One of the most frustrating experiences in Malaysia is the poor public transportation system, where many are forced to hail taxi rides at the risk of paying exorbitant prices.
Recently, a tourist from Belgium shared how he was scammed of RM350 for a taxi ride from KLIA to Bukit Bintang and urged other travelers to always check the prices beforehand.
Foreign tourist scammed into paying RM350 for taxi ride from KLIA to Bukit Bintang
Taking to his TikTok account @khletus.travels, the tourist shared how he was tricked fooled into forking out the outrageous amount with the hopes that it would alert others and help them avoid such situations.
In the video, he explained that he and his family had just endured a grueling 17-hour flight and headed to taxi booth to book a ride, where they were told they could book a ride for seven people and seven luggage.
But, when she mentioned the price, I instantly thought, ‘She’s scamming us’.”
“But, since my family was so tired, they really didn’t care. They were like, ‘We’re just going to take it, it doesn’t matter‘. And in the end, the person who brought us to our taxi told us, ‘Yeah guys, you were just scammed’,” he said in the clip.
At the end, the tourist paid a shocking RM350 (70 Euros) instead of a fare ranging from RM210 to RM220 (42 Euros).
However, he was also quick to point out that not all Malaysians were dishonest and said that a majority of them were “very good people”.
‘The trick worked on us’ – the OP says
Choosing to stay under the radar, the OP, who goes by the nickname ‘Khletus’, shared his experience with WeirdKaya, recounting a recent scam incident during his trip to Malaysia in August.
When asked about his pre-trip expectations regarding transportation in Malaysia, Khletus revealed, “I thought public transportation would be the more practical choice, and I didn’t expect that private transportation options like Grab would be so convenient.”
He also expressed surprise at the modernity of Kuala Lumpur’s transportation system, explaining that, initially, he had assumed they would frequently rely on the MRT/LRT lines.
However, their actual experience led to them frequently opting for Grab rides, primarily due to extensive walking or to save time.
Khletus also shared that the woman who had guided them to the taxi was well aware of the amount they had paid and felt compelled to reveal that they had fallen victim to a scam.
Khletus elaborated on her explanation, saying, “She informed us that the people at the booth often overcharged passengers and pocketed the extra money as additional profit.”
“To prevent similar situations in the future, she recommended that they directly communicate with taxi drivers.” he said.
As Khletus puts it, these scams work because they target travelers who may not know better and take advantage of their tiredness after long flights.
“All in all, they play on tourists’ ignorance and their fatigue after their flights to overcharge them. It worked on us” he told WeirdKaya.
‘M’sians don’t use taxis anymore’
Netizens were shocked by the amount the tourist paid for the taxi ride and advised the tourist to opt for other options such as Grab.
“Malaysian doesn’t use taxis anymore. Expensive!”
“Why not use grab…We Malaysians won’t use taxis regularly.”
“No way… We took their cab hailing app’s Grab car and paid RM90 only.
Watch the video here:
Have you ever encountered such an incident before? Share your experience with us in the comment section.
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