Are you travelling to Antalya this year in Turkey? If so, please be aware of this Scam.

[Xanadu78]

Two years ago, we went on holiday to Antalya in Turkey and we visited side. Our holiday was completely ruined by a shop inside called Ottoman spice. Unfortunately, the shop is still doing the same thing and charging customers over £200 for a bag of tea. Please be aware of this if you are visiting the area and spread the word to any friends and family who are visiting as well.

We would never visit Turkey again due to the fact that the government seem to have zero control over scamming businesses like this we have been informed that the shop is mafia run.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g297968-d21340278-Reviews-Ottoman_Spice_Tea-Side_Manavgat_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html

I don’t understand why you, or anyone, paid. This wasn’t a cafe where you ate and drank the food and were then given a highly inflated bill but you’ve eaten and it’s harder to argue if you don’t speak the language. This is a shop, they bag stuff up and hard sell you and then announce a price. You turn around and walk out. That’s what I did in a Morocco in a place like this.

What was the scam? Did you not see how much you were paying or did they charge your card after?

If it’s anything like Morocco then they offer you samples and give you all the chat, and while they’re doing that they bring out lots of types and start bagging them up whilst saying “all good, great price” and then they put all the bags infront of you and announce a ridiculous price. You walk out. But people are too embarrassed to say no, or too scared. But they won’t do anything to you. They might shout after you, but nothing happens to you. It’s literally people being unable to say no and walk out.

I do feel really bad for people when it’s a restaurant with really badly displayed prices and then they’re given a bill with £50 for bread added on, that’s a much more pressured and scared environment because you’ve eaten. You can call the local police in that situation, or pay a reasonable amount for the meal and walk out but it’s much much harder so that’s were I put my sympathy for holiday bill scammed people. But this? You just turn round and walk out.

Oh, I don’t get how that’s a scam then. Sounds more like high pressure selling rather than a scam if you’re getting the product and paying the price you were told.

But I guess that’s the point of high pressure selling tactics - they exploit people’s inability to say no and walk out.

It can be very scary, they tend to get aggressive, might shout, get in your face, threaten you with police (they will never ever call the police). It can be scary, but you just stand your ground and keep heading for the exit. Shout loudly if you need to, but just leave. They’re all hot air - scary, but won’t actually step over the line of doing anything to you.

How is this a scam?

Why is the original review written in Turkish? Are you a competitor trying to damage some else’s business?

Agree how is this a scam? They are not going to want to lose their business (shop) if you were to report them to the tourist police if as you say they’ve done it countless times

Reading the comments it sounds link people are told they’re paying around 15 euro for a bag of tourist tea, but then there’s some jiggery-pokery with the card terminal and hey-presto £100 had left your bank account and then customers get man-handled out into the street for daring to complain.

So yes, well beyond the hard sell tactics, definitely sounds like a scam with a side portion of menace if you dare to complain

Yep it sounds like they confuse the tourist about the price and then when the tourist works out how much they've spent, they refuse to take back the tea.

It’s a scam because there are no visible prices, and a few dried mint leaves suddenly get charged as if the Elixir of Life when tourists/Marks come in.

How did the scam work?
Did they charge your card more than you agreed to pay?

I have never been to a Turkey myself but a Turkish friend told me to be careful as it's common for tourists to be overcharged.

Antalya AirPort is awful, I got charged £50 for a double g&t, menu had no prices on then when questioned they bring out a menu with prices on

Reading the trip advisor reviews lots of people are saying they are told a price in lira rather than euros, no cash is allowed so they tap their card then realise they have paid loads more. Others are aware of the high price and try to walk away but are threatened by the shopkeeper as he mixes the tea with fruit etc and claims they have an obligation to buy as he can't sell it to someone else once it has been mixed - some people nevertheless do walk away but others are intimidated into paying.

As @Xanadu78 says, it is definitely worth avoiding!!

The countries mentioned are awful Run by scamming men but this post reminds me of people who flog them double glazing and wont leave their house until they sign an order. Just why? How can YOU allow some random person to stay for often hours on end.

Others are aware of the high price and try to walk away but are threatened by the shopkeeper as he mixes the tea with fruit etc and claims they have an obligation to buy as he can't sell it to someone else once it has been mixed
This is exactly what happened to us 3 years ago. Lovely and friendly, lots of samples to try, then mixed up 3 bags of tea with spices/ fruit added and wanted to charge £90. I politely refused and he followed me out of the store, shouting, threatening to call the police. We just ignored him and kept walking away, but my DH is a big bloke, I can see how others pay up through fear.

Did you post about this at the time @Xanadu78? As I’ve definitely read this before. I can remember passing on the warning to DS and his partner when they holidayed in that area . Definitely worth another warning though .

Surely nobody actually believes the police will arrive because they’ve declined to buy a packet of tea?!