Travel scamsShopping
Shopping scams
201 reported in 103 countries. How each works and how to avoid it.
- FranceCommonStreet souvenir toutsStreet sellers approach visitors with cheap trinkets. These sales are described as illegal. Sellers may suddenly run when police appear, creating a rush around nearby visitors. This is a tout issue rather than a stated payment fraud.Paris
- FranceOccasionalTourist shopping markupsVisitors can pay high tourist prices for ordinary goods. Airport wine shopping in Bordeaux is specifically described as poor value. A high price alone does not prove fraud.Bordeaux, Paris, Lyon
- SpainOccasionalNo-change trickA trick involving change is reported. No further details of the method are given.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalSouvenir-shop tourist trapsShops in these areas are described as tourist traps selling generic Chinese souvenirs rather than Catalan or Spanish products. A local-looking souvenir may not be locally made.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalLow-quality goods sold from street blanketsStreet sellers offer goods of doubtful origin and often low quality. The purchase may leave you with something worth less than you expected.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalJewellery markups near tourist sightsJewellery near tourist sights is described as the city's most expensive. This is a price trap rather than necessarily a dishonest sale.Córdoba
- SpainOccasionalConvenience-store price markupsSmall corner stores tend to charge more for convenience. Higher prices alone do not mean a shop is committing fraud.Barcelona
- ItalyCommonCounterfeit designer goodsSellers offer imitation luxury bags, watches, sunglasses and other goods. Quality may be poor, and an unwary buyer can pay too much. Buying counterfeit branded goods can also lead to a fine.Rome, Florence, Milan
- TürkiyeVery commonTourist prices and hidden chargesYou order or buy something without checking the price. The seller then charges much more than expected. Tourists may be charged five to ten times the usual price, even for tea. High opening prices are also common at street markets.
- TürkiyeVery commonFriendly conversation leading to a carpet shopSomeone starts a friendly conversation about your trip or home country. They then invite you to an uncle's shop nearby and praise its authentic carpets or kilims. The conversation is a sales approach.
- TürkiyeCommonOrdinary souvenirs sold at a large markupOrdinary supermarket olive-oil soap may be removed from its packaging and presented more attractively. Tourist shops may also sell coffee from the same suppliers as local grocery stores at a large markup. Attractive packaging does not mean a different product.
- TürkiyeOccasionalFake antiquities in tourist shopsTourist shops sell fake antiquities. A claim that an object is genuinely ancient creates another problem: genuine antiquities cannot legally be exported.Ankara
- MexicoCommonMarket touts and inflated tourist pricesVendors seek your attention and quote tourist prices. Mercado 28 has many touts and can cost more than smaller shops away from tourist areas. Beach vendors also expect bargaining. A high opening price is not proof of fraud, but buying under pressure can leave you paying too much.Cancún
- MexicoOccasionalFree jewelry and shuttle sales trapA free jewelry coupon, gift offer or hotel shuttle brings you to a store with very high prices, even after discounts. Similar jewelry is sold elsewhere. Gift offers may not be honored without proof, and some customers have reported trouble getting refunds.Cancún
- United KingdomOccasionalMisleading sale discountsA shop advertises a discount against a claimed full price that the item may never have sold for. The supposed saving can make an ordinary price look like a bargain.London
- GreeceCommonCounterfeit souvenirs and branded goodsVendors sell fake branded items and imitation goods. In Athens, pavement sellers also offer coins that may look antique but are likely reproductions. In Chersonissos, fake watches and other branded items sell for much less than genuine versions.Athens, Chersonissos
- United Arab EmiratesCommonPressure to buy in shopsStaff may follow you around or keep showing you goods. Carpet sellers may unroll many rugs and spend a long time with you. This can make you feel that you owe them a purchase, but you do not.Abu Dhabi
- United Arab EmiratesCommonHigh opening prices in souksA seller may ask more for a souvenir than other shops charge. Bargaining is expected in souks, so accepting the first price can mean paying more than necessary. A high opening price alone does not prove fraud.Dubai
- United Arab EmiratesOccasionalShort-changing cash customersA trader returns less change than you are owed. The scarcity of small coins may be used as an excuse.
- United Arab EmiratesOccasionalVAT added to an already quoted priceA shopkeeper quotes or displays a price, then increases it at payment by saying VAT must be added. The displayed price should be the price charged at the till.Abu Dhabi
- ThailandVery commonGem and jewellery scamA driver or friendly stranger leads you to a shop. Sellers offer near-worthless stones or cut glass at high prices. They may claim you can sell them abroad for a large profit. Drivers earn commission.Bangkok, Chiang Mai
- ThailandCommonInflated market pricesSellers ask as much as they think you will pay. Another buyer may pay half or one third of your price for the same item. Tourist markets in Chiang Mai also have inflated prices.
- ThailandCommonPoor-quality tailor packagesSome tailors charge high prices for poor work. Touts and drivers send customers to shops that pay commission. Very cheap packages and rushed suits can also deliver poor quality.Bangkok
- ThailandOccasionalThe one-baht gold misunderstandingA request for a one-baht gold ring may sound like a tiny cash purchase. In jewellery, baht also means a weight of 15.244 grams. The misunderstanding can lead to a much larger bill; deception is not established in every case.
- MalaysiaCommonTourist market overchargingA trader asks a visitor for an inflated price. At Ipoh's Central Market, a trader may try to charge more even when a price is clearly displayed.Ipoh, Malacca
- MalaysiaCommonFake antiquesNew items are made to look old and sold as antiques. Many items described as more than a hundred years old are actually new. Prices can also be very high.Malacca
- MalaysiaOccasionalFake positive reviewsMade-up positive reviews raise a business's average score. This can make an unreliable seller look trustworthy.
- MalaysiaOccasionalCounterfeit branded goodsFake branded goods are sold in the market. Their presence does not mean every seller falsely claims they are genuine, but a brand name alone is no proof of authenticity.Kuala Lumpur
- ChinaVery commonFake antiquesA seller presents a modern item as an antique. Most supposed antiques offered to visitors are fakes, even when they look convincing.
- ChinaCommonStudent or artist exhibition invitationsSomeone posing as a student or artist invites you to an exhibition. Once there, you face pressure to buy expensive items.Beijing
- ChinaCommonFake branded goods and copied mediaFake brand-name goods are widely available. Most music or software CDs and DVDs are unauthorised copies. You can lose money if you pay for these believing they are genuine.
- NetherlandsCommonOld flower bulbs sold to visitorsFlower bulbs sold at the market are usually too old to grow. Visitors may only discover the problem after taking them home.Amsterdam
- PolandCommonAirport food and souvenir markupsFood and souvenirs cost much more at the airport than in the city centre. This is a price trap rather than a described fraud.Katowice
- CanadaCommonMisleading claims about locally made souvenirsSouvenirs and crafts are marketed as typically Quebecois, but the small print often says they were made in China. A local-looking design does not mean an item was made locally.Quebec City
- CanadaCommonTourist-shop maple syrup markupsTourist shops can charge much more for maple syrup. In Ottawa, a bottle at the farmers' market can cost half as much as the same bottle in a souvenir shop. In Quebec City, small glass bottles in tourist shops carry a premium, while larger plastic bottles in supermarkets offer better value. A clearly displayed high price is not, by itself, fraud.Ottawa, Quebec City
- VietnamCommonHigher tourist prices and unclear market chargesSellers quote higher prices to visitors and expect bargaining. At Ben Thanh Market, the quoted amount, currency or exchange rate used for change may be left unclear. A high opening price alone does not mean the goods are fake.Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang
Reviewed by @snuck