Published
Rhodes, GreeceTourist scam combins to know
In the old town of Rhodes, some establishments deliberately ride tourists. And there are no shortage of combins.
In the old town of the Greek island very popular with Rhodes, several restaurants and bars would use targeted tactics to defraud tourists. This is revealed by an investigation under cover by the British daily “Daily Mail”.
No price and supposedly defective card readers
According to the report, customers are attracted to the establishment by aggressive speeches. Once there, some menus do not indicate prices, and drinks are served in large glasses presented as “the smallest option” – for example, beer boots in a liter or huge cocktail cuts. When asked for explanations, the servers answer that it is “normal”. In a case, 66 euros (around 62 Swiss francs) were billed for a beer and a cocktail.
Another example: card payment is refused under the pretext of “technical problems”. Customers are then invited to use one of the many automatic tickets for nearby tickets. The bill is often written by hand, not detailed and sometimes exclusively in Greek.
Hidden name, concealed brand
It is particularly striking to note that establishments badly rated online constantly change by name or simply give up displaying their brand. Customers are no longer able to associate negative opinions found on the Internet with a specific establishment. This tactic obviously aims to sow confusion.
“We ordered two drinks and had to pay 66 euros, without knowing beforehand how much it would cost,” British tourists told “Daily Mail”. Others reported invoices of more than 150 euros for a single tour. “They say beforehand that beer costs six euros, but in the end, the note is salty. And you can only pay in cash, ”said another customer.
Customers are made to believe that the smallest beer size is a one -liter boot – although smaller glasses are available. Price supplements are considerable.
Screenshot/Fruugo“It was not a chic restaurant”
Some tourists declared that they had inquired beforehand about the scams so as not to fall into the trap. Others, however, had a unpleasant surprise: “We paid 40 euros for a gyros, a glass of wine, water and a little bread, and it was not a chic restaurant”.
The survey shows that in the old town of Rhodes, tourists are exposed to risk of scams. If you want to manage your vacation budget, make sure that the prices are clearly displayed, require that bank cards be accepted and do not get under pressure by insistent staff.
Restaurateur tips
According to the survey, these methods were used to defraud tourists:
-
Menus without indication of price or quantity: many establishments indicate neither the price nor the size of drinks.
-
Targeted name changes: restaurants and bars with bad online assessments change their names or hide their brands in order to escape comparison with negative opinions.
-
Misleading declarations on portions: The staff claims that the establishment only serves large drinks, for example a liter of beer or cocktails served in huge glasses, even if smaller options are on the map.
-
Simulation of technical problems when paying by card: On the pretext that the card reader is defective, customers are returned to the nearest and nearest automatic distributor for paying in cash.
-
Secret signals communication: The servers discreetly exchange signs of the hand by serving, obviously to sell in a targeted manner to tourists certain products or portions.
-
Absence of unclear invoices or invoices: The addition is often missing or written exclusively in Greek, not detailed and sometimes includes errors.
-
Alcohol served without command: In several cases, alcohol was served to customers, when they had not ordered. The drinks were nevertheless invoiced.
-
Insistent staff: employees try to encourage passers -by to take place by approaching them directly or by offering them small services, such as taking photos. Once seated, customers are pushed to consumption.
-
Additional costs without notice: accompaniments such as bread or sauces are brought to the table without the customers ordered them, but are then invoiced separately, sometimes with an important supplement.
-
Confusion tactics concerning dishes and drinks: Customers receive false orders that they must nevertheless pay or are convinced to accept other products, often without indication of price.
-
Discounts only in case of cash payment: In some cases, tourists have been reported that the price was lower if they set cash – a combination that also aims to hide prices.
