Mercado Principal y Taller de Arte Maya - Hunab Ku - 97000 Mérida

Same scam as others. What a rip off. I just reported them with the local tourist authority.

Altruistic guys at tourist sites and buildings will advise you to shop at these "Co-op" stores that feed 150,000 Mayan families with Cancer. The shop closes today, and wont be open for the next 4 days. So you better go fast. 2800 pesos for a JipiJapa hat, and 800 Pesos for a Poncho. I have to admit our dude was super smooth and a hustler. I will give him an A+ in street smarts as he has the gift of bag and very sharp. But these dudes aren't volunteers, they are not Anthropologists, or university grads as their sales pitch to increase credibility would suggest. This is a store full of hustlers just as all the stores are. Be careful with how easy you part with your money based on what your ears hear. Its like poker...there are bluffs and lies out there especially in Mexico. DUDE WAS A SMOOOOOTH Operator though.

This place is definitely a scam. Our experience matches what others have said in their review. We were told about this store at a historical site and told to go there because it was the “last day” the store is open so it was out last chance to buy. The prices are very very very high. I left feeling like I was scammed. I then went to google reviews and saw that other people had a similar experience as me which confirmed my suspicion.

SCAM. :( Just like in other reviews: we were walking in the area when a random friendly person started a conversation with us. He was "honored" that we spoke in Spanish with him, and in the end by the way told us about this great Mayan exhibition/shop that will close down for weeks the next day and that we have the last chance to visit. I must admit he was very convincing and seemed genuine. We went in, very nice exhibition, and some nice looking products with no price tags and as it later turned out EXTREME prices. These people put a lot of energy into manipulating you into buying overpriced products. Unfortunately it was the beginning of our trip, we were in a good mood, and the guy was very convincing on the street, so I did buy some overpriced products, that apparently I could have bought elsewhere a lot cheaper. All this I didn't know at the time. A week later we were in Merida again, and at the very same corner, we saw the very same guy hunting for new prey. That's when I googled the place, and that's when I read the reviews. We really enjoyed the conversation and were happy to interact with the guy, but in hindsight, we were just so very disappointed. This kind of behavior makes people suspicious of the otherwise genuine people too, and it's a shame. Too bad how far some people go for some extra bucks. All that said, they have some nice looking stuff, but this lying and manipulating makes me wish I could give less than one star.

Others have said this is a scam but I disagree. We did have the nice guy in the park experience but nothing he said was untrue. He didn’t mention it was closing. Items are expensive so we’re didn’t buy anything but can’t call that a scam.

Scam: One great guy meet you at the plaza and recommend this place and tell you will be Close by 1:00pm and will go for renovation tomorrow so better to make it or you will miss it. Once you go there is really great person taking you to every corner of the place and explain as well have great products and selections. The catch is it too too too too expensive. If he sit at reasonable prices comparing to his neighbours shops and have legitimate team working for him I would recommend it but unfortunately they lied.

(Best shop in town at the bottom of this review) This place is a total scam! Everyone from the people on the streets trying to get you in the place to the guys in the store, all scam artists! Read the reviews! If you want a fair price go to Artesanaria , they have the price on everything and it's the best price you will find anywhere in Merida! Trust me!!!! I bought things there for half! Go to Artesanaria!

SCAM ALERT!!! Ugh. We too were scammed. Exactly as the others wrote - friendly guy approaches us in nearby small park, tells us the same story that as of tomorrow the store will be closed for 2 weeks for some reason or another. The store really is beautiful so you feel like you're in a legit high end art gallery or something. A different friendly guy greets you and welcomes you in warmly, but then followed us around everywhere, just lurking behind us the whole time. And nothing had price tags. We should have known. But we too fell into the trap and paid way too much for a couple of items, thinking our money would be going to these poor hard-working Mayans who made them. And they probably weren't even made by Mayans. I'm pretty sure the only people making money at this place are the scammers who run it. They should all be ashamed of themselves.