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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Vix
Joined: 18 Jun 2010
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:17 am Post subject: |
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My fail-safe methods so far:
1. Make friends with some Koreans and take them with you nights out.
2. Learn enough Korean to ask how much it will be before you get in.
3. If the driver goes the long way text your scary-looking k-bf from the car and tell him to meet you and pay  |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:22 am Post subject: |
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I've been in Korea for several years now and have only been scammed twice by taxi drivers. The scam worked the same way both times. It was at night. The meter was around 12,000 won. I handed the taxi driver(s) 15,000 won from the backseat. The taxi driver quickly exchanged the 10,000 won note for a 1,000 won note and claimed that I made a mistake. This was NOT a mistake because both times I didn't have a 1,000 won note. The end result was that I had to pony up another 10,000 won note.
If this happens to you, take a picture of the taxi driver's information that is displayed above the glove box and have a Korean friend call the cab company to file a complaint.
To avoid this happening at all, pay with T-money or a credit card every time.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? |
This has happened to me too. You're not alone. I argued with the guy and got my money back when I figured out what was happening. I was picked up in Itaewon. I tried to take a photo of his ID card but it was out of focus and the police couldn't help.
The driver who did it to me had a blue light in his cab instead of a standard light.
Good work on spreading the word on this con. Be careful folks. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Seoulman69 wrote: |
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I've been in Korea for several years now and have only been scammed twice by taxi drivers. The scam worked the same way both times. It was at night. The meter was around 12,000 won. I handed the taxi driver(s) 15,000 won from the backseat. The taxi driver quickly exchanged the 10,000 won note for a 1,000 won note and claimed that I made a mistake. This was NOT a mistake because both times I didn't have a 1,000 won note. The end result was that I had to pony up another 10,000 won note.
If this happens to you, take a picture of the taxi driver's information that is displayed above the glove box and have a Korean friend call the cab company to file a complaint.
To avoid this happening at all, pay with T-money or a credit card every time.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? |
This has happened to me too. You're not alone. I argued with the guy and got my money back when I figured out what was happening. I was picked up in Itaewon. I tried to take a photo of his ID card but it was out of focus and the police couldn't help.
The driver who did it to me had a blue light in his cab instead of a standard light.
Good work on spreading the word on this con. Be careful folks. |
This happens alot. Make sure you say to them the name of the bills as you give it to them- even if you are drunk. I lost a O-man from that scam  |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:33 am Post subject: |
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| T-J wrote: |
If you're coming to Korea, you will find the biggest taxi rip off in the country right off the bat.
The taxis at the Inchon airport.
They will try to gouge you for 80 or even 100 thousand Won for the ride into Seoul.
The secret is to find a Seoul taxi, should run you between 40 and 50 thousand. They are usually found toward the rear of the taxi que.
Enjoy your visit.
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Avoid taxis at Incheon airport. You won't know which ones are legit or not. Many will speak to you in English and charge you an outrageous rate. Ask for the limousine bus into Seoul instead. The info desk at the airport will give you the info you need. They start at 7 am in the morning and run every 10 to 15 minutes. |
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earthquakez
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:48 am Post subject: |
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Unfortunately the poor image of Korean taxi drivers is generally deserved. Too many of them have a Third World mentality of cheating the Korean version of the 'Gringo' in South America - and that is the Waygugin in Korea.
I am a bloke and I have heard many times from female friends and acquaintances in Korea of how they were ripped off and couldn't do anything about it. Nice fellows these Korean taxi drivers - they are cowards who know they can get away with cheating a female as she is less likely to complain and know how to cope with their scumbag behaviour.
Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. It's not just about Korean ability - I know a woman who worked in Mokpo, spoke enough and wrote enough Korean to make it very clear where she wanted to go and she got ripped off enough times there by behaviour that ran the gamut from keeping the meter on in heavy traffic where the drivers just sat there clocking up money despite her questioning it in Korean and another case where taxi drivers did shameful scams like sitting outside her apartment while pretending to look up where she wanted to go and keeping the meter running then demanding payment although the taxi hadn't gone anywhere. 
She had to get out after paying 2,000 won clocked up. She had given the drivers the addresess in Hangeul and the places she was going to were well known in Mokpo.
Never buy the lie that they don't understand you when you have limited Korean. A written address courtesy of a Korean is enough, many of the places we want to go to are well known, and remember many of them have GPS in the taxi. In places like Mokpo there are too many 'taxis' that are just privately owned cars - they have no stickers on the windows advertising interpretion services and no driver ID. Sometimes the drivers are ex-prisoners and you understand why they ended up there in the first place.
Another bad case I heard of directly from a woman was about a taxi driver in Seoul who sat in a heavy traffic jam and clocked up about 35,000 won worth of a ride that normally should have cost around 10,000 won from where she hailed the taxi. She had come back to Korea for a brief holiday and to find a recruiter after finishing her contract in Seoul a few months before. This scumbag had the gall to keep the meter running at the hotel while she got out to have her bags taken from the boot, and when she said something, he said it was okay, he wouldn't charge her the extra money. It was a 'service'.  What a disgraceful conman.
She should have gone to part of the Seoul Tourist office (don't know exactly where the section is but have heard of it) where you can lodge complaints about ill treatment or being ripped off in Seoul. The Tourist authority takes these kinds of scummy actions very seriously as it hurts Seoul's and Korea's image so don't hesitate to go there if something like that happens. Even if you are working in Korea. They are aware of the rotten behaviour of too many taxi drivers.
Even as a bloke, a lot of the time the driver goes the long way. I speak good Korean but that doesn't always help as you are up against some drivers who will turn around and try to make false charges against you for pointing out politely but assertively that they are trying to get more money out of you or running the meter when stuck in traffic. It's no coincidence that this has never happened when hanging out with my Korean friend. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:00 am Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
| Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. |
They're well within their rights to do this and would be foolish not to. |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:12 am Post subject: |
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This happens alot. Make sure you say to them the name of the bills as you give it to them- even if you are drunk. I lost a O-man from that scam Embarassed |
No need to be embarassed. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. So long as you learned the lesson and let your friends know so they wouldn't be fooled you've done fine.  |
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gobbledygook
Joined: 18 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| we thought we'd only see taxi scams in China. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| earthquakez wrote: |
| Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. |
They're well within their rights to do this and would be foolish not to. |
yeah if traffic is going under (i think) 20 kph then it runs at 100 won every 40 odd seconds of sitting in traffic so that parts legit |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
Unfortunately the poor image of Korean taxi drivers is generally deserved. Too many of them have a Third World mentality of cheating the Korean version of the 'Gringo' in South America - and that is the Waygugin in Korea.
I am a bloke and I have heard many times from female friends and acquaintances in Korea of how they were ripped off and couldn't do anything about it. Nice fellows these Korean taxi drivers - they are cowards who know they can get away with cheating a female as she is less likely to complain and know how to cope with their scumbag behaviour.
Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. It's not just about Korean ability - I know a woman who worked in Mokpo, spoke enough and wrote enough Korean to make it very clear where she wanted to go and she got ripped off enough times there by behaviour that ran the gamut from keeping the meter on in heavy traffic where the drivers just sat there clocking up money despite her questioning it in Korean and another case where taxi drivers did shameful scams like sitting outside her apartment while pretending to look up where she wanted to go and keeping the meter running then demanding payment although the taxi hadn't gone anywhere.
She had to get out after paying 2,000 won clocked up. She had given the drivers the addresess in Hangeul and the places she was going to were well known in Mokpo.
Never buy the lie that they don't understand you when you have limited Korean. A written address courtesy of a Korean is enough, many of the places we want to go to are well known, and remember many of them have GPS in the taxi. In places like Mokpo there are too many 'taxis' that are just privately owned cars - they have no stickers on the windows advertising interpretion services and no driver ID. Sometimes the drivers are ex-prisoners and you understand why they ended up there in the first place.
Another bad case I heard of directly from a woman was about a taxi driver in Seoul who sat in a heavy traffic jam and clocked up about 35,000 won worth of a ride that normally should have cost around 10,000 won from where she hailed the taxi. She had come back to Korea for a brief holiday and to find a recruiter after finishing her contract in Seoul a few months before. This scumbag had the gall to keep the meter running at the hotel while she got out to have her bags taken from the boot, and when she said something, he said it was okay, he wouldn't charge her the extra money. It was a 'service'. What a disgraceful conman.
She should have gone to part of the Seoul Tourist office (don't know exactly where the section is but have heard of it) where you can lodge complaints about ill treatment or being ripped off in Seoul. The Tourist authority takes these kinds of scummy actions very seriously as it hurts Seoul's and Korea's image so don't hesitate to go there if something like that happens. Even if you are working in Korea. They are aware of the rotten behaviour of too many taxi drivers.
Even as a bloke, a lot of the time the driver goes the long way. I speak good Korean but that doesn't always help as you are up against some drivers who will turn around and try to make false charges against you for pointing out politely but assertively that they are trying to get more money out of you or running the meter when stuck in traffic. It's no coincidence that this has never happened when hanging out with my Korean friend. |
I have had maybe 2 bad experiences, and one was a pretty bad one. Over all, taxi drivers have been decent. One complaint I have is some would go a certain route when I want to go to work that would get me stuck in traffic longer, which annoyed me. I just don't know enough Korean to tell the cab driver to go the other route. I just took a cab today, and I wish he was stopped by the cops because he ran several red lights and was driving so fast I didn't feel safe and a loaf of bread I brought with me from Seoul fell out of my bag. Luckily, I have two other loaves. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
Unfortunately the poor image of Korean taxi drivers is generally deserved. Too many of them have a Third World mentality of cheating the Korean version of the 'Gringo' in South America - and that is the Waygugin in Korea.
I am a bloke and I have heard many times from female friends and acquaintances in Korea of how they were ripped off and couldn't do anything about it. Nice fellows these Korean taxi drivers - they are cowards who know they can get away with cheating a female as she is less likely to complain and know how to cope with their scumbag behaviour.
Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. It's not just about Korean ability - I know a woman who worked in Mokpo, spoke enough and wrote enough Korean to make it very clear where she wanted to go and she got ripped off enough times there by behaviour that ran the gamut from keeping the meter on in heavy traffic where the drivers just sat there clocking up money despite her questioning it in Korean and another case where taxi drivers did shameful scams like sitting outside her apartment while pretending to look up where she wanted to go and keeping the meter running then demanding payment although the taxi hadn't gone anywhere.
She had to get out after paying 2,000 won clocked up. She had given the drivers the addresess in Hangeul and the places she was going to were well known in Mokpo.
Never buy the lie that they don't understand you when you have limited Korean. A written address courtesy of a Korean is enough, many of the places we want to go to are well known, and remember many of them have GPS in the taxi. In places like Mokpo there are too many 'taxis' that are just privately owned cars - they have no stickers on the windows advertising interpretion services and no driver ID. Sometimes the drivers are ex-prisoners and you understand why they ended up there in the first place.
Another bad case I heard of directly from a woman was about a taxi driver in Seoul who sat in a heavy traffic jam and clocked up about 35,000 won worth of a ride that normally should have cost around 10,000 won from where she hailed the taxi. She had come back to Korea for a brief holiday and to find a recruiter after finishing her contract in Seoul a few months before. This scumbag had the gall to keep the meter running at the hotel while she got out to have her bags taken from the boot, and when she said something, he said it was okay, he wouldn't charge her the extra money. It was a 'service'. What a disgraceful conman.
She should have gone to part of the Seoul Tourist office (don't know exactly where the section is but have heard of it) where you can lodge complaints about ill treatment or being ripped off in Seoul. The Tourist authority takes these kinds of scummy actions very seriously as it hurts Seoul's and Korea's image so don't hesitate to go there if something like that happens. Even if you are working in Korea. They are aware of the rotten behaviour of too many taxi drivers.
Even as a bloke, a lot of the time the driver goes the long way. I speak good Korean but that doesn't always help as you are up against some drivers who will turn around and try to make false charges against you for pointing out politely but assertively that they are trying to get more money out of you or running the meter when stuck in traffic. It's no coincidence that this has never happened when hanging out with my Korean friend. |
I think the meter stays on when you're in the car whether there's traffic or not. This is the norm in Canada. Try to take a taxi when there is not peak traffic. You're not getting ripped off. But taking the long way around is. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| earthquakez wrote: |
| Common examples are long, roundabout ways of getting to places and keeping the meter running while the car isn't moving - in heavy traffic for exaple. |
They're well within their rights to do this and would be foolish not to. |
yeah if traffic is going under (i think) 20 kph then it runs at 100 won every 40 odd seconds of sitting in traffic so that parts legit |
Yeah, if you're in a cab, the meter is going to be running. I don't get earthquakez's post: the driver is supposed to turn the meter off while you sit in bumper to bumper traffic and waste his time? |
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wintermute
Joined: 01 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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Some good stories and tips.
Yes, ripoffs can happen, but it is not that common, certainly not common enough to justify a hostile attitude to cab drivers in general.
For the sake of your peace of mind and quality of life, i would urge everyone to remember that most drivers are good, the cab fare is actually quite cheap, so be nice to your driver and round the fare up if they did their job.
In my experience, I have never been ripped off, but I have seen a foreigner wrongly get pissed off and throw money at a taxi driver who took a detour that was in fact a short cut to avoid traffic. 
If you do get in a rip-off situation, stay calm, consider that you may be mistaken, remember the cost is not that great, and remember the taxi drivers who were good to you. It's probably not worth letting it disturb you.
Speaking of which, anyone have any good taxi driver stories?
Recently I took a cab to a destination I couldn't name, but along a route I knew. The female taxi driver was very patient with my directions, which I appreciated. Usually taxi drivers seem a bit irritated when you want them to drive without them knowing the destination (probably because they worry about getting blamed if something goes wrong). |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Ruthdes wrote: |
| Speaking decent taxi Korean is definitely a big must for avoiding rip offs, but I'm surprised that know one has specifically said having a good idea of where you are. |
It's very helpful, particularly for the smaller scams where going a certain route guarantees like a 2k-4k won higher fare, but you should have fairly good knowledge of the roads generally to bust them on it. This comes mainly from experience.
I've taken cabs from Hongdae to HBC numerous times, so I know my preferred route, the preferred route of drivers, and the rip-off route (which is honestly not good for their vehicles, as the road is very steep). I generally don't say anything, or do a preemptive strike by asking the driver to take the Namsan ring road.
One time going from Hongdae to HBC, the driver was about to blow by the entrance for the rip-off route so I asked him where he was going. He said the expressway.
Anyway, point is, Seoul can be a pain to navigate as it is, so it'll take time to build up this knowledge to call taxi driver bluffs like that. |
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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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One thing I do miss about Korea are the taxi drivers. They have come a long, long way since back in the 90's when I think it was a lot more common to get ripped off. Although when I was in Jeju, I didn't get ripped off once during the one year that I stayed there.
The three times I got ripped off where all in Seoul and they all included taking the scenic route. One guy insisted that I take the long route so that he could show me his beautiful country. When I said no, and told him to let me out, he called me cheap charlie and drove off.
Onother time I was with my sponsor and this guy took the long way and when I came back to the cab, my sponsor had the taxi jacked up against the car threatening to punch him. I later learned the reason why.
Taxis are a great source of cheap transportation that we don't have the luxury of using back in the states. Even for all of the rip offs, we have still all saved a lot more money than we would have spent back in our home contries - assuming your from the west.
Korean Taxis......fighting!!! |
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