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Hi, I could use your advice. I'm a little worried that I may have been scammed, so I want to check to see if any of you have successfully booked the Vista Mar condos using https://www.vistamarjaco.com/ with no problems.

I have visited the Cocal in Jaco with friends several times over the past few years. I always book condos at Vista Mar.

In prior years, I would visit the Cocal website, email them, and book the Vista Mar by signing, copying and sending back a document that they sent me via info@hotelcocalandcasino.com. The booking process was inconvenient, but it worked out fine.

This year, I was in a hurry, I did a quick Google search for "vista mar jaco", and this website came up: https://www.vistamarjaco.com/

I thought it was the newly upgraded Vista Mar website, so I called the number and booked two condos for me and my friends by putting down a deposit via a credit card. The guy on the other end of the phone was friendly and helpful. I asked whether the booking process had changed -- he said, "Yeah, you used to have to copy and send a signed doc, but now it's more convenient and secure." After the call, he sent me a detailed confirmation email, a credit card receipt, and a PDF doc with the booking confirmation that had the Vista Mar logo on it.

So everything seemed okay. But the next day I got curious (because the booking process was so different this time), and I looked into it further.

It turns out that http://www.vistamarjaco.com/ is NOT owned by the Cocal. It is a 3rd-party booking company based in Florida. I confirmed this by emailing Karol at info@hotelcocalandcasino.com (which is definitely the Cocal front desk). The Cocal front desk confirmed that they take reservations from this agency. But for some reason, the Cocal front desk would not confirm that I actually have a reservation at Vista Mar on particular dates in December. I asked repeatedly, but they said that I have to talk to the 3rd party agency.

So I'm worried that I might have been scammed, and I'm wondering if I'm going to pay the remaining balance (which is due 30 days before our stay begins in December), then my friends and I are going to travel to Jaco, go the Cocal front desk, and they tell us: "No, we don't see any reservation at Vista Mar under your name."

Have any of you had any experiences booking with https://www.vistamarjaco.com/ that you can share? My intention is not to badmouth this booking agency -- they may be perfectly legitimate, but I just want to make sure. Thank you.

Update: The folks at vistamarjaco.com reached out to me and we talked on the phone. What they explained did set my mind at ease a bit. When a Vista Mar reservation has been made through vistamarjaco.com, the reason the Cocal front desk can't confirm that a reservation exists on a particular date under a particular person's name is due to discretion / confidentiality. This feels like a valid reason to me.

So I'm planning to move forward with vistamarjaco.com. (I'll post here with my experience after my trip to Jaco is complete, in December.) That said, please do post if you've had any experience working with vistamarjaco.com to book your Vista Mar reservations, positive or negative. Hopefully several posts will accumulate here, showing that everyone's experience with vistamarjaco.com has been positive. Thank you.

Is it too late to cancel? I wonder if there is a price difference. You might be paying extra in the form of a commission to this third party. It seems like the official website is this one: https://vistamarcondos.com/

If there is free cancellation it might be a good idea to go direct through the usual channel.

Hello Jon

Me and a few friends have been going to Jaco for the last 5 years, a few times a year . We have stayed at Vista Mar condos since day 1. The first year and first two times we had booked a condo through the cocal front desk line and vistamarcondos.com you mentioned. 

When planning our third trip I found the same website you mentioned  https://www.vistamarjaco.com/ and booked through that site and the toll free 1-800-535-9252 number. I have booked only through http://www.vistamarjaco.com/ since then as the reservation process is a lot smoother and quicker, the rates are the same and the communication is a lot easier. I just call the number, check availability and book with my credit card over the phone. Quick and easy.

More importantly for me is that when I book through https://www.vistamarjaco.com/ they run my card through their USA Wells Fargo bank business credit card system so it's a U.S. based transaction and shows up on my credit card statement under their USA offices company name, and not Hotel Cocal Jaco. That might not matter to some, but it does to me ( ha ha ) 

On another note, last year I had booked a condo for 4 nights and had already paid for it in full when my plans changed 2 weeks before my trip and I had to cancel the last night and change it to a 3 night stay. They refunded my credit card for the canceled night quickly and the credit showed up back on my statement less than 48 hours after I called to make the change. I don't know how long it takes for a refund to go back on your card when the transaction is from Costa Rica, but I would imagine it takes longer than 48 hours.

If it helps put your mind at ease.... the https://www.vistamarjaco.com/ and the 800-535-9252 number is for sure Not a scam at all and is totally legit. I have booked through that number and site for these last 4 years and never had any issues at all with my reservation or my stay. For me it's the better option to book Vista Mar condos. Yes you can book through the other number and site as well but there is really no advantage to doing so. Have a great time in December. I just booked at Vista Mar for the last week of Janaury 2025. Counting the days!