Scams in Istanbul - Tourists Beware!

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Scams in Istanbul? I'm certain if yous've washed a little inquiry, you know that that scams in Istanbul are common. Istanbul is a lovely urban center, just many of its residents are poor, and unfortunately, this creates an surroundings where people practise whatsoever they can to become by, including scamming tourists. Hither are some of the scams I came beyond while visiting Istanbul, and tips to help you navigate them:

1. Shoe shiner drops castor

You are walking along the street, and a shoe shiner walks in forepart of your path. His brush somehow falls off of its conveying case, but he doesn't seem to discover. Then, being the nice person that you are, you choice information technology up and give it back to him. He acts extremely grateful, and and so he offers to clean your shoes.

But look!  He isn't offer to smoothen your shoes for free, although he makes information technology sound like he is.  He wants you to accept, thinking it is gratis, then he wants to charge you for it. Luckily, I figured out his scam, and after giving the castor dorsum, politely declined his services. I wasn't 100% certain this was a scam until the aforementioned matter happened later in the day to my friend. Squeamish try shoe shiners, but we are on to y'all!

2. Selling cast metal as real silver

If you are going to buy jewelry at the Bazaar, delight know and understand what existent argent and gold wait like, and what markings are required by law. Luckily, I took a class in jewelry, so I knew all of the standards for silver. I saw a really pretty bracelet made out of some type of metal with royal stones, then I asked the merchant if I could run into it. Information technology was pretty, so I asked how much. The merchant told me it was silverish, and said it was 130 Turkish Lira. I looked at the back, and saw the dark color associated with cast metal (a metal normally used in costume jewelry made from a mixture of low value metals), and noticed that there were no markings.

I told the human that it was not in fact silverish, merely he vehemently claimed that it was 925 silver. I informed him that there were no markings on the back (The best way to know that something is silver outside of the The states is to bank check for a "925" marker. The US and UK have the sterling mark and standard, but that is not recognized by any other land.) He saw a little smudge on the dorsum and tried to claim that was the 925 mark, at which bespeak I walked away. I institute some other jewelry store with all the items marked 925 and purchased a few bracelets in that location.

3. Giving you "directions"

If you announced lost, numerous people will approach yous and ask where y'all are heading. They will be friendly and offering guidance, some will even offer to walk you to your destination.

These people aren't only being friendly and hospitable. They are actually trying to guide you to their store. They volition walk you as far as their store, and and so try to guilt trip you into coming inside and buying something.

4. The Aggressive Approach

This isn't really a scam, since they are outright with what they desire, but business owners in Istanbul actually want your business organisation. They desire you to come up swallow at their restaurant and buy their junk. They are not shy nigh it, and often are overly aggressive. They will cross the street to try to convince you to come up in, they will tell y'all to merely have a cup of tea, say they just desire yous to look, and try to guilt trip you lot with those sad puppy domestic dog eyes. Larn how to say no. Larn how to ignore people on the street. Only become to a restaurant or a shop because you want to go, non because you experience pressured.

I'g certain there are plenty of other scams in Istanbul, simply fortunately since I was only there for a few days, these are the but ones I encountered.  Take you encountered whatsoever other scams in Istanbul? Share your story!

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Source: https://partnersinfire.com/passion-fire-2/travel/scams-in-istanbul/

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