The itinerary listed shopping stops, but the group didn’t mind as they had planned to buy local products during the trip anyway.
Source: Wikipedia
The first two days went well. But on the third day, after returning from Jiuzhai Valley, things changed.
The tour bus made several unplanned stops at silverware, jade, and traditional medicine shops.
At one jade shop, the exhausted travellers were forced off the bus by the tour guide and told to enter the premises.
Not allowed to leave shop until spending quota met
Mr Tok’s father ended up buying a jade piece for 7,000 yuan (S$1,200), but the rest of the group showed no interest.
Just as they thought they could leave, the tour guide suddenly became hostile. He insisted that they could not leave until their spending quota was met, forcing them to wait for two hours.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
As a result, they had to wait inside the store while staff kept promoting products.
Eventually, Mr Tok’s father bought another jade piece, and a friend bought one too. Only then were they allowed to go.
The same thing happened at subsequent stops, including a traditional medicine shop.
The guide also pressured them to buy a S$30 pack of dried meat on the bus, claiming that refusing would mean “carrying your own luggage”.
Agency threatens to cancel tour
Mr Tok shared that the daily itinerary was packed, with departures at 5.30am and six-hour bus rides during which the tour guide talked non-stop, leaving no time for rest.
After the forced shopping, most members decided to rest at the hotel. Mr Tok informed the agency that seven would continue while others recuperated.
But the agency allegedly threatened to cancel the entire tour if the full group did not participate.
When the group explained that some members were vomiting and unwell, the tour guide reportedly said they could “vomit on the bus as much as they needed”.
Recovered S$20,000 after police report
Mr Tok noted that their contract contained no mandatory spending clause.
They reported the matter to the police, who promptly contacted the travel agency. The tour guide and two representatives arrived but denied any wrongdoing.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Mr Tok said Chinese authorities handled the case swiftly, resolving it within an hour.
The group recovered about 105,000 yuan (S$20,000) in forced purchases within 24 hours.
They skipped the remaining itinerary, rebooked a hotel, and continued their holiday free-and-easy.
First time encountering such experience in China
Speaking to MS News, Mr Tok said this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, though some relatives had similar experiences in the past.
“We’ve actually had great trips in Guangzhou and Chongqing,” he shared. “Everything went smoothly, and the tours were honestly worth it, so we didn’t expect any issues when we booked Chengdu.”
Image courtesy of Shawn Tok
Despite the ordeal, he said it won’t stop him from visiting China again.
“Of course not, I love China, and we’re already thinking about our next trip. We’ll just be a lot pickier with tour agencies next time.”
He added that he hopes their experience will encourage other travellers to seek immediate help from the police if they encounter a similar situation.