Punta Cana is undoubtedly the top destination in the Dominican Republic and attracts countless travelers in search of an idyllic Caribbean retreat.
And with its stunning beaches, high-end all-inclusives, and friendly atmosphere, Punta Cana delivers on its promises.
However, just like any other tourist hotspot, Punta Cana has its fair share of scams and tourist traps that travelers should be wary of.
Beyond the common street scams that tourists are prone to fall victim to, lurks a more nefarious, high-pressure type of scam: vacation package scams.
Of course, not all vacation packages are necessarily scams, and some offer excellent value.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, as Summer Edeen’s experience shows. An American tourist who was visiting Punta Cana with her boyfriend was the victim of such a scam, which she recounted in a TikTok video that went viral and even made headlines.
According to the video, Edeen and her boyfriend attended an hour-long seminar in exchange for a promised massage gift card.
After the presentation, they were offered drinks and presented with vacation packages from a company called UVC, with options such as silver, gold, and platinum levels.
Interested in the platinum package, which was priced at $30,000, they negotiated the price down to $17,000.
However, Edeen later discovered numerous complaints about UVC, with people warning against her services.
The company has faced more than 350 complaints on the Complaints Board, with allegations of misleading presentations, high costs and difficulties in canceling memberships.
One of the complaints indicated that the company’s seminar lasted more than four hours, and that they were also pressured to buy a $15,000 package after receiving free drinks.