Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ABC KID]

I went to play pool in one of the many billiard rooms around yesterday. I have played billiards in one of those places before with a Korean and I think the price was about 7,000 won per hour, albeit a couple of years back...

When I arrived with another foreigner to play pool, rather than billiards, I asked how much it would cost us for an hour. The guy working there told me 18,000 won! I was quite shocked but just assumed that the rates were higher for pool than billiards. Anyway, my friend and I decided to play but agreed we would keep it down to one hour's play...

Anyway, when it was time to pay after an hour, I thrust my bank card in to the guy's hands and he looked very surprised. He asked me if I could pay in cash. I told him I couldn't (even though I could have done if I had really wanted to). Suddenly the price went down to 10,000 won!

So what do you think? Was he foiled in an attempt to rip off some foreigners? Or was there a more innocent explanation?

[bobbyhanlon]

yes, definitely.
these guys probably make something like 5000 won per hour (or less), so the incentive is definitely there to overcharge you and pocket the difference.
when i lived in seoul, there was a family mart i used to go to pretty often.. one guy there would charge me the right price, but never ring up the sale on the till. i'm pretty sure that money was going straight into his pocket.

[Forever]

The place is obviously 10,000won per hour.

He charges foreigners 18,000won per hour in cash.

Puts 10,000won in the cash=register and 8,000won in his pocket.

He was surprised you had card - because then it all has to go in the cash register.

Because of that he could only charge you 10,000won.

After you left, he cursed and said "What stupid banks give cards to foreigners now?!"

[charliebrown84]

Haha, try telling that to a Korean co-worker and they would never believe you. I tried telling mine about sellers having a 'foreigner' price, but they looked as if I was making up some fairy tale. I guess ignorance is bliss here...

[brento1138]

Interesting. Whenever I want to buy something at an electronics or clothes market, they seem to give me a discount if I want to pay cash. When you offer them a card, the price is higher. I wonder why that is?

[crescent]

[Globutron]

Today I got some 60k sunglasses for 50k for being handsome (of course), and then used my friends discount card to get even less. With those, calligraphy stuff, a towel and some books it cost me 70k overall - cash.

[smithy]

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[Weigookin74]

Actually I would pay it one time. But, I would use 10 won and 50 won coins just to piss him off.

[danxtptrnrth]

Got another example of getting ripped off.
My girlfriend and I went into a little mom and pop to get a bottle of lemon soju. As my girlfriend went to pay, I was still milling around the other sojus and beers. I heard my girlfriend ask how much and the the shop owner told her 4500 won for one bottle. I immediately ran over with another bottle that was marked 1500 and started pointing at the sticker. All of a sudden that 4500 won bottle went back down to the original price of 1500.
I know not exactly 18000, but the point is the same. Stupid waygooks don't know any better so I can charge whatever I want.
The funny thing is that this was honestly the first time in two years of being in Korea, that I was blatantly overcharged for something.

[Seoulio]

[carleverson]

That's one thing I hate about Korea, store owners / workers charge whatever they want to their customers.

Ripping off customers is a source of pride in Korea and is seen as having good business sense.

I laugh every time Korea claims to be a world-class financial center.
Many Korean businesses - large and small are corrupt, lack transparency, and are just plain dishonest.

What's funny is most Koreans only regret it / are sorry when they get caught.

[madhusudan]

[madoka]