The painful price of refusing forced shopping in China

 Direct translation

The painful price of refusing forced shopping! 23 Singaporean tourists locked in Chinese shop, spending 500,000 Yuan, But deemed insufficient

Financial Report / https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5265139 / Image : 23 tourists from Singapore were forced to shop at a store in Chengdu, China, by their tour guide. (Photo: Downtown Chengdu. Reuters)

23 tourists from Singapore were forced to shop at a store in Chengdu, China, by their tour guide. When they refused, they were locked inside the store. The incident sparked heated discussion online, with netizens criticizing the unscrupulous behaviour of Chinese tour groups.

According to Asia News Network, a netizen named Shawn Tok recently revealed in a series of Instagram posts that he and 23 other members participated in a 9-day tour in November.

They were forced to buy jade, silverware, combs, and herbs, and the shop owners refused to let them leave until they met their sales targets. The tourists stated they spent approximately 105,000 yuan (470,000 NT dollars) during the trip, but the tour guide insisted this was far from enough.

The tour guide allegedly prevented people from sleeping on the bus, forced them to listen to product pitches, and threatened to cancel the trip if they refused to shop.

Sean said he later checked the travel agency's contract and found no clauses regarding forced purchases. He added that, according to local law, shopping locations not listed in the contract are illegal.

The Singaporean tour members presented transaction records and receipts to the police as evidence of what they called a forced shopping scam. Reportedly, the travel agency refunded the tourists in full after Chinese authorities intervened.

This incident sparked heated discussion on social media, with many users warning against "cheap tours" and suspicious operators on social media platforms.

One user suggested, "Either choose independent travel or book through a reputable travel agency," while other users criticized the tour guide's misconduct.