Monday, May 08, 2006
The Beijing Tea Scam
I wish I'd googled Beijing scams before I came to China because did I ever get taken for a ride! I was strolling near Tiananmen Square yesterday evening when I was stopped by an incredibly attractive Chinese student who spoke excellent English. We chatted for a bit about China and she asked me if I wanted to go for tea. At this point I should have offered to take her to the nearby Starbucks, but being an adventurer I figured why the hell not.
We get to the tea house and they brought me a menu. I noticed that the prices were a little high: 40 to 100 yuan for a tea (which translates between $6 and $15). I ordered the cheapest tea on the menu and my eyebrows were raised when my new friend, Mary, ordered the most expensive tea on the menu and ordered some fruit which was not on the menu. At this point my spidy sense was raised but I duly noted the police officer sitting next to the door.
My friend was very chatty (she obviously has some practice talking to stupid foreigners like myself) and bought me some tea (I'm guessing she will be paid back for it).
Then the bill came for a whopping 450 yuan ($60). Each plate of fruit cost 150 yuan. I was angry about being screwed over, but I was polite and decided that it was better to eat the bill rather than getting into an altercation. There was after all a police officer in the corner of the room and you never know who owns the tea shop and who is profiting from the scam. I figured that I'd just learned my lesson and won't be going anywhere on my travels with someone I don't know that involves me spending money and I will be asking the cost of things up front.
And I will be googling to find out the local scams before I arrive in a place.
We get to the tea house and they brought me a menu. I noticed that the prices were a little high: 40 to 100 yuan for a tea (which translates between $6 and $15). I ordered the cheapest tea on the menu and my eyebrows were raised when my new friend, Mary, ordered the most expensive tea on the menu and ordered some fruit which was not on the menu. At this point my spidy sense was raised but I duly noted the police officer sitting next to the door.
My friend was very chatty (she obviously has some practice talking to stupid foreigners like myself) and bought me some tea (I'm guessing she will be paid back for it).
Then the bill came for a whopping 450 yuan ($60). Each plate of fruit cost 150 yuan. I was angry about being screwed over, but I was polite and decided that it was better to eat the bill rather than getting into an altercation. There was after all a police officer in the corner of the room and you never know who owns the tea shop and who is profiting from the scam. I figured that I'd just learned my lesson and won't be going anywhere on my travels with someone I don't know that involves me spending money and I will be asking the cost of things up front.
And I will be googling to find out the local scams before I arrive in a place.
