Lured by Cheap Durian, I Fell Victim to a Scam

I purchased two durians from a street vendor for VND50,000 (USD$1.93) per kilogram, which was supposed to be half the regular market price. However, I ended up being deceived out of VND100,000 (USD$3.85) because the fruit weighed less than advertised.

About one or two weeks back, when I was heading home from work outside the city, I noticed a stall alongside the road drawing quite a gathering. The sight of a cardboard sign announcing durians for only VND50,000 per kilogram piqued my interest since.

Durians were being sold for VND70,000 to 90,000 per kilogram.

At local markets and up to around VND100,000-130,000 at larger outlets.

Intrigued by the surprisingly low cost, I paused to investigate. The fruit appeared fresh, ripe, and very enticing, so I selected two and enquired about their bargain pricing. The vendor explained, “We have an inexpensive source and aim to move these items swiftly, which is why they’re priced so affordably.”

Her reasoning appeared sound, prompting me to go ahead and take the chance. Numerous people around us were purchasing two or three durians per person, with a few individuals going as far as acquiring five each.

Once the fruit was weighed, the vendor gave me a bag containing the two durians I selected and informed me that they cost VND370,000 for 7.4 kilograms. However, I felt uncertain since the produce didn’t seem exceptionally big and the bag wasn’t very hefty. Concerned about the accuracy of the weight, I questioned the vendor who promptly responded, “Feel free to check the weight yourself. Should it be less than stated, I’ll compensate you double.”

Certainly, as I didn’t have a scale handy, I figured it wouldn’t be an issue if the weight wasn’t exact, considering I was receiving a fair deal anyway.

After getting back home, I placed the two durians on my kitchen scale. It read 5.4 kilograms, revealing that I had been cheated and was about 2 kilograms lighter than advertised by the seller. This confirmed my suspicions; I felt completely ripped off. Losing 2 kilograms meant I essentially missed out on VND100,000 and still paid nearly the full market rate.

It wasn’t the first instance where I ended up with less than advertised when purchasing fruits from street vendors. Several months back, I purchased some mangoes from a sidewalk stand expecting them to weigh one kilogram, but they actually tipped the scales at just seven hundred grams. What seemed like a good deal initially turned out to cost more than expected due to this discrepancy.

Street sellers frequently exploit customers’ trust and their difficulty in verifying measurements by underweighing goods and cheating them.

I think government agencies must step in and conduct routine inspections of the measurement devices utilized by street vendors and wet market traders. Anyone discovered to have deliberately altered these instruments to cheat customers ought to face substantial fines. This approach would help decrease fraudulent activities and provide greater protection for shoppers.

Have you faced a comparable scenario before?

*The opinions have been converted to English using AI assistance. The readers’ perspectives are personal and may not align with those of VnExpress.