taxi scams

When any body arrives at any of the major airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min and plans on catching a taxi,be very careful of %26#39;spruikers%26#39;who approach and promise a set price into the city.Make sure you are very familiar with the local currency to begin with and beware if there is also a %26#39;co driver%26#39; as well!I was scammed when they stopped at a supposed %26#39;toll%26#39;and asked for money from the driver,only to find out at my hotel no such toll existed.To be very safe on this make the driver come into the hotel reception with you before you pay him,as any potential, scam will be averted.

Jed.

Sydney

taxi scams

Good advice. Never, ever accept a taxi from someone who approaches you asking you if you want a taxi!

At Hanoi things are OK because there are 3 dedicated taxi ranks with fixed prices. In HCMC it%26#39;s an absolute shambles with no organised taxi rank, taxi touts everywhere and about 20 different taxi firms, most of them dodgy, jockeying for fares. Stick to Mai Linh or Vinataxi, ensure the meter%26#39;s working, make a note of the tax number, and ignore any BS from the driver.

Alternatively, if it%26#39;s your first time in VN, book an airport pickup with your hotel. Might cost you a bit more (usually $30-40), but worth it for peace of mind.

taxi scams

The same thing happened to us on our recent trip and I though I was so thoroughly prepared.......... but I was a bit flustered and my guard was let done and did not want to make a fuss with hubby when I felt things were not right,like the extra person getting into the car when we were in the vehicle etc.

When we were stopped at the ';toll';and asked for money I became really worried because this guy saw us drawing money at the airport etc. Lucky for us we

did not stay in an expensive hotel,had a very old mobile phone which he looked at so hopefully that made him think that we were not loaded.

Anyway that was a very scary lesson for us because we were exposed to so many things that thankfully did not happen.

They stopped a few doors down the road from our hotel and demanded much more money than was agreed on,I jumped out of the car and started pulling our bags out of the boot as my hubby negotiated payment and gave them more than we should have but were just relieved to have not come to harm.

We did settle down and thouroughly enjoyed the rest of our travel in Vietnam

When we got out the international terminal at HCMC we were approached by the same guys asking $15 to District 1, saying 100k VND tolls etc.

We made a b line to the domestic terminal.

Found a reputable taxi co logo. Stuck my head in and said $7 to District 1. He agreed and off we went.

You don%26#39;t need to go so far out of your way, but it worked for us.

Don%26#39;t pay for a hotel pick up. You could get scammed twice and still not have to pay that much.

Regards,

Shanan.

A taxi to the city center (District 1) should cost $65k VND, which is roughly ~$3-4 USD. As a foreigner who does not speak Vietnamese, expect to be ripped off. So, to make your life easy, hand the guy a $100VND bill and get out of the taxi rest assured and you gave him a generous tip.

-wdot

thejadedpalate.com/foodie-guide-to-vietnam-s鈥?/a>

Another good tip someone suggested to me recently is, when you come out of the airport, turn right, and walk up the stairs to Departures. You should then be able to grab one of the taxis dropping someone off, without being assailed by taxi touts. I%26#39;ve not tried it yet but it sounds like a good idea.

IN HCMC as you exit customs there is a money exchange and a taxi counter on your right where you can purchase a voucher for your destination. You will be escorted to your cab and avoid the crowd outside and the hassle of choosing a potential problem ride.

Wdot, I see some sense in your approach, but my problem with that is that you are giving a generous tip, rewarding someone who is trying to cheat you. Just seems like generous tips should be saved for those who have earned them through their hard work and honesty. But I do understand your angle and it does make more sense than paying even more as they are asking.

My solution has always been to try and know the prices ahead of time. Thailand is no better than Vietnam when it comes to scamming taxis and tuk tuks. We try and know the price and offer that price and they either accept or we move on to the next guy. Generally after a bit of crying they accept.

Don%26#39;t be put off travel to Vietnam but just be aware particularly if you are travelling alone or if you are female (as these thugs are so brave). One scam I fell victim to was at Hanoi airport where a woman dressed in Government Official uniform pointed frantically and excitedly to back seat of the taxi where I put my bag, all the rush and excitement was curious as it was dead quiet with no people or traffic around as I had arrived at a quiet time from a domestic flight Hue to Hanoi. To cut a long story short the driver had put a piece of foam over the meter and unveiled an 800,000 VND fair, and parked down a back ally when we arrived in Hanoi behind my hotel, with my bag in the back. As I was on my own I was pretty much stuck. I was probably ripped off about $50 US but paid up as the driver was pretty agressive and had my luggage hostage. Best thing to do if you go to Hanoi is to ask at the airport and get on a mini-bus with other tourists which stop near the lake, then get a motor bike to your hotel, they can carry your luggage on the front of the bike. Negotiate up front and offer to pay the motor bike rider well ie 40000 - 50000 VND a trip. Another good way to go is to get the hotel you%26#39;re staying to arrange the taxi. I met quite a few other people who got ripped off by cyclo and taxi drivers in Vietnam, I even saw tourists arguing with them in the street (also in Saigon). I think if a scam like the one mentioned above happens just offer to the driver to get the police involved and stand your ground, this is not that easy when your in another country but I think these Vietnamese rip off merchants are all bluff. Just remember don%26#39;t leave your bag in the back or boot of the car, and it is a long way from the airport to the city centre in Hanoi so beware the rigged or concealed meter.

Sorry to hear that it happened to you as well,as I find we are at our most vulnerable when we arrive at a destination and the currency has so many zero%26#39;s on the end of it doesn%26#39;t help!As i said always be weary if there is a %26#39;co-driver%26#39; and you get approached ...by yourself!A lesson to be learned from this for all of us unfortunately...an expensive one!

I just went to HCMC with my family in early Oct and that%26#39;s our 1st visit to Vietnam. We had no problem with taxi drivers from the moment we arrived. Just remember:

1) Vouchers are available at the airport (next to money changer when you arrive). Going to District 1 will cost you only US$8.00 for a sedan car. You will be escorted to the taxi.

2) When travelling in the city, always pick a taxi that belongs to the taxi company like Vinasun, Mae Linh ..etc which you can see the company phone number is on the door.

3) Many taxi queue up outside the hotel which the hotel staff will assist you in communicating to the driver your destination. To play safe, always bring the address of your destination along.

The golden rule when travelling in Vietnam is ';Don%26#39;t accept if anyone approach you for taxi unless it is a metered taxi owned by registered taxi company.