In Reply to: WARNING: Money Changers are Thieves posted by smurchin on Friday, 5. May 2006 at 12:34 Bali Time:
I had the distraction trick played on me. I didn't realise until I was at a cafe having a drink that maybe I'd been tricked. I counted my money and sure enough I was taken for more than 50 Aussie dollars. I walked all the way back and demanded my money back. The guy played ignorant and then told me the manager was out. I told him I was disappointed that I would be cheated in Bali after having visited more than 13 times and enjoying the Balinese hospitality. I asked him if his mother would be proud of him stealing from an woman old enough to be his mother. I demanded my money back or I would call the police. I showed him what I had in my wallet and it didn't tally with the supposed exchange. He wanted to wait for the manager but I said I wanted the money immediately. He finally handed it over and then tried to get 10,000 as a tip. After I received my money the manager showed up and I told him I what had occurred and left the shop. I was really angry as I still lost out by a few thousand rupiah. Another exchange tried it on me but this time I had my husband with me. I counted the money and it came up short. When I pointed this out he wasn't interested in giving the quoted rate so I demanded my money back, called him a cheat and left the shop. These incidents happened in January 2006 in Kuta and Tuban.