If someone would have told me yeaterday that I'd be writting this today I would have said they were nuts! But here I am in a strange position. My husband is on his way back from a buisness trip to China. He has been gone a week and nothing in the past week has been suspicious. Yesterday on his way home he had a day lay over in Shangai. I called and woke him up as he had asked and told me he planned to do some shopping (for me and our children) to fill his day. Of course I was worried about his saftey (only his second time to China and real first time venturing out)he assured me he would stay close to the hotel. I called him late (day time his time) and wanted to talk before I went to bed...Here is where it gets strange He informed me he was in a tea house (he is 33 yrs. old) with 3 strangers (2 females one male late twenties) that had approaced him outside his hotel and wanted to walk with him. I of course said are you nuts!! He said he would call me back later. An hour later he called. Saying these strangers had taken his picture, and befriended him. They took him to a tea house which was very formal. TO make a long story short, he realized at the hotel he paid the entire bill ($215.00) for the tea and was asked by the single female out the group for his e-mail! He gave it to her!!! I was shocked, first that he'd go sight seeing and have a formal tea with perfect strangers in a forgein place, but at the end to give out his e-mail to a single girl? Only after several angry calls and nermous questions did he admit the giving of his e-mail?
Is this normal behavior? Are people in China this friendly? He says he believes that they told the woman who charged them to split the bill and she just made a mistake and that they did not rip him off? Does this sound suspicious? Giving your e-mail to some CHinese woman? I have no idea what to think??? Please help!!!! I hear Chinese woman are very aggresive.
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Totty
19 yrs ago
I was in Shanghai with friends, ther were 2 men, 2 women and 5 kids all walking together in Nanjing Road.
Single woman comes up to the two blokes whilst holding their childrens hands and blatantly says ' you two wanna come with me for good time', i literally dropped my ice-cream, i was standing a foot behind my husband when she said this.
I wouldn't read too much into this, he's probably realised what a fool he was going to tea with these strangers, then being stung for the bill and then giving out his email.
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Thanks so much. All my friends have said going along, is strange, but giving his e-mail? He says he just wanted to go, I say he could have given a bogus address or said he didn't have one, something doesn't seem right...He says she never even flirted...It seems like in everything I've read, prostitution is not a big deal in that country.She supposidly knew he was married,had 5 children, if she e-mails,I think something is definatly up. Thanks again.
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KDF76
19 yrs ago
Hi there,
I was in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago and was wandering around looking at the sights when the exact same thing happened to me. I too think I ended up paying the entire bill even though I asked to split it, but how did I know - they spoke Chinese and I didn't. Anyway no harm was done and I put it all down to the experience.
They also took a photo and I grabbed one of them and we exchanged emails but I've never heard from them.
I would not worry about it - tea houses are a big thing in Shanghai and it's a cool experience to sit through a formal ceremony.
He got ripped off for sure (as I did) but I wouldn't put it down to anything more than that.
My husband had a huge laugh when I told him about my teahouse adventure.
Hope this puts your mind at rest.
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zalca
19 yrs ago
at least he told you! maybe he wanted a bit of attention. men are strange. anyway, there's no real harm done. just make sure he knows to be more careful! and let it go :)
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dss
19 yrs ago
More of a rip off in terms of footing their tea.
In Shanghai, the "gals" are pretty bold. I encountered this 3x - in Nanjing street and also in front of our hotel, they had the cheek to ask my husband whether he need company. The 3rd occasion was when a male colleague(first trip in China) was approached when he was taking photos and I was just a ft away.
Be careful not to open hotel room's door without checking, as some of the local hotels close an eye on the presence of these "gals", who will go knocking on the hotel rooms & refusing to leave. If possible, select the international chain of hotels. I find them more stringent in security for the above.
It is pretty safe to move around, just be cautious and keep to the main roads and take registered taxi.
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This is a VERY well known issue/problem in Shanghai alone! i AM SURPRISED you or he had not read about it from Lonely Planet or someone hear telling you about it. I am American,and I lived in Canton (Guangzhou) for five years and I ALWAYS heard these stories about the "Tea Girls"...usually it happens in the bars, and the guest gets cohersed into coming into a place they don't know and before they know it, they get charged a bill for several hundred dollars. Hence the name "Shanghaied". NOW the big ploy are college students; it will always envolve a pair of lovely girls in all cases (as mentioned above--they get a percentage) who will envite a tourist into a restaurant in the DAY TIME! They are getting clever. I have yet to hear of this happening in Canton or Beijing, but there is something that has been happening in Canton lately.
A friend of mine, a businessman who lived there longer than me and spoke the language even, got invited by a stranger, a MAN to join him and a few friends for a massage (in the day time). He said he would pay the bill, etc.
They end up at a place where they lead you into private cubicles (no doors, just a curtain) for two people or so. My friend went into one cubicle with one of his friends, while the stranger occupied another.
After a two hour massage, the two friends had dozed off (It is very possible their tea was spiked, but the massage alone would put anyone to sleep) and when they woke up, all their belongings were gone!
This is a fairly new ploy, but the "tea girls in Shanghai" are notorious.
Suggest to your husband before he travels ANYWHERE in the world to not be a total sod and do some reading first!
Cheers!
Michael
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mazza
19 yrs ago
Hi,
We just returned from a weekend in Shanghai and after reading other people's post's here I think that we may have been a part of the teahouse scam!
My partner and I were taking in the view's of the Pearl Tower when three students (1 guy and 2 girl's) approached us and started talking with us.
Before we knew it our new found friends took us to a traditional tea ceremony, something they told us only happens every three years.
We were then hit with a hefty $230 AUD tea bill (which was apparently our half). The student's told us they too thought it was expensive but I did at least enjoy the tea ceremony.
The students took our photo and we exchanged emails, a little strange if they were just out to rip us off.
I guess we were silly and too trusting but hey it's a learning experience.
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wow, AUD230???!!! they are pretty aggressive, aren't they?
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KDF76
19 yrs ago
Mazza,
Your students weren't from Bejing and on a group excursion to Shanghai as part of their university were they? - you were definately ripped off - my bill was about AUD$200 and I was told they were students also and I got the same story about the once in 3 year crap to. They picked me up outside the Museum - Like I said in my post above - I've put it down to the experience - even if it was an expensive one. It seemed so real at the time until I got the bill and I started to think it a bit fishy.
:)
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kk11
18 yrs ago
ha ha!! this tread has given me a giggle! After receiving a bill for AUD 2000 (in Shanghai!!)''I started to think it was a bit fishy''. Thank goodness there remain such nice innocent people in the world.
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He's a foreigner. He was a walking wallet to the female and her friends.
He gave his email most foolishly. No doubt she wants more out of him. Money.
It's not that mainland Chinese are bad, it's that most have not been taught any sort of religion or values.
It's like pure capitalism in a moral vacuum. Don't judge them by it, it's a product of cultural revolution meets 21st century materialism.
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Tea can easily run 10 dollars per cup -- US dollars.
50-70 rmb per cup is not that odd in tourist places.
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sounds like the tea ceremony is interesting. can you tell me what it is? is it more than just having tea?
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Yes, I can't figure out why going out for tea is so special and expensive that you would need to con a tourist into paying for it. Does this tea get you high?
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In China, one important thing parents tell kids is you should never talk to a stranger when family/teacher are not around. For adult, talking to a stranger is fine, but following them to somewhere, I still think it is pretty strange, in China or any where else.
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I hate to admit it, but I was the victim of this scam in Beijing two years ago! I was coming out of the Forbidden City, along with dozens (hundreds?) of others, mostly Chinese. Two girls happened to be close by when someone came up trying to sell us all something. They shooed him away, then exchanged a typical "common cause" glance with me (i.e. "can't get away from them, eh?"). They appeared to be just tourists like me. One asked me a question in English to break the ice and the conversation flowed.
Pretty soon we were walking together through Tian'an'men Square, with them acting as pseudo tour guides. This led into an interesting old section of town opposite the square. Here, they claimed to be very tired and in need of some tea. They invited me to join them and the rest is the same as the stories above.
I didn't even realise I'd been scammed until I was outside the Forbidden City about a week later and was again approached by a couple (not two girls this time). Their icebreaker was similar, but they weren't nearly as smooth and I got away quick, only to have another two girls on me a minute later. I looked around and realised there were dozens of the twosomes all over the place, coming out of the FC looking for all the world like typical Chinese tourists!
I'm afraid it gave me a bad impression of Beijing, not so much that it happened, but the shear magnitude of it, the number of people involved in this one place. The next trip to China, I was mostly in Chengdu (and other places east of their, including a trip into a small, privately owned coal mine). Compared to Beijing, that place is heaven.
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my husband & our children was in China for vacation we did experienced that kind of approach a group of young girls & one of them did not want to leave as rather interested in talking tomy husband. This way the girls earn money & i look like they are frustitute approaching man from the street asking if tey want to have a good time. Man need to be very careful in dealing with them bec. HIV nowadays in China or every part of the world are getting big the amount.
The girls in China especially those works areto apprach man on the street could ruin anyone family & they doesn't care at all as long they get some money & good time from the man who also want good time. Im sure especially those msrried one they are attractive into that kind of stuff. Nothing is free of charge for them esp if you find the whole gang you gonna be in troube with them.
Its onnly begin with chinese tea then later on wil go on the big event of the night. it was not new this case for me. Make sure husband know how to take care of himself otherwise it could tranfer it to you if the big things happened next.
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Apart from the stupidity of giving away his e-mail (unless it was a 'general' address rather than private) I would be very curious about the potential use of the ptotograph particularly if he paid by credit card. (A photocan be used to claim the CC holder was there in person.
He should have taken a prostitute for tea (only) - it would have been cheaper!
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