I Suffered the BIGGEST SCAM of My Life 🇱🇰

What started as a blue moonstone mine tour in the South of Sri Lanka soon turned in to a major tourist scam.
When a subscriber contacted me and proposed me to tour around Hikkaduwa with his uncle I thoughtm why not and agreed to it.
We went to moonstone and gem palace in Meetiyagoda to do what afterwards felt like a fake mine tour. The mines didn't really look like they were used. Also the whole operation seemed a bit too perfect to be real. Nonetheless I enjoyed a tour, bought some cinnamon leaf oil and then went into their jewelery shop. There I was shown products of in the thousands of dollars, including one necklace of 45,000 USD.
When I finally agreed to buy something I got seriously overcharged, I found this out only later and because of that I decided to investigate a bit more and confront the Scam Palace.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:18 'Mine' tour
15:02 Jewelery shop where SCAM happened
20:12 Picking up the Mayor's mom
22:01 Analyzing the SCAM with help of Jewelery shops
27:45 Going back to the SCAM Palace to confront them
34:37 Honest business
37:03 Outro
___________________________________________________
With my KZbin videos I aim to show a different perspective than what most travel vloggers would do by interacting with people and really getting the local insights of the places I visit. No matter their social background I treat everyone equal. Sometimes this results in awkard conversations but I love it!
**Support my channel and the people I meet**
All donations will go back to the communities during my travels, this can be through staying or eating at small businesses or even donating this money right back through one of my donations projects.
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Thanks for the support, always!
___________________________________________________
Live updates: / timtense
Short Vlogs: / timtense
Ultra Short Vlogs: / timtense
#srilanka #hikkaduwa #travelvlog

[@PamudithaLeo]

I worked for this sector for over 5 years, This is the awful truth though. 60% of this big scale Gem & Jewellry companies over value their products. So sorry for this experience, government Gem & Jewellry authority should take action to mitigate for these kind of scams.

[@idealist420]

60%? these guys sell semi precious stones at absurd prices and are not considered part of the legit gem industry , if you don’t know about the gem industry please don’t speak about it. They just scam tourists and sell stones saying they are this and that. They can’t even afford GIA certificates from Switzerland or GRS certifications and instead just get some cheap ass fake verification from somewhere. If you are buying gems buy them from legit dealers instead of these small ass shops that act like they know what they are doing.

[@thishurahimesh4431]

@@idealist420 Dude GIA don't have a lab in Switzerland while GRS have an acceptance office in Sri Lanka but there labs are in Switzerland and Thailand

[@lakmallakmal942]

Agree about prices and scam Also note this is youtube..😂😂

[@SAN-ud4uk]

If the retailer returns the money full. You shouldn’t post as scam. Because if it’s a scam he won’t return the money. You should go to other Jewellery places and check the same item price before you judged. Because I’m pretty sure if you want to buy the same item in anywhere Europe jewellery shop Hand made, silver with stone will cost your arm and leg. I like your videos but don’t agree with this kind of videos because you’re distorting someone local business.

[@SAN-ud4uk]

හිගන යක්කු ඇවිල්ලා විඩියො දාලා ලංකාවෙ බිස්නස් කනවා.. ඔක Europe වල ගන්න ගියොත් Mine එක පෙන්නලා,factory experience නොමිලේ දිලා හැන්ඩ් මේඩ් සිල්වර් ගලකුත් එක්ක ඩොලර් දෙදහක්වත් වෙනවා. එ කඩේ මිනිහා සල්ලි රිටන් කරහම කොහොමද හොරෙක් වෙන්නෙ. මුන්ට ගහලා එලවන්න ඔන.විව්ස් හිගන්නො.

[@DaysofDilshan]

The owner said the gem is in good ( no cracks ) condition. But if it even had a tiny 1mm crack, it's worth a lot less. If you're not familiar with gemstones, it's best not to buy one because there's no fixed price for them. Good luck !

[@yasindu_112]

I recommend this man’s advice because he is one of well reputed businessmen and influencers in sri lanka! And most important thing is that he is a gem businessman…So I recommend this guy’s advice for you Tim

[@manaharalk]

I too recommend this guy’s advice for you Tim

[@myvlogsofficial]

true

[@maleeshapramud1071]

True. If you're not familiar with gemstones, it's best not to buy one because there's no fixed price for them.

[@hantec1773]

Bro we want gaming videos 😊

[@rohini9599]

රටට එන විදේශිකයන් සූරාකෑමට බලාසිට්න්න එපා😒 ලාංකිකයිනි ඒක හරි අප්‍රසන්නයි

[@kusumalatha1167]

අපේ රටේ ඉන්න සමහර අය ගැන දන්නවානෙ ... මේ රට පිරිහෙන්නෙ මේ හින්දා ( තනිකර ඉන්නේ හොරු , ඉතින් අපිට ඩොලර් හම්බවෙයිද )

[@chinaKoronaVirus]

😂😂ඒ ගල $200(60,000 )ක් වෙන් නැඩ්ඩ?😂😂

[@shihara-dk3zv]

Polisiyata bhara denna adala kattiyawa...

[@giannishen]

It is difficult to judge the authenticity of a gemstone, and its value is also very subjective. It is not recommended to buy it without expert appraisal! I believe that people are helpless when encountering this kind of thing, and their mood will definitely be affected! I encourage you to think in a different direction. In fact, you have done a charitable work and helped other travelers avoid being deceived in the future! I hope you’re not too upset, and thank you for sharing and exposing them! 👍🥰🙏

[@sanyaphotography]

You need to do your home work before spend your money for expensive items, something like jewelleries. After buying the item, how long this guy wasting his time and money to cross check the item !!! You shuold be a smart as traveller. Hope you did not purchase this item at gun point !!! For me, this video is ONLY FOR VIEWS.

[@giannishen]

​ @sanyaphotography It originally requires multiple checks. If you don’t make multiple checks to find out the objective price before drawing a conclusion, I’m afraid you won’t be able to convince the merchant! They have been able to operate for such a long time. I am afraid that it was not just one or two people who were deceived. You should check with the local government personnel!

[@Disna0608]

මම මේ වීඩියෝ එක sri lanka tourist board එකේ මගෙ යාලුවෙක්ට යැවුව.සමහරවිට එයාල ක්‍රියාමාරගයක් ගනී.අපේ රටට එන විදේශිකයො රවට්ට්නවට.මම ඇකමැතිම දෙයක් තමා මේක.tourism කියන්නෙ මේක නෙවේ

[@kusumalatha1167]

අනිවාර්යයෙන් ඒක කරන්න

[@-xxx5349]

රනිල්ගෙ වැඩ තමා😂.පහුගිය කාලෙ මාධය සාකච්ජාවකදි කිව්වානෙ විදෙශිකයන්ට වැඩි ගණන් වලට අලෙවි කරන්න කියලා 😂

[@bebosssir7598]

Me tourist maphia eken muta one lankawe tourist en netikaranna..cheep tourist.

[@slrawana]

@@-xxx5349 ආප්පයක් ඩොලර් 10 කට විකුණන්න කියලා ගොබිලා කිව්වේ!

[@shalikafernando6986]

Thank you

[@whatisee1945]

රටට එන සංචාරකයින් ආරක්ෂා කරන්න රජයේ වැඩපිළිවෙලක් සකස් විය යුතුයි. මේ විදේශිකයා ඉතාමත් හොද කරුණාවන්ත කෙනෙක්. මේවානම් බලු වැඩ.

[@anojamadusanka8914]

රජයේ ඉන්න උනුත් හොරා කන්න බලන් ඉද්දි මේවා කව්රු බලන්නද

[@ChrishoFernando]

වංචා කාරයින්ට අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කල යුතුයි රජයෙන් අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම වැඩ පිලිවෙලක් යෙදීය යුතුයි ලැජ්ජයි මේ වීඩියෝ ලෝකෙ පුරාම යනවා

[@ravindumadushanka453]

මේ පැත්තෙ අය ඉන්නව නම් පොඩ්ඩක් කතා කරා නම් හරි. මේක රටටයි හොද නැත්තෙ. මෙයා ආයෙ මේ වගේ දෙයක් මිලදී ගන්නෙ නැති වෙයි 💔

[@gvwems6881]

31:20 Salli apahu aragena!!

[@SLTechphotographer9368]

මෙතන කිසිම වැරැද්දක් නෑනේ සුද්දා ගත්ත ගල ආපිට රිටර්න් කලා නේ

[@shehandias5742]

​@@SLTechphotographer9368 තොගේ ඇස් පොට්ටද *කයෝ. Blue moonstone කියලා අන්දලා දීලා තියෙන්නේ නොවටිනා ගානකට. ඒක වැරද්දක් නෙවෙයිද *න්නයෝ

[@EscapeWithAmelia]

සුද්දත් උඹ වගේම හිගන්නෙක්

[@georgwagner3859]

He is doing this to get views. He's not a real buyer.

[@shehanminimom8690]

omg i'm sorry abouth it.. but you can complain to police against that seller....

[@shaunratnayake5957]

Sounds like scam and he gave you fault information.

[@shaunratnayake5957]

Please go to police Carlos, this guy is Muslim, they are not genuine

[@sasanimosh7110]

Thats correct

[@Dilukshan_..]

Srilankan police itself is theif😂😂 wtf complain

[@TheBasedDude]

​@@Dilukshan_.. What are you talking about bro the tourist just has to bribe the police 😂

[@hansananipun9884]

මේ Area එකේ ඉන්න කෙනෙක් මේ ගැන බැලුවනම් හොදා. නැත්තම් මේ විදිහට තවත් ගසා කයි.

[@samithliyanage51]

Mama meetiyagoda thamai eeth ooke balanna deyak naa okkoma karanne ooka thamai.. Dhawalagiri garden visit karana ayata mama kawadaawath salli mul karagena treatment denne naa.. godakma prashne meyaalage newei guide lage eyaala illana commission denna kohomawath baa.. 😢

[@dannilush9282]

Methana wela thiyenne meyath ekka yana un dennata a minissu commision akak gewanna apai... oya salli bagayak yanne giyapu un dennata, Aththa kathawa eka

[@user-mp1dy5nr4k]

Dammika panida bottle eke😂

[@gihandanushka2942]

Ban me kaluthara un 800 gathama kagahuwa. Dan dakune un balapan mun gana he he he😂😂😂😂

[@malansir]

මේ සුද්දා පිස්සෙක්

[@maleeshadilshan6819]

As a sri lankan ,if you want to buy gem original pure gem they give a certificate ( govermant certificate ).

[@edwardgraham3475]

33:43 These guys are from the military. They don't really have any authority over any civil laws unless it is a state of emergency situation. So yeah they can't do anything about it

[@arunshan6808]

Why r they out there

[@relaxingtemple6476]

@relaxingtemple6476 0 seconds ago They are from the special police task force. They always dress in military uniforms. That’s their uniform, they are out there because in Sri Lanka almost on daily basis now people get killed due to underworld activities because of drugs. The special task force from the police is having the same hierarchy like the military. Is anyone is interested, there are several documentaries in KZbin about them.

[@blacktaged]

While 200 is outrageous, you can't expect the same price you would get from a small shop at those places. Bigger shops have to pay a bigger tax and they have more expenses than a small shop. (salaries, bigger electricity bills etc.) It's a grey area in my honest opinion. And there are some tourists who won't buy cheap options just because its cheap; first shop you visited is for that upmarket.

[@hansanichannel4828]

Small shop said it was $70 because they thought he would sell it to them so they can sell it to next coustemer about $200. Hmm

[@Harindra000]

TAX has nothing to do with business profit.

[@Agent-gd9vm]

Most importantly. This video is telling people to do a better research or a market comparison in the same product category before buying to avoid any scams or misleadings. That will help to pay the right values. Thanks Tim, for sharing your learning experience. ❤ 🇱🇰

[@parmisabedinzadeh28]

Wow, you smashed it!!! Bravo for standing up for what is right

[@relaxyourmind6399]

Dear Tim, First of all Welcome to Sri Lanka. Also I want to thank you for coming to Sri Lanka and Helping people here and also making beautiful videos about Sri Lanka. In this case I am not try to make a story or take a side, I just want to be fare about the scam. You have no idea about Gem Business. You may ignore my statement or if you are a vice (Smart) person you will learn something out of this. I am a therapist born in Sri Lanka and live in the U.S.A , and also I have study Gemology also have gone to different gem markets and gem mines in Sri Lanka. So there is no reason to make a statement other than I have to tell you the actual truth. You have no idea when it’s comes to selling gems or prizing a game, the golden rule is this ( there is no stable or exact price or value of a gem ) it can go from 1$ to $ 1000 in Sri Lanka. For an example, when you buy a small rough un cut gem stone from a mine in Rathnapura area it will cost about $ 10 but they will say it will cost about $ 80 , main thing is you have to Bargen. So the $10 gem stone will go to the market and they will price it for $ 20 to $30 and some times it will go hand to hand, just with in that particular gem market, then the price will increase up to $ 70 to $100 , then this gem will go to another place , may be to Colombo or Kandy or Beruwala and the same gem will go up to $ 150 or $ 200. Then one foreigner or a buyer will come and buy the same stone from there for $250 or for $300 and take the gem to another country and they will sell it there for $500 , So that’s how it goes. The main thing is there are 2 types of gems 1. Natural Gems 2. Artificial (Synthetic) Gems, At least they sold a Natural Gem and the seller was kind enough to return your money back. If you go to Thailand, Madagascar or Africa and ask for money back, you will get nothing but a slap to your face or you will get killed because those people are very rude. It’s very unfair for the miners , they risk their lives and go deep under tunnels in search of Gems and get nothing but just little money to survive and here we Bargen and killing each other for money. Actually you should go to Rathnapura area to visit some Gem mining areas and see the real life how they work so hard and risking their life for nothing. I am not telling everybody here in Sri Lanka is kind and Honest but most of the people here is very kind and helpful. So please do not misunderstand and do not get a wrong impression on Sri Lankan people , The most important thing is the people who have comment on this video has no idea about the Gem industry in Sri Lanka. That is the real nature of Sri Lankan gem Business. Usually when they say $ 100 the real price will be around $30 , you have to Bargen just like Chinese people. So this the Golden Rule. So I wish you good luck and enjoy your stay , be safe and Enjoy life ! Take care Bro ! ….

[@realDunalTrimp]

Best to stay away from Sri Lanka, if everyone wants to bargain.

[@nishithasapukotanage2952]

@@realDunalTrimpwhy don’t you stay away from Sri Lanka and let the other people come because you’re not needed anyway

[@nipunchandrawansa9014]

​@@realDunalTrimpWhen it comes gems, antiques any where in pawn shops any where in the world YOU HAVE to BARGAIN. And you can only do that if you know how much its worth TO YOU. Gems are like antiques, classic cars etc there is no real price. What do you expect?

[@Mohd55621]

In gems it is called pressure and semi pressure

[@inoussasogodogo3312]

I don't think the guy SCAM you at all. He is just a good salesman. The juwery is a good one. He told you $200 if you don't want it,just walk away. It is a bargain country. I'm in USA watching your videos

[@user-xg8jn8jm8x]

It's essential for all goods to have prices displayed as required by the country's consumer laws. Businesses must follow these rules and not set prices based on a customer's buying power; doing otherwise is illegal! There is no such thing as a 'bargain country'! Don't embarrass Sri Lankans by supporting scammers! 😡

[@relaxyourmind6399]

absolutely correct

[@sandeepadilshan9877]

Moonstone is a kind of special stone which has thousands of different qualities.Some of them cost starting 1ct for 20 dollars up to 100 dollars and others can vary depend the value.So in my point of view, you can’t exactly decide it’s worth without Sri Lanka Gem Corporation gem valuation certificate. It maybe worth or not but other competitors never say the real value. You should discover it with a proper way.

[@hansanichannel4828]

Yes they need margine so they said it's $70 because they goona sell it any day to profit. I got the point 😂

[@timtense]

For clarification: the mayor is a friend and he didn't know about the shady business that happens at Moonstone and Gem palace in Meetiyagoda. Please report this to local press (police won't do much I guess) so they stop stealing from tourists.

[@nisalfernando9122]

The first person surely knew about this scam..rest is baila bro

[@oskarumesh2394]

Man , are you out of your mind to buy that cinnamon oil bottle for five thousand? That cinnamon bottle real price should be somewhere between five hundred and one thousand. Try to be smart because this is not your first visit to Srilanka. Don't trust everyone.

[@whatisee1945]

Check the dollar notes.. It will be fake as well bro.. Apologized for inconvenience caused as a Srilankan. 😟 Heart breaking bad news💔😢

[@dinethkumarasinha6522]

Dot't believe all people.specialy in sri lanka and like this poor countries.I take exquise for this people.because this is my country too.Please be careful.i wish you for a long joiner.😊

[@Shorts-zb1mz]

i have little bit experience in this field , this item value around 150 usd in normal market selling price , gemstone value change man to man , you cant get a value from juvallery shops they are telling only value of estimate gem stone value and silver value and they always hide it real value becous if you need to sell it back them, becouse that they always telling you only after market price . ask them how much they want to made it for you . i am not telling that they are not aded little bit tourist price , but it worth it . i dont know anything about that shop but they give you bill and refund , probbly not a scam . try your self in big juwellry shop and pay attention to there prices you will seee by your self .

[@dineshgamage2101]

Seller can sell their product as his wish, it is your duty to do a little research before buying.I don't see a scam here.and the owner returned the money without any hesitation.Somebody can agree that it was a scam if the other shops had the same product at a lower price range.neither that happened.Anyway sorry for the inconvenience you faced.Enjoy the rest of your stay in srilanka.

[@rajwarnakulasuriya5935]

You're right, but there's no need for you to apologize to this blogger for his inconvenience. In fact, this blogger wrongly accused the trader of a scam, which is unfair. The trader runs a legitimate business and charged a price that he felt was fair, which this blogger agreed to. What's worse is that the tourist got a refund without any issue, yet still falsely accused the trader, which was unjustified and misleading. These individuals from all over the world come to Sri Lanka as an entry point to start their blogging career and expect everyone to bend over backward for them. If a similar thing happened to us in their country, those traders would tell us to go fly a kite and not return the money.

[@user-ge4ul1ts9o]

@raj definitely you're right. No need to apologize from this blogger.

[@madushafernando1277]

This blogger is so unprofessional. 1) Gemstone prices differ depending on the craftsmanship, the reputation of the shop/shopping chain, even the country it's sold in. He's comparing the price with small corner boutique shops after buying it from a much established place. 2) He expects military personnel to involve in his matters and blame them for not being 'interested'! Of course, you have to go to the police if you want to make a complaint. Military personnel are there to do their assigned jobs. They won't come running with you to the jewellery shop with their arms!😂 You are ruining the reputation of tourism bloggers! You should have some basic knowledge to be a good tourism blogger. Because some are just posting videos with click baits. They should be called beggars, not bloggers 😞

[@komiksization]

True. He was making a big deal out of nothing.Every retailer store can name there price.

[@lb7034]

It’s a free market economy, you buy or goodby. He is free to set his own prices, you must do your due diligence before buying, I would not have refunded you. And threatening to rat him out to the authorities seems abusive if not condescending on his part to claim some kind of white privilege to set the terms of the trade in a country which has experienced economic and political termoil

[@Asho...]

"HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT"? bro that was EXCELLENT question ❤

[@newconvert2962]

He sleeps well after shots of Ceylon Arak 😂

[@newconvert2962]

He sleeps well after shots of Ceylon Arak 😅😂

[@ayshikaperera2276]

You need to remember there are scammers everywhere you go in the world. For an example if you go to Paris you have a risk of even losing your passports. So it’s better if you differentiate the scammers from the country. You are using the Sri Lankan flag with the caption “The biggest scam of my life.” which is not ethically correct. Also, instead of insulting the whole nation on social media, if you go to the police and report this incident, they will take any complaints against genuine tourists very seriously and act accordingly.

[@Pissa-vz8nq]

Exactly.Which country is without robber,scammer,murderers?Degrading a country with the flag is not acceptable.

[@Dan-xx5jq]

I think when people are shamed than only they look in the mirror and make a change. I firmly believe this! I found it to be very effective when dealing with a bully in school as a kid to dealing with people as an adult. Even countries change.

[@chamweer7866]

Don’t justify wrong doing. SriLanka should not be following other countries that have more scammers. He checked the gem with several sellers and all said the same. I’m convinced he got scammed

[@prashanthkumar5939]

Bottom line is he got scammed in Sri Lanka and that's the truth.

[@wolf-puppy]

@@prashanthkumar5939 it`s not bro, he is the scammer

[@vijayafernando1]

Tim ,the police need to be informed. if the police are not corrupt, they will deal with the scammer.

[@mukreemhussain3512]

Srilankan police ? Come on ..

[@rameshkanishka9630]

fuck no

[@Kamal-ju6qx]

@@mukreemhussain3512 at least they take complains a little bit seriously when a foreigner is involved.

[@MikieSWE]

If you know the chief, and are his best friend. Yes. 🙂

[@riswanshaheed]

Our police 😂

[@snbhacks8699]

As a jeweler with a decade of experience, I've encountered situations where certain people lack common sense and fail to conduct background checks before making their purchases. Often, they are swayed by other sellers offering lower prices to attract business. However, creating jewelry involves various costs such as labor charges, the value of silver, and other materials. Therefore, a price of $150 for a necklace seems reasonable. With a bit of negotiation, the price could possibly be lowered to $150. Before potentially harming someone's business, it's crucial to understand the value of gemstones. Typically, the price of a stone depends on its quality, which is determined by factors such as cut, clarity, carat weight, and color. For instance, a stone with excellent clarity can be worth ten times more than one with only acceptable clarity. Therefore, it's essential to educate oneself before making a purchase and avoid damaging businesses for the sake of views.

[@abl1699]

Well said

[@hemantha75]

True. This man is hunting for KZbin views. He is damaging Sri Lanka for merely for his KZbin income.

[@donaldtrumps3130]

Should chase out this beggar from this wonderful country.. dakka tana gahapan me pakayata

[@frimadonaginting244]

quite a "Tense" moment when you faced the seller/scammer😅

[@surajdon3443]

Its not fair for you to judge the price by asking it from other vendors. Because those vendors will always on bargain mood when they assume that you wanted to sell it. It would be only fair if any of those 2 shops you got the quote had the same item for sale for the price they quoted. The shop owner who sold you the itemnwas very generous to return your money without any hesitation. Just imagine a Sri Lankan tourist faced a similar situation in your country, hiw difficult would it be for them to get the full refund instantly. Just appreciate the good side of it as a tourist, the respect you got for you. You were suffering from a condition called post purchase dissatisfaction based on the opinion by others. That is cery common for people with low money power who counts every cent they spend. If you wanted to condemn Sri Lanka do it with solid facts. Not just by hearing something from the competitors. Also if you wanted buy something which is if a higher price do some market research beforehand so you know what you are getting in to. On the other hand you have used a middle man. Probably he would have got a cut on this deal. I still believe your comments to undermine a whole Sri Lanka is not a fair statement. Its an open market, sometimes you get sold.

[@dulanjananavod7617]

be careful Tim❤❤

[@maheshbudhdhika3748]

I saw you in prime time news about the scam, thank you for exposing this scammer, and help to maintain good tourism in srilanka

[@Dulajdevinda]

ඔය පැත්තෙ ඉන්න උන් කවුරු හරි බොරු ප්‍රයිස් දෙන එකාට කන පැලෙන්න ගහපිය,ඔය වගේ උං හින්දා තමා මේ රටට මෙහෙම වෙලා තියෙන්නෙ

[@sanjayamenaka3388]

aniwaryenma ehema nowunoth issarahata me ena suddo tikath nathi wei

[@CeylonSpiz]

I’m a Sri Lankan living in Canada. My two seconds on this is not only in Sri Lankan but anywhere in the world you have to do lots of homework before buying or signing anything. You could have done the window shopping before you buy the necklace. I was scammed very badly right after coming to Canada. Like you I always liked to trust people but not anymore, I learned my lessons hard way. I really like what you do and it promotes Sri Lankan tourism thanks for that. Glad you were able to get resolved everything to your satisfaction. Keep up your good work!

[@priyanthawijesinghe6502]

Well done mate 💪💪 keep it up

[@huffe1puff]

The title of the video is very wrong as an Aussie who’s been to Sri Lanka, we bought a gemstone worth 500$. It was clean and polish. It was bought for the wedding ring by my fiancé for me. We had to fly here for that. We were offered very low prices but they were having 1mm cracks which cost a lost. We now looking for a good miners to do business

[@relaxyourmind6399]

hi would like to help you, please contact me and let me know your requirements, thanks !

[@realDunalTrimp]

Your channel is a thirst trap, so....

[@Funnyclips-mp8xv]

It have no damage; it cost~150$ to ~250$....Im gem business man from ratnapura ....It is not scam.. I didn't think you would act like this..The price varies according to the refractive index ; spectrum and shape of the gemstone.

[@tipstrips7002]

What has the refractive index to do with the stone price ?! Those types of commercial grade moonstones sold in kilos in Bangkok .. and that smart guy made the guy confused by saying it’s white moonstone blue moonstone bla bla .. while in fact essentially, “blue moonstone” and “white moonstone” refer to the same gemstone, emphasizing different aspects of its appearance… so The value of moonstones is primarily determined by the quality of their adularescence, which is the phenomenon that gives them their unique glow and the one our guy got is commercial grade that won’t reach to 200$ ever

[@wolf-puppy]

@@tipstrips7002 where u from bruh, did y ever touched real one or know how the process is, don`t be keybod hero, anyone can buy iy or pass it it`s depend on how wealthy you are

[@wolf-puppy]

@@tipstrips7002 u`ll find moonstone made out of plastic in bangkok

[@Funnyclips-mp8xv]

@@tipstrips7002 Don't you know that the price of a gemstone varies depending on the country it is sourced from? Doesn't the cost of making a necklace add up using subtlety? The gemstone varies according to the respective market, Do you think that he and she who gets the gem will be overcharged? Gems have a certain price, do you think like gold?

[@RaavananBhoomi-mr6gy]

Am sorry you had this experience, we appreciate people like you who showcase the real beauty of our land to the world and this incident must be hard on not just you bus as a subscriber and a Sri Lankan to all of us. Not all are bad but sometimes some make our good name tarnish with their gimmicks. I hope you file a complaint so no other tourist nor local should experience the same. Please and thank you for all that you do.

[@christopherVandersayjoy-jump]

Just to clarify something mate( not trying to say the shop owner you bought from is fair) , I am stating this because other tourists might get the wrong impression about our country. when you go and ask the price from other jewelers , they might get the impression and claim the value to be half rate thinking you are tying to sell it to them . Best way to clarify these kind of scams are to get in touch with the Sri Lankan Gem corporation they will give you exact clarification and valuation.

[@timtense]

I get your point but the other jewelry shop owners knew I wasn't trying to sell so they gave a pretty good estimate. Especially considering all 3 of them gave a similar estimate. I agree that it would've been better to go the gem corporation.

[@christopherVandersayjoy-jump]

@@timtense No worries , but as you saw with the language inefficiency in their mind they also get confused. It might not be the case here, I am just saying. because in their mind it is all a business 😊. Hope you have fun in Sri Lanka . Wish you get better impression about our country in the future travels. Good luck and safe journey☺☺

[@stinnywee1945]

This is true. If they were selling the same thing they would also keep a profit margin

[@harshiperera6673]

Did you ask how much the stone cost or how much the jewelry cost? Did they have a similar jewelry to compare? In Belgium I got scammed for a cheap fake stone and cheap gold plated jewelry. She said the best we had to order online and it was 180 Euros. I received a cheap AliExpress quality jewelry. 😢

[@whatisee1945]

බොරු price දුන්න Jewellery shop එකේ අයිතිකාරයා පට්ට කපටි නරියෙක්. 👎🏻🥺

[@susanthafernando6383]

Dakune Biyos...yes.👍👍

[@notdedsec_ck9383]

dekkama penwa

[@Sandunvilanga]

❤ i love your videos tim, but here you need to understand about labor cost and other expenses that's why maybe it's cost you 200 $, same thing if you buy one coffee from 5 star hotel it's cost you 2000 but if you try same one in street it's cost you 200, we can't pont anybody wrong but sellers and buyers both must be happy, what i think thet guy is returned your amount without wasting time i like that quality..

[@easyfoodsbyshan2709]

this not scam . gemstone’s didn’t have exact price you bought it 200$ but in international market its sometimes higher than it . silver also have several quality 925 is not best 100% pure silver is best. stones also have different qualities

[@nandasenaweerakoon9506]

this man is wrong, the owner said if you don't like it we give your money back, why did he accuse him for scamming, prices vary from place to place and the quality of the product, he should check the prices from different stores before and buy it, these scamming stories use by youtubers to gain more viewers.

[@isuruabeywickrama1867]

Yes.. this is not a scam for me. The owner was kind enough to give his money back. If you want to buy something please do some research on the product. Different shops will offer you different prices. It is your responsibility to accept it or not. Even in some online platforms you can find same item for different prices.

[@nandasenaweerakoon9506]

@@isuruabeywickrama1867 he did it again in kaluthara, there is an article in the daily mirror couple of days ago, just read the comments there, almost all of them wanted to make all srilankans are really bad people.

[@jeewanthasathapaththu6873]

He gave his money back because of the camera.

[@nandasenaweerakoon9506]

@@jeewanthasathapaththu6873 come on man, if you want to buy a expensive stuff, you checked out the market first, after buying, you don't complain, it's just normal everywhere in the world, he is just making up stories to increase his viewers .

[@wathsansri1772]

@@nandasenaweerakoon9506 -It's essential for all goods to have prices displayed as required by the country's consumer laws. So why we fall in to that situation if owner did right thing? So you supporting that seller for a fixed whatever price? The seller is an expert in this business and he knows the real value of each product he produces. He can`t fix the price which is far higher than the actual. Because Foreigner, he videoed the scenario owner gave that money back. The situation can be different if it is local and there is no evidence of a shooting. Tim has asked the owner how can do this kind of business and sleep well?. Can you answer to that question?

[@ravimunasinghe8955]

Valuing a gemstone is a very difficult task. Tim, I'm glad you returned it & the owner of the shop returned your money. This can happen anywhere in the world but there are very reputed gem & jewellery shops also. When in a foreign country please study the prices at several places before you buy anything valuable. Your last shop looks like a genuine place which is judged by Google also. Glad you saved Sri Lanka from a scammer! All the best.

[@DilanSampath-dm8ti]

Trust and honesty reflect not just outward intentions but inward integrity. They reveal the depth of one's character and the height of one's principles, mirroring the essence of individual identity.🙏🏻

[@akilaudara2167]

Really happy about your reply brother. ❤✨

[@yaa2069]

In this video, I just saw, Lack of knowledge effect this incident. Because, gem and gemology is deep area. That's why, in market pay higher amount for that. Everyone cannot identify those things very easily. If you don't know, those things, why you went there alone. Here, I'm not judging anyone. But,I believe there was responsibility sellers and also buyers that what you pay. Otherwise, this will be happening anywhere, not only Sri Lanka.

[@yaa2069]

Anyway, Tim,we love and your videos and contents..❤❤ Be safe and stay bless..❤❤

[@Kaile1789]

@@yaa2069 that Tim guy is scamming Sri lankans for views and degrading the countrie's name... You loved it?

[@Laura_calatoreste]

Good that you got your money back 🙏 I try never to buy from museums or places famous as they tend to be more expensive. Did you buy another one at a better price from The city?

[@dilanabeyewardene8358]

Hi Tim,firstly thank u so much for uplifting Srilanka as a destination to the rest of the world and secondly my apologies for the way u were scamed by this guy. If I were to ever go that way I would drop in and give him a piece of my mind what he did to u. Anyway have a great time in Srilanka and the very best to u my friend

[@dineshapunchihewa1228]

So sorry for your loss. Hope the police will do the justice

[@Kaile1789]

He didnt loss anything ...he got his money and achieved his goal by sacrificing himself for a petty drama.. 200$ is nothing for a silver chain with a moonstone .. Even a just a silver ring is costly than 10K rupees

[@1993dana15]

Im a local from Ratnapura , Sri Lanka (where majority of these stones are mined) nd an amature gemologist. This is very similar to buying gold in hong kong. If you know the subject you can secure good deals in local gem markets like Beruwala , Ratnapura or even in Colombo. But if you dont know about stones there is a 99% chance to get scammed. If you dont know , always buy stones through a recognized seller with proper certificates

[@enigmagermany2303]

Thank you for making this video. Your saving many innocent people. Keep up the good work

[@timtense]

Thank you, I will ❤ #TrueLegendt

[@wolf-puppy]

​@@timtense sleep well nerd 🤓🤓, next time have some money when shopping, you better start travelling like Africa or some undeveloped countries to find bargain deals for you, such a generous owner to hand over 200$ without hesitation, can you imagine same will happen like immediately refunded in Belgium to tourist , you better find cheap places to shoping. Respect how much effort they put to do these work, what u think they don`t use slaves to do their work, & other thing is you such a idot to valuate jewel from other shops, its common sense to them bargaining on it, such a shame on Belgians in your way

[@iam.romiyo]

I just watched the video, and while our country is facing economic challenges, it's no excuse to cheat tourists. As a Sri Lankan, I apologize for such behavior. If we cross paths in Galle again, I'll be sure to greet you.

[@ArnoldPranks]

You don't need to apologize, you did not scam the guy. Just as Tim doesn't need to apologize for the Hol0caust done in Africa by the Belgian king Leopold.

[@MikieSWE]

@@ArnoldPranks Lol, Leopold. 🙂

[@waruranasinghe6400]

So sorry to see that tim. We are going share this with relevant authorities ..❤

[@user-ge4ul1ts9o]

ඇයි බං එහෙම කරන්නේ? මුගේ වැරැද්ද . ගන්න කලින් හොයලා බැලුවනං හරිනේ. අනික shop එකෙන් මූට ආපහු සල්ලි රිටන් කලානේ. එක එක කඩවල එක එක ගණන්. We dont know the quality of item . So මෙතන වැරැද්දක් නෑ..

[@charlesjay8818]

Yes please tell the relevant authorities that a stupid clueless naive Belgium walks into a gem store, negociates a price he is happy with, and then finds out later that it could have been cheaper elsewhere...... then runs to the Sri Lankan army to complain hahahahaha In another video he pays 800lkr for a drink & a snack which costs 150lkr......... when the menu & prices are on the wall. This idiot gets scammed all the time

[@malansir]

This is not a Scam . 1, there is no actual price for gemstones because there are lot of factors and characteristics affect on gemstones price . That jewelry is a hand made one. It normally cost 15000-20000 locally to make for jewelry maker except the stone . And i saw one guy said that stone is weight around 6-7ct. And also said blue shin . Blue shin 5ct+ clean moonstones are rare. Prices are very high. If this guy purchase that from USA this cost more than 600 dollars . This guy expacting this for 70-80 by getting opinion from inexperienced local sellers. Its totally disgraceful . You should apologize from him and all country for making such a bad reputation . Shame on you .

[@user-cc3dq1ri5g]

❤❤❤ great job, You are the real hero.

[@ouditnarinesamlal3082]

Hey Tim, throughout the length and breath of this world there are people who feels they are smarted than u, and they go and scam u just so that they can make a profit from scaming u.I keep wondering how do these people sleep at night.Great vlogTim, Sri Lankans are honest people .

[@charlesjay8818]

these people can sleep well. This Belgium idiot walks into a gem store with no knowledge or research..... negociates a price he is happy with and pays. He then finds out later he could pay less in another shop......... Who's fault is that???? He paid $200 istead os $80, big deal

[@shenalhapuarachchi7823]

Im no gem expert here but i know that gems can be graded/priced based on the quality. I know this well because I was at the SL gem beauru a few days ago, and the pricing was just insane. There were natural gem stones priced from 20-30$ onwrds, and the same catogary but better quality once were priced like 10 times higher. I guess its all about the stone cut and quality. So, not really sure what exactly went wrong in this case.... 😢😢😢 Plus, those other local jwellery stores that you did the price cross-check, did not really seem to care much. I would certainty agree with your point if you had done a propper price check with a reputed jwellery brand in the area or in Colombo. and, next time when you are buying gems anywhere, ask for an authentication certificate! If they start the deal by saying 'Blue moon stone', make sure to add that in the certificate as well. And, pls do some homework before make such deals. Just check the price online prior walking in to a store, so that you will know exactly what to expect 🙂

[@EscapeWithAmelia]

Actually this Gem business owner is a genuine person. he return money in no second and he explained the value of the Moon stone too. Most of the tourists who visit Sri Lanka and driving hired three wheels are foreign beggars.. Real tourist are going with guides. Today tourism industry is controlling by few uneducated locales. If you go to Hikkaduwa, Weligambay, Sigiriya you will realise it. Government need to take an immediate action on this, if properly made a system income can be double within short time period..

[@spider7665]

Really happy how things went, and you handled the situation perfectly. However, after coming from your previous video of Gem Mine in Ratnapura which was a wholesome it is really sad to see that you had to encounter this kind of crap from scammers.

[@user-tk9sy5yz4u]

Good job tim 👏 thank you for revealing 🙏

[@chandradesilva9285]

I am glad he got his money back….. this kind of scammers ,ruined the reputation of the country.

[@Desertfox18]

You must file an entry at the Hikkaduwa Police Station. Telling about scammers to the Police STF wouldn't work as police cannot work on it without you filing a complaint.

[@charlesjay8818]

No crime was commited. He walked into a shop, negociated a price and paid. Later he found he could have got it cheaper from another shop........ that's NOT a crime. If i buy rice for 500lkr/kg then find it cheaper in another shop, shall i report it to the police?? hahahaha

[@jillleong9386]

Gosh!I would have personally felt the same way as you did for being scammed.It's so disheartening to hear of such bad experiences in a foreign country but at least you got your hard earned money back.What a hugh relief for you.Be more careful whenever you do your purchasing in the future.Take care and keep safe Tim.💕🇲🇾

[@SLASIBRO]

Hello sir, I have been following you for a long time. Thank you very much for your service in Sri Lanka. I'm in Kandy. Any time you come to Kandy, I'll take you to many places you haven't seen. I'm not sending you a message looking for any advantage, sir. Tell me anytime

[@amilanetlk]

😂

[@amilanetlk]

Ok Malli it's nice to hear from person like you

[@Prasanna-rc9qd]

this is good .you posted video to youtube . now lot of people know about them . and one more don 't give money for everyone bro . it will make bad peoples .they will hope money from every foreginers .its not good .if only give service to you offer money but not for scammers and road helpers

[@NatureVLike]

Hi Tim, I recently described your channel and to be honest you are very smart KZbinr

[@mtvta1981]

Your vlog is still amazing even though u got scam.

[@sanuyoutube69]

inform the police lot of peoples will be scammed

[@user-si9cw3oc1v]

I had a some feeling about that Jewellery deal! 🤔 Unfortunately, I don't have any knowledge about those Gem businesses 😕. And I am really sorry about what happened to you!! You did a good trip in here so far. I hope the Authorities would do something about it!!😩💔

[@travelnature6576]

Thanks for sharing and having us informed about them.👍 These people are a curse to this country.

[@heatherlandskron]

Oh no, sorry that happened. Stay safe and God bless. Prayers for you.

[@charlesjay8818]

NOTHING happened...... he got his $$$ back. NO scam occured

[@TruthTvSLVlogs]

As a Sri Lankan, I apologize for the inconvenience caused. You should complain to police against that seller.

[@devurandom2019]

Thanks for being so honest to share that story. Cool Tuk-Tuk Tim!

[@timtense]

Thanks for watching and for the support! ❤😎 #TrueLegendt

[@charlesjay8818]

..... yeah share the story and embarrass himself

[@nuwannilanka]

So sorry this has happened to you. You are probably the first one in the history to get money back in Sri Lanka 🇱🇰. That’s a win for you.

[@shehanwijekumara]

Really sorry for the experience you had there as a Sri Lankan, & so happy about how you react to that. Sorry again & welcome to Sri Lanka again 🇱🇰 ❤

[@user-ge4ul1ts9o]

අනේ උබලා ඌට ඇයි sorry කියන්නේ. ඌට money return කලා.. උබලා බලපන් අපේ කඩවල් වලත් එකම බඩුව ගනන් දෙකකින් තියෙන්න පුලුවන්. උබ කඩේකින් වැඩිපුර දීලා අරන් අනිත් කඩේ ඊට අඩුයි කියලා ආපහු ඒ කඩෙන් සල්ලී ඉල්ලුවහම දෙනවද යකෝ. ඒත් මූට සල්ලි දුන්නා ආපහු ඒ කඩෙන්.

[@lakpriyabandara2623]

As Sri Lankans, we are sorry for the business and liars who only hope to seek money fraudulently. I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you. Submit your complaint to the Tourist Police.

[@BULLBULLI]

Don´t Blame others.if you don´t know anything Gem jewellary you should avoid it.This completly your mistakes going to buying.

[@malindurajapaksha1791]

Then you can't buy a jewelry without knowledge then everyone is getting scammed right😂 don't be dumb

[@BULLBULLI]

@@malindurajapaksha1791 Yes better then afterwords😂

[@charlesjay8818]

@@malindurajapaksha1791 You shouldn'y buy ANYTHING without knowledge you fool. Whether it's a gem a house or a car. He clearly found out after what it should cost...... why didn't do that 1st???

[@WadithaGamage2]

Sri Lanka has the best Moonstone in the world. From Sri Lanka Origin the world's best Blue Sapphire, King Sapphire. But Gems do not has fixed prices...if has a small crack proce vary in big scale..at least u must aware 4Cs and and varity well before buy. If u don't know that youmay not buy. If you don't feel rght you may leave it. It is not an FMCG for fix priced. What Dilshan has said in Comments is right Tim.

[@RuviniThenuwara94]

I’m glad that u got your money back. Apologize for the inconvenience caused. Scammers are everywhere when u buy something like this always compare the money with other shops.

[@LANKANinUSA]

Hello Tim, I am Sri Lankan American who has lived in USA for over 34 years. once when I visited Sri Lanka and stayed in a tourist hotel in hikkaduwa I was also directed to the exact same mine. It was the same person who directed us, first the mine, then the panning, then cinnamon, stones in different bowls of water (we actually bought a couple of bags of stones for about $10 apiece) then the showroom. I ended up buying a necklace for about $125 for my wife who was accompanying me with our two children. So even after speaking the local language (me and wife, not the children) we got caught too. Funny that it is still happening. Greetings from Orlando, Florida!!!

[@raniduk.dissanayaka5904]

TIM, If you go any shop , police station, bus or train station you can meet like that scammers Because of them Sri Lanka is in this situation ❤😢

[@charlesjay8818]

yeah..... NO other country has scammers..... ONLY Sri lanka. So terrible lol

[@gowrishanker8948]

You did a great job bro... I can't say Don't believe anyone. It's very hard to find and believe people in this economic crisis.

[@natomember]

Hi Tim, Glad you got your money back without big drama from the dishonest business owner. From the comments of Sri Lankans who trully wishes only for the best experiences of tourists in Sri Lanka, I can see complaints will be made to tourist police on behalf of you. You have to excuse the STF(special task force) police you met along the road because I saw a language barrier and also they are a special unit and they don't deal with normal civil matters. If you need to lodge a complaint in Sri Lanka you have to physically go to a police station and report where they document your complaint and proceed with investigation. However in this case I'm sure the scamming business will be heavily suffered even without any police intervention due to the impact of your video. Thank you for sharing this. Hope your experiences will be better and better after this. Please excercise caution in touristy areas with related to your expenses as anywhere in the world those are the places which are more prone to scamming.

[@BuddhikaUkwatte]

Really sad about the situation. Complain about this offense. Justice will turn around for you definitely. I'm so sorry Tim.

[@charlesjay8818]

WHAT OFFENCE??????? he got his money back. They negociated a price Tim was happy with and he paid. Just because he found it cheaper at another shop doesn't make it an offence u fool If i buy rice for 500lkr/kg in Keells then after find the same rice at Cargills for 300lkr/kg........ shall i scream SCAM and run to the police and army and make a video about it???? loool It's HIS fault for not doing the research 1st

[@ceylonian9334]

That Mine really looks too good to be true

[@Iftiqarazam1]

Your video quality is just awesome which go pro you use for vlogging????

[@darshanan3244]

Great Tim, you did great job for the scamers ❤

[@user-ou6qd3io6l]

Even the mayor is part of the scam 😂

[@mohanweerackoon4549]

I am a Sri Lanken, I am extremely happy what you did for the scammers, if the Jem so good why didn't he state on his invoice that itself explain the fraud. please enjoy you stay in SL and don't leave unhappy.

[@kasundewage167]

I am from Sri Lanka, I love this guy got his money back and record this and show the fac3 of scammer.

[@ChethanaKalanaMahindapala]

Hi friend. its good that you exposed these scammers. then Sri Lanka will be a place without scammers. Thanks again.,

[@laveendralaveendra9241]

Me wage po**a hut*anta gas bandala gahanna oni, me manusaya lankawata kochara adareda, me wage wada hinda idiriye sancharakayo ena ekath nathuwa yanawa, okawa wahama policiyen atha adanguwata ganna oni Mr.Tim We as a Sri Lankans really apologies for the inconvenience that you faced, please go to the nearest police station and log a complain. Thanks

[@usr829]

As a Srilankan, I apologize for this. Please make a complaint to the police. It would help others to prevent this.

[@duleepalakmal1482]

Gem business are shady anyway. Even the experienced buyers get scammed often because there's no universal standard when it comes to grading a stone. Anyway It's glad to see that you found a better deal at the end. Hope you enjoy the reset of your stay in SL. Cheers!

[@user-qo8me5cs2m]

I'm really worrying about your inconvenience Tim.. Be careful when you're dealing with high valuable things in everywhere. Because everyone is not honest as much as we think... everywhere has duplicate cheap things. Don't be hurry to buy such things in here or another country..

[@oskarumesh2394]

I hope this video will catch the attention of the relevant authorities of Srilankan goverment and they will take actions against those fucking people who hoodwink tourists and damage the image of Srilanka.

[@sujikanth]

Sri Lanka is the home for real cinnamon. Most cinnamon you find in the supermarkets in Europe are advertised as cinnamon but in truth they are "cassia" which look like cinnamon but are completely different and they're from Indonesia. Bc of cassia, Sri Lankan cinnamon farmers are losing business. Cassia is cheap and easy to harvest unlike real cinnamon.

[@flashydeals2743]

Mr.Tim ; it is really sad and frustrating to hear about your bad experience in Srilanka. But i am happy that you finally found a way to get over it. Scamming is really disgusting that can ruin tourism in Srilanka. Actually ,you can complain to tourist police in Srilanka about these scams. Srilanka is a very beautiful country where you can peacefully enjoy to the fullest and gain many values in various aspects. People are really friendly and calm and they respect foreigners who come to Srilanka. But you know, every herd has ablack sheep, and Srilanka too has some bad people in the country specially when it comes to scamming tourists. But actually that is not a big number of people who are doing these scams.a very tiny fraction of the businessmen in the tourism industry are doing scams. There may be only a little amount of scams in Srilanka. Apart from that, there is no any crime such as assault, robbery, theft ,racism or threatening against tourists in the island. It s a very peaceful neighborhood for the tourists. But i accept still even the tiny fraction scamming businesses should be terminated in the island. But you know what, i used to live about 5 years in Australia ,Qld. Racism is highly apparent there. Assault ,robbery and theft is often done against foreigners there. I got assaulted by a native once , and my house was robbed during the day time. When i complained to the police they never took action. They are unlikely to protect the rights of the foreigners other than their own people. My friends were robbed many times in Qld Australia. They do it commonly against foreigners as they know that foreigners are vulnerable in there territory as the law is not gonna help the foreigners. That is the real situation in so called peaceful neighborhood Australia. But here in Srilanka, a foreigner will never be touched by the locals for assault or robbery. But anyway i am not gonna justify this scamming incident. It has to be stopped . Anyway i am happy that you got it over without hassle. That might be so because you are a good person. Good people get good returns. 🙏❤️

[@mohamedrishdi6949]

Actually Tim due to the economic situation here those happenings are common so we have to take precautions before making any purchases.

[@Luis-gy5tw]

Lankawe nama kanna epa bn.blhn me tourists lagen jeewath wena minissu kochchr innwd.thabili gediyk kaju packet ekak wikunana kenage idala mun lankawata ena airlines ek wenkm hmotma meka blpanwa.e hnd sadaranawa hamba krgnna.lankawe nama katha kaloth ek hdagnn kaalayak ynw

[@thennakooncv8495]

Tim those men are STF similar to SWAT in your motherland. They only involve in special missions only such as terrorism , Drugs, gang wars. So they can't help you without direct orders. You can complain to local police station they will help you.

[@janakaperera5363]

Tim was angry and lost his temper. He should not consult military personnel.

[@Humani8i]

As a Sri Lankan, we are really sorry… thank you so much for going back to him. And it is a shame also that even after you spoke to the army officer they did not take any actions towards them. I wish they gave them a warning atleast. Also thank you so much for your care for Sri lanka and showing the positive and good people too. You are a very kind man.

[@kk_land4403]

What you have done is right. I trust these videos go viral and other tourists be alarmed. Social media power.

[@heizeloversh2183]

This is the problem in our country. Lack of honesty. Only a few can be found.