Some “companies” may claim to be the “official” Cancun Airport transportation provider. But, how real is this?
Cancun Airport has not assigned a concession to just one particular company, but to several of them. This for there to be competition and a free market in such a crucial point for both national and international tourism, so travelers have the possibility to choose among the available options the one that most suits their price and amenity needs.
Any “company” claiming to be the “official” transportation provider is nothing but using deceptive practices to confuse travelers and get them booking. In fact, any person who has traveled to Cancun can tell how many transportation providers are in the outside of the airport. Most of these companies do have made their request and gotten the proper credentials to provide these services on the aerial hub.
Even worse, those who claim to be ‘official’ are, presumably, the same ones who try to pirate services from those who have already years established and operating regularly.
The lack of authenticity of these self-called “official” Cancun Airport transportation companies forces them to use deceptive practices in order not to go bankrupt, since when companies oriented to good service and concerned about customer satisfaction come into play, these pseudo “companies ” are quickly displaced to the bottom on the travelers’ choice list.
How to identify true, real and non-deceptive transportation companies at Cancun Airport?
TIA (“Tarjeta de Identificación Aeroportuaria”, spanish for “Airport ID Card”)
There is a document that any supplier trying to provide services at Cancun Airport must have. It is an identification commonly called the “TIA” (tee-ah), which must be requested directly to the official airport staff. This is the first signal to know if an operator at the airport is certified to operate within.
Reviews
Past clients’ opinion is also important when it comes to navigating into a company’s history. Is every comment positive and no trace of “human mistakes”? You are most likely reading paid reviews. When there is some sort of balance between positive and not-so-positive reviews, it is much more likely that you are dealing with a real and reliable company. After all, no one would pay for negative reviews, right?
Years of operation
Look at the corporate image of the company you are studying. Those companies that look too fresh or recent are more likely to be non-trustworthy. Even more if there is no coherence between the recentness of its launch and a massive amount of positive reviews.
Branded Vehicles
Another good signal to take into consideration is whether their units are branded or not. Since many small white-label agencies work as backup for larger transportation providers, it is a common practice from deceptive companies to keep their vehicles with no corporate image, so they can blame someone else and stay off the radar if something goes wrong.
Social media profiles
Believe it or not, the number of Facebook followers and the page creation date can also tell if a “company” is being tricky. As reviews on Facebook are not something really common to get in the tourism industry, since travelers opt for more authoritative sites in terms of travels and international engagement such as TripAdvisor and Google, if you can find both positive, and, again, a hint of human mistakes or negative reviews, you might be dealing with trustworthy people. You can always read to detail how are these reviews dealt with. It’s common for untrustworthy companies to not even answer customers’ feedback, or to look for an easy way out from unfavorable situations with clients.
International Partnerships
Well, being honest, this is not something you will commonly find on most transportation companies. However, it’s a powerful signal of the seriousness and responsiveness of a company. These international organizations have high standards for local companies to get accreditation. As the headline of BBB (Better Business Bureau) says, “trust first”.
Local Entities and Organizations
Again, not something you will commonly find, but still, a strong hint of trustworthiness is for companies to have recognition from local governmental and non-governmental organizations. Speaking directly about us, we are linked with Riviera Maya Hotels Association (Asociación de Hoteles Riviera Maya), Mexico Tourism Board (Visit Mexico), and Mexican Caribbean, an organization created from promoting Riviera Maya as a tourist destination after global pandemic declaration.
Value for users
Last but not least (all the opposite). A company that has been established for years is not focused on making a sale, but on creating brand loyalty and prestige. If it seems to you that you are being kind of forced to buy, then you might be right, and even worse, that they will not worry about you once you have paid.