Please add your comments about St. Maarten to this thread. Thank You!

Jewelry Blogger Commentary - Retake on St. Maarten - Cruise Ship Jewelry Sales

Gerry M. - St. Maarten wrote:
While I do believe that there are a few reaping the benefits from front street. it is our government which makes promises to clean up the immigration problem by imposing 3 year work limits however, I have not seen any significant changes to date. Maybe you should take a closer look at who's running our government and see how they're living. Yes, we have poverty however, no less, no more than other islands. I don't disagree that the few are benefitting from the many who have made St. Maarten their legal home and who follow the laws.
Reply to this

Saturday, August 11, 2007 10:33:45 AM Edna H. - St. Maarten wrote:
I was one of those you interviewed and I never really believed anyone would ever tell it the way it is. Thanks for keeping your word and posting this story. if I had the money, I would move out of St. Maarten with my family. I can't get a decent job and the stores on front street only hire their own. There is discrimantion against those of color darker than those from India - west indies. Our papers have even written articles concerning discrimination. I have nothing against anyone. We just want to be able to make living.
Reply to this

1. Saturday, August 11, 2007 4:17:57 PM Jewelry Blogger wrote:
   Edna,
   We are fair and balanced. The St. Maarten Trade & Hospitality Association has been emailed this article for review. We have yet to receive any comments from them or the Indian Merchant's Association.
   JB
   Reply to this
   1. Saturday, August 11, 2007 4:31:36 PM Jewelry Blogger wrote:
      Follow-up:
      Little is known about the Indian Merchants Association. We do not know how many members are in their roster. We do not know which store owners participate. We do not know how they are structured, when they were founded or how they operate. We do know that D. Alwani is the President of the Association. In writing this article, no one in the community (jewelry retailers) was forthcoming in speaking with us or answering any questions concerning this association.
      JB
      Reply to this

Saturday, August 11, 2007 4:13:17 PM Mark Browne wrote:
Much of this news is disturbing to say the least. I have cruised many times to St. Thomas and St. Martin and have purchased jewelry for both my wife and I. I have never had it appraised as I received certificates from the jewelry store however, after reading this blog I'm heading to my jeweler on Monday morning. quite frankly, I don't care who i'm buying jewelry from just as long as i'm not being screwed over financially. good article.
Reply to this

Saturday, August 11, 2007 5:17:59 PM Rashi B. wrote:
I live in St. Thomas and I can assure your readers that in St. Thomas we are not members of any association.
Rashi B. - St. Thomas
Reply to this

Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:52:33 AM Ken Kleppe wrote:
i cruise but do not shop for jewelry on these little islands. as for the cruiselines, they get you coming and going no matter what. the only safe thing to buy is liquor and cigarettes as you know what you pay in the states for a bottle of absolut.

 

Reply to this

Sunday, August 12, 2007 9:23:26 AM DiamondHunter wrote:
Amazing, people will buy crap from the islands and then bring it to their local jewelry store for appraisal??? I never offer appraisals for out of country purchases. If you paid too much then you got what you deserve. Time to support your local jewelry stores and their families!!!
Reply to this

Monday, August 13, 2007 10:39:09 AM Bob wrote:
I'm very familiar with st. martin and st. thomas jewelry store practices. the ral culprits are diamonds international and tanzanite international. If anyone has a monopoly in the caribbean it's diamond and tazantie international. they rip people off, make value claims which no in the real world agrees with.
Reply to this

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:50:57 AM linda Strunge wrote:
Thank you for the excellent blog and wake-up call. I am a frequent land visitor to St. Martin and I see just what you have described. I have shoped at one store and gone to another, described something that I had seen in another store only to have the salesperson call on the telephone to have the previous store bring the item over to their store. I have seen many stores with no island employees and I have seen the other stores that have island employees use them only as fronts. These employees are not allowed to give prices or for the most part complete a sale. This is an atrocity--much like the Koreans, East Indians in the US controlling the African American hair products, food, and other businesses with no American employees. Come the think of it much of the US businesses such as Call Centers and Computer software development are already controlled by East India. Soon Americans will have to go there and beg for jobs. Most of the US goods are made in China.
Reply to this

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 2:57:48 PM SxmNer wrote:
I don't know who you are but you are definatly telling it as it is.

I dare anyone to count the localy owned localy operated businesses on front street and back street.

Take a walk down front street indians hire indians, lebanese hire lebanses, chinese hire chinese. In Marigot Europeans hire Europeans.

Who's hiring the locals when only a minute number of business are localy owned?

Other islands are chastized for doing this but we need to impliment programs and laws where locals get first precidence on land ownership, first preference when a new type of business is opened.

Our economy is held hostage and we don't even know it. East-asians own this island. The rest of us are just little guppies allowed to swim in their pond.
Reply to this

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 4:36:54 PM Hans Meevis wrote:
Liked your post about St. Maarten
Next time you around, pop into my shop. I can tell you much..
Hans
Reply to this