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The practice of inflating prices for trains, buses, hotels, or taking roundabout routes, and selling goods at double or triple the normal price, has become a serious problem of overcharging tourists in many destinations. Thanh Hoa, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Hue, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh are famous places, but they also have a notorious reputation due to countless stories of tourists exploiting the system.
Even the most cautious customers are often tricked and forced to pay exorbitant prices because sometimes, vendors are willing to turn violent and assault customers when necessary. Photo: Youtube.
Calculate the overcharge.
At many tourist destinations, service providers offer tourists very attractive prices, but when it comes time to pay, many are shocked to find themselves paying a considerable amount. The reason is that the price remains the same, but the method of calculating the bill has changed; this is a scam that tourists are not aware of from the start.
Some experiences from previous visitors have become cautionary tales for others, such as horseback riding services on some beaches in the North. Instead of paying the initially listed price of 200,000 VND per hour, many tourists end up paying up to 500,000 VND. The pricing method used by the horseback riding service is that they initially charge by the hour, but after the ride, they charge based on the number of steps taken. The price per step is 10,000 VND, multiplied by four, because they explain that horses have four legs.
This price gouging tactic is also applied at some beaches in the South. When ordering a fish hotpot, the price is quoted at 150,000 VND. At the end of the meal, tourists may end up paying three or four times that amount because the staff explains that the listed price only covers the broth, and the remaining amount is for the fish and vegetables.
It left a bad impression on both domestic and foreign tourists. Photo: Anninhthudo.
Charge for garbage collection
Having learned from past experiences of being overcharged, many tourists carefully bargain for every item and even the weight of fresh produce when eating out at tourist destinations. However, when it comes time to pay, the bill is still an unbelievable amount because they forget to ask for the price of additional items such as chili sauce, lime and salt condiments, wet wipes, napkins, and even garbage disposal fees.
Pretend it's free
Furthermore, we cannot ignore the tactic of exploiting public places and setting up stalls to charge tourists. At one mountain climbing spot, it's no coincidence that many streams have basins for collecting water. Many tourists, tired from their trek, find the cool, clear water and wash their faces. Only after washing do they realize that these are stalls run by local people and they are charged a fee.
Despite carefully inquiring about prices, customers still end up paying exorbitant rates. Photo: Han Han.
The problem of overcharging tourists using every trick in the book has turned many destinations into black spots. Be vigilant and smart when choosing your travel destination so that your upcoming summer vacations don't end in frustration.
