Luggage Stolen on Carib Tours bus

Susan Reynolds · #1 10-14-2009, 10:46 PM

We are US citizens and got on bus in Sousa to go to Santo Domingo. When the bus stopped at the first stop in Santiago, my husband went down to the baggage bin to get our water bottle. My luggage had been moved to the first compartment where NO other luggage was. He got the water bottle as the bus driver looked on and went back upstairs to our seats. When we arrived in Santo Domingo my luggage was gone which contained expensive jewelry, clothing, shoes, and laptop computer. The bus driver said he saw someone take the suitcase, but he did nothing to stop it. The bus company does not give any tags for the luggage and we trusted the people and Carib Tours. We spent 2 hrs. on Sunday, Oct. 11 and 2 hrs. on Monday at Carib Tours, but Mr. Juan Feliz, head of security will not let you get past him. He will not even take my name or address and only says that they know of the problem and will "look for" my luggage.
We went to the Am. Embassy, but they cannot get passed Mr. Juan Diaz at Security and Carib Tours will not do anything, except to say he will look for the luggage.

I had to come home in Bermuda shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes....all that I had on my back.
This is VERY wrong and makes me NEVER want to go back to Dom. Republic. However, I will go back for a lawsuit against Carib Tours, if necessary. Stealing is evidently VERY rampant and crime and violence are very common. Foreign citizens should be very careful as it is very dangerous. If anyone knows anything to help, I would appreciate anything you can do.

bob saunders · #2 10-15-2009, 12:04 AM

I traveled on Caribe tours around 20 times and never had luggage stole or anything else.

coastlineconstruction · #3 10-15-2009, 12:35 AM

This has happened before to a good friend of mine. When he got to the capital, his luggage was missing from below the bus. His Dominican friend who came to pick him up at the bus terminal has friends in high places and somehow his luggage later 'appeared' out of nowhere. Unfortunately his $ was missing out of the luggage.. Go figure.

It is good practice to keep all valuable items with you at all times when traveling on Caribe Tours. Even when they tell you to get off the bus for a 10 min. stop. (Another friend of mine - Dominican - got his bag taken stolen from him when he got off the bus in SFM. Supposedly EVERYONE is supposed to get off the bus for the 10 MIN stop.. When he got back on, his stuff was gone) Also, if you must leave something that you can't risk losing down below, try and sit on the side of the bus where they load it on and keep an eye out the window when the bus is stopped.

You can never be too careful.

IslandDreaming · #4 10-15-2009, 02:19 AM

I have been flying both as passenger, Pilot,WSO and RIO for over 20 years and never crashed; Relevance to op?

They guy had his luggage stolen, I'm not sure what your "safety" record has to do with his efforts to find a solution

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob saunders

I traveled on Caribe tours around 20 times and never had luggage stole or anything else.

Lambada · #5 10-15-2009, 02:57 AM

If you can get hold of Hatuey de Camps of the PRSD party, I think he's the owner of Caribe Tours. Maybe ask the US Embassy to contact Hatuey de Camps?

PICHARDO · #6 10-15-2009, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Reynolds

We are US citizens and got on bus in Sousa to go to Santo Domingo. When the bus stopped at the first stop in Santiago, my husband went down to the baggage bin to get our water bottle. My luggage had been moved to the first compartment where NO other luggage was. He got the water bottle as the bus driver looked on and went back upstairs to our seats. When we arrived in Santo Domingo my luggage was gone which contained expensive jewelry, clothing, shoes, and laptop computer. The bus driver said he saw someone take the suitcase, but he did nothing to stop it. The bus company does not give any tags for the luggage and we trusted the people and Carib Tours. We spent 2 hrs. on Sunday, Oct. 11 and 2 hrs. on Monday at Carib Tours, but Mr. Juan Feliz, head of security will not let you get past him. He will not even take my name or address and only says that they know of the problem and will "look for" my luggage.
We went to the Am. Embassy, but they cannot get passed Mr. Juan Diaz at Security and Carib Tours will not do anything, except to say he will look for the luggage.

I had to come home in Bermuda shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes....all that I had on my back.
This is VERY wrong and makes me NEVER want to go back to Dom. Republic. However, I will go back for a lawsuit against Carib Tours, if necessary. Stealing is evidently VERY rampant and crime and violence are very common. Foreign citizens should be very careful as it is very dangerous. If anyone knows anything to help, I would appreciate anything you can do.

Greyhound Tells Passengers With Missing Luggage To 'Get Together And Do Something About It'

Is this Greyhound CSR trying to start a revolution among its customers, or simply telling the wife of a passenger that Greyhound doesn't care about lost luggage? She claims he told her to "'get together with everyone else' who lost luggage 'and do something about it.'" Like what—start a support group? Meet him behind the bleachers for a fist fight? Open a detective agency in Tupelo?
Greyhound: Greyhound Tells Passengers With Missing Luggage To 'Get Together And Do Something About It'

Ok well lets start of saying that greyhound is not helpful with what they do they lose your personal items such as luggage and then give you the run around to get it back... well i came from tampa fl back to texas where i live from the holidays get to my destination and my bags were no where to be found and then i went inside of the station and the agent with vtc valley transit couch says to me its not my problem drive back to houston and gave me a form which he was suppose to file and didn't so know i have no clothes no laptop and i have to drive a whole hour to Houston to try to get something done i am frustrated ****ed off and more than all disgusted of the whole situation...

Greyhound Complaints - Lost luggage!

Wow!!! Who should they contact for help? Obama?

The only country so far I'd visited where the bags on buses always make it to their owners is Japan, but I can almost guarantee you that even there it's bound to happen as well!

I keep my eyes around the bus at all times, specially while the luggage compartments are wide open or held ajar for any reason.

A bus is not a jet sitting in the tarmac, anybody can stretch a hand a self serve a fatty bag to take home...

Valuables must always travel with you in the bus interior, not out of your realm of power.

They'll take a look at the security video (if at the stop was one installed) to identify the culprit, if not there's little to nothing they can do to solve that problem. If you want to know if security cameras were present at the site, just pay a visit and carry out a visual inspection for them.

About suing the carrier? Check again the ticket stub and legal stuff written on it... That delineates the contract you entered with the carrier during the trip to your destination.

Caribe tours is a very good carrier, with the lesser problems face by other providers alike.

You can always join the group that greyhound advised riders with lost luggage to form...

Marianopolita · #7 10-15-2009, 07:36 AM

The few times I travelled on Caribe Tours many years ago luckily I had no problems. However, I was always cautious about my belongings meaning anything of value I brought onto the bus with me. Unfortunately, travelling by bus and storing your luggage in the luggage compartment is what I call an open sesame system meaning when the driver opens the door, the passengers technically can take whatever piece of luggage they want. Heaven help the person who tries to take a piece of luggage that does not belong to him/ her or and are actually confronted by the passenger who owns the luggage. IMO, s/he deserves what ever they get.

It seems to me that your luggage was eyed by the thief and singled out for easy retrieval when leaving the bus. I can imagine how frustrating this has been and the sense of violation you must feel. IMO, the bus company should be responsible but if they have a clause on the ticket somewhere that's their way of not having to accept responsibility if passengers lose their luggage. It's pathetic! Well, if the luggage did not fall out the compartment onto the road, it's obvious that it was stolen by a passenger who left the bus at one of the stops.

Would a baggage tag system work like what they have at some airports? For example, a tag on the luggage and the stub is retained by the owner. The driver would have to check for a match when each passenger takes their luggage from the compartment. More efficiently would be two people. One who checks the stubs and one ensuring that no one evades the process. Yes, some security system in place would effectively cost the passengers $ wise and slow down the destination arrival time but who cares in the grand scheme of things. Passengers who paid for their journey should not have to deal with this type of theft anywhere. Since it happens often enough it needs to be addressed or people need to be more radical and boycott Caribe Tours if necessary.

-Marianopolita.

bob saunders · #8 10-15-2009, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Dreaming

I have been flying both as passenger, Pilot,WSO and RIO for over 20 years and never crashed; Relevance to op?

They guy had his luggage stolen, I'm not sure what your "safety" record has to do with his efforts to find a solution

Perhaps I should have added that I would never be foolish enough to leave anything of high value in the luggage compartment. This would apply whether I was taking the bus in a more developed country also. When you see all those bars on windows and high walls around even schools even a newby should realize that the crime rate, especially theft is rampant. By the way, did you contribute to a solution. The likelihood of the OP getting her stuff back is highly remote, but stranger things have happened. Unless the suitcase is huge, most passengers take their suitcase on board with them.

RonS · #9 10-15-2009, 08:15 AM

I really am sorry to hear about this Susan. I have used Caribe Tours often in the past eight years to travel from the capitol to the north coast and back and I have not had such a horrible experience. The drivers routinely require luggage to be placed in the compartment under the bus without identifying tags and I have always been leery about the 'system' they use and the possibility of theft. I hope that you get redressed for your losses, but I must say that it is unlikely, particularly now that you have left the country; the 'system' in the DR is not known to be helpful in situations like this. I know that its no consolation to you personally, but your situation will help me and others to be more alert and I am grateful that you have share this information. Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

CFA123 · #10 10-15-2009, 08:29 AM

Susan,
I have sympathy for your having had your luggage stolen. Beyond that, your expectations for resolution to the situation are ridiculous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Reynolds

I had to come home in Bermuda shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes....all that I had on my back.
This is VERY wrong and makes me NEVER want to go back to Dom. Republic. .

Yes, traveling in Bermuda shorts is VERY wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Reynolds

However, I will go back for a lawsuit against Carib Tours, if necessary.

Who are you trying to fool or are you really that silly?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Reynolds

Stealing is evidently VERY rampant and crime and violence are very common. Foreign citizens should be very careful as it is very dangerous.

You had a piece of luggage stolen, therefore stealing, crime, and violence are VERY rampant. Yes, the correlation is as clear as mud.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Reynolds

If anyone knows anything to help...

Keep valuables like expensive jewelry & laptops in a backpack within your sight when traveling in any country, including the U.S.. Remember the good parts of your trip & get on with your life.