Overcharging - I have had it!

Heretolearn wrote:

It is on the news because it happens sometimes, not because it is a norm. And really, I don't bother taking change for some small bills from sellers that seem to have life hard as it is. Be nice to people and they will be nice to you, overthinking every minor things and your life will always be a headache.

That's fair enough, but overcharging is more common than you think.

It's like when people say they never see accidents on Saigon's roads, yet 3 people die a day. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening.

Once when we were stopped on the street by the police, my wife wanted to give 200k (apparently the usual amount).
The policeman told her he wanted 500k because I am a foreigner.

If you get stopped, try to get small and unobvious. I had the same thing happen to me in Châu Đốc.

Jim-Minh wrote:

If you get stopped, try to get small and unobvious. I had the same thing happen to me in Châu Đốc.

Take your phone out and start saying their ID number in Vietnamese into your phone.

Whoosh, they're gone!!!

On the other hand we were once stopped in Bin Chanh on the 1A.  I was with the senior policeman in the group, the one who came in a car instead of a bike.  I showed him my license, insurance and gave him 200K which was fine with him.  In the meantime my wife had dismounted from the back seat and was arguing about the stop, which really wasn't justified, with two lower ranking CS.  I told her let's go and she wanted to stay and argue.   The big honcho got a good laugh out of it all since I had gone with the flow and she wanted to buck the system.

Well said Heretolearn...

Heretolearn wrote:

There are other Vietnamese people buying, they can't sell to others with one price and raise it up for me just because a foreigner is standing beside me.

Oh yes they certainly can.

WillyBaldy wrote:

Heretolearn wrote:

There are other Vietnamese people buying, they can't sell to others with one price and raise it up for me just because a foreigner is standing beside me.

Oh yes they certainly can.

What bubble does this girl live in?

**** I said it never happened to me, not neccessary never happen to anyone. I m living in the happiness bubbles. Keep complaining and live your life.

Heretolearn is getting frustrated, she is a Vn citizen and probably knows better than us...
The bottom line is, whether you are a kind person who appreciates the local buying next to you doesn't possess a fraction of what you have, we would prefer to pay for there's as well...
C is clearly a person who would not do that and in response to his comment about whether we would do that in Australia, the answer is yes, we have helped the needy and my wife used to everyday...
I hope the negative people on this subject never find themselves in need, having their pensions stopped for example...

michaellieptourists wrote:

Heretolearn is getting frustrated, she is a Vn citizen and probably knows better than us...
The bottom line is, whether you are a kind person who appreciates the local buying next to you doesn't possess a fraction of what you have, we would prefer to pay for there's as well...
C is clearly a person who would not do that and in response to his comment about whether we would do that in Australia, the answer is yes, we have helped the needy and my wife used to everyday...
I hope the negative people on this subject never find themselves in need, having their pensions stopped for example...

Nice dig there old mate. Its not about being negative, its the way I see it, having lived here for 11 years. Sorry if my point of view doesnt agree with yours. I could say you are gullible by believing what she has said, but I wont lower myself to your stanards.

Fact....she is not an expat, therefore has no idea of what really happens.

This generalization that foreigners always have a lot of money and Vietnamese are always poor who need support is simply ridiculous.

I have worked 42 hours a week for 40 years without interruption.  The money must now be enough for my family until I die.

Many Vietnamese could earn more money if they worked more.  But they prefer to hang around in the hammock.

I will certainly not support these people with a large amount of tips.  Because such people usually also charge higher prices for foreigners.

On the other hand, with obviously poor people who are honest and friendly, I am never stingy.

Just speaking to a friend of mine, her husband, who is Vietnamese, has been buying the vegetables from one shop and was happy with the owner. He took his wife to show her the shop so she could go there when he is away.The owner saw the foreigner and told my friend " you pay more, you are buying for foreigners."

Yeah...it never happens. For those who say it is a rare event, wake up and smell the flowers.

michaellieptourists wrote:

Heretolearn is getting frustrated, she is a Vn citizen and probably knows better than us...

Well, I showed this post to my ex-wife over the week-end (she lived in Saigon until she was 27, left 5 years ago) and I can guarantee you even her and her Vietnamese friends agree that if you're with a Westerner, hide him/her or prices will go up. I'm not sure why our resident Vietnamese lady is not aware of this, maybe she ought to actually date or get married to a Westerner before she has a real idea, I don't know.

I'm always surprised by the naivety exhibited by people on this forum. I mean the expats here have at least lived in more than one country.

But having said that, many of the same people who complain about being overcharged also brag about how much they tip.
In one of my early and foolish shopping trips, I wanted to see Ben Thanh market. Everyone talks about it blah, blah, blah.

This was my first month in HCMC, I still did not understand the dynamics of Q1 &3.
So, we went.
I saw a chess set that I liked. I opened y big, stupid mouth, in expressing my desire. GF then proceeds to negotiate, but it was pointless. The saleslady saw I was western and the price wasn't coming down. My GF knew we were being cheated, so after the big fight with the saleslady, it took her half a day to cool down with me.
Lessons learned:
1.  It's best if I am not present; if I must be present, don't smile and don't talk.
2. Don't shop or by if you see any other westerners.
3. In Tan Phu where I lived last year, or Binh Tan, where I live now, I really have no problem and pretty much pay "normal" prices. 250k for new brakes on motorbike and new mirror, is a "normal" price.
4. People are people everywhere. Those in the know, know to bring a local with them if buying in Russian stores in Brooklyn, NY.
5. I lived and return to Italy every year. In small or medium sized towns, with few tourists, you're treated like a local. I can and have found places in Venice where you will be treated like a local, but if and only if, you are the only non Italian in the place.

Lastly, the "tourist" experience, price gouging, rude people, etc, is the same in Saigon, Rome, Paris, San Francisco, etc. and sadly, not representative of the host country at all.
For that reason, even If I miss some wonders of the world, I avoid those popular tourist places because I know and don't like the experience.  Instead I stay off the beaten path to watch and learn about new cultures and people.

This has served me well. Very well. I'd say that I've had not more than a few bad experiences in Vietnam in the last 18 months and they all occurred in Q1. Just as the only bad experiences I had in the last 40 years in Europe, were in Paris and Rome.

Sorry for the long winded reply, but frankly I get embarrassed when expats go on and on complaining about the locals.