Ripoff alert

[SKULLCANDYFREAK]

This type of scam is practiced by not just pimps hustling men into a bar like in this case. I nearly fell for one like this in Beijing a few months ago. Two college girls started chatting me up at a street corner as I was waiting to cross a street. They walked with me for about 10 minutes chit-chatting about general topics until they sprung the drink or a tea ceremony proposition. Thanks to the reports from other mongers in the past, my radar went off and I told the girls that I would love to have a drink but it will be at normal rates. They exchanged looks and a short while later, realizing I was onto their game, they split.

 

[omrama12]

A common scam in china also look out for the 'can I practice my english, would you like a cup of tea/see my paintings etc scams and many more
teltel

 

[young_boy_23]

A cautionary tale:

I was in Shanghai on business and ventured out a couple weeks ago. I'm Canadian, fairly intelligent, but with a penchant for risk-taking. While leaving the Red Lounge on the Bund I had one of the solicitors outside follow me for a while and was very aggressive and friendly. Having had too many beers at this point I was too open to suggestion, and he eventually had me convinced to check out a bar he was suggesting. 5 minute cab ride later we get there, and it's obviously some kind of strip/sex joint. I was intrigued so went along. Once inside, a woman sits with us, starts chatting, and eventually asks if I'll buy her a drink. The bar is completely empty except for us, the staff, and 6 women hanging out in the corner. The topic of women eventually comes up, and the woman calls all the other chicks over for me to choose from. I'm not all that responsive to this as I found it a wierd position to be in, so she picks one for me, a pretty hot one. We then move to a little side room, with the full karaoke setup. All the while the waiter is piling on the drinks for the 2 women. I had heard of this scam before, but honestly didn't realize how incredibly high they were going to bill me for all of this until it was too late. So the chick hangs with me a bit, but I'm not too interested in extras here, so she lets them know that it's time to wrap up the scam. The waiter comes in with a bill for $3,850RMB, about $600USD. I had been there maybe half an hour. I balk at this of course, and the mamasan brings in the "manager", a bigger dude with an attitude. Now I'm getting nervous, not sure how to extract myself from the situation. After some bickering and no movement from either side, I call a Chinese colleague of mine that's back at the hotel. He talks to the mamasan for a minute, and I don't know what he told her, but she comes back to me and says to give her $200USD and go. I figure this is a fair amount for a lesson learned and to incent them to let me out unharmed, so I pay up, and off I go. Take from this experience what you will.