Foreigner Overcharged ¥800 by 'Black Cab' in Shenzhen

By That's PRD, March 22, 2018

A man of foreign nationality recently started off a visit to Shenzhen on the wrong foot: by shelling out around RMB840 to an unscrupulous 'black cab' driver.

The trip he took from Shekou Port to Xili, Nanshan District, normally costs RMB50-60.

A woman with the surname Lei reported the case to Southern Metropolis Daily; the victim of the ripoff, she claims, is her client.

The foreigner traveled from Hong Kong to Shenzhen via ferry this past Monday, arriving around 5.30pm. He had just exited the ferry building, Lei says, when he was intercepted by a man offering a ride.

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Mistaking him for a designated chaffeur, the man loaded his luggage into the unlicensed taxi, where another man was waiting.

It gradually became clear that although friendly, the two men in the car had not been sent by a company. The foreign passenger requested to be taken to the office but the driver refused, asking for his hotel address instead.

Lei called her client and attempted to intervene with the driver; she was ignored.

Before arriving at the destination, the driver of the black cab gave his passenger two fapiao worth RMB500 each, then asked for RMB850 in cash.

Lei's client attempted to stall by saying he didn't have enough money, but the men took him to the bank to withdraw more. The hapless passenger ended up handing over 14,000 Japanese yen to retrieve his luggage, the equivalent of RMB837; for his troubles, he was dropped off at the bank entrance.

Although Lei reported the scam to local police, it turned out the sum paid isn't large enough to build a case against the black taxi driver. In addition, according to the Shenzhen Transport Commission, on-the-scene evidence is necessary to enact punishments.

Despite these obstacles, police have tracked the car and its driver down and have offered to keep an eye out for any more underhand dealings.

[Cover image via money.cnn.com]