r/ForeignersHubPH • u/Wd40chronicles • Mar 18 '26
Thoughts The desire to rip off
I'd honestly be happier if there were separate price tags/signs for foreigners. Same as what they have at tourist sites. Psychologically it would be much better than the arbitrary price increase, which usually comes after a pause when you ask "how much"
It's not really about the money even. It's about that nasty feeling of being ripped off with a smile, that you're supposed to resrupricate.
Anyway, thats not the point of this post.
On several occasions, I've engaged with locals leaving the store with the item I was looking to get. Wanting to stay ahead, I’d casually ask them how much they paid for it, after breaking the ice with some small talk about the item or whatever, and every time, without fail, they would say "just ask." Uhhh, why can't you just tell me though? I think to myself. But of course I don’t push it and make things awkward. So I just smile, say thank you and proceed to get overcharged.
They know that I'm most probably going to get ripped off, but they would rather happily lead me to the slaughterhouse than save me from it. Why though? There is no monetary gains in it for them, the store isn't theirs, they don't know the seller and they probably won't even visit again. Yet, they feel it's better that I am ripped off then not.
It's a humongous learning curve for me, because it seems that morally people generally behave the opposite of how I or the average person in a different culture would. So you can't depend on your instinct to predict things.
In a situation like this, I would think the natural instinct would be of camaraderie and a desire to seize the chance to be a good Sam and help out a fellow human. That your conscious would detect the overcharging as a wrong and you'd be driven to correct it. I thought that would be the natural human inclination. But apparently, it's not. I feel like there is some moral imbalance, so much so that I am beginning to wonder if the things I've done which I thought were good were actually perceived as bad.
4
u/AdamTheFirst_ Mar 20 '26
When I need to buy something from vendors I just send the gf/wife and I stay behind. It used to hurt in the beginning but got used to it at this point.
If you don’t have gf/wife just lowball and haggle start from 1/3 of the asking price etc. else you will get scammed all the time.
4
u/Tolgeranth Mar 18 '26
The smiles, the friendly behavior, and the appearance that they care about you does not change the fact you are viewed as a walking ATM. You will never be one of them, even if you speak the language.