Korean Job Discussion Forums

[seoulmon]

What's the least $ you've been ripped off in Korea...

For me it's 800 WON.

I use these "coupons" everytime I go out. The deal is this, you buy ten but you get one free. Well, as simple as it is, I'll be dammed if some wiley store owner hasn't figured out a way to scam a little off the top. Instead of the free sandwich, I have to buy a drink along with it.

jeeeesh!

[desultude]

Not to be contrary, (well, maybe a little ), but I feel like I get "service" everywhere I go. A little extra here and there, well it adds up. I don't remember being ripped off here. Usually even the taxi driver rounds down.

[chiaa]

220 won from the bottle return lady. Just didnt want to give me the deposit money back.


So now the wife returns the bottles...

[Wisco Kid]

200 won I put in a coffee machine that wasn't working.

[sadsac]

Never been ripped off yet, I always find I get a little extra through service.

[just because]

On the contrary, I think i do pretty well out of Korea.
This year alone
*Went to the hospital to get my eye stiched(plus all the after treatment) and something that should have cost almost 2 million ended up costing me 150 000 won. All because I said I like living in Korea when we first met(keep that in mind folks).

*Every week I go to the McDonalds near my hagwon. The mamager always gives me a free coke and fries for no reason, just because he likes me

*Was going to work one day and the taxi went the wrong way. i pointed out to him you are gong the wrong way but i think he was honestly lost. Dropped me off and didn't charge me a penny due to the inconvenience(I still give him what it would have been)

*It was pissing down rain a few weeks ago and I had to get an umbrealla, alas i had no money. The man at the shop sees my predicament and hands me an umbrella. I said in Korean I have no money. he waved me on with a no problem and gave it to me anyway. Went nack the next day and paid what it was worth plus a little extra.

That is just this year alone - 2 years ago I was in hospital again and the doctor just paid for my 4 day stay there. Wouldn't let me pay a penny. he said it was because while in the hospital I was learning Korean(i had to do something) and he was glad to see foreigners take an interest in his country.

Maybe been ripped off this year
*Once at a noreabang for 3 of us. 100 000 won for 2 hours and drank alot o beer. Maybe it was right but it felt a little expensive

As you can see i think we foreigners do quite well, just give a little smile and be nice and I find you get it back in return.

[mindmetoo]

The only time I was knowingly ripped off was in a cab ride back in 2000 when I was a tourist. My friend and I asked to be taken to a subway station. There were two near. He took us to the farther one making the trip an extra 500 won or something. But it was august and hot and the cab had a/c. I didn't mind paying an extra 50 cents to stay cool for an extra few.

As the other poster noted, I do find Koreans give me stuff or discounts. The Starbucks I go into regularly one of the women that works there always charges me the refill price (a whole 300 won cheaper, boyee!).

At a dollar store I was going to nearly every day when I first came here (to outfit my apartment), they seemed to like the whitey who was always dropping 15-20,000 won per day. One day they gave me two huge bags of laundry detergent. That's about a good 10 months supply. That was back in December and I'm still not done using the second bag.

[inkoreaforgood]

Good to see these positive posts here.

I was ripped off quite a bit by my first boss in Korea, something like 4 mil by the end. I have no doubt that Korea and Koreans have paid me back that in the time since, and more. Extra food at the bakery, service for countless things, a martial arts teacher who taught me one on one 2 hours a day 5 days a week for 6 months, and charged me the same as everyone else who had classes with him. It's a long list really, and to say the least, I'm the chubbier for it !

Korea has been good to me, just gotta take the good with the bad. I didn't really believe in Karma before coming here, but now I do.

[agraham]

I went to the corner store the other day to buy the makings for kimbap and a rolling mat. The ajumma was so impressed that I was gonna make some Korean food that she stuffed a some chocolate bars and beer nuts in the bag gratis.

Our conversation when she saw the kimbap mat:
ajumma: [something something] kimbap [something].
me: Kimbap!
ajumma: Kimbap [something] good? (thumbs up)
me: Kimbap good! (rubs tummy)
ajumma: Good! (free stuff goes in the bag)

I just love it here.

[shawner88]

I can honesly say that in the nearly 4 years of living here I have not once been ripped off...even in the taxis. In fact I have been chased down to be returned an overpayment of 100 won. Another time a delivery guy came back to my house because I had overpaid 1000 won. I love this country.

[Teufelswacht]

In 4 and a half years in Korea I cannot honestly remember a time when I was ripped off. Maybe I was too stupid to notice. But anyway, the last time I was ripped off was when I was in the U.S. and drinking beer at a bar run by Koreans. Was I ripped off? You bet. Did I care? Not really, the Korean girl I met at the bar had great ........ and she ............ and I .......... and we ........ and the police came and............ and the ajumma said .............. and the judge said ................ and my probation officer said .............. and the Korean girl said "I do"....... WTF!!!!!!

[danielcraig]

In addition to small "service" gimmes in Korea, I can't count the number of times I've been comp'ed and been bought good booze (got my taste for scotch in Korea due to the kindness of strangers). I went weeks sometimes without paying for a single drink. That's how karma goes I suppose, i'm getting ripped off now by home repairmen. Yang/Yin?

[pecan]

I hate to break it to you DC, but if you have gone a few weeks without "having" to pay for your drinks, you are taking advantage of those people. More importantly, you are failing to recognize the reciprocating nature of Korean culture.

Just because they insist, does not mean you are off the hook. You should insist until they relent.

Are you Canadian?

Nut

[inkoreaforgood]

[HamuHamu]