answered about 3 months ago by stirge
It's basically along the same priciples of being charged twice what a Vietnamese person would be charged just because you are a foreigner. Now, of course we all now that some of us make more money than the locals, that's obvious. But, how can they do that? Well.....they just can. My Vietnamese friend told me that it's fair and we shouldn't complain about it because we come to this country and make much more money than the locals. Very true, but where are the morals or the laws regarding this completely immoral practice? Well, there are probably plenty of laws, but as foreigners we will most likely never see them enforced. Been living in Asia for 6 years and it's been like that in quite a few of the countries, although the charging more because I am a foreigner bit is a first time for me here in Vietnam. At least I didn't have to deal with that in the other places I've lived. It's hard to swallow sometimes and I feel myself getting angered over it, but in some ways I can understand it, too.
answered about 2 months ago by kloonvn
I strongly believe that paying a premium over what locals pay for services and/or products is very much acceptable.
The prices should not depend on the geographical location of the buyer, but on the buying power of the consumer.
Differential pricing is a general accepted way of doing business. Same as children might pay only half price for a ticket to zoo, while actually using the same services as an adult (animals cost the same, no matter if they are looked at by adults or by children). Or the senior citizen will get a reduced rate for his bus ride, while he takes the exact same amount of gas to move him around as it takes for a middle aged man.
This is what the capitalists see as a valid system, and it might be one of the few things that is actually really responsible for a divers globalized market as we have now.
If the original poster complains about the missing transparency, then I can fully agree with him. Knowing the exact price up front would help him to make a educated decision. A decision could be that based on the real price charged, and not that you'll only see the real price at the end.
But as mentioned about, different prices for different customers is a very established market principle used everywhere. Especially in a market where people with very divers spending power meet, it is also very reasonable.
