How does the taxi scam work at Luohu station in Shenzhen?
The Luohu station has a taxi area where people queue to get their taxi:
While queuing they are a few taxi drivers parked nearby that try to get customers from the queue. They claim that their taxi is metered too. Since locals typically don't take it even if the regular taxi queue is long (>30 minutes of waiting time), I think it is quite safe to assume this is a scam (= paying more than regular taxis).
However, I don't see how the scams works as typically in such scams the taxi driver would simply not use the meter and set whatever price they can milk from the customer. How does this taxi scam work? (Do they zig-zag in the city? Do they charge some ridiculous amount for baggages or other service fees? Is the meter rigged? etc.)
china taxis scams shenzhen
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
add a comment |
The Luohu station has a taxi area where people queue to get their taxi:
While queuing they are a few taxi drivers parked nearby that try to get customers from the queue. They claim that their taxi is metered too. Since locals typically don't take it even if the regular taxi queue is long (>30 minutes of waiting time), I think it is quite safe to assume this is a scam (= paying more than regular taxis).
However, I don't see how the scams works as typically in such scams the taxi driver would simply not use the meter and set whatever price they can milk from the customer. How does this taxi scam work? (Do they zig-zag in the city? Do they charge some ridiculous amount for baggages or other service fees? Is the meter rigged? etc.)
china taxis scams shenzhen
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The Luohu station has a taxi area where people queue to get their taxi:
While queuing they are a few taxi drivers parked nearby that try to get customers from the queue. They claim that their taxi is metered too. Since locals typically don't take it even if the regular taxi queue is long (>30 minutes of waiting time), I think it is quite safe to assume this is a scam (= paying more than regular taxis).
However, I don't see how the scams works as typically in such scams the taxi driver would simply not use the meter and set whatever price they can milk from the customer. How does this taxi scam work? (Do they zig-zag in the city? Do they charge some ridiculous amount for baggages or other service fees? Is the meter rigged? etc.)
china taxis scams shenzhen
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
The Luohu station has a taxi area where people queue to get their taxi:
While queuing they are a few taxi drivers parked nearby that try to get customers from the queue. They claim that their taxi is metered too. Since locals typically don't take it even if the regular taxi queue is long (>30 minutes of waiting time), I think it is quite safe to assume this is a scam (= paying more than regular taxis).
However, I don't see how the scams works as typically in such scams the taxi driver would simply not use the meter and set whatever price they can milk from the customer. How does this taxi scam work? (Do they zig-zag in the city? Do they charge some ridiculous amount for baggages or other service fees? Is the meter rigged? etc.)
china taxis scams shenzhen
china taxis scams shenzhen
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
edited 1 hour ago
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
asked 2 hours ago
Franck Dernoncourt
4,01353567
4,01353567
Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago
Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "black vehicles" at all costs.
The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will hap to apen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "black vehicles" at all costs.
The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will hap to apen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
add a comment |
It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "black vehicles" at all costs.
The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will hap to apen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
add a comment |
It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "black vehicles" at all costs.
The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will hap to apen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "black vehicles" at all costs.
The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will hap to apen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
answered 1 hour ago
xuq01
3,115623
3,115623
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
Thanks, does the perceived risk typically match the actual experience?
– Franck Dernoncourt
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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Maybe they are not licensed and thus deemed unsafe? Announcements at some airports state this reason to encourage passengers to take licensed taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
2 hours ago
@EwigeStudentin maybe, I don't remember them saying they were licensed. Though if just having no license is the issue, I'm surprised almost nobody used them even when there is a >30-minute queue. (I don't think having no license adds that much more accident/kidnapping/etc. risk?)
– Franck Dernoncourt
2 hours ago
The risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway.
– xuq01
1 hour ago
@Franck Dernoncourt, unless somebody with this specific local knowledge finds this question, it's safe to assume the usual scam techniques that are possible in a metered taxi too: overcharging due to a more pricey (night) rate, charging additional fees (e.g. for luggage), taking longer routes as you've already mentioned, providing incorrect change (e.g. by switching the bills), stealing valuables. According to Google, some areas warn their residents, not only tourists, of dangers of hopping into freelance taxis.
– Ewige Studentin
1 hour ago