In Reply to: y dont u just let them be posted by balikoe on Friday, 12. December 2008 at 04:24 Bali Time:
to charge a tourist a very high price so the guide can receive a 70% commission to encourage them to come. I went there myself a few weeks ago with one of my staff acting as guide. After bargaining I got two packs of coffee and cocoa and paid Rp80.000 for both. Within two minutes my "guide" had an envelope with Rp56.000 as his standard 70% commission. The product can be bought at Hardy's or elsewhere for about 16.000, so the seller made Rp8.000 for something I paid 80.000 and the guide got a clear 56.000.
Gross overcharging like this is bad for the whole tourist industry and stops guides from offering unbiased advice on where to go.