Festival price hikes are expected but that is no excuse for cheating

Visitors climb the Great Wall in Yanqing district, northwest of Beijing, on Feb 11, 2016, despite heavy smog. [Photo/IC]

A tourist complained online that a restaurant to Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, padded the bill and the staff became aggressive when they argued. According to the online post, the local police sided with the restaurant, while the local market regulators said they could not intervene about the price because it was clearly marked on the bill. A comment on Beijing News says:

The local market regulators seem to have forgotten that a clearly marked price does not exclude cheating. The customer complained his party consumed 5.2 kilograms of fish but were charged for eating 7.2 kg; if that's true, the restaurant cheated them and deserves punishment.

The restaurant staff also reportedly attacked the diners when they complained. They even continued beating the customers when the police arrived, forcing them to pay. If the reports are true, the restaurant violated the law and the police failed in their duty. Higher authorities need to intervene and punish the attackers and corrupt police for their illegal deeds.

Some people have defended the restaurant by saying that prices are normally higher than regular during the Spring Festival period. But the tourist is reported to have been charged 10,302 yuan ($1,569) for the meal, which far exceeds the national average monthly salary. Basic business ethnics also require those running restaurants to confirm the price and quantity of such an expensive meal before printing the bill. But the reports suggest the restaurant did not do that; that's why it has a very bad record among past consumers.

After the incident became a hot topic online, the local government responded that it is investigating the matter and will reach a conclusion soon. It is to be hoped they are impartial.

Should local officials choose to side with the local restaurant even if it is in the wrong, that will deal a fatal blow to the reputation of tourism in Harbin.

Visitors to tourist attractions, especially during the Spring Festival, can expect prices to be slightly higher than at other times, that is understandable as it is the result of market mechanisms. But those mechanisms should not be exploited to cheat customers.