Pacifica Surf Studios — Hotel in Cóbano

Extremely poor customer service. (Surf rental)

Very nice and friendly at first when we arrived. We rented a surfboard one day with a $200 deposit (which is unnecessarily high). We used a credit card and there was an unknown error with the card terminal that showed the purchase was cancelled. We asked the staff if there had been a transaction from the card, but they assured us that it had not been swiped and then asked us to try paying again and it was approved. After we finished surfing for the day and parked the surfboard, we checked the transactions on the card and saw that we had paid the deposit twice ($400 total), even though they said it hadn't gone through. We go back to the rental desk and ask for the money back for the incorrect transaction, another young guy sitting at the front desk didn't quite understand the problem but resolved an iffy refund of $200 at first.

The next day when we return the board we explain the problem to the same person we rented from the day before and the staff immediately gets rude and goes into defensive mode trying to make us look stupid. They don't apologise either. After a while they agree to help us and say that they have to talk to their bank and that the money will be returned within a week. It took eleven days for our $400 to show up in the account again. This prevented us from renting more times as we travel on a budget and every penny is important, therefore this is not okay. We have rented surfboards before in Montezuma where we got the deposit back directly on the card.

When we get all the money back we decide to rent again one day, but instead of paying the deposit by card we choose to pay cash to avoid waiting for the money and save us the problems we experienced in the past. At that time we were treated well and it was fine to pay in cash. The person who helped us was not very careful in assessing the damage before handing the board over to us. Then when we return the board we meet the same person who caused all the previous problems with the deposit two weeks before. He immediately starts inspecting the surfboard very carefully and finds a scratch (it was obvious to us that we did not cause the scratch), which his colleague did not make a note of when handing it over. Note that his colleague was not very careful. (Their boards in general are not in very good condition). We immediately felt that this was a ploy to get us reimbursed, but we did not fall for it. He then asked if we had not photographed the board before. We just said that we trust them to do their job with notes. He said it's okay for this time. Then we leave but don't have long before he whistles us back and says we didn't pay for the rental and we were a day late. Then we ask him to look at his paperwork one more time and he realises he read it wrong and apologises for this.

Would certainly not recommend this rental. And they should take this criticism to heart as I have read similar stories in...

SCAMMERS - WARNING

DON’T rent surf boards here! I got suspicious already when I got the board, the girl in the shop attached the fins very quickly and the screws were sticking out. The guy in the reception has a very strange and arrogant vibe too. Foolish enough I decided to trust them, but after less than 1 hour in the water I noticed that a fin had fallen off and was gone.

Since I already had a bad gut feeling I decided to go home and read the reviews before returning the board (since they had taken a 200 usd deposit (!) and made me sign a contract). Reading the reviews and seeing that many other people had the same experience, it seems like a routine they have put into system. They give people shitty boards and equipment on purpose, and then take money from people’s deposits when you return the equipment that you “broke”… In the contract they make you sign when giving the deposit it specifically says that the fins & leash needs to be returned in the same condition.

Also - it took ONE MONTH for them to return my deposit, causing a lot of stress and anger during my trip. We spoke to several other surf shops, and it’s NOT normal to take a money deposit at all, so that they take 200 usd per surfboard is just pathetic, given that it’s cheap & old equipment.

There are MANY other good surf shops with super nice and genuine people if you just go to the main road. Please...

Total scam! Been having the best time in CR with family until our experience with Joshua at Pacific Surf Studios board rentals. This was our 2nd day renting boards near the beach. Picked up 2 for experienced surfers to use for 1 hour. Returned it and Joshua attempted to scam us for additional money by stating that we cracked the board which we did not - All of their boards are cracked. Additionally, he wanted to charge me for having a knot in the leash which I had contested because he gave me the lease with a knot already in it. When I challenged these things he threatened me with the $400 hold on my credit card and when I said I wasn't going to pay for it he said "how come you can't afford it." Also witnessed him giving other customers a hard time (i.e. going to charge someone for sand on their board? It's the beach?!). Go see Rob at the Lifeguard stand (1 access north) or Asdurilo (2 accesses north). Honest guys and not a bunch of crooks like this place. We travel and rent boards all of the world and this is the ONLY time we've ever dealt this a sham like this. What a joke. If the rental shop part of the hotel - I hope the hotel manager addresses this. Looks like this place has been an...