[fedup]

Just entered a "black shop" yesterday and just wanted to share with the bros here so that the cost of the "lesson" will not be as expensive.

Last night went to scout out one of the hotels mentioned here, m*******. After that, as i walked out, met this pimp that said he can take me to his KTV club and see the girls there. Naturally, I was curious, so I tagged along, since he said it was "nearby". So "near" that we had to take a cab there. That aside, we went to the said KTV and "took a look". I specifically mentioned that I was not staying long bet they just peer pressured me to stay and what can i say? I was weak. So I sat there and chatted with one of the girls when another girl came in and started chatting as well. Soon, that girl was ordering drinks which I said that I did not order and was not paying for. Sensing something wrong, I immediately asked for the bill. Heres where it got bad. This big burly guy (looks like a bouncer came in and showed me the bill, and gut another tall skinny guy to "block the door". Before looking at the bill I already knew what was happening. Why do they need to get these guys when the waitress was sufficient? It was obviously carrot chopping time. So the bill came to be 14K rmb. For 20 mins of sitting and no touching. And cmon, huw much liquor can you drink then? I outright told them that I had no money and that this was a black shop. I was only willing to pay 2K. Any more and I will report to the police. I said I did not order the drinks and they said they pour already, cannot pour back in the bottle right? THANKFULLY I READ THE FORUMS about what to do when you get chopped by a black shop. They said that the max discount they can give is 15%. Bullshit. So I just said ok, I will sign and GO TO THE POLICE. This is IMPORTANT. so I picked up the bill and asked for a name card (so that the policec will have an easier time finding the place). The mummy came in and asked to talk privately. Excuses quoted was that its the golden week, rent is high, this is the average price, bullshit. To cut the long story short, there was a lot of negotiating and hand dragging, and brought the price to 4K ++ rmb. This is obviously quite expensive but I didnt want the trouble. Important thing is to keep mentioning you want to GO TO THE POLICE. I got back a cash refund in the end. Went back and cancelled my card in case they may make any dubious transactions on my card.

Lesson learnt:
1. Read the forums. There is a ton of experience here from the old birds.
2. If you are genuinely chopped, dont be afraid to go to the police to file a report. You will need it to mount an investigation to get a refund of your money from the CC company.
3. Cancel your card. It helps if an investigation is mounted, and who knows they might, make unauthorised transactions on your card.

The rest of the stuff is common sense such as check the menu and such. I hope this is useful to all.