Buzz
What started as polite invitations quickly escalated into aggressive pursuits by this group of 'femme fatales' after facing rejection, persistently pleading and tugging at clothes… even going as far as forcing foreign tourists to wear burdens and straw hats to extort money.
Surrounding the 'Prey'
After a period of silence, recently, the army of street vendors specializing in swindling and scamming tourists has resumed their 'boisterous' activities in many famous tourist spots in Hanoi. In front of the gate of Tran Quoc Pagoda, there are nearly a dozen 'femme fatales' with fruit baskets on their shoulders resorting to any means to ensnare customers: from clinging onto them, extorting money, to forcing customers to buy goods, demanding payment for taking photos…
Most tourists fall into the trap of these people because they assume Vietnamese vendors are friendly. It's only when they're charged exorbitant prices for cheap fruit bags that many guests are taken aback and realize they've been deceived.
As soon as a tourist bus stops, immediately, nearly a dozen vendors, holding bags of pre-peeled fruits, 'swarm' in, surrounding and dragging each foreign guest. One guest tries to sneak away from the clingy vendors, but immediately, several other vendors rush in to block them, pressing fruit baskets onto the shoulders of tourists. Another 'femme fatale' quickly grabs a camera and takes countless photos amid the tourists' 'bewilderment.' And then, they 'force' tourists to make purchases. Typically, for each bag of fruit, tourists have to pay from 50,000 to several hundred thousand dong. Additionally, for each photo taken, this group of 'femme fatales' also charges guests 10,000 dong per picture.
Should any unfortunate guest dare to inquire, immediately the entire squad would surround them, persistently demanding, arguing, and 'forcing' guests to pay up. Many tourists have had to pull out their wallets to avoid inconvenience for themselves.
This roaming squad of vendors often operates in groups and relentlessly pursues until they receive consent. According to reporters, some tourists have been trailed by the 'femme fatale' group for long stretches of hundreds of meters. Many guests initially refuse politely, but later cannot hide their fear and discomfort due to the excessively enthusiastic demeanor of these vendors.
The situation was so absurd that a group of German tourists had to resort to fleeing across the street to escape the relentless pursuit of the roaming vendor squad.
The swindling and scamming of tourists also occurs similarly at Hoan Kiem Lake – still known as the heart of Hanoi and a place that attracts a large number of foreign tourists. However, this time, the persuasion and coercion of tourists are carried out by cyclo riders… To earn money, these individuals unabashedly cling on, boldly blocking and pulling at each guest.
Victim to Overpricing
According to investigations by reporters, each time they go on a cyclo tour of the old quarter, these cyclo riders typically charge guests from 150,000 to 200,000 dong per person. However, for guests who fail to negotiate the price from the outset, their journey through the old quarter may end up costing them up to millions of dong.
An English tourist couldn't hide his surprise upon realizing he was 'overcharged' three times for a cyclo tour of the old quarter: 'I had just arrived in Vietnam so I wasn't familiar with the streets. The cyclo riders seemed friendly enough, so when they quoted me 500,000 dong for a tour of the old quarter, I agreed and even gave them an extra 5 US dollars...'.
Many tourists, when asked, admitted they had been pulled around or overcharged when buying items in Vietnam.
Fabrizio, an Argentine tourist visiting Vietnam with his girlfriend for almost a month, said he had been approached by many vendors in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. 'Last week, when I was touring in Ho Chi Minh City, a vendor kept inviting me to buy stuff. I bought a coconut for 6 US dollars (equivalent to 150,000 dong) because I wanted to help her but I knew I was overpaying. So when she came back and invited me again, I didn't buy and refused. When I came to Hanoi, I was also approached by some street vendors who put baskets on my shoulders and invited me to buy things but I declined.',
Fabrizio also learned many lessons when shopping in Vietnam. 'I usually don't buy from street vendors but instead go to supermarkets because prices are clearly displayed there', he said.
Meanwhile, George, a German tourist, found the sales tactics of vendors in Vietnam quite peculiar. He said, 'At first, I felt happy thinking that the vendors here were really friendly but then they kept inviting me over and over again, and I felt annoyed. For foreigners, it seems quite strange, it clearly creates a negative image of Vietnam...'.
This is not the first time the phenomenon of overcharging and pulling around tourists has been reported, but clearly, despite the efforts of the authorities in Hanoi, tourists still fall victim to overcharging. Hanoi planned to reach 15.5 million tourists in 2013, including 2.25 million international tourists. However, to achieve this goal, Hanoi clearly needs to better organize and manage tourism services, aiming for an elegant, friendly, and civilized image of the capital in the eyes of international friends.
Sparkling Magic
Source: Insider's Guide by Mytour – As reported by Dantri.com.vn
MytourDecember 9, 2013
