 | Kuala Lumpur Tourist Traps | Tips 61 - 70 of 104 |  |
Do not buy or book tours from hotels' doorman, bellboys or even the reception counter.
When you buy tours from these people, you'll end up being toured around by some unscrupulous and unlicensed private tour operators.
Let say you pay MYR60 per person for a half day (3hours) city tour to these people, they will just pay the private unlicensed tour operators MYR 25 per person and pocket the balance MYR35 for themselves. Since these private operators were underpaid, they will in turn bring the tourists to sometimes up to 6 shopping stops just to get some incentives from the shops even if the tourists did not buy anything.
Imagine to spend 2 hours for shopping stops instead of a full 3 hours sightseeing tour..!!
Look up the internet for responsible and honest tour operators.
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 | |  |  | Theft and Pickpocketing: Street crimes | |  |  | |  |
Firstly, I should say it's common but its quite rare. It still takes good planning and luck for crime to succeed. And Malaysians are a nation who demands safety.
From petty thefts to big scale robberies, sadly it does happen here too. Commonly to happen to tourists are encountering:
con-men/con-women/con-kids/con-old ladies,
pick pockets
snatch theft
transportation overcharge (please see transportation tips)
CON ARTIST:
One of the worse bad guys around. Very professional. I can only be really frank with you. You dont need to be TOO friendly. Chatting is harmless, but if it involves revealing information such as which's your room and what about your money, better cut-off the conversation.
To be safe, you can politely excuse yourself by telling that you have got to rush, bye. Or if unfortunately things get a bit too deep & had a grab onto you, get angry if you must, talk loud, get attention and hope they will let you go, and run off.
I think, should be the tourist who'd approach a local to ask for general assistance like "where do I" and "how do I", and perhaps "why is it". It's too good to be true for someone, a cute harmless old lady even, at a shopping mall or from the street to be asking you to have lunch/tea with/on her/him. It's also not quite a Malaysian thing for a harmless Malaysian to be telling a tourist they just met about their family stories. Definitely not decently Malaysian to be asking a tourist to follow him home to settle some family matters. When locals need help, we have family & friends, if not then community organisations/the government etc. Why tourists? & think about this, locals need to be careful with con-tourists too, so how friendly can we get?
THEFT/ROBBERY
For prevention, the trick is to NOT be an easy prey.
Try not to inconvenient yourself by carrying/wearing too heavy too much.
Try not expose your belongings too much. Crowded places being strategic for pickpocketting, spacious places for snatch theft.
Try not get distracted while you are walking; like talking on the phone while you are carrying loads and walking/crossing a street. Walk and stay cautious of your surrounding. If you need to do something like search into your bag or talk on your mobile, go to a wall or corner where you can be in easier view of anyone who might approach you while you are on your search/mobile.
Try to avoid being at dark lonely places.
To protect life, if the unfortunate does happen, let go of belongings. Leave a Comment
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I do not tolerate companies and employees who are inefficient. I have used this travel agent several times for flight booking. My first purchase with them from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne went well. That was in 2005. And I must have been very lucky that it was ok. No hiccups.
I'd give the benefit of the doubt to people. With this travel agent, not only they were slow in responding but they have screwed up my bookings which costs me money, a few times if I may add.
I confronted the owner of the company and he had apologized, also said the previous staff handled my bookings were no more employed with the company. My respond to him was, "Sure, but you've been c.c-ed in all my e-mails and you had also insisted I did after I made the verbal complaints over the phone with you before this meeting. I understand that's a problem internally but they're at my expense. I had to change my plans, book a place to stay during my transit in LA (this also affected my schedule and internal flight bookings). Please sort it out. I cannot tell you how to manage your staff. It's your company. It's your responsibility to train your staff and step in when there's a crisis". The guy then pleaded for one more chance. I was skeptical. I'm not heartless, but maybe I'm too dumb to be generous and trusting. Look, when you screw up, won't you buck up? It's a business you're running here.
That wasn't the only screw up I encountered with them. They had once booked my husband and I on a different class. It was again a long haul flight. Flight details e-mailed to me did not reflect that we were on a different class. I called and sent text messages to the staff and that employer from SFO. They did not solve the crisis. Instead, I had to beg the airline to put us together.
Would you pay the additional cost to the travel agent when a booking and payment's been done?
I was asked to pay them a surcharge a week after I had made my payment to them. Not only were they very rude, they didn't want to budge.
Asking them to change the flight details like the date takes too much effort on my side. 3 months to my flight date and I have given them enough lead time to work on it. A reply from them will not be sent to me unless I sent multiple sms and calls. A reply from them has never been specific and detailed.
I believe that good management and
Why are these people still in business baffles me. This will be my last time dealing with them.
There were more incidents or shall I say mishaps. I'll spare you the other details.
I found this article just this week. I think I am having it worse from Nazar Travel & Tours. They are in Bangsar Baru above Pelita Restaurant. The guy managing the company is Ashley.
http://www.consumer.com.my/message/index.php?itemid=751
Notice the reply from Nazar: "just know that the person is no longer employed with Nazar"
Those people may have left the company. So what? The problems remain and who is to pick up the pieces?
I did, because it became too much of a problem for me.
How lame. Try cooking up another excuse or be creative if you wanna cop out. And sound like a professional.
I have all the e-mail historical from 2007 on stand-by to bring my cases to the relevant authorities.
Please, you guys... do not even think about using that company. I hope not for anyone else to go through the stress I went through (and still going through). That'll be uncalled for. Companies who think it's easy to keep the current and get future clients with zero effort deserves to have a taste of their own medicine.There's a reason for why people use travel agents and not book through the internet!
Anyone who wishes to have in-depth discussions about this, e-mail me. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Theft and Pickpocketing: Beware of Middle East Couple with a boy Child | | | | | |
I happend to finish my strolling around low yat plaza for it products, when a couple with
a boy child around 12 years approached me and asked me to help with their shopping
ideas for goods which would be cheaper in my country.seeing the man with family and
feeling safe, I continued my talks,(His accent was like a middle east man)and he also showed me his big purse with Fresh USD 100
currency bundle and said that he was carrying enough money and would be visiting my country the following week,suddenly he told me that his friends had informed that light
brown coloured us currencies was only being accepted in my country, when I replied in negative he asked me to show the currency I was carrying, with great relucatance I
just removed and showed the currency all the while holding it in my hand,within split seconds
he snatched and within a few second I snatched it back, and being distracted and tired and
wanting to go back to hotel, went back to hotel ,but something in my mind was bothering me
and when I chekced my currency, I found I was ripped to tune of 840 Usd,It still baffles me
how it happend, but I was sure of being ripped, since every day morning I normally finish my
account?within 25 minutes I was back at Police point near plaza,Should appriciate the
police as they immediately sent me with escort in a car to Tourist Police office and noted
my complaint and also made spot inspection and also took me around the place where I they
felt the con couple may be strolling,but no avail.But they showed me the photographs and
I could identify the lady and the boy child.To cap it all that evening after my complaint when
I was being investigated, walked in a couple who were conned by the same family.
Police helpfull .Con family not definetely malayasians but foriegners
Please do not belive in anybody trying to talk to you about money and behaving to be
visiting your country shortly, it looks like they can identify your origin and convince you that
your are safe as they are from big family and things like that.Never ever show your currency
as they can snatch and also give you back in front of your eyes,they have the trick by which
they can make you feel that they have returned all your money, but belive me they would
still have ripped you
Human relationship is must,but being carefull is better, carrying plastic money makes more
sense.Carry only the money that you need for essential expenses and small emergency
requirements.
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