West Lake's Black Guides: Can't *Anyone* Shut These Scammers Down?!
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My mom and I signed up for this tour. I used to study in Hangzhou and have been to West Lake many times, but my parents had this almost obsessive desire to see it, so I took my mom. It was a group tour, 100 RMB per person. We didn't even start until 10 AM. First, we had a boat tour of West Lake – we didn't get off, just a quick trip around the lake, and it was over pretty fast. Next, we briefly saw the scenery at the Impression West Lake show venue, and that was it before we were rushed off to lunch. Lunch was 35 RMB each, and the food seemed alright, actually quite a decent deal. Then, they took us for a tea tasting. They kept pushing how it could lower uric acid and all sorts of other health benefits. One elderly couple in our group ended up spending 10,000 RMB on a huge pile of tea! Though, of course, that's up to individual choice. After that, we went to Lingyin Temple, but we had to pay our own entrance fee, which didn't feel very worth it. Overall, it felt like we were constantly on the move or waiting to assemble. Plus, Hangzhou gets really congested on weekends, so it was just exhausting.
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Let me be clear: I wasn't the one who wanted to book this tour. My mom thought it was a good deal because it was cheap.
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It's no use. I used to volunteer at Lakeside, and even though I was holding a sign clearly warning people 'Don't trust one-day tours,' I still had to watch helplessly as a large family followed an unlicensed guide. The deals these guides verbally offer are just too enticing for out-of-town visitors.
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I didn't see any warnings either. If I had, my parents wouldn't have been so impulsive. I feel so bad for them – they'd hesitate over a milk tea costing a dozen or so RMB, but they splurged on tea at 1200 RMB per jin without batting an eye.
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Those unlicensed tour guides aren't even locals. I'm a local, and one day, because I was wearing a backpack, one of them—speaking with an Anhui accent—stopped me to ask if I wanted a West Lake one-day tour. My home is right beside West Lake, why would I need a tour? So I asked her if the tour included 'Golden Drum Cave' and 'Silver Drum Cave.' She'd obviously never heard of them. I told her I wouldn't join if those weren't on the itinerary, and she just slunk away.
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Let me tell you something: the woman who solicited us right after we got off the bus was local, the tour guide was local, and so was the person collecting the money. Both the guide and the woman said they were locals. Plus, I grew up and went to school in Zhejiang, so I know the accents. I could tell where everyone on our boat was from just by their accents.
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You should call 12345 to report this.
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Okay, I'll report it then.
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Currently on the 'getting scammed' leg of the tour, at the tea shop.
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Same place/company for me too!
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My complaint was successful!
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Congrats!
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That's why you should never just go for the cheapest option. Our official, customized guide services are 800 RMB a day for a pure sightseeing experience with no shopping stops.
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Seriously? Tell me, what at West Lake would even cost 800 RMB? If you exclude Songcheng Park, do the paid attractions even add up to more than 200 RMB?
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I've been to West Lake countless times, through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. You really don't need to join a tour at all...
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The ones who get ripped off are usually middle-aged and elderly tourists from out of town who are on short trips. They don't know how to plan their own itinerary, aren't familiar with the area, are scared of scams, and opt for these tours for convenience. Our entire bus was filled with such tourists, mostly aged 40-60; I was the only younger person.
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I just finished one of these tours today, and the whole routine was identical. I managed not to buy any tea, but when we went to 'pay respects at the temple,' I couldn't get out of buying a bouquet of flowers.
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Exactly, right?
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Getting scammed as we speak.
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And there's the incense offering too!