Chinese "tea ceremony" scam, "see my art" and other scams
Apr 3, 2006, 9:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 355
Chinese "tea ceremony" scam, "see my art" and other scams
Oh man oh man oh man.
So tonight I was wandering Tiananmen Square (sp?) like a stupid tourist and some girl approaches me. Naturally I ignore her along with the plethora of girls trying to sell something if not sell themselves. But she says she wants to practice English. I say, okay can't hurt. So we chat chat chat for a while, watch the sunset, turns out she's an English teacher from Western China on vacation in Beijing ... I use my superhuman honesty sensor to detect that she's genuine. She offers to walk around one of the shopping areas with me, so I take the offer. We're chatting the whole time (been about an hour now), stopping in a few shops but not buying. One of us points out a sign for CHINESE TEA CEREMONG (typo included) and she asks what's the deal. I say it's a typo, but don't know what a "tea ceremony" is. She says let's check it out.
Wander upstairs, some nice ladies welcome us (only customers) to a table that might seat 6. So we get a nice demonstration and a tasting of six various teas - VERY good tea, I might add. They also bring out three little plates of nuts to munch on, cleanse the palette I guess. The whole thing is in Chinese and my new girlfriend is translating for me. So finally at the end I ask if I can buy some tea to take home (of course, duh). I was very surprised at the "government-set" prices - upwards of 1000 RMB / kilo. Okay, I suck it up and get the small container for 500 RMB. Then the bill comes, and the tea ceremony, itemized for each of the six teas we tried plus the nuts, comes to total of ** 1100 RMB ** ?? Plus, of course, the tea I had purchased.
Normally I'm a savvy traveler -- ask prices before trying food or getting in the cab, don't shop on tourist thoroughfares, etc.
What happened? I would suspect that the whole thing, including the nice Chinese girl wanting to "practice English", is an elaborate scam, but she also shelled out for her own gift box of tea! I'm sure I got fleeced, but what exactly happened, other than making the mistake of not asking the price beforehand?? My only reasonable theory is that it's meant for larger groups (4-6) who would split the cost of the ceremony, also bargain the price in advance. I might add that the tea was very good, and paying 1000-2000 RMB is not unheard of for good tea.
So tonight I was wandering Tiananmen Square (sp?) like a stupid tourist and some girl approaches me. Naturally I ignore her along with the plethora of girls trying to sell something if not sell themselves. But she says she wants to practice English. I say, okay can't hurt. So we chat chat chat for a while, watch the sunset, turns out she's an English teacher from Western China on vacation in Beijing ... I use my superhuman honesty sensor to detect that she's genuine. She offers to walk around one of the shopping areas with me, so I take the offer. We're chatting the whole time (been about an hour now), stopping in a few shops but not buying. One of us points out a sign for CHINESE TEA CEREMONG (typo included) and she asks what's the deal. I say it's a typo, but don't know what a "tea ceremony" is. She says let's check it out.
Wander upstairs, some nice ladies welcome us (only customers) to a table that might seat 6. So we get a nice demonstration and a tasting of six various teas - VERY good tea, I might add. They also bring out three little plates of nuts to munch on, cleanse the palette I guess. The whole thing is in Chinese and my new girlfriend is translating for me. So finally at the end I ask if I can buy some tea to take home (of course, duh). I was very surprised at the "government-set" prices - upwards of 1000 RMB / kilo. Okay, I suck it up and get the small container for 500 RMB. Then the bill comes, and the tea ceremony, itemized for each of the six teas we tried plus the nuts, comes to total of ** 1100 RMB ** ?? Plus, of course, the tea I had purchased.
Normally I'm a savvy traveler -- ask prices before trying food or getting in the cab, don't shop on tourist thoroughfares, etc.
What happened? I would suspect that the whole thing, including the nice Chinese girl wanting to "practice English", is an elaborate scam, but she also shelled out for her own gift box of tea! I'm sure I got fleeced, but what exactly happened, other than making the mistake of not asking the price beforehand?? My only reasonable theory is that it's meant for larger groups (4-6) who would split the cost of the ceremony, also bargain the price in advance. I might add that the tea was very good, and paying 1000-2000 RMB is not unheard of for good tea.
Last edited by JDiver; May 10, 2013 at 8:45 pm Reason: restore original post title
Apr 3, 2006, 9:12 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: OTP
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Only one way to find out: call her up and go to a McDonald's or smthn tomorrow...if you see her face again, there's a good probability everything is legit 
Anyway, if you feel it was somewhat worth it, it couldn't have been that awful of a scam...maybe she was just a promoter for that (expensive) place, nothing wrong with that (even her "desire to learn English).
Anyway, if you feel it was somewhat worth it, it couldn't have been that awful of a scam...maybe she was just a promoter for that (expensive) place, nothing wrong with that (even her "desire to learn English).
Apr 3, 2006, 9:31 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2005
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That kind of money for six teas... I'd be thinking I'd been fleeced.
But what a well executed scam - maybe it was worth the 2100 RMB.
Did the girl make herself scarce as soon as the transaction was completed?
But what a well executed scam - maybe it was worth the 2100 RMB.
Did the girl make herself scarce as soon as the transaction was completed?
Apr 3, 2006, 9:32 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2006
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I think 1100 RMB is bit on the high side for the tea-ceremony, but I agree, the teas at the tea-ceremony places are rather inflated. I'd recommend
buying the teas from a local tea store instead.
If you are still in Beijing and interested in the Tea, there is a store on the
top floor of the new Market. I've found that to be the least inflated among
the tea-stores i've visited. and you can try them before you buy them.
And ofcourse, you can bargain. Go late in the day. If they start with
an amount, you start bargaining with 1/10th of it. You cant do this in
a tea house though.
I've bumped into many people who wanted to practice English at Tianamen
Square and I found them to be the best guides. They offered a lot
of useful information and I think it was all honest. No one ever asked us to
buy anything. In fact, they cautioned us about the shady deals.
buying the teas from a local tea store instead.
If you are still in Beijing and interested in the Tea, there is a store on the
top floor of the new Market. I've found that to be the least inflated among
the tea-stores i've visited. and you can try them before you buy them.
And ofcourse, you can bargain. Go late in the day. If they start with
an amount, you start bargaining with 1/10th of it. You cant do this in
a tea house though.
I've bumped into many people who wanted to practice English at Tianamen
Square and I found them to be the best guides. They offered a lot
of useful information and I think it was all honest. No one ever asked us to
buy anything. In fact, they cautioned us about the shady deals.
Apr 3, 2006, 9:42 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 708
Wow $135 USD or so...a lot for tea for two in China. I would expect to pay about that at Tea Box on 5th Avenue here in NYC. Even if the girl wasn't part of it, I still think you were ripped off. Why didn't you ask to see a menu?
Apr 3, 2006, 10:28 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 355
Ehh I had a false sense of confidence that I wouldn't get fiscally violated because I was with a Chinese girl.
In the end, I don't think she was part of the scam. She seemd a bit surprised, too, and was even a tad short of cash, and we walked for a few minutes afterwards. I'm thinking of going back to T Square tomorrow to spy and see if she's pulling the same stuff ...
In the end, I don't think she was part of the scam. She seemd a bit surprised, too, and was even a tad short of cash, and we walked for a few minutes afterwards. I'm thinking of going back to T Square tomorrow to spy and see if she's pulling the same stuff ...
Apr 3, 2006, 10:31 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 355
Originally Posted by gradvmedusa
Wow $135 USD or so...a lot for tea for two in China. I would expect to pay about that at Tea Box on 5th Avenue here in NYC. Even if the girl wasn't part of it, I still think you were ripped off. Why didn't you ask to see a menu?
Apr 3, 2006, 10:47 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: JFK/GDL
Programs: AA PLT, UA 1P
Posts: 415
Ha. Yes, probably a scam if Tiananmen was involved.
To this day, the most elaborate scam I have ever witnessed (and thankfully got out of without an RMB spent) took place in Tiananmen. I was in Beijing and wanted to take a quick trip out to the Great Wall at Badaling (not the best place to see The Wall, I know, but certainly convenient). I had read that you could find buses around Tiananmen Square, so I was walking through trying to find the spot on my map, and was approached by a lady. We talked, and she offered to help me find the bus. I followed her for several blocks as she made calls on her cell phone (should have been the first indication of something fishy), and we eventually arrived at a minibus with a picture of the Great Wall in the front window. I am a bit unsure about this, but have seen buses depart from all sorts of places from random corners in South America/Africa/etc., but I still want to check. There's a policeman on the corner. I approach him, point to the bus, and ask "Badaling?" He nods yes enthusiastically, but is laughing. Okay. I get on the bus with the lady. I ask the first passenger "Badaling?" She nods yes, and is also laughing.
The lady now has a ticket that she is trying to sell me for what seems to be a much inflated price, so now I'm really confused, and starting to look for a way off the bus. But I still want to see the Great Wall! So, I resist paying for a minute, and an old lady gets on the bus. I ask her: "Badaling?" She starts shaking her head furiously no, and starts screaming at the lady in Chinese, as well as some of her fellow passengers. I now have the definite impression that this is not the bus to Badaling (and is instead some jitney to a distant suburb or town), and I get off. I take a closer look at the picture of the Great Wall in the window, and now see that it is definitely a wall calendar that has been put in the window of the bus as part of this elaborate scam. The lady jumps off the bus, and is still trying to get me back on the bus, and to purchase her ticket, but I hop in a cab and go to the other location marked in my guidebook where buses leave for Badaling, and do, in fact, make it to Badaling.
Still, this was the most elaborate scam I have seen after traveling in 40+ countries, and the only one that almost got me (although I'm thankful it didn't!). It amazed me not only that they had put so much effort into it, but had involved so many participants. Additionally, the willingness of others to go along with it (i.e. the policeman, bus passengers, etc.) was all quite amazing to me!
To this day, the most elaborate scam I have ever witnessed (and thankfully got out of without an RMB spent) took place in Tiananmen. I was in Beijing and wanted to take a quick trip out to the Great Wall at Badaling (not the best place to see The Wall, I know, but certainly convenient). I had read that you could find buses around Tiananmen Square, so I was walking through trying to find the spot on my map, and was approached by a lady. We talked, and she offered to help me find the bus. I followed her for several blocks as she made calls on her cell phone (should have been the first indication of something fishy), and we eventually arrived at a minibus with a picture of the Great Wall in the front window. I am a bit unsure about this, but have seen buses depart from all sorts of places from random corners in South America/Africa/etc., but I still want to check. There's a policeman on the corner. I approach him, point to the bus, and ask "Badaling?" He nods yes enthusiastically, but is laughing. Okay. I get on the bus with the lady. I ask the first passenger "Badaling?" She nods yes, and is also laughing.
The lady now has a ticket that she is trying to sell me for what seems to be a much inflated price, so now I'm really confused, and starting to look for a way off the bus. But I still want to see the Great Wall! So, I resist paying for a minute, and an old lady gets on the bus. I ask her: "Badaling?" She starts shaking her head furiously no, and starts screaming at the lady in Chinese, as well as some of her fellow passengers. I now have the definite impression that this is not the bus to Badaling (and is instead some jitney to a distant suburb or town), and I get off. I take a closer look at the picture of the Great Wall in the window, and now see that it is definitely a wall calendar that has been put in the window of the bus as part of this elaborate scam. The lady jumps off the bus, and is still trying to get me back on the bus, and to purchase her ticket, but I hop in a cab and go to the other location marked in my guidebook where buses leave for Badaling, and do, in fact, make it to Badaling.
Still, this was the most elaborate scam I have seen after traveling in 40+ countries, and the only one that almost got me (although I'm thankful it didn't!). It amazed me not only that they had put so much effort into it, but had involved so many participants. Additionally, the willingness of others to go along with it (i.e. the policeman, bus passengers, etc.) was all quite amazing to me!
Apr 3, 2006, 1:15 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Originally Posted by miguel0881
Ha. Yes, probably a scam if Tiananmen was involved.
but I managed to squeeze a trip to the great wall for 6 people from
one of them for about 350 RMB. I think that
was no so bad. This was about 8-9 days back.
Apr 3, 2006, 1:31 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: JFK/GDL
Programs: AA PLT, UA 1P
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Originally Posted by cpx
Oh Yeah, I've seen attempts like this on a daily basis there...
but I managed to squeeze a trip to the great wall for 6 people from
one of them for about 350 RMB. I think that
was no so bad. This was about 8-9 days back.
but I managed to squeeze a trip to the great wall for 6 people from
one of them for about 350 RMB. I think that
was no so bad. This was about 8-9 days back.
Apr 3, 2006, 1:36 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Fine teas in China can be extremely expensive, upwards of $1000/pound or even more. If the place you went had a sign in English, it is possible that it's aimed at tourists, with accompanying inflated prices. I doubt that the woman you met was part of an elaborate scam.
Apr 3, 2006, 2:44 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Originally Posted by miguel0881
Yep. There are some legitimate buses that leave from Tiananmen...it's just the ones that aren't that you have to watch out for.
Apr 3, 2006, 3:19 pm
#15
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Originally Posted by PTravel
Fine teas in China can be extremely expensive, upwards of $1000/pound or even more.
It's like fine wine and cognac - there's really no limit in the price.
And unlike coffee. At least I do not know of any coffee bean that costs that much per pound.