retrieved them or you left them on the maid cart! Apparently it was too difficult to respond.

 

[letsgobobby]

There are quite a few leaps of logic in the question-driven argument you are trying to build. So, I'll say this: an expectation is, by definition, subjective. It can also be adjusted through proper customer care handling. Vidanta refused any responsibility for what we are certain is a theft on their property, and we can convincingly establish it with evidence. They also failed to communicate, contrary to what a high-level manager promised, wasting several hours of our time to find the right number in Mexico to dial.

if you want to test your claim that stolen airpods somehow deserve compensation of $2000, go ahead and sue the resort in Mexican small
claims court or whatever the equivalent is and let us know how that turns out.

 

[davidvel]

I don't get the impression that the OP even retrieved the AirPods themselves. I understand that they left them there and reported the issue? As they later say that the AirPods were found outside the room and that housekeeping forgot bring them back. If it were me, knowing my AirPods were there I would have just taken them and moved on. But to each their own.

It is very confusing in this convoluted story.

[. . .]
Before giving up, due to a couple of awkward reactions from the housekeeper that stuck to my mind, I thought maybe, just maybe, the AirPods were not inside the room! [ . . .]
As soon as I walked outside the room, Find My started tracking the AirPods... The distance got shorter as we got closer to the housekeeping cart, and when we got close enough, the arrow pointed to the service room behind the cart. We went inside. There was another smaller cart, near which the distance on Find My became 0. We looked inside what looked like a garbage bag. The AirPods were hidden in a small paper basket underneath some Kiwis and other things. We video-recorded the hall, cart, and where the AirPods were placed and then called security.

In the evening, when we came to close our bill for departure the next day, we confirmed that we would receive a timely response. [...] After a long wait and multiple transfers, I was told that the AirPods were just found outside the room, and the housekeeping forgot to bring them back.

So I'll amend my chronology. It seems the OP found the airpods, and videotaped their location, but did not immediately call security to show them where there were. Instead, they left them there, checked out and left the "mystery" for security to figure out, I guess pretending they didn't know where they were, and not telling security where they had found them. (So it is unclear if they ever got them back.) They then "expect" that they be paid $2,000 for their entire trip. Yeah that is all so believable.

They also omit what the "awkward reactions" of the housekeeper were.

 

[billymach4]

We have a case of Airpods gone missing?

All I want to know is are the Airpods Male or Female?

Perhaps they were Male Airpods and gave the Maid some Lustrous Look and attempted to seduce the maid!
Maybe she suffocated the Male Airpods in Self Defense.

@easyrider What do you think of my theory?

 

[DoEcon]

We have a case of Airpods gone missing?

All I want to know is are the Airpods Male or Female?

Perhaps they were Male Airpods and gave the Maid some Lustrous Look and attempted to seduce the maid!
Maybe she suffocated the Male Airpods in Self Defense.

@easyrider What do you think of my theory?

Epic

And yes, I left the AirPod inside the paper bag, called the security, and while waiting thought to record the video. I was sure it's there since after moving the rags I could see it (it is slightly visible in the screenshot I posted).

 

[easyrider]

We have a case of Airpods gone missing?

All I want to know is are the Airpods Male or Female?

Perhaps they were Male Airpods and gave the Maid some Lustrous Look and attempted to seduce the maid!
Maybe she suffocated the Male Airpods in Self Defense.

@easyrider What do you think of my theory?

Maybe it was an orange condom but then again who has an orange condom ? or an orange plastic bag, lol.

Bill