Travelers at resorts run by the Jamaican-based vacation company Sandals say they were charged a local government tax during their vacations that Sandals pocketed for itself.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami Tuesday on behalf of all current and former Sandals guests, a family from New Jersey alleges Sandals scammed them during their stays at resorts in the Caribbean in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Their lawyer, Miami-based Michael Winkleman, said the company has been pocketing instead of remitting the taxes for years, and is asking a judge to award former and current guests more than $5 million.
“These deceptive charges are used to generate extra profit at the expense of Plaintiff and others similarly situated, who are deceived into believing the fees are legitimate charges directly related to Sandals’ taxes to the government,” the lawsuit says.
In a statement, Sandals Resorts International called the allegations in the lawsuit false.
