Price gouging case in Hanoi: clever sellers, losing the image of Vietnamese women

Recently, social networks had to shake their heads in disgust at the capital's ingenuity, when there was news that a Belarusian tourist asked to buy whips in Hanoi and suddenly the saleswoman shouted the price up to 200k/kg. Immediately, the above bargaining video reached the authorities

Accordingly, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hoan - Vice Chairman of Hoan Kiem District People's Committee, said that the agency is assigning Hoan Kiem District Police to urgently clarify the authenticity of the above incident, and will notify the people. will be known after the results are available.

"Currently, the district police are checking and verifying the clip circulating on social networks to see if it is true or staged," Mr. Hoan said.

The same morning, a clip about a minute long appeared on social networks recording a conversation between a male foreign tourist and a street vendor in the Hoan Kiem Lake walking street area, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

In the clip, the Western customer asked the price to buy the whip, and the seller said: "200,000 VND/kg". When the foreign customer continued to ask how much it cost to buy 2 whips, the seller put 2 whips in his bag, weighed them and said: "40,000 VND 2 taels".

Finally, the man bargained for 2 fruits for 30,000 VND and the street vendor agreed. The seller seemed reluctant but still accepted the money. The customer thanked him, paid and left. The incident is said to have happened on Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian street (Hanoi), on the sidewalk of Dinh Tien Hoang street.

The clip was later shared on social networks, causing many mixed opinions. One line of opinion says that the above price is too high for the whip. However, many people also question the authenticity of the clip because the seller knew the customer was filming the clip but still sold it at this price.

On the TikTok page of the Belarusian foreigner above, he regularly posts clips of street food experiences in Vietnam. This guy can speak Vietnamese clearly.

According to market records, red whip has recently been sold a lot at markets and supermarkets in Hanoi, with prices ranging from 50,000 VND - 80,000 VND/kg depending on the place of sale and the quality of the fruit.

A fruit seller at a wholesale market in the south of Hanoi said that in recent days, the product has become rarer and the price has been pushed up. However, when retailed to consumers, it does not exceed 80,000 VND/kg.

"If sold at 200,000 VND/kg, it is too expensive," this shop owner commented.

Some netizens expressed frustration with the clever actions of the female street vendor in the clip. Most people say that this action is greatly affecting the image of Vietnamese people in the eyes of international visitors. After many problems of overcharging customers, no one will dare to come here to travel or buy agricultural products to support local people, just for a small benefit for one person but a significant loss to the tourism service industry in the country. our country.

Previously, on April 27, Ms. NTT, born in 1968, residing in Phuc Tho district, Hanoi was "accused" by an internet user of selling 3 pineapples for 500,000 to a tourist in the Old Quarter area, Hanoi. .

However, after the verification process, Hang Dao Ward Police (Hoan Kiem District) said the above information was false. Through working with Ms. T. and a number of witnesses, the police determined that Ms. T. only sold 50,000 VND per bag of pineapples.

In addition, on March 24, authorities in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi also imposed an administrative penalty on a street vendor in the area.

This woman's name is D.TH, her hometown is Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh, currently residing in Phuc Tan ward, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. This person violated street vending regulations and was involved in the incident of selling 4 donuts for 50,000 VND to Western customers, causing a stir on social networks.