Originally Posted by
f0zzyNUE
OMG - the shoeshine SCAM is the oldest scam in Istanbul. I once fell for it but in another way. A friend of mine were passing by a shoeshine and he asked for a cigarette. my friend gave him one and as a "thank you" he wanted to clean my shoes - I had flip flops - yes, they can also clean flip flops. then came the story of his poor family with nothing to eat ... and he demanded a hefty fee for the ridiculous flip-flop-shine
- I learnt my lesson.
There are many of these scammers around the hotel. They know where they find their bait easily
- Can't count how many dropped brushes I came across during my frequent Istanbul visits
They do a great job on Timberland deck shoes.
My other half always takes her extensive collection to Istanbul.
She looks for the "dropper" - then point blank refuses to pay. LOL
I always protest and suggest a " reasonable settlement" - but being Asian she has no truck with such pathetic scamming - they are much professional with scamming back at her home base....
Do they have a college course in apparently innocently dropping shoe cleaning brushes?