Street Smarts | Warnings | Scams
Tags : property, business, travel, technology, nightlife, events, food, food, expat_services
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Shangstar
Low Seater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 3398
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Nov 11, 2009 - 09:06 PM |
 
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i've never been cheated by a taxi driver as far as I am aware. The fast ticker thing is unlikely as the time, distance and price are receorded on the fapiao machine. It's also more in the taxi company's interest to pick up lots of flag fall fares in a short amount of time, than do fewer but longer ones. The drivers as far as I am aware don't own the cars, the taxi company does, so the driver probably has little incentive to cheat, and the company is unlikely to take that risk. The cheating will come from the unlicensed cabs, but the cops are cracking down on this by getting plain clothes policemen to use them. |
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The Vatican is against surrogate mothers. Good thing they didn't have that rule when Jesus was born... |
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MoonOverMiami
PopStar
Joined: Jan 07, 2008
Posts: 1044
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Nov 11, 2009 - 09:13 PM |
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Was talking to a driver once, and it was interesting to hear how the system works. IIRC, he said the company takes around the first RMB500 in fares, and the driver has to pay for gas which could add up to another RMB400 per day. Anything after that they can keep. While the short fares seems like the way to go, that would mean driving in the city which (in turn) means lower gas mileage and more money towards gas.
Was telling me they tend to share the vehicle with another driver, and they would work over 12hrs per day every other day. |
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I will tell you what just happened in there. That chick just frosted me like a f****n cake!!! |
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8lrr8
Wonder Wit
Joined: Oct 14, 2004
Posts: 3745
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Nov 11, 2009 - 10:14 PM |
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| MoonOverMiami wrote: |
| While the short fares seems like the way to go, that would mean driving in the city which (in turn) means lower gas mileage and more money towards gas. |
if (and that's a big if) a driver could make short trips (i.e. the fare is only the starting fare) w/ little to no downtime btwn successive short trips, then his profit is maximized as such. however in reality drivers prefer customers whose destination is as far as possible (e.g. hongqiao to pudong airport).
| MoonOverMiami wrote: |
| Was telling me they tend to share the vehicle with another driver, and they would work over 12hrs per day every other day. |
usually 18+ hrs from what i'm told. |
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Shangstar
Low Seater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 3398
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 11, 2009 - 10:27 PM |
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yeah they do change over, which is why during certain hours a lot of taxis with no passengers will drive straight past without stopping, as they're off to change shift. Suddenly they become available again after 20 minutes or so. |
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The Vatican is against surrogate mothers. Good thing they didn't have that rule when Jesus was born... |
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xiwang
Seeker
Joined: Sep 01, 2009
Posts: 60
Location: Shanghai (Yangpu District)
Status: Offline
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Nov 11, 2009 - 10:43 PM |
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Adventures in counterfeiting:
1. A friend gave her taxi driver a 100 RMB note. Because she was running late for a job interview, she didn't examine the change. The 50 RMB note turned out to be counterfeit.
2. A classmate was in the Forbidden City in Beijing when a souvenir vendor asked her if she could break a 100 RMB note for him. Being new to Beijing, she thought nothing about it. She later found out that the bill he gave her was counterfeit when she tried to spend it.
3. An acquaintance told me that, if he gives a 100 RMB note to his taxi driver, he photographs the serial number first with his cell phone. (Sounds a bit extreme to me.)
4. A friend was taken in by the police after he tried to use a few 100 RMB notes at the subway station. It turned out that the teller at his bank had mixed in counterfeit money with the real bills. He was finally released after a few hours of interrogation when the police found out from his embassy that he had diplomatic immunity. (The counterfeits were amazing. The counterfeiters even made the part below Mao's face feel rough so one would think that it was engraved ink.)
5. Chinese friends have told me that they have even received counterfeit 100 RMB notes out of ATM machines. |
Last edited by xiwang on Nov 12, 2009 - 02:03 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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fWerrF
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2009
Posts: 1643
Location: New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2009 - 01:34 PM |
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| Shangstar wrote: |
| i've never been cheated by a taxi driver as far as I am aware. |
Neither was I.
I actually thought China is got the best taxi drivers, in the sense of they do not rip you off and they always go by meter without hustle.
In place like Thailand its a battle to find a taxi that would agree to use meter. |
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jay_dee
SuperStar
Joined: Mar 22, 2009
Posts: 1440
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2009 - 03:12 PM |
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I know my way around SH pretty well, but a few times the taxi driver goes in a completly different direction. A longer ride = higher fare, so you need to stop them quickly. Sometimes they tell of traffic issues which could be true. I just tell them the fare should be XXX - not more. |
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US Expat in Shanghai |
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Shangstar
Low Seater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 3398
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2009 - 03:23 PM |
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on almost every occasion that a driver has gone the wrong way or a longer route, he stops the meter and goes back the right way. Often, in my experience, they will just give the average fare for that journey too. This is all without me prompting. I too think Shanghai taxi drivers are excellent. Same cant be said of places like Harbin in the winter where they know they're on to a winner each and every time. |
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The Vatican is against surrogate mothers. Good thing they didn't have that rule when Jesus was born... |
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woaihuan
StreetBeater
Joined: Dec 15, 2007
Posts: 2462
Status: Offline
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Nov 12, 2009 - 03:52 PM |
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I've never had trouble with Shanghai's taxi drivers, other than the suburb ones - specifically Nanhui taxis. They're terrible. Often they refuse to pick you up and bitch the whole way about your fare being too small.
As for those guys that follow you around hawking watches, etc. Some of them are easy to shake off simply by ignoring them - others, just give them a good shove and they'll go away faster. I had 12 of them following me in Qipu once with a foreign friend. Half hour later I tossed one into a rack of jackets and within 30 seconds, they were all gone.
Has worked on multiple occasions in the S&T Market too. Just got to show them that you're serious.
Don't get suckered into buying anything because you feel sorry for someone, or because they won't leave you alone. They're not all acting - a lot are really that desperate - but you can't help all of them and they're not going to let you go any easier after you bit the bait and bought something. |
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aquaspacegroup
Lurker
Joined: Nov 09, 2009
Posts: 25
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2009 - 11:27 AM |
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I was charged 100rmb+, Jing'an, via Yishan rd to Pudong. This felt like quite a lot at the time but actually maybe it is quite a long distance, what do people think to this fare? There were a lot of dug up and blocked roads in Pudong, and a few times, he would drive to the end, realise there was no way out, and turn around to go back, several times. I can't be sure if this is genuine confusion with the roadworks, or if he was trying to rip off. |
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Pudong Apartments |
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woaihuan
StreetBeater
Joined: Dec 15, 2007
Posts: 2462
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2009 - 11:39 AM |
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Probably legit. Although he may have taken a long route... you should tell him the route you want to take. |
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*Sarita
Reacher
Joined: Jan 26, 2008
Posts: 235
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2009 - 12:04 PM |
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That depends on where in Pudong you were going. |
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xiaotiqin
Lurker
Joined: Mar 15, 2008
Posts: 35
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2009 - 01:42 PM |
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Oh here's a scam of late. I have had some weird taxi experiences before - be aware that there ARE some unlicensed drivers out there who may or may not speak Mandarin, and who definitely do not know their way around, granted these are pretty far and few between.
A few weeks ago I was going downtown by metro and when I went to use my metro card it said to see the attendant. I thought, weird, because I just put money on it and there should be at least RMB 80 left as I hardly use it. But no, there was zero on it. Then I thought back, when was the last time I used it...it was in a taxi and I remember thanking the driver but he gave me a funny look at the same time. And then after talking to some friends they told me that you have to be careful if you pay by card in the taxi because they sometimes switch them...which in this case is what happened. |
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woaihuan
StreetBeater
Joined: Dec 15, 2007
Posts: 2462
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2009 - 01:46 PM |
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Swapping cards isn't a new scam. Get a stick on cover like everyone else does so you can identify your own card. |
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Marakanis
Wonder Wit
Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Posts: 3852
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Nov 20, 2009 - 02:06 PM |
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^It probably happens more often than we think. I know I've had a couple occasions where my card was at 0 and I couldn't remember how much I had on it the last time I used it. You just shrug and refill it... |
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Humac
StreetBeater
Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 2273
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Nov 20, 2009 - 02:15 PM |
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| Shangstar wrote: |
| on almost every occasion that a driver has gone the wrong way or a longer route, he stops the meter and goes back the right way. Often, in my experience, they will just give the average fare for that journey too. This is all without me prompting. I too think Shanghai taxi drivers are excellent. |
I wonder if we had the same driver? Same thing happened to me. Driver realised he'd gone the wrong way, stopped the meter and turned around. Charged me much less than the fare should have been. However, the large tip made up for it. |
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JasUK
Talker
Joined: July 11, 2006
Posts: 78
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 26, 2009 - 01:52 PM |
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I have been cheated once in the 2.5years in Shanghai, was given a fake 50RMB note by taxi driver. I keep it as a reminder to check the notes carefully. Saying that my chinese colleague got ripped off 200RMB by taxi driver in shenzhen who switched his 100RMB notes twice for fakes and handed them back to him saying they were fake so my colleague gave him another.
In Shanghai i try to use my transport card to pay taxis for shorter journeys. |
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Marakanis
Wonder Wit
Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Posts: 3852
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Nov 30, 2009 - 04:31 PM |
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Have you ever been tempted to buy those USB hard drives they sell on the streets? Well, don't do it. They're packed full of viruses and trojans, and not just one or two, like a dozen. Then they connect to the internet and download more. You will spend the rest of your day (and possibly the next) scanning your system with every virus/malware program under the sun until it comes up clean again.
Nasty, nasty, nasty.
That said, if you know what you're doing and have a laptop fully updated with the latest virus and malware stopping software, you might be able to get a bargain. =P
But for most normal people, not worth it. |
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NewUser
Barker
Joined: June 03, 2005
Posts: 148
Status: Offline
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Dec 08, 2009 - 07:46 AM |
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bleepingbleeper
Ranter
Joined: June 18, 2009
Posts: 509
Status: Offline
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Dec 08, 2009 - 09:00 PM |
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^ that's a gimme. street vendors were out selling '64GB' usb thumb drives when 8GB drives (real) were just hitting stores in china and the states. |
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Marakanis
Wonder Wit
Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Posts: 3852
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Dec 09, 2009 - 12:57 AM |
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Wow, that sucks. I assumed after I cleared out all the viruses and crap that I'd at least have a working USB pen drive... But, sure enough, whatever is put on it becomes corrupted, thus rendering it useless.
EPIC FAIL! Spotted the guy who sold it and he claimed to have no idea... Suuuurrrrreee...
He even showed it to us on his netbook to "prove" how much space it had. Needless to say, there are no returns. =p |
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sizzling_fajita
Barker
Joined: Apr 30, 2009
Posts: 126
Location: Hongkou
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2009 - 11:45 AM |
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Yesterday at the corner fo Huayuan Lu and Zhongshanbeiyi Lu (close to Hongkou Stadium) at 6pm.
A chinese girl on her bycicle waiting for the green light. (lots of people around).
1 dude (maybe 25 years old, laowai, black hair, dark eyes, white skin), standing behind her and going trough the pochet of her jacket.
First I thought they knew each other because I could not believe someone would be so shameless, then he went for the other pocket while the girl was oblivious.
I grabbed him by the shoulder and asked him what was he doing. He stepped back and started saying "ting bu dong". I told the chinese girl what was happening, she stared at me blankly and then (not even looking at him) slowly drove away.
I was left whit the thief in the middle of the street, nobody cared, nobody did anything. He just gave me this awful look and went to talk to some other guys.
I panicked and started walking towards the metro thinking he would follow me. He did for a block so I called a cab and got the F** out.
I kept thinking, why did I bother? I just put myself at risk and nobody gives a sh**.
Be careful. |
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mrwall
Talker
Joined: Oct 22, 2009
Posts: 88
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2009 - 03:11 PM |
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Same thing I saw, but both times with groups of Xinjiang kids. They hover behind someone as they are walking along, dipping into their bag or pockets with oblivion. Both times I yelled out and moved towards the "victims", the first time a middle aged woman and the second a young woman with her partner. In both cases they turned and stared blankly at me before walking away, no acknowledgement let alone thanks. The Xinjiang kids make a quite weigh up the possibility of jumping on my and beating my brains out, before turning around to scope out their next victim.
I got ripped off the other day by a guy at the lights selling a Nokia. He showed me one which was a genuine one, at a good price. I handed it back to him, as we were going to drive away. Then the price went into freefall. Of course the phone was stolen but for that price it would have been silly to knock it back. I get out a few hundred kuai and hand it through the top of the window as we pull away, he drops the phone through in peices as it hits the floor. By the time I gather it up and realise it is a fake he is in a different postcode with my money. My assistant looks at me witheringly, idiot laowai! |
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miss_t
Reacher
Joined: July 20, 2009
Posts: 298
Location: Shanghai Via Essex
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Dec 23, 2009 - 12:42 PM |
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Well well well i've just had friends visiting from back home (well Scotland)....and what happened the one day i couldn't get off work and they were left to their own devices???
TEA HOUSE SCAM!!!
They were strolling along the Bund taking in the beautiful views of the construction near the intersection with East Nanjing Road when they were approached by two girls who wanted to take their picture with them, then they got chatting and the two scammers said they were from Hainan which my mates remembered as they said the "Hawaii of China" and then said they were going to watch a tea ceremony would they like to come....
So my mates being plonkers said yes and went with them to a tea house - 22 Tianjin Road to be exact - and before they knew it an hour had passed and they both paid 580RMB!! My friends are trolley dolleys like i was so they've been around the world, i thought they were smart. I kept saying 'You wouldn't go with some random you met in London so why do it in Shanghai?'
My friends didn't actually have enough cash on them so the two scammers actually walked them to cash machine to get more out!!! Then followed them around for the next hour trying to get them to hire a car for day and drive around Shanghai on some tour, but they said they felt uneasy at that point
and were making excuses to get away.
When i met them at the hotel and asked them what they'd been up to and they said "We had a tea ceremony" the look on my face must have said it all because they then admitted they didn't feel right about paying that much, then i explained it was a scam etc etc and then with hindsight they could see all the warning signs and the things that weren't quite right. They said they didn't want to pay that much but felt under pressure because the scammers were so nice.
The story gets better... my mates were RAGING to say the least and went straight over to the hotel manager explained what happened and he was also angry....so he marched us to the police station, and then like some ruccus about to happen 3 police officers, the three of us, the hotel manager and two bell boys bowled down to the tea house - it was only 5 mins from the hotel - and basically went in, the two scammers were sitting there on their mobiles just having a chat with the other workers in there and then loads of shouting began and 5 minutes later they had their money back!!!!!!!!!
I was so impressed because i kept saying it was a lost cause, but my friends were soooo pissed off they were going to go down there with or without the police. But the look on the girls' face when my friends returned with the police was priceless!!!! |
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You can take the girl out of Essex.... |
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Hydro
Rocker
Joined: July 15, 2009
Posts: 654
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2009 - 01:28 PM |
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right on, ms t & friends! good thing those CRIMINALS got what they deserved for breaking the law (not) |
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