Have you been ripped off in Sanya?

Have you been ripped off in Sanya?
Feb 3, 2012 01:38
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: offline	On Jan. 28, Mr. Luo wrote a message on his Sina micro blog, recording his unpleasant trip in Sanya. During the Spring Festival, Mr. Luo and his friend Mr. Gao ate some seafood in Sanya. Three dishes cost them about CNY 4000. Another man who sat next to them just pointed at a big fish in the pool and asked how much it cost. The seller immediately took the fish out, weighed and told him “5.5 kilograms, CNY580 per 0.5 kilogram. So it costs CNY 6380”. The man tried to argue with the seller that he just asked for the price and hadn’t decided to buy it. Suddenly, several strong men came over to him. As a result, he paid for the fish. Mr. Luo never imagined that his message on the microblog would have been forwarded more than 40000 times in 2 days by other microblog users. On the other hand, Sanya claimed that it received no complaints from the tourists during the Spring Festival. A local newspaper even published an article to ask Mr. Luo to appear and show his evidence. Mr. Luo didn’t show up. Well, some other tourists published their experience on the internet as to give evidence that “Some seafood restaurants rip off the tourists”. A netizen published his bill on the internet. According to his bill, he paid CNY 9746 after the restaurant gave him 30% discounts. The bill shows that eight people ate 20 kilograms seafood. It is absurd. "In order to avoid the customers being ripped off, the local industrial and commercial bureau require that all seafood restaurants have to get permission from the customers before cooking the seafood. How to get permission? The customers are required to sign their names on the order before the seafood is cooked. The bill which is worth of CNY 9746 shows that the customer already signed his name on the bill, meaning he already made a service contract with the restaurant. He wasn’t ripped off.”, the person from the local industrial and commercial bureau reacted. According to that netizen, the seafood restaurant previously denied that eight people once spent CNY 9746 at their restaurant. However, the local industrial and commercial bureau examined that restaurant and confirmed the bill did exist. Currently, the restaurant is closed up. "I went to Sanya Bay to eat seafood during 2012 Spring Festival. The restaurant didn’t put price labels on the seafood. I asked how much a dark grouper cost. They said ‘CNY140/kilogram’. I ordered and ate it. When I paid the bill, they told me it was CNY 540/kilogram.”, another netizen said. Have you been ripped off in Sanya like the above tourists?

Feb 3, 2012 01:38

JIMMYB
Points:
Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
Status: offline

On Jan. 28, Mr. Luo wrote a message on his Sina micro blog, recording his unpleasant trip in Sanya. During the Spring Festival, Mr. Luo and his friend Mr. Gao ate some seafood in Sanya. Three dishes cost them about CNY 4000. Another man who sat next to them just pointed at a big fish in the pool and asked how much it cost. The seller immediately took the fish out, weighed and told him “5.5 kilograms, CNY580 per 0.5 kilogram. So it costs CNY 6380”. The man tried to argue with the seller that he just asked for the price and hadn’t decided to buy it. Suddenly, several strong men came over to him. As a result, he paid for the fish.

Mr. Luo never imagined that his message on the microblog would have been forwarded more than 40000 times in 2 days by other microblog users.

On the other hand, Sanya claimed that it received no complaints from the tourists during the Spring Festival. A local newspaper even published an article to ask Mr. Luo to appear and show his evidence. Mr. Luo didn’t show up.

Well, some other tourists published their experience on the internet as to give evidence that “Some seafood restaurants rip off the tourists”. A netizen published his bill on the internet. According to his bill, he paid CNY 9746 after the restaurant gave him 30% discounts. The bill shows that eight people ate 20 kilograms seafood. It is absurd.

"In order to avoid the customers being ripped off, the local industrial and commercial bureau require that all seafood restaurants have to get permission from the customers before cooking the seafood. How to get permission? The customers are required to sign their names on the order before the seafood is cooked. The bill which is worth of CNY 9746 shows that the customer already signed his name on the bill, meaning he already made a service contract with the restaurant. He wasn’t ripped off.”, the person from the local industrial and commercial bureau reacted.

According to that netizen, the seafood restaurant previously denied that eight people once spent CNY 9746 at their restaurant. However, the local industrial and commercial bureau examined that restaurant and confirmed the bill did exist. Currently, the restaurant is closed up.

"I went to Sanya Bay to eat seafood during 2012 Spring Festival. The restaurant didn’t put price labels on the seafood. I asked how much a dark grouper cost. They said ‘CNY140/kilogram’. I ordered and ate it. When I paid the bill, they told me it was CNY 540/kilogram.”, another netizen said.

Have you been ripped off in Sanya like the above tourists?

Feb 3, 2012 20:57	#1
KEVIN0518 Points: Join Date: Mar 13, 2007 Status: Offline	The Hainan Island is said to be built as an international tourist island. The Chinese tourists are ripped off on the international island. What will hapen to those foreign tourists? I swear I won't go there.

Feb 3, 2012 21:23

JOHNOOI
Points:
Join Date: Feb 19, 2011
Status: Offline

I have not been in Sanya.
I have been taken in Guangzhou: staying two nights, a dish of pigs ear costs about 30CNY the first night. Went to the same place for the same dish, not asking for the price and was charged over 90CNY. I paid as it is still reasonable and affordable.
I do not know what I will do when the price hike is exobitant like those in Sanya. I shall probably fight to the death, as I cannot afford a price hike in the thousands of yuan.
Luckily my travels in China had been very pleasant with only this one incidence.

Feb 4, 2012 00:37

KATRINA
Points:
Join Date: Nov 29, 2004
Status: Offline

A dish of pig's ear cost more than CNY 90? It is a bit expensive. CNY 30 is acceptable to me. No way if it is sold CNY90.

The tourist travel traps are everywhere in the tourist spots. Just be careful. My friend once made a call to his parents at a small shop in front of the Xi'an Railway Station. A minute cost him 2 yuan. He tried to agrue with the shop owner. The owner threated that he would beat him to death if he wanted to get back the extra money he gave.

Feb 4, 2012 23:23

APAULT
Points:
Join Date: Mar 11, 2006
Status: Offline

Serious rip offs are not that common, but minor inflated prices occur from time to time. In one sense the foreigner is not being ripped off but treated like the Chinese who invariably ask the price of things and may negotiate them down. If you don't ask for whatever reason, (inlc language), you pay the 'full price'. But, my Chinese friends often dispute a bill and I think they have always won some compromise. So this suggests that the Sanya incidents are rather 'fishy'! (haha)

If you have trouble in China, watch out in some other countries, eg Vietnam. You thought you could negotiate because you've been to China? Think again!

Feb 6, 2012 21:33	#5
BBQQ Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Paul, the foreigners have some preferential treatment in China. I have been to some restaurants where the waiters serve the foreigners very well but treat Chinese customers badly. Ripping off the Chinese tourists is a 'domestic issue' but ripping off foreigners is an 'international issue'. They dare not make themselves in trouble by ripping off the foreigners.

Feb 7, 2012 20:04	#6
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	The restaurant has been closed down and its business certificate has been revoked. In the following three years, the shareholders and owner of the restaurant will be forbiddened to open restaurant. Unfortunately, the tourists are still ripped off in Sanya. A guy who had breakfast in the hotel was charged CNY 110 for a cup of milk.

Feb 10, 2012 00:46	#7
MJ1985 Points: Join Date: Jan 23, 2011 Status: Offline	Jimmyb, the restaurant is closed but what about the victims who have been ripped off? No compensation? I believe that this restaurant is just a tip of the iceberg.

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