TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Cocky Turtle Extra Charges

We visited the Cocky Turtle in Simpson Bay for a few drinks and a snack yesterday. Everything was good and the wings were nicely done. However when we got the check, it turned out that we were charged $10 for each Tito's and club soda rather than the $6 listed on the menu. The server and bar manager told us that the extra $4 was for the club soda. We complained but they would not back down. I've never heard of charging separately for the mixer when you're already paying for the alcohol. At least the service charge was not added to the bill.

In the interest of full disclosure: I put the same comment as above on the Cocky Turtle Facebook page and received this reply:

The Cocky Turtle
Hello Jim, we apologize for this and are aware of the situation. We have made adjustments in the POS system, as a Tito’s mix is supposed to be $9 instead of $10. We have the drink menu set up that way to include the rates for customers who would like a double shot or upgrade of the type of alcohol used. However, I will agree with you that a note should be added about the mixers add-on- that will be corrected and reprinted promptly. You will notice during your trip, that our drink/ cocktail prices are on the cheaper end of local pricing. Please return with your partner for a round of drinks on the house.

My reply to them:
Jim Haughton
Thanks for the quick reply and offer of a free round. When I ordered, I asked for the drink tall but with just a regular (single) shot as I don't like strong drinks. Maybe this was the confusion.

Thanks for posting the update.

It is not uncommon in France for the liquor to be one charge and the mixer to be a second charge. I haven’t particularly noticed it on the Dutch side, but it wouldn’t shock me.

I don't mind the charges if everything is up front. Then I can make my own decision if it's worth the price. What I really dislike are any hidden charges, including service or any so-called "tax" if it's not clearly listed on the menu. I feel that's sneaky and underhanded.