Experiences of a taxi scam victim in Vietnam

After Tuoitrenews posted “Taxis in Vietnam plagued by scams? Think again”, reader Teddy wrote to us, strongly refuting the article. Teddy cited many personal experiences show that taxi ripoffs and scams are very much alive in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

In our first story, Nguyen Vu, an expat in Vietnam, cited a story from a Malaysian news site that praises taxi service in Vietnam as honest. Nguyen Vu concluded that scams of some sort exist everywhere in the world and that there are many good cabbies in Vietnam.

However, this met a big objection from Teddy who wrote:

Well having lived here in Vietnam for 5 YEARS let me tell you that unfortunately this person [referring to Sobrie Shafie from Malaysia who went to Vietnam and had positive experiences with taxis there] is either extraordinarily lucky or extraordinarily stupid. Let's start with the first (and worst) problem facing anyone arriving in HCMC or Hanoi; the taxis going to and from the airport. If anyone had read this paper or other major newspapers in Vietnam there are countless stories of people, not just foreigners (!), who get ripped off to an incredible degree.

Like, for example, the POLICE team I think from Singapore! Or, more recently the Japanese woman who not only was charged a ridiculous amount but had her belongings stolen when the taxi drove off. The situation is so bad that whenever I return to Vietnam from a flight abroad, I instinctively tense up.

I regularly have been taken WAY off route or demanded to be driven without the meter or simply refused a ride when they realize a I'm not a total "Noob". The ripoffs at the airport is the worst possible first impression you can give a country and is a large part of the reason why only a small percentage of all visitors to Vietnam want to return.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you'll likely fall prey to the so called "gypsy" cabs. These cabs, with such creative names like "Vinasum" or "M-Taxi" infest tourist spots to pick up the unwary. As everyone knows, being ripped off is a foregone conclusion, the only question is will it be maybe twenty times the regular fare or "just" a few times.

This is especially dangerous for the first time visitor because, in no other country that I can remember, are such fake taxis to be found. (Sure, in other countries there are unlicensed means of transportation, just go to JFK in New York, but you know when you a guy approaches you offering a ride and takes you to an unmarked car you're taking a risk.). To a local (and the local police!) they stick out like a sore thumb, I mean c'mon it should take a few HOURS, to permanently remove them; just pull over each one and if they are lacking a license, impound the car.

Even if you stay away from the gypsy cabs, there have been recent reports of some cabs using specially rigged meters, which at the touch of a button, will boost your fare. Again I think this was reported in this and other major news outlets. I (don't think) I've experienced this but I was taken in a Vinasun taxi (just once) in which the meter looked "funny". Sure enough, the fare went up much more quickly and I demanded to be let out.

When the taxi driver demanded to be paid, I told him to call the cops. Instead he just took off. Finally, unfortunately even if you just take the two most reputable firms (Vinasun, MaiLinh) they will almost always take you the (somewhat) longer way if they think they can get away with it.

Don't believe me? Here's an experiment you can try. Stand on Le Loi at the corner of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue where the Tax building is. It's important to be on Le Loi as you'll see. Now ask to be taken to the Manor or Saigon Pearl on Nguyen Huu Canh. 9 out of 10 times the driver, rather than going straight and then going up to Ly Tu Trong, will make a right and go all the way down Nguyen Hue to Ton Duc Thang. (That's why it's important to stand on Le Loi, if you're standing already on Nguyen Hue the driver could complain about making a U-Turn even though it would save you money).

Unfortunately taking people the long way is the norm which is why whenever I go a route I'm not familiar with I have my iPad with a program shows a track of where you've been (MotionX GPS). I've busted quite a few drivers and called up the main number to complain. A couple of times, the drivers have begged forgiveness, admitted their guilt and to please not report them.

Sorry to be so long winded but as a very safety conscious (and lazy) foreigner who doesn't have a motorbike and never takes Xe-oms, this is THE single most frustrating thing about living in Vietnam. Why is it so much worse here than in S. Korea, or Tokyo or Hong Kong or L.A. or New York? (Places I've lived). Is it because they don't get paid nearly as much, or they don't have the same professional ethics (white glove) as their counterparts? Or is because they don't have a GPS system in their car that the passenger can also see? Or is this pattern of ripoff and cheating more endemic to the culture (like the vast amount of fake goods found in the fanciest stores like Milano on Dong Khoi?).

I don't know but if the taxis in Vietnam are Heaven compared to the ones in Malaysia, then those must truly be Hell.