$2,000 Deposit Kept by Highliner Lodge,
No Signed Contract,…read more
Ignored for Weeks - Then Very Hostile Response
My name is Captain Roy Tuck, I have held my U.S. Coastguard
100 ton license for 44+ years now and have had a wonderful life being able to captain uncountable Sportfishing boats in the worlds largest San Diego Sportfishing fleet catching many a happy angler their very first albacore or yellowtail. Later in life [mid 1980's] I had the God sent good fortune in captaining different private yacht's picking up anglers in places like Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Costa Rica from the airport and delivering them to the waiting yacht catching them their first marlin, dorado or wahoo. Also showing them nightlife action in those exotic places their families and friends will never forget.
On December 20, 2025, "in good faith" I paid Highliner Lodge
$2,000 by credit card for a multi-day fishing trip [9 months prior to the trip in July of 2026]. I was never provided a written contract and
never signed any agreement.
Shortly after paying, I learned The Highliner Lodge staff were attempting to place my son and me on a boat already chartered by
3 other people, despite my clearly stating I wanted to charter a
private boat for just the two of us and was willing to pay extra.
Due to health reasons, I cancelled nearly nine months in advance and requested a refund. For weeks, Steve, Abbie, and Dylan ignored my emails, texts, and calls.
After almost a month and a half of silence, I received this email from the Highliner Lodge owner Steve Daniels:
"Captain" Roy,
Do you realize everyone is laughing at you?
We will no longer reply to your ridiculous attempts to get my company to refund the $2000 deposit you gave us last December.
If you want to embarrass yourself further online, I welcome that,
as your own words will make you look the fool that you are.
It would only enhance my reputation as a non-nonsense straight shooter and actually increase my business...
while making you look like a moron and
diminishing your own business.
(assuming you have any)
Best regards,
Steve
Steve & Jill Daniels
Highlinerlodge
This was Steve Daniels owner of the lodge his very late response to a customer who had paid his family business $2,000 "in good faith".
Keeping $2,000 of my money provided to him in "good faith" under these circumstances -- with no signed contract, nine months' notice, and then responding this way -- speaks for itself.
If you are considering booking here, maybe you may want to look elsewhere for a different family operation with an owner who does not treat people like you and I just trying to fulfill a life long dream like a moron!