Scam reserved for Indians only

AwayFromHome

Can Im foreigners confirm that this is a scam confined to Indians only?


Its called "Pauni" - that's the best I can do with English letters.
The 'scam' (debatable) is that you go to buy something [this happened to us while negotiating the fare for a boat ride in Nainital, for example], and negotations are made embarassing [for me impossible, I'm too much of a softie], beause this is his first sale of the day (Pauni) and any reduction in price now would adversely effect sales for the rest of the day.

I almost feel obliged to pay double what was asked for just to make sure the guy has a productive day

So you guys ever encounter this particular form of emotinal blackmail?

capt_mahajan

I always thought it was pronounced 'boney'.

Usually works the other way. Guy says ok, you can have the boat ride (or bananas or whatever, works with vendors) because it is 'boney ka time', and he doesnt want to turn away his first customer.

Wouldn't class it as a scam- though in your case it may have been.

traveller.1

It is called bonee (not to be confused with getting a boner!, which is entirely different and not of Indian origin). It isnt entirely a scam they do believe it. But the obligation should not be on you . He should make a price irresistable. The idea is that the first sale of the day should not be lost. It isnt that the first sale be enormously profitable.

AwayFromHome

You are right - boney it is.

I've had it always work the other way for me -"sir, please do not argue about the price, it is boney for me", with a pathetic look. It must be that huge "Sucker" sign I carry around, painted on my face.

PeakXV

This 'gora' has never got a decent deal with any Indian transportation negotiation unless there was some hidden tout.emporium gimmick/mo to it all.

However, I get the 'first sale of the day' sob story cum sales pitch all the time with shopping/merchandise. Either I'm an incredibly earlier shopper or they're trying to pull the cashmere over my eyes.

Sometimes they try to pretend it is a below cost, loss-leader offer to reel (hook, line & sinker) you in all the more.

But the 'deal',imo, is almost always tipped in their profit & favour.

__________________
We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

shashank.aggarwal

well you can argue over the price and this a trick sometimes when they say that its Boney ka time.. but generally 'boney ka time' means the vendor is saying that he is offering the best he can.

But this is used too often now, to sound convincing..

__________________
Travelogue - Around India
Random Reviews

AwayFromHome

Aha, so its an across the board, non-discrimantory scam!
Dang, and I was convinced that was reserved for desis only

Haylo

Well first I must say that I have not yet visited India, when I do perhaps I will end up falling for all sorts of lines like this. Having said that, I do not think I would be particularly swayed by this particular brand of emotional blackmail.

I would think that if mine was the first sale of the day, he had better make it a good price, to make sure that first sale of the day happens. If the first sale of the day does not happen, none of the other sales will happen either. If none of the other sales that day happen, he will be out of business.

So I figure, I'm doing him a favour!

AwayFromHome

Hi Haylo,
Picture a young boy, with liquid brown eyes framed by a beautiful head of jet black hair. His frame is scrawny and his clothes are ragged. Clean, but ragged. His little sister is playing nearby, and he obviously is responsible for getting her some food, because she is proclaiming 'Bhook lagi hai' (I'm feeling hungry). He looks at her and then with pleading eyes, and a heart warming smile says "Memsahib, please, it is bonee time for me". And all he wants to do is to take you for a boat ride, all 85lbs of him!

There, did I play that violin well?

No matter my resolve to act otherwise, I can *never* not fall for a scene like that, unless accompanied by my brother or father who simply either tell me to "Come on, lets go" or just laugh at me.
Its that 'sucker' sign, I tell you.

shashank.aggarwal

Hmm...AFH, no I know why suddenly those boatwallas have started charging more. For love of people like you..

AwayFromHome

Sorry Shashank, I can't help myself

Nick-H

Because I'm such a softee, I'd give the little girl Rs.5 and walk away.

The price is either acceptable or not; superstition has noting to do with it. The most I'll do to finance somebody else's superstition is to give them Rs101 instead of a hundred.

One of these days, I'm going to get quite good at bargaining. Seriously, I'm useless at it!

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

AwayFromHome

And Mrs Nick-H's views on that?

Haylo

Not really, I'm too much of a cynic. If I was in his position, I'd have taught her to say that. Actually, 0/10 for effort, if I was in his position, I'd have taught her to say it in English for maximum effect!

If I thought they were genuinely hungry, I might be more likely to give them my custom than give it to someone who seemed to be doing well, but not more likely to deliberately let myself get ripped off.

Perhaps it is because, unlike many westerners who enjoy the privilege of travel, I come from a working class background. Because of my personal experience I value hard work as the way out of poverty and hunger. Every penny of the money I'll be paying for services was hard earned, even though the exchange rate will make me absurdly rich.

As I said, I've not yet been to India, and perhaps my heart will melt. However, when I was in Tunisia and dealt with someone who was honourable and did not try to rip me off, I gave them a very generous (to them) bonus. That is the way I hope I will do things in India too.

AwayFromHome

Oh no, I flunked again.