Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Those Stimulating Market Rip-offs

Now that the price of everything is going up, rip-offs in the markets are on the rise. The same one struck our family this week in distant morning markets in Taichung and Yungho. My father in law, who is over 80 and no longer clear in his mind, came home from the market the other day to find that NT$85 in change was just a handful of old coins, no longer in use, that the vendor had cunningly substituted for current money, taking advantage of the failing memory of an old man. How do such people live with themselves?

And just today my wife stopped off at a morning market on the corner of Dongshan and Jungong roads on the border of Taichung city. The vendor gave her the 1973 $5 coin with the Dead Mass Murderer on it imaged above, because in size and weight it resembles the $50 coin she should have received. 'Course my son was delighted with the old coin....

Watch out for this one folks!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should post a picture of the $50 coin along side the old $5 coin to give readers unfamiliar with Taiwanese currency some context.

channing said...

So these are not accepted currency anymore?

Anonymous said...

This happens all the time in the Philippines and in the PRC.

John Naruwan said...

I've been had this way loads of times. I never learn. Sometimes vending machines will take your fake coins if they're the right size and weight. It's a kind of consolation prize if you can find one.

Anonymous said...

I have received a couple fake NT50 coins and even a fake 10. Can you imagine what the profit margin is on that... ?