Relax - How gangs ripoff Bird's Nest tourists

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Bird's Nest ticket scalpers are still harassing visitors only months after police arrested a major gang who was conning tourists and selling overpriced tickets.

On Aug 27, Chaoyang police arrested 30 men who had allegedly made 400,000 yuan (S$81,600) in two months.

But yesterday METRO discovered many scalpers - who can make 10,000 yuan profit per day - were still in operation at Beijing's most popular tourist destination despite the recent police crackdown.

A German woman in her 20s, who only wanted to be identified as Katharina, was touring the Olympic venue yesterday and confessed she was cheated on her visit more than a year ago.

In September 2008, just after the Games finished, she paid 100 yuan to a scalper, who told her that too many people were queuing for tickets. She was told the ticket would allow her access to all facilities at the Olympic Park.

But she later discovered the ticket only allowed her inside the National Indoor Stadium and only cost 20 yuan.

The setback had not deterred the German woman from visited the Olympic site seven times, but she had learnt her lesson and warns her friends.

"I have told every friend of mine that when they come here, only buy tickets at the ticket office," she said.

A man, surnamed Du, who was visiting from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, told METRO yesterday that scalpers played the same trick on him. "They told us the queue at the ticket office was long and advised us to buy tickets from them," he said.

Du refused but the scalpers kept harassing his group.

"The influence of this activity is so bad and it is hurting the image of the whole country," said Du.

As METRO was interviewing Du, his friend, a woman named Chen, shouted at nearby security guards.

"Why you don't you stop them? What are you doing here?" Chen said.

A security guard, who declined to be named, told METRO yesterday that he could not do anything against scalpers or the gangs, because he did not have the authority to detain suspects and had to wait for police.

And even when the scalpers are caught, as long as they did not commit any criminal offences, they would be released in a couple of days and would appear again.

The guard said the administration of the Bird's Nest will soon display the official ticket prices on a big board at the venue and advise visitors to buy tickets at the official ticket office later.

Police said 25 of the gang members arrested in August will face criminal charges, while five will face lighter punishments for minor offences.

Gao Hui, a press officer with the Chaoyang police, said the group usually threatened visitors and fought with "competitors" to drive them out of the place. The gang also collected "protection fees" from local street peddlers.

According to Gao, the head of the gang, surnamed Wang, used to sell bottled water in the area. In June, he discovered he could buy group tickets at a 10 percent discount and sell them for profit.

Wang, a migrant worker from northeast China, began buying tour group tickets from a nearby hotel for 45 yuan and selling them for 50 yuan.

Business became busy and called on 30 fellows from his hometown in northeast China. He paid them 50 yuan to 100 yuan according to their "sales performance".

Wang confessed to the police that they usually sold 1,000 tickets a day and on a good day could off load more than 2,000 tickets, making 10,000 yuan per day.

-China Daily/Asia News Network

How gangs ripoff Bird's Nest tourists

By Liu Baijia and Wang Wen, China Daily/ANN | Thu, Oct 15 2009

Chaoyang police in August arrested 30 men who had allegedly made S$81,600 in two months.

Keywords

scams