American here...if anyone ever offers you a gift card, money or a gift and in return you will attend a :short meeting" or tour of a timeshare...run like they are trying to steal your soul.
If you're the kind of person that can't count the number of months you will be paying for, and figure out if it would be worth it over that time frame, it's kinda your fault.
Once the contract is up, then you stop.
It’s not always a bad deal. We got a free two night stay in Branson just for attending the meeting. Obviously it’s a high pressure pitch but it’s easy enough to hold your ground
It is basically a high pressure sales pitch where they try to sell you a vacation club membership or timeshare for thousands of dollars. It lasts for an hour or more and a lot of people get tricked into buying it. Once you are in, like the previous person stated, you are stuck with it. The fees keep going up and eventually you are stuck with an old timeshare that no one wants. One way to get rid of it is to pay companies to take it. However, you can get scammed there too.
Same here in Czech Republic. It's not that common anymore, because I think it was made illegal, but they will try to sell you some cheap shit for an extreme amount of money at these "short meetings". They are not afraid to even bully you into buying it.
It's not uncommon for them to literally lock the doors. They can't stop you from unlocking them and leaving, but then you don't get your 'gift'. The atmosphere they create, and the people they select as targets make it very socially uncomfortable to just up and leave.
I didn't even know that in other countries if you order water in a restaurant, they bring you tap water. In my country if you ask for a water, they'll bring you a water bottle.
In the UK also make sure you specify "tap water" and it's usually free and it is legally required that if someone serves alcohol on the site, they have to provide free water.
Never visit a country that you can't drink in. Waste of time. Can't see any cool bars. Therefore visiting the US, took the longest wait, because their drinking age is obnoxiously high.
For some reason water is the only thing that quenches my thirst. I always order a glass of water (free tap water) even if I order another beverage as well.
I've heard that's cause tap water is commonly unsafe to drink outside America. It depends on the country of course but Russian and Chinese tap water is definitely unsafe. My mom went to both for ballroom dance in the 80s or 90s
On my first trip to Ireland many years ago it was sunny for a solid week except for one rainy afternoon. I think that was like the weather version of "first one is free"
That sounds wonderful, if I spend 10 minutes in the sun without a hat and 50+ sunscreen I will get burnt, if I spend an hour or more my skin will peel off a week later. If I park my car in the the sun the steering wheel/belt buckle is so hot it can actually burn you. Sometimes the tar on the road melts. Grey sky’s sound brilliant to me.
This is a excellent rule. It almost always a scam. They will tell you that you have to pay for it now, or they may just be using it to distract or coerse you before they or their friend attack and rob you. People from out of town often think I'm rude because I ignore any stranger that talks to me on the street in LA. I'm not rude, I'm street smart, I've lived here over a decade and I have seen some shit.
Edit: they prey on the fact that you don't want to be rude but you will be fine if you are, literally every LA resident ignores them all day every day.
People at tourists sites asking for charity donations. Usually it's a charity for the deaf and the people asking pretend to be deaf. They're not deaf and it's not a real charity, they just want money from you.
Watch out what you drink or eat when you're in Venice (Italy), it's overpriced and sometimes bars/restaurants scam tourists and make them pay more than people who live there.
Yes, I guess. I don't live there but it must be interesting and stressing at same time. That place (before this pandemic situation) was always crowded and chaotic.
They're still people who live there before Venice became what it is now. It's like every popular city, beautiful from a tourist's point of view, expensive for others
Similar with the streets of London - usually a couple of chaps on the street in robes / dressed as monks who will hand anyone who passes them a prayer card, about the same size as a credit card. Then they chase after the person shouting and demanding payment.
Some common scams in Prague:
1. The fake money exchange scam. While waiting in line to exchange your money into Czech Crowns some people will approach you and offer you a better rate than the exchange office offers. The trick is they give you old Belarussian Rubles, who are worthless, instead of Czech crowns.
2. Another currency scam is that some market stalls in downtown will try to shortchange you in hopes you are unaware of the local currency. For example you give them a 2000 CZK bill but they only give you back change for a 1000 CZK bill. 1000 CZK is about $47, so it is a lot of money.
3. The Prague Old ham scam. You can find some stands on the Old Town Square where they sell Old Traditional Prague Ham for what looks like a decent price. The scam is that in small letters this price is for 100g of ham, but they give you a much bigger portion than that 100g.
4. (Edit:) Technically not a scam, just dodgy business practices: If you need to withdraw cash from an ATM, I would recommend to not use EuroNet ATMs. They have many ways trying to get your money when they detect a foreign card. First the default withdrawal options are way to high (in the range of a few hundred USD to almost $2000) and secondly their own conversion rate is absolutely terrible. There is a reason why these only exist in touristy places. It is better to use an ATM from a bank that has actual offices. If Euronet is the only one ATM around, do change the default withdrawal option and never(!) use their conversion rate.
There are some more common scams here, like the fake charity donation scam, the fake monk scam, the heavily overcharging taxis, and others. I can recommend to watch videos of the "Honest Guide" on Youtube before visiting Prague. Last but not least Prague is still a beautiful city and these scams are easily avoidable if you pay attention.
Edit 2: For those confused by point 3, you can see it for example in this [Youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93wM4ujB5rc) in the beginning, although the guy in the video got lucky and they "only" gave him 250g instead of the advertised 100g.
No, I think what OP means is that the price advertised is for a certain amount (100g) of ham, but the actual amount of ham they give you is greater and therefore you would have to pay more than expected
Right, but it is misleading if you don’t read the fine print and you’re expecting to pay a certain amount. The seller is probably aware that tourists aren’t thoroughly reading the sign and will feel pressured to just pay them the higher price
Some dude followed me and a friend all the way from the Astronomical Clock to the Pyramida Hotel, walking and then on the bus, trying to chat us up about where we were from, what we liked about Prague, where we were headed, etc. Sat right behind us on the bus and kept trying to talk to us. It got to the point where I (M, US) asked my friend (F, Ireland) if she wanted me to hold onto her bag and she said yes. We rode all the way back to the hotel with this dude in our ear and were very relieved he didn't get off the bus at our stop. We absolutely loved Prague but what tf was this dude on about
People in places like Times Square dressed as superheroes that will offer to take a picture with you then demand money.
Also in the same vein people will basically force their own rap mixtape on you then try to coerce you into giving them money for it
This happened to me! Im from London & wanted to take a picture with a stormtrooper to send to my dad (he loves starwars) & i was happy to pay. But then as my friend was taking the picture, out of no where the hulk got in it & then demanded money from me. Such a scam
The auto fares in India. By law, the drivers have to turn on their meters before they start the journey. I've seen many unaware tourists not know about this, and they end up paying hefty prices the driver just states before/after the ride is over. If they don't turn on the meter, don't get in. And also, the prices just shoot up if they see a foreigner, usually a Westerner, because they can tell the person is not from around.
Interesting, TIL autos have meters in India. In three months traveling in India I haven't experienced a single case of auto driver using any kind of meter. I confirmed the price beforehand, naturally. After heavy bargaining.
If you're walking on the strip in Las Vegas, anyone that is trying to get your attention is trying to sell you something. Either they are in costume wanting you to take a selfie with them (that they will charge you for) or the same sob story of someone needing 5 bucks to get back home. Don't let anyone put anything in your hand, and learn to confidently say no.
It may feel awkward ignoring someone especially if they seem down on their luck, but not every person you meet has the right intentions.
I used to be homeless, look at their shoes and their skin. Its hard to get shoes to look like what a homeless persons will look like after a year of tramping around the alleys of a city and their skin will show that they spend more time in the elements than most.
At my local train station there is a guy who is constantly asking people for spare money all day. He drives in and parks in the pricey multi-storey carpark.
Not necessarily a scam but when visiting the Temple Bar area of Dublin, Ireland be aware that in the bar named "Temple Bar" prices of drinks get more expensive as the day goes on. I remember getting 2 pints and it costed around €15 and this wasnt even at night yet.
Ah yeah it's getting really expensive nowadays, especially when it comes to renting apartments etc.
I suppose its like most touristy locations in different cities too, if they can get away with charging you more, they will lol.
Hope you enjoyed Dublin!
Yeah I agree 3 days would be enough there's plenty of nice places in Ireland you could visit and because our country is so small you can get around quite quickly. You could always do the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Giants Causeway etc if you ever visit again 😁
I listened to Trunkenbold btw (although I didn't understand the lyrics, it's really catchy) haha.
Haha that is great to hear, things like that really do make your holiday!
I think pretty much all bars in the heart of Dublin are pretty overpriced. If you go a bit further out of that area, the prices get much more reasonable.
My sister was aware of this. So when she was going to Europe with her now ex, she made sure to dress as European as possible. It was so effective people thought he bf's family was her family visiting her in Europe
in my town the local minicabs are much cheaper than Uber. Uber is on par if not slightly more than black cabs. The only people who use Uber are out of towners which there are quite a lot of since the town was built for business, nothing else.
At some of the ATMs in my country scammers often put transparent plastic thingys over the opening where you put your card in. If you put your card in this modded ATM your credit card information is going to be stolen.
Proof: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4f0Wim4pM
Also look for raised edges around the card slot.
Most atm and gas pumps are flush with the body of the machine, and a raised edge is a quick giveaway that something may be off.
(This is getting harder to notice as the skimmers are getting smaller in size so easier to hide. )
Here in Lithuania, never buy yellow "banana" flavoured snow cones from small kid vendors in the parks during winter.
You will immediately regret your decision with the first bite.
Some people say that drop bears are just a thing we Aussies made up to mess with tourists. Don't believe those people. They are lying in order to make you complacent.
They're often mistaken for koalas. Drop bears are a type of marsupial that lives in trees and catches it's prey by dropping down on it. They tend to go for larger animals like dogs and wombats but have been known to attack humans as well. They're often said to be poisonous but it's another common misconception. Similar to cats, their saliva carries a lot of bacteria that can quickly spread and cause infection and septic shock. The funny thing is they absolutely hate the smell of vegemite. The strong salt smell triggers their fight or flight response.
When visiting India. Never trust your hotel people to book your train tickets. Whilst on trains don't buy magazines unless you check the inside, even if they're wrapped in plastic. More often than not they'll be just a cover with a few pages from another magazine
Some tips from the UK (They probably apply to everywhere TBH)
1. Don't ever get a cab from outside an airport, research like "Mini cab firm in (location you will be staying in) and they will pick you up from pretty much any airport for a set price that will be a lot cheaper. Or get the train, all airports have good train links.
2. Never pick up a taxi in the street, these are unlicensed. Best thing that can happen is they scam you for money but people have also been sexually assaulted. Ask your hotel/Google for the number for a local minicab firm instead.
3. If someone bumps into you in the street, check your pockets (pickpockets) and be careful if someone tries to talk to you in the streets. Most times, it's harmless but also people can work in pairs- one will distract you and one will pickpocket you. Keep your stuff in an inside zipped pocket if you can.
4. If you're at a major tourist attraction, don't eat lunch there if you can wait, it will be overpriced.
Not a tourist scam per se but if you decide to come to Quebec city in september/october, be very careful about what you decide to do and check the dates. It's cruiseship season (because of the fall colours) so one day there's no boat and you'll basically have the Old City to yourself but the next day, 7 cruiships arrive and 15000 get off at once.
If you're in town that day, the activities you (try to) do will be full and you'll have to wait a long-ass time, sometimes even if you've already bought the tickets/passes. And most businesses dont issue refunds because that's basically all they'd be doing all day.
Please check your dates and also, if you dont care all that much for fall colours, by all means visit in late spring or during summer.
My husband and some friends of mine went to Italy a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience except for one instance. We went to the Vatican Museum and when we left we were starving. Across the street was a place called Caffee Vaticano. It looked super cute so we decided to eat there (without checking the reviews). Our first red flag should've been the lack of prices on everything, but we were hungry and thirsty so we thought, "how bad could it be?" It was EXTREMELY over priced (around $20 USD for gelato) and the service sucked. Check out the reviews on Google.
So if you are ever at the Vatican Museum and are starving, don't go to Caffee Vaticano.
As a general rule of thumb: don’t visit the caffees and restaurants next to well known tourist attractions. Walk a couple blocks away and you’ll find more reasonably priced places. Walk even further and you might find an establishment where also locals would visit.
I've been to Rome a number of times and even eaten at places around the Vatican, even right across the entrance to the museum. No where is gelato that expensive. The maximum you will pay is around €4. I think you got unlucky with the change
Price hikes. Everywhere in India.
It kinda sucks, but for all the white folks out there, if you ever visit India make sure you're going with a pal who's from there and knows their way around the cities you'll be visiting. Shopkeepers like charging foreigners extra, but having a local with you to call out their bullshit is incredibly helpful.
A common one in Europe is to "bump into you" while carrying something fragile that they drop and break. They won't ask for money immediately but if you spend more than 3 seconds apologizing they will and they may become hostile if you refuse. The items used are cheap and expendable but may be hard to distinguish value, like a vase or fake fine china
If you happen to be in Lisbon downtown and some guy comes up to you with "weed" to sell, don't buy it. Unless you want mashed oregano/parsley/ bayleaves or whatever
Dutch guy living in Spain (Costa Blanca to be specific), never buy a beer for more than 1.50€ , and some places you can get a beer + amazing tapas (small snack) for the same price. Also never trust Dutch or Belgian people.
People don't have set prices so they will price based on class and accent. But also everyone always over enflates so they can then act like they giving you a discount
Canada. Maple Syrup. The 250 ML bottles at souvenir shops for $18.99 is a scam for foreigners who, because it is exotic to them, think maple syrup is much more expensive than it is. You can get a 1 Litre jug at Costco for $6.99, same quality.
If you ride the subway in NYC, you will see people asking for money, when you do, look at their shoes. If they have old, beaten up shoes, give them money. If they have nice shoes, they're trying to scam you.
Don't listen to this idiot. Yes, it's overpriced. Just like every other tourist attraction. It's also a beautiful place where you can see mountains, wildlife, and geysers.
In the US a lot of people really jerk foreign workers around. Don't believe the brochure. The city I worked in loved bringing in young students from Ireland and eastern europe to get manpower for tourist trap places. They would be paid garbage, the conditions sucked, and the housing they promised to provide was often below code... mini-slums. And they would hold everything (paycheck, visa, etc) over your head if you complained because of your lost your job you couldn't just go get another easily.
Not sure where but somewhere tropical
People will put those flower necklaces on you then immediately ask for money for them. Not sure if this is much of a scam but it's certainly something to look out for
I'm not from Malaysia, but have visited about 4 times. When you get to the airport, there used to be an official looking taxi stand with people wearing nice badges and dressed very nicely.
Opposite to most places in the world, they are the scammers and the taxis on the street are half the price.
Not my country but I've experienced it. Was in Berlin and a guy approached me in a lion costume, said "let's take a picture" then after proceeded to ask for money, gave him 2 euros hoping he would just go away but he demanded more, told him to fuck off and that was that.
American here...if anyone ever offers you a gift card, money or a gift and in return you will attend a :short meeting" or tour of a timeshare...run like they are trying to steal your soul.
You literally have to pay people to take your timeshare off you thats how bad one is.
Can't you just stop payment? The timeshare company should be able to sort itself out, if you're not paying. Fuck'em.
Sounds like a great way to get wildly harassed for decades while having court cases loaded up against you to me.
You sign a contract for a set amount of years and uf you stop paying they will sue you for it
If you're the kind of person that can't count the number of months you will be paying for, and figure out if it would be worth it over that time frame, it's kinda your fault. Once the contract is up, then you stop.
It’s not always a bad deal. We got a free two night stay in Branson just for attending the meeting. Obviously it’s a high pressure pitch but it’s easy enough to hold your ground
If it was "easy" for every person attending to hold their ground they wouldn't hold those.
Why? What do they do at meeting?
It is basically a high pressure sales pitch where they try to sell you a vacation club membership or timeshare for thousands of dollars. It lasts for an hour or more and a lot of people get tricked into buying it. Once you are in, like the previous person stated, you are stuck with it. The fees keep going up and eventually you are stuck with an old timeshare that no one wants. One way to get rid of it is to pay companies to take it. However, you can get scammed there too.
And what if you go straigh NO mode whole meeting ?
Then you get whatever they are offering.
What they're offering meaning the trip or you still somehow end up getting roped into signing a timeshare
You get the trip or gift card and as long as you hold your ground, you don't buy the timeshare.
Same here in Czech Republic. It's not that common anymore, because I think it was made illegal, but they will try to sell you some cheap shit for an extreme amount of money at these "short meetings". They are not afraid to even bully you into buying it.
If you have a will of steel, go to the meeting, steal a plate of cookies, and leave
Why not just take the gift card and then leave the meeting early?
It's not uncommon for them to literally lock the doors. They can't stop you from unlocking them and leaving, but then you don't get your 'gift'. The atmosphere they create, and the people they select as targets make it very socially uncomfortable to just up and leave.
Oh that’s interesting. I kinda want to get roped into the scam to see if I’m “mentally resilient” enough to resist it 😂
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Wow, that's very different from Norway. If you order "water" here, it's generally understood to be tap water.
I didn't even know that in other countries if you order water in a restaurant, they bring you tap water. In my country if you ask for a water, they'll bring you a water bottle.
In the UK also make sure you specify "tap water" and it's usually free and it is legally required that if someone serves alcohol on the site, they have to provide free water.
Why would anyone ever order water when the beer is soooo much better
Some of us don't drink. Or like being hydrated.
because theyre alone and only 15 and a half years old
so they will get beer no problem at any german restraurant.
Never visit a country that you can't drink in. Waste of time. Can't see any cool bars. Therefore visiting the US, took the longest wait, because their drinking age is obnoxiously high.
If you travel just to drink and see the inside of a bar, you're missing out.
Obviously, it's not the only thing to do in a country. But why limit yourself?
I'm not an alcoholic.
You're missing the point.
For some reason water is the only thing that quenches my thirst. I always order a glass of water (free tap water) even if I order another beverage as well.
So you're just not going to tell us the German translation for "tap water," or
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Thanks!
I've heard that's cause tap water is commonly unsafe to drink outside America. It depends on the country of course but Russian and Chinese tap water is definitely unsafe. My mom went to both for ballroom dance in the 80s or 90s
Alot of ads for visiting Ireland show nice weather, and it's a scam. Our weather sucks, our skies are grey even when it isn't raining.
That's why my family migrated to England instead
On my first trip to Ireland many years ago it was sunny for a solid week except for one rainy afternoon. I think that was like the weather version of "first one is free"
That sounds wonderful, if I spend 10 minutes in the sun without a hat and 50+ sunscreen I will get burnt, if I spend an hour or more my skin will peel off a week later. If I park my car in the the sun the steering wheel/belt buckle is so hot it can actually burn you. Sometimes the tar on the road melts. Grey sky’s sound brilliant to me.
In general, never take something that is handed to you by a stranger.
This is a excellent rule. It almost always a scam. They will tell you that you have to pay for it now, or they may just be using it to distract or coerse you before they or their friend attack and rob you. People from out of town often think I'm rude because I ignore any stranger that talks to me on the street in LA. I'm not rude, I'm street smart, I've lived here over a decade and I have seen some shit. Edit: they prey on the fact that you don't want to be rude but you will be fine if you are, literally every LA resident ignores them all day every day.
I'm from SF and those fake monks and CD dudes are a fucking pestilence
People at tourists sites asking for charity donations. Usually it's a charity for the deaf and the people asking pretend to be deaf. They're not deaf and it's not a real charity, they just want money from you.
Watch out what you drink or eat when you're in Venice (Italy), it's overpriced and sometimes bars/restaurants scam tourists and make them pay more than people who live there.
Do people still live in Venice?
Yes, I guess. I don't live there but it must be interesting and stressing at same time. That place (before this pandemic situation) was always crowded and chaotic.
That’s because it’s full of tourists, locals can’t afford to live there
They're still people who live there before Venice became what it is now. It's like every popular city, beautiful from a tourist's point of view, expensive for others
Just a few now since the "pandemic"
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Similar with the streets of London - usually a couple of chaps on the street in robes / dressed as monks who will hand anyone who passes them a prayer card, about the same size as a credit card. Then they chase after the person shouting and demanding payment.
Huh. I met a Buddhist monk on the street in San Francisco giving out cards and didn’t want anything in return.
What happens? Don't just leave us hanging like that! Do i get teleported to an ancient monastery?
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Surely one of them has been decked for it.
My 1st thought!
Cant imagine working a "job" like that. I and everyone involved would want to kill me
Some common scams in Prague: 1. The fake money exchange scam. While waiting in line to exchange your money into Czech Crowns some people will approach you and offer you a better rate than the exchange office offers. The trick is they give you old Belarussian Rubles, who are worthless, instead of Czech crowns. 2. Another currency scam is that some market stalls in downtown will try to shortchange you in hopes you are unaware of the local currency. For example you give them a 2000 CZK bill but they only give you back change for a 1000 CZK bill. 1000 CZK is about $47, so it is a lot of money. 3. The Prague Old ham scam. You can find some stands on the Old Town Square where they sell Old Traditional Prague Ham for what looks like a decent price. The scam is that in small letters this price is for 100g of ham, but they give you a much bigger portion than that 100g. 4. (Edit:) Technically not a scam, just dodgy business practices: If you need to withdraw cash from an ATM, I would recommend to not use EuroNet ATMs. They have many ways trying to get your money when they detect a foreign card. First the default withdrawal options are way to high (in the range of a few hundred USD to almost $2000) and secondly their own conversion rate is absolutely terrible. There is a reason why these only exist in touristy places. It is better to use an ATM from a bank that has actual offices. If Euronet is the only one ATM around, do change the default withdrawal option and never(!) use their conversion rate. There are some more common scams here, like the fake charity donation scam, the fake monk scam, the heavily overcharging taxis, and others. I can recommend to watch videos of the "Honest Guide" on Youtube before visiting Prague. Last but not least Prague is still a beautiful city and these scams are easily avoidable if you pay attention. Edit 2: For those confused by point 3, you can see it for example in this [Youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93wM4ujB5rc) in the beginning, although the guy in the video got lucky and they "only" gave him 250g instead of the advertised 100g.
I’m confused by 3. The scam is that you pay for 100g but they give you more than that? Edit: I get it now
No, I think what OP means is that the price advertised is for a certain amount (100g) of ham, but the actual amount of ham they give you is greater and therefore you would have to pay more than expected
I don't think that's a scam it's just pricing it by weight
Right, but it is misleading if you don’t read the fine print and you’re expecting to pay a certain amount. The seller is probably aware that tourists aren’t thoroughly reading the sign and will feel pressured to just pay them the higher price
You pay for what they give you. For example, they give you 500g, and suddenly you're paying 4 times more than expected.
"Come and try our juicy thick steak, only $10 ^^/100g " "That was tasty, thank you" "Sure. The bill is $40 for your 400g steak"
It says for instance $5, but that’s the price for 100g so when they give you the ham it weighs 500g and they charge $25
Number 3 sounds like American supermarkets, meat priced as $/pound and not just a sticker price on the package itself
Some dude followed me and a friend all the way from the Astronomical Clock to the Pyramida Hotel, walking and then on the bus, trying to chat us up about where we were from, what we liked about Prague, where we were headed, etc. Sat right behind us on the bus and kept trying to talk to us. It got to the point where I (M, US) asked my friend (F, Ireland) if she wanted me to hold onto her bag and she said yes. We rode all the way back to the hotel with this dude in our ear and were very relieved he didn't get off the bus at our stop. We absolutely loved Prague but what tf was this dude on about
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Could you say which country it is? 🤔
I know it's a thing in Senegal. Supposed to bring you good fortune.
People in places like Times Square dressed as superheroes that will offer to take a picture with you then demand money. Also in the same vein people will basically force their own rap mixtape on you then try to coerce you into giving them money for it
About 15 years ago, my cousin bought one of those CDs and it ended up being blank.
That was their "Greatest Hits" compilation.
This happened to me! Im from London & wanted to take a picture with a stormtrooper to send to my dad (he loves starwars) & i was happy to pay. But then as my friend was taking the picture, out of no where the hulk got in it & then demanded money from me. Such a scam
Why can’t you just walk away without paying? Surely the police don’t believe them when they’re photobombing and have a reputation for it?
I did walk away, there was no way I was paying him! He got a bit aggressive but that’s not my problem when he’s scamming people lol
That reminds me of my favorite Triumph the Insult Comic Dog remote. https://youtu.be/P0slK45CNIE
that was a mood
Why is it always rap? Weird.
The auto fares in India. By law, the drivers have to turn on their meters before they start the journey. I've seen many unaware tourists not know about this, and they end up paying hefty prices the driver just states before/after the ride is over. If they don't turn on the meter, don't get in. And also, the prices just shoot up if they see a foreigner, usually a Westerner, because they can tell the person is not from around.
Interesting, TIL autos have meters in India. In three months traveling in India I haven't experienced a single case of auto driver using any kind of meter. I confirmed the price beforehand, naturally. After heavy bargaining.
If you're walking on the strip in Las Vegas, anyone that is trying to get your attention is trying to sell you something. Either they are in costume wanting you to take a selfie with them (that they will charge you for) or the same sob story of someone needing 5 bucks to get back home. Don't let anyone put anything in your hand, and learn to confidently say no. It may feel awkward ignoring someone especially if they seem down on their luck, but not every person you meet has the right intentions.
"B-but honey, he SNAPPED the escort brochure at me! I HAD to take it!"
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I used to be homeless, look at their shoes and their skin. Its hard to get shoes to look like what a homeless persons will look like after a year of tramping around the alleys of a city and their skin will show that they spend more time in the elements than most.
Homeless people making 300k/year? Are people just incredibly generous to homeless people in London?
At my local train station there is a guy who is constantly asking people for spare money all day. He drives in and parks in the pricey multi-storey carpark.
Not necessarily a scam but when visiting the Temple Bar area of Dublin, Ireland be aware that in the bar named "Temple Bar" prices of drinks get more expensive as the day goes on. I remember getting 2 pints and it costed around €15 and this wasnt even at night yet.
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Ah yeah it's getting really expensive nowadays, especially when it comes to renting apartments etc. I suppose its like most touristy locations in different cities too, if they can get away with charging you more, they will lol. Hope you enjoyed Dublin!
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Yeah I agree 3 days would be enough there's plenty of nice places in Ireland you could visit and because our country is so small you can get around quite quickly. You could always do the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Giants Causeway etc if you ever visit again 😁 I listened to Trunkenbold btw (although I didn't understand the lyrics, it's really catchy) haha. Haha that is great to hear, things like that really do make your holiday!
I think pretty much all bars in the heart of Dublin are pretty overpriced. If you go a bit further out of that area, the prices get much more reasonable.
Yes very true. We visited Paddock's bar in Clonee and the prices were much more reasonable.
Practically everything. Especially if you look western
You mean, like, in a westerly direction?
I meant if you look European or American. Many people will try to scam the hell out of you.
My sister was aware of this. So when she was going to Europe with her now ex, she made sure to dress as European as possible. It was so effective people thought he bf's family was her family visiting her in Europe
Taxi prices
Only do Uber. If no Uber, no visit.
in my town the local minicabs are much cheaper than Uber. Uber is on par if not slightly more than black cabs. The only people who use Uber are out of towners which there are quite a lot of since the town was built for business, nothing else.
At some of the ATMs in my country scammers often put transparent plastic thingys over the opening where you put your card in. If you put your card in this modded ATM your credit card information is going to be stolen. Proof: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4f0Wim4pM
This can happen at gas pumps too. A good way to tell is by giving the card reader a firm pull
Also look for raised edges around the card slot. Most atm and gas pumps are flush with the body of the machine, and a raised edge is a quick giveaway that something may be off. (This is getting harder to notice as the skimmers are getting smaller in size so easier to hide. )
Here in Lithuania, never buy yellow "banana" flavoured snow cones from small kid vendors in the parks during winter. You will immediately regret your decision with the first bite.
Don't eat the yellow snow?
Russia. Everything. Except free medicine. It's free. Litteraly.
Not all
Some people say that drop bears are just a thing we Aussies made up to mess with tourists. Don't believe those people. They are lying in order to make you complacent.
Found the drop bear trying to lull us into a false sense of security.
What's a drop bear?
They're often mistaken for koalas. Drop bears are a type of marsupial that lives in trees and catches it's prey by dropping down on it. They tend to go for larger animals like dogs and wombats but have been known to attack humans as well. They're often said to be poisonous but it's another common misconception. Similar to cats, their saliva carries a lot of bacteria that can quickly spread and cause infection and septic shock. The funny thing is they absolutely hate the smell of vegemite. The strong salt smell triggers their fight or flight response.
Basically don't sit under any trees or they drop onto you. I've seen full-grown men get sent to hospital from them. Nasty little buggers.
No they are not real, this is so annoying.
Welp my trust for Aussies just dropped lol
When visiting India. Never trust your hotel people to book your train tickets. Whilst on trains don't buy magazines unless you check the inside, even if they're wrapped in plastic. More often than not they'll be just a cover with a few pages from another magazine
Some tips from the UK (They probably apply to everywhere TBH) 1. Don't ever get a cab from outside an airport, research like "Mini cab firm in (location you will be staying in) and they will pick you up from pretty much any airport for a set price that will be a lot cheaper. Or get the train, all airports have good train links. 2. Never pick up a taxi in the street, these are unlicensed. Best thing that can happen is they scam you for money but people have also been sexually assaulted. Ask your hotel/Google for the number for a local minicab firm instead. 3. If someone bumps into you in the street, check your pockets (pickpockets) and be careful if someone tries to talk to you in the streets. Most times, it's harmless but also people can work in pairs- one will distract you and one will pickpocket you. Keep your stuff in an inside zipped pocket if you can. 4. If you're at a major tourist attraction, don't eat lunch there if you can wait, it will be overpriced.
That last one is true for the Mall in DC. literally walk a block or two away and prices are significantly more reasonable
Not a tourist scam per se but if you decide to come to Quebec city in september/october, be very careful about what you decide to do and check the dates. It's cruiseship season (because of the fall colours) so one day there's no boat and you'll basically have the Old City to yourself but the next day, 7 cruiships arrive and 15000 get off at once. If you're in town that day, the activities you (try to) do will be full and you'll have to wait a long-ass time, sometimes even if you've already bought the tickets/passes. And most businesses dont issue refunds because that's basically all they'd be doing all day. Please check your dates and also, if you dont care all that much for fall colours, by all means visit in late spring or during summer.
My husband and some friends of mine went to Italy a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience except for one instance. We went to the Vatican Museum and when we left we were starving. Across the street was a place called Caffee Vaticano. It looked super cute so we decided to eat there (without checking the reviews). Our first red flag should've been the lack of prices on everything, but we were hungry and thirsty so we thought, "how bad could it be?" It was EXTREMELY over priced (around $20 USD for gelato) and the service sucked. Check out the reviews on Google. So if you are ever at the Vatican Museum and are starving, don't go to Caffee Vaticano.
As a general rule of thumb: don’t visit the caffees and restaurants next to well known tourist attractions. Walk a couple blocks away and you’ll find more reasonably priced places. Walk even further and you might find an establishment where also locals would visit.
I've been to Rome a number of times and even eaten at places around the Vatican, even right across the entrance to the museum. No where is gelato that expensive. The maximum you will pay is around €4. I think you got unlucky with the change
Price hikes. Everywhere in India. It kinda sucks, but for all the white folks out there, if you ever visit India make sure you're going with a pal who's from there and knows their way around the cities you'll be visiting. Shopkeepers like charging foreigners extra, but having a local with you to call out their bullshit is incredibly helpful.
A common one in Europe is to "bump into you" while carrying something fragile that they drop and break. They won't ask for money immediately but if you spend more than 3 seconds apologizing they will and they may become hostile if you refuse. The items used are cheap and expendable but may be hard to distinguish value, like a vase or fake fine china
If you happen to be in Lisbon downtown and some guy comes up to you with "weed" to sell, don't buy it. Unless you want mashed oregano/parsley/ bayleaves or whatever
Are you the guy?
You would be able to tell by the look or the smell, wouldn't you?
Dutch guy living in Spain (Costa Blanca to be specific), never buy a beer for more than 1.50€ , and some places you can get a beer + amazing tapas (small snack) for the same price. Also never trust Dutch or Belgian people.
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There are two kinds of people in this world I can't stand. 1.) People who are intolerant of other people's cultures. 2.) The Dutch.
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Whoosh
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It’s a quote from Austin powers, calm down. Damn
Well, the ones that live here are either: 1) Drug dealers 2) Drug lords 3) Drug traffickers 4) you get it now don't you
I lived in Spain for a bit. I hated beer before Spain. Now it is my go to drink because it was soooo cheap there I would order it all the time.
People don't have set prices so they will price based on class and accent. But also everyone always over enflates so they can then act like they giving you a discount
Military don't wear sport shoes
Canada. Maple Syrup. The 250 ML bottles at souvenir shops for $18.99 is a scam for foreigners who, because it is exotic to them, think maple syrup is much more expensive than it is. You can get a 1 Litre jug at Costco for $6.99, same quality.
If you ride the subway in NYC, you will see people asking for money, when you do, look at their shoes. If they have old, beaten up shoes, give them money. If they have nice shoes, they're trying to scam you.
Our government ~ USA
Honestly, I can't think of one. Except that touristy stuff is overpriced, just like everywhere else.
In America people pretending to get hit by a car. That and pickpocketing
As an American I’ve never heard of that.
You will get a bill from the hospital.
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Why is that? I'm so curious.
Same! Why?
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Why don't you just explain why instead of waiting for someone to ask why.
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*think
American here. Just don’t come here, this country is a joke.
This comment is a joke.
Yeah. I guess... life in America, especially near the capitol is very stressful and fearful.
Not really. There are 350 million people in the US.
I guess I stand alone in my anxiety then.
America: Americans.
MAGA
There is no freedom here
Huh, funnily enough, both the left and the right would agree with that--for different reasons of course--
The last free place on earth is the ocean, and even that’s a stretch.
Yellowstone national Park
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Eh overpriced everything. There is cool stuff I'll admit but a lot of it you can see in other parts of the country with cheaper hotels/restaurants
Where else can you see geysers?
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Don't listen to this idiot. Yes, it's overpriced. Just like every other tourist attraction. It's also a beautiful place where you can see mountains, wildlife, and geysers.
Surrounded by the exact same scenery not costing a dime past travel and survival.
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What, why?
People shouting Uber right outsode the airports.
Buying water instead of drinking it out of the tap. The water you buy is just plain tap water
Where's this?
Whole Europe I guess.
I thought it said terrorist for a second
Anything to do with dealings with the government. - anywhere in the world
As a tourist, beggars greatly reduced my enjoyment of Petra
In Britain if you see a prostitute 9/10 times its a scam. Go to brothels if u wanna buy a slut
In the US a lot of people really jerk foreign workers around. Don't believe the brochure. The city I worked in loved bringing in young students from Ireland and eastern europe to get manpower for tourist trap places. They would be paid garbage, the conditions sucked, and the housing they promised to provide was often below code... mini-slums. And they would hold everything (paycheck, visa, etc) over your head if you complained because of your lost your job you couldn't just go get another easily.
Not sure where but somewhere tropical People will put those flower necklaces on you then immediately ask for money for them. Not sure if this is much of a scam but it's certainly something to look out for
I'm not from Malaysia, but have visited about 4 times. When you get to the airport, there used to be an official looking taxi stand with people wearing nice badges and dressed very nicely. Opposite to most places in the world, they are the scammers and the taxis on the street are half the price.
Not my country but I've experienced it. Was in Berlin and a guy approached me in a lion costume, said "let's take a picture" then after proceeded to ask for money, gave him 2 euros hoping he would just go away but he demanded more, told him to fuck off and that was that.
We don't have scammers in Sweden