Recently I received a mail from a very good friend of mine, reading: "You probably received a message from me claiming to have used the product by jaxtr and hence recommending it to you. Well the Jaxtr agency seems to have got your address from my address book and has used it to promote its own product. This being rather unethical, I suggest you delete anything to do with Jaxtr to be safe. Sorry to have burdened you with this bit of hi tech prankism". It is nice of him to have informed me of such a fraud through his personal e:mail address. The referred mail did reach me and I did not respond to it as I knew that my friend will not recommend any such thing without asking. This is the second mail that had come to me from a known e:mail address, but asking me to do something that my friend will not ask me to do anytime.
A month ago I received a mail from a professor whom I know. That read: "I am in a hurry writing you this message, i don't have much time on the pc here, so i have to brief you my present situation which requires your urgent response. Actually, I had a trip to Malaysia for a program called "Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Asia which are Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. But unfortunately for me, my little bag where my money, phone, passport and other valuable things got stolen at the hotel where i lodged due to a robbery incident that happened in the hotel. I have been so restless since last night, the present condition that i found myself is very hard for me to explain, I am really stranded here because i have been without any money, i am even owing the hotel here as well, moreover the Hotel's telephone lines here got disconnected by the robbers and they are trying to get them fixed back. I have access to only emails at the library because they also took my cell phone which i have all my contacts. I am now owing a hotel bill of $1,500 usd and they wanted me to pay the bill soon. I need this help from you urgently to help me back home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $2,000 to feed and help myself back home. So please can you help me with a sum of $3,500 USD to sort out my problems here. I am sending you this email from the city Library, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return home. So please go ahead and send the money to me through Western Union money transfer because that is the only way i could be able to get it fast and leave. These are the details below....
Name: Dr............
Address: ... Jalan Loke Yew, Bandar Melaka, Malaysia
After you have send the money, email to me the western union money transfer control number or you can attach and forward to me the western union money transfer receipt so that i can pick up the money fast and leave.
Hope to hear from you soon. The embassy here has already promised to give me a covering traveling papers that i will need to have my way back home, all i need right now is the money to settle up the bills and leave.
Thanks and get back to me soon."
On seeing the mail I smelt the "rat"...the numbers did not match. The language was not the Professor's. Something was "fishy".
These kinds appear to be new frauds in the net (or am I getting exposed to them rather late ?); we are of course used to "winning lottery", "your account number for depositing millions of dollars", etc.
Many of us would have been cheated or attempted to have been cheated. Can we share them and learn from each other?
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The Art of Haggling...........a way to relax
I have been thinking of writing this blog post for quite sometime, ever since my colleagues and I were taken to the Great Wall of China near Beijing by our hosts on 19 April, 2009. After many failed attempts, knowing fully well that I cannot capture the spirit of what I wanted to share, something “(mis)adventerous” in me has pushed me to write this blog post now…..
“You look handsome”
“This will fit you nice”
“Cheap !!!! you get three for 50”
“Write your name; this is my name. Buy when you come back”
“I will wait for you; you will get the best prices”
There were so many surrounding us trying to sell anything and everything available in their shops; some were quiet…probably they did not know that much of English !!!!
We (self and my colleagues from Europe) were at the entrance to the Great Wall of China near Beijing …..one of the wonders of the world stretching over 8800 KM which was built between the 5th century BC and the 16th Century AD. …
On both sides of the path leading to the entrance to the Great Wall there are many shops selling mementoes, shirts, paintings, brass items etc….you cannot move forward without being touched and stopped by the girls, boys, women and men trying to sell their goods to you.
After visiting the Great Wall of China and moving around (or on) the wall for over a couple of hours it was time for us to return to Beijing.
That is when the whole “fun” started.
“What is the price of this chopstick pack?”
“300 Yuan”
“Oh! It is too costly”
“How much will you give”
My friend was thinking for a while…he was converting the value from Euro to Yuan
“What is the lowest price you will give that for?”
“You are a nice person. Even though I make a loss, I will give you for 250 Yuan”
My colleague looked at me….I told him to offer one tenth of the quoted price.
“25 Yuan”
“Oh ! No. That is too low….last price 35 Yuan”
My friend pretended to walk away and the girl held him back…”hey…hey…I spent a lot of time to sell this to you….don’t go without buying….I will give you for 30 Yuan”
My friend was happy…he paid 30 Yuan and got the chopstick set made of bone china.
He was happy that he got it very cheap….less than 4 Euro.
We walked to the next shop…here the haggling started again for T-shirts…with “I walked on the Great Wall” written on it.
“How much for this T-shirt”
“100 Yuan”
“But someone is giving four for 50 Yuan down there”
“Hey…you want to buy….I will give you a special price…..two for 50 Yuan”
Haggling continued for over 10 minutes, the seller somehow trying to push the T-shirt to my friend and my friend trying to reduce the price as much as possible….finally settled for “3 for 50 Yuan”. He was quite happy again; he got three T-shirts for less than 10 Euro !!
The whole haggling took more than 45 minutes…..I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation…each one trying to outsmart the other…without hurting each other. It was full of joy for my colleagues…a lot of laughter after a strenuous week with long days behind us. A real stress reliever !!!
We decided that was enough and started moving…..
The next shop….my friend saw the chopstick pack….”What is the price?”
“20 Yuan …….you are a nice person….so this is a special price for you”…….my friend almost fainted.
But…now we know….
“What is the price for this”
“200 Yuan”
“5 Yuan?”
“You are a nice person…I want to sell this to you…50 Yuan last price”
“No. I don’t want”
I started walking away….she packed the memento, held me back and said, “ I don’t want you to go without this memento. I give you a very special price….20 Yuan”
…I kept on walking…”15 Yuan”…..”12 Yuan”……”10 Yuan” by the time we had already walked about 50 metres. “This is too much of a haggling”, I thought….”OK. take 10 Yuan and give me the memento”….I was happy that I got something worth the money!!!!
Walking down a few feet….I met this guy with the “same” memento….”very cheap sir…only for you….one dollar”…..Aha….always there is someone who ensures that your joy of buying something cheap is short-lived!!!
“Hey…you wrote your name. I was waiting for you. Here are the two T-shirts for 50 Yuan that you agreed to buy”
“No. Thanks. I got four for 50 Yuan…and I don’t need anymore”
“I am waiting for you. You cheated me….buy something from me….you wrote your name too”
This emotional black-mail continued till we reached our car and drove away.
Not only at the Great Wall, but also at the Forbidden City and the Silk Street, my friends enjoyed the haggling and indeed we were offered “Rolex” watches for 10 Yuans and “designer Suits” for 100 Yuans….(we know someone would have got them for 5 Yuans and 50 Yuans respectively!!!).
That Sunday was not forgettable….Great Wall…..Great Palace…..Great People…..and after all Great Time !!!!
It rubbed on us when we were in Singapore…..
”What is the price?”
“2800 dollars”
”That is too much”
” we can give you for 2000 dollars….OK…for you, especially because you have been referred by ….Mr……., 1900 dollars”
”I don’t have that much money”
”Don’t worry we take credit cards….you won’t get this cheap anywhere in the world. Don’t miss the opportunity”
”I can give you only 1400 dollar”
”OK…that is a deal”
I was happy that I negotiated a good price....and got rid of all the Singapore dollars I have been holding for more than a year
Returning to the hotel I searched for the product price in Amazon…..the best price 600 dollar!!!!!!
Have I been cheated?....I don’t know….
Moral of the story: Haggle only when the stakes are low
“You look handsome”
“This will fit you nice”
“Cheap !!!! you get three for 50”
“Write your name; this is my name. Buy when you come back”
“I will wait for you; you will get the best prices”
There were so many surrounding us trying to sell anything and everything available in their shops; some were quiet…probably they did not know that much of English !!!!
We (self and my colleagues from Europe) were at the entrance to the Great Wall of China near Beijing …..one of the wonders of the world stretching over 8800 KM which was built between the 5th century BC and the 16th Century AD. …
On both sides of the path leading to the entrance to the Great Wall there are many shops selling mementoes, shirts, paintings, brass items etc….you cannot move forward without being touched and stopped by the girls, boys, women and men trying to sell their goods to you.
After visiting the Great Wall of China and moving around (or on) the wall for over a couple of hours it was time for us to return to Beijing.
That is when the whole “fun” started.
“What is the price of this chopstick pack?”
“300 Yuan”
“Oh! It is too costly”
“How much will you give”
My friend was thinking for a while…he was converting the value from Euro to Yuan
“What is the lowest price you will give that for?”
“You are a nice person. Even though I make a loss, I will give you for 250 Yuan”
My colleague looked at me….I told him to offer one tenth of the quoted price.
“25 Yuan”
“Oh ! No. That is too low….last price 35 Yuan”
My friend pretended to walk away and the girl held him back…”hey…hey…I spent a lot of time to sell this to you….don’t go without buying….I will give you for 30 Yuan”
My friend was happy…he paid 30 Yuan and got the chopstick set made of bone china.
He was happy that he got it very cheap….less than 4 Euro.
We walked to the next shop…here the haggling started again for T-shirts…with “I walked on the Great Wall” written on it.
“How much for this T-shirt”
“100 Yuan”
“But someone is giving four for 50 Yuan down there”
“Hey…you want to buy….I will give you a special price…..two for 50 Yuan”
Haggling continued for over 10 minutes, the seller somehow trying to push the T-shirt to my friend and my friend trying to reduce the price as much as possible….finally settled for “3 for 50 Yuan”. He was quite happy again; he got three T-shirts for less than 10 Euro !!
The whole haggling took more than 45 minutes…..I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation…each one trying to outsmart the other…without hurting each other. It was full of joy for my colleagues…a lot of laughter after a strenuous week with long days behind us. A real stress reliever !!!
We decided that was enough and started moving…..
The next shop….my friend saw the chopstick pack….”What is the price?”
“20 Yuan …….you are a nice person….so this is a special price for you”…….my friend almost fainted.
But…now we know….
“What is the price for this”
“200 Yuan”
“5 Yuan?”
“You are a nice person…I want to sell this to you…50 Yuan last price”
“No. I don’t want”
I started walking away….she packed the memento, held me back and said, “ I don’t want you to go without this memento. I give you a very special price….20 Yuan”
…I kept on walking…”15 Yuan”…..”12 Yuan”……”10 Yuan” by the time we had already walked about 50 metres. “This is too much of a haggling”, I thought….”OK. take 10 Yuan and give me the memento”….I was happy that I got something worth the money!!!!
Walking down a few feet….I met this guy with the “same” memento….”very cheap sir…only for you….one dollar”…..Aha….always there is someone who ensures that your joy of buying something cheap is short-lived!!!
“Hey…you wrote your name. I was waiting for you. Here are the two T-shirts for 50 Yuan that you agreed to buy”
“No. Thanks. I got four for 50 Yuan…and I don’t need anymore”
“I am waiting for you. You cheated me….buy something from me….you wrote your name too”
This emotional black-mail continued till we reached our car and drove away.
Not only at the Great Wall, but also at the Forbidden City and the Silk Street, my friends enjoyed the haggling and indeed we were offered “Rolex” watches for 10 Yuans and “designer Suits” for 100 Yuans….(we know someone would have got them for 5 Yuans and 50 Yuans respectively!!!).
That Sunday was not forgettable….Great Wall…..Great Palace…..Great People…..and after all Great Time !!!!
It rubbed on us when we were in Singapore…..
”What is the price?”
“2800 dollars”
”That is too much”
” we can give you for 2000 dollars….OK…for you, especially because you have been referred by ….Mr……., 1900 dollars”
”I don’t have that much money”
”Don’t worry we take credit cards….you won’t get this cheap anywhere in the world. Don’t miss the opportunity”
”I can give you only 1400 dollar”
”OK…that is a deal”
I was happy that I negotiated a good price....and got rid of all the Singapore dollars I have been holding for more than a year
Returning to the hotel I searched for the product price in Amazon…..the best price 600 dollar!!!!!!
Have I been cheated?....I don’t know….
Moral of the story: Haggle only when the stakes are low
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