Avoiding Scams in Ports of Call

April 21, 2018
Cruises

If you’re looking for an affordable Latter-day Saint oriented cruise group for you and your family, look no further than cruise lady. Our tours accompanied by Latter-day Saint scholars are numerous, and our cruise ships sail to places all around the globe.

When our cruise ships – or any cruise ships – dock in ports of call, many local shop owners and clerks are looking to make sales to the tourists getting off the boat. The vast majority of these are good people, but there will occasionally be folks who use dishonest techniques to try and extract money out of you. Let’s look at a few of these techniques, and what they should signal to you.

Nothing is Free

It’s common to hear the line “looking is free” from shop owners, an attempt to make people feel welcome. In many cases, though, this isn’t actually true – some shop owners will hound customers who enter their stores, pressuring them heavily and making them uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean you can’t enter a store anytime you hear a line like that, but just be careful.

“My Boss Says…”

Negotiation is part of the shopping experience at many of these stores, and a tactic many clerks will use is saying that their boss “won’t let them” go below a certain number for an item. This is a strategy to get you to trust them and believe they’re on your side against this unnamed “boss” – to test it out, simply say you don’t want it at that price and walk away. If they lower their number from there, it’s obvious they were trying to manipulate you.

Cruise Affiliation

Some stores will try to disguise themselves as affiliated with the cruise line when this is not the case. Always check with our agents for a recommended port of call shops, plus any that we are affiliated with.

Compare Prices

In many ports of call, there will be shops that sell lots of the same things. Do a bit of price comparing before you buy, especially if the item seems common – you might find a much better deal in another shop.

Count All Cash

When you’re paying, never hand money to a clerk in a wad. Some clerks will purposefully miscount money and make it seem like you owe more. Rather, count out the money in front of the clerk as you hand it to them.

For more on avoiding dishonest store techniques in ports of call, or to learn more about our cruise options, speak to the booking agents at Cruise Lady today.

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