Summary of the Key Issues
This year, Nha Trang in Vietnam has become a "hard-hit area" for domestic insurance shopping tours at low prices. A large number of elderly people are attracted by insurance companies with offers such as a six-day tour for 699 yuan under the guise of "customer appreciation." However, upon arrival, they face indirect pressure to shop, often forced into purchasing expensive jewelry for thousands to tens of thousands of yuan, with no means to seek compensation upon returning home. The reasons behind this include numerous regulatory loopholes in Vietnam, the country taking over the low-price tour business from Thailand, and the illegal practices of insurance agents. Additionally, these tours constantly change their guise (such as posing as bank financial products or activities for senior citizens). At the core of the problem is consumers' desire for bargains and the logic of cost shifting—tour fees are significantly lower than the actual costs, so the shortfall must be made up through shopping.
The "Subtle Traps" of Insurance Shopping Tours: Dramatic Tactics and Difficulties in Seeking Compensation
The trickery in these tours doesn't involve direct coercion but rather subtle manipulation:
- Dramatic Stunts: Near the end of the tour, the guide suddenly suggests an "upgraded dinner," leading the elderly to a local luxury home. The hosts, often young people with Chinese ancestry or stories of starting from scratch, emphasize their fondness for Chinese seniors, creating an atmosphere that makes shopping seem like a way to support the host.
- The Helplessness of the Elderly: Many elderly people assure their children before departure that they won't buy anything. But in a foreign environment where language barriers exist, their travel arrangements (hotel, flight, transportation) are controlled by the organizers. The shopping venues are open for several hours of sales pressure, and guides hint that not buying could affect their accommodation or return home. With other tour participants making purchases, it's difficult for them to refuse.
- The Challenge of Seeking Compensation: Upon returning, they find that the money is being collected by a unfamiliar domestic trading company. Trying to contact the insurance agent, tour organizer, or Vietnamese shopping venues results in months of frustration with no refund—each party shirks responsibility.
Why Vietnam Has Become the Preferred Destination?
Thailand used to be the hub for low-price tours, but now it's less attractive:
- Tighter Thai Regulations: After the Wang Xing incident, Thailand tightened regulations, establishing a joint center involving tourism, police, and immigration departments to crack down on unlicensed guides and fake travel agencies, revoking licenses from four high-risk companies, thus reducing the space for zero-cost tours.
- Vietnam's Advantages:
1. Lower Costs: Short flight times (e.g., 2 hours from Guangzhou to Nha Trang), and cheaper hotel and transportation expenses compared to Thailand.
2. Well-established Infrastructure: Nha Trang has long had jewelry and rubber shops geared towards Chinese tourists, with staff who speak Chinese and can provide accurate information about visitors' ages and purchasing power for targeted sales.
3. Regulatory Loopholes: Vietnamese tourism authorities only regulate travel agencies and guides; the quality of goods in shopping venues and online payments are not their responsibility, allowing scammers to exploit these gaps.
The Repeated Appearance of Insurance Tours Despite Bans
Insurance tour issues were exposed two years ago, and insurance companies promised to investigate, but they still exist:
- Insurers' Excuses: After incidents, insurers often blame individual employees, avoiding taking responsibility.
- Agents' Motivation: They use "free tours" and "customer benefits" as incentives, both to retain existing customers and to earn commissions from shopping venues (e.g., 20% on purchases).
- Elderly Consumers' Trust: Having known the insurance agents for years, the elderly assume the company's promises are trustworthy and fall for the scams.
The Changing Faces of Low-Price Tours
The methods used to attract customers are becoming more concealed:
- Bank Financial Products: In Ningbo, someone organized a free one-day tour to Xiangshan under the guise of financial product benefits for 69 people.
- Senior Citizens' Universities: A travel agency in Shangrao, Jiangxi, charged a deposit of 300 yuan and offered rice or rapeseed oil, but it was actually a shopping tour.
- Egg Promises: In Huainan, someone advertised a "20-yuan one-day tour" that turned out to be a health product sales event.
These new tactics share a common pattern: they rely on trust (e.g., with financial managers or senior university teachers) and are quietly organized through WeChat groups or social media, making them harder to detect than traditional store-based promotions.
The Persistence of Low-Price Tours
The reason low-price tours continue is the mismatch between supply and demand:
- Consumer Behavior: People want to travel without spending too much. A six-day tour in Vietnam for 699 yuan seems like a good deal, even though it doesn't cover even the cost of a flight. The elderly believe the insurance company covers part of the expense.
- Cost Shifting: Tour fees are far below actual costs, so the shortfall must be made up through shopping. As long as operators can attract customers with low prices, they will find ways to make a profit. Each new scam just replaces the previous one, as the root issue remains unaddressed.
In conclusion, low-price tours are never really "benefits" but traps. You might think you're getting a deal, but someone else is already eyeing your wallet. Regulatory authorities need to investigate the origins of customer lists and whether insurance companies were aware of these scams. We all should remember that there's no such thing as a free lunch—low-price tours always come with hidden pitfalls.