bikerider21 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Decided to have lunch near to Pantip Plaza and saw a sign saying motorbikes cleaned for 45 Baht so left my bike there, a kind of off road 200cc bike, not very dirty. On picking up the bike, they demanded 150 Baht which I paid after I pointed out the signs to them. Apparently, the signs say small bikes (in Thai). However, there was no sign saying I should pay 150 Baht and they didn't tell me before I left my bike there. My bike wasn't 3 times bigger or 3 times harder to clean. I usually get my much bigger bike cleaned for 100 Baht. Was this legal of just another Falang Ripoff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bkkjames Posted January 6, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2015 go report it to the police.... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Diplomatico Posted January 6, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2015 I don't think that the terms "legal" and "farang ripoff" are mutually exclusive terms. No question that pricing here is completely flexible and understood by most to be just that. Always better to negotiate and/or confirm the price in advance so that there are no surprises after the fact. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerider21 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 I don't think that the terms "legal" and "farang ripoff" are mutually exclusive terms. No question that pricing here is completely flexible and understood by most to be just that. Always better to negotiate and/or confirm the price in advance so that there are no surprises after the fact. Should have asked I know but that's how surprises work. One of the great things about Thailand is that you hardly ever need to ask the price for anything. That's why it's annoying when you do feel you've been cheated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post puukao Posted January 7, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2015 Let's just say you WERE cheated. $3 USD plus the principle is something that is not good (especially considering the percentage of the mark-up). HOWEVER, you saved someone from not getting ripped off........and in Karma terms.....that is worth way more. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ulysses G. Posted January 7, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) I don't think that the terms "legal" and "farang ripoff" are mutually exclusive terms. No question that pricing here is completely flexible and understood by most to be just that. Always better to negotiate and/or confirm the price in advance so that there are no surprises after the fact. Agreed, but you have to live here a while to realize that. A LOT of the time when we think that we are being ripped off, it is really just misunderstanding the situation. Edited January 7, 2015 by Ulysses G. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Unexpected prices near the Night Bazar.. Who knew! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post eyecatcher Posted January 7, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharktooth Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 200cc off road bike??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMKiwi Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 200cc off road bike??? Maybe its just not worthy to be on the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerider21 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 200cc off road bike??? Chinese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bikerider21 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! It was my Thai girl friend who spotted it and I expect she can read Thai. She though it was a good price and probably thought about ripping them off by giving them some business. I did in fact make a clean getaway. the cleaning was very good. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FolkGuitar Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Cleaning a motor scooter is pretty easy. There are large, smoothly curving panels covering most of the bike, making cleaning a 10-minute job. An off-road 200cc motorcycle has lots of nooks and crannies that need to be accessed to clean it properly, making it a far more difficult job...To do a proper job takes 30+ minutes or more. Cleaning a scooter is easy. Cleaning a motorcycle is a pain in the butt, in fact, that you were willing to pay someone else to do it. And, when you saw the rather low price being charged, didn't hesitate to try to get you motorcycle cleaned. I certainly wouldn't consider the cleaners were trying to cheat you. On the other hand... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eliot Rosewater Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! Are you completely stupid or does it just appear that way? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerider21 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 200cc off road bike??? Maybe its just not worthy to be on the road You're probably right. It cost only 49,000 Baht (new) and doesn't even have a oil filter or petrol gauge. Most of the screws that fell out during my first trip, leaving me without a back brake on the summit of Doi Int-anon have been replaced. The front brake squealing has been nearly cured as well as the strong brake smell due to the brakes sticking. This has helped with the power, which suddenly doubled and most of the engine knocking has gone away. It's not me who decides which motorbikes are worthy to be on the road. I'm not sure it would qualify to be on European roads though. As for me, it's not my main bike and it was bought to be a bit of fun (which it is). Gone are the days when I jump through burning hoops and do wheelies in front of police check points. Don't know what that's got to do with having the bike cleaned though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerider21 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Let's just say you WERE cheated. $3 USD plus the principle is something that is not good (especially considering the percentage of the mark-up). HOWEVER, you saved someone from not getting ripped off........and in Karma terms.....that is worth way more. The money is irrelevant as you must agree. It's only the principle. I remember in the UK when they changed from gallons to litres. On holiday, I saw a good price for petrol so decided to pull in an fill up my jag, both tanks, 10 gallons a piece. The bill came to more than I usually paid so I rechecked the sign. Underneath the big price sign they had written in small letters "For 4 Litres". As there are 4.5 litres in a UK gallon, this was a form of cheating which I reported, as did many others. I received a letter about 6 months later saying that the garage owner had been prosecuted for fraud. Of course I didn't get the money back but just a kind of satisfaction knowing there was some justice left in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1Str8 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 go report it to the police.... Agree. Just pay and walk away. They set their own price, in this case 150thb. This is how much they are worth in their opinion, so it's polite to pay it. Then report it. They like to be reported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerider21 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Cleaning a motor scooter is pretty easy. There are large, smoothly curving panels covering most of the bike, making cleaning a 10-minute job. An off-road 200cc motorcycle has lots of nooks and crannies that need to be accessed to clean it properly, making it a far more difficult job...To do a proper job takes 30+ minutes or more. Cleaning a scooter is easy. Cleaning a motorcycle is a pain in the butt, in fact, that you were willing to pay someone else to do it. And, when you saw the rather low price being charged, didn't hesitate to try to get you motorcycle cleaned. I certainly wouldn't consider the cleaners were trying to cheat you. On the other hand... You're right but I pay 100 Baht to have my big bike cleaned (with lots more nooks and crannies) along Canal road and they are very happy and smiling with that and I always feel like I should pay more. However, a friend of mine who is an avid traveler thinks that over tipping just encourages what we are talking about. Not to say I never tip, I do and was not really arguing the cost of 150 Baht. It's just better when I give the tip and they don't take it for themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quidnunc Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! Are you completely stupid or does it just appear that way? Eyecatcher suffers from a compulsion to insult people. He tells himself and others that it's just about plain speaking. But, in fact, he's a troll and gets pleasure from being nasty to others. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyecatcher Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! Are you completely stupid or does it just appear that way? My post is far too clever for you I think........not from these parts are you? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post amexpat Posted January 7, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 7, 2015 No one but yourself to blame. The signs were there. If you cannot read Thai can ask. You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! Are you completely stupid or does it just appear that way? Eyecatcher suffers from a compulsion to insult people. He tells himself and others that it's just about plain speaking. But, in fact, he's a troll and gets pleasure from being nasty to others. Oh, lighten up. He's a joker and at times a very funny one. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangmai Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Most gas stations have a sign out front that says "28.70," but the catch is that it is only for 1 liter. You really need to verify most prices. Even a 3 for 149 beer promotion....it might only be during the daytime. Something tells me you thought you were being smart to get your bigger bike cleaned for the promo price, and they caught you red-handed. They should have given you a price, but since they didn't; you should have verified. Try taking a motorhome to a 3 Dollar carwash...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridercnx808 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 its commonly known by thai shop owners that farangs love to complain. so instead of doing a crappy express job for 49 baht, they gave you the supreme service for 150 baht, which includes wax and tire gloss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBD Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! What an absolutely ridiculous thing to say. In what sense is buying something at the advertised price ripping of the seller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Always better to negotiate and/or confirm the price in advance so that there are no surprises after the fact. If you do not practice that and complain you need your mommy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetlejuice Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Each time I consider buying something or using a service that has a price label with a description in Thai, I always ask how much first before agreeing to any service or purchasing an item. Learn at least some basic Thai is the key to these misunderstandings otherwise it`s a case of taking pot luck and hoping for the best. Anyhow, in my book 150 baht is still a bargain price, especially for an old track dirt bike. Thank you for the info on this, think I will take my bikes to be washed there myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyecatcher Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 You perhaps thought 45bt was a good price.....undervalued maybe so really it could be construed you were trying an opportunity to rip thrm off. What goes around etc. Falang tries to rip off bike cleaner but didnt make a clean getaway! What an absolutely ridiculous thing to say. In what sense is buying something at the advertised price ripping of the seller? Actually most of the time, I dont like to think before I write. i like to be just as surprised as everyone else by what I write This time I think the wacky English humoUr is too much for some parties. From me: insults: never good advice and help: often likes:pretty good ratio 1:2 sarcasm: thats a given (I make no apologies for non Brits) so be careful about referring to me as a troll (whoever you are) You may be grateful for some advice I point your way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglechef Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Perhaps a pic of the sign would clear things up I'm with the OP, if it just said 45 bht for motorbike and not anything such as 125 cc and under etc then it should be 45 bht even if they meant under 125 cc as it's their mistake and why should a customer have to pay for the company's mistake? After all I have a 12 passenger van and I pay 200 bht for car acre so a promo for a bike at 45 bht doesn't seem so ridiculous that one would know it's wrong or feel they are cheating the place by paying the advertised price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousehound Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 OK - I was in the Post Office today (in OZ) and the guy next to me spotted a monitor with a $99 sticker on it. When it rang up it should have been $199. The fact is that a ticked item is an "invitation to treat". The seller is not bound by that price. It is an indication that if you were to offer that price they might sell it to you. However, if the product is promoted and say is "no longer available" then this could be taken as false advertising or a "bait and switch" ploy. It is best, whether in Thailand or anywhere else, to confirm the price for the product or service that is required before you enter into an agreement. I'm not sure that paying an extra $3 really puts this into the I've been ripped of bracket. The real question is "did they do a job worthy of 150Bht, or whatever" and if so you got value, and if not then don't go there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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