Tennis fans are warned about a shocking scam at the Australian Open
- Grand Slam action begins on January 14
- Spectators have been told to be alert to rip-offs
Fans heading to the Australian Open have been warned to be wary of taxi drivers in Melbourne who will try to rip them off by scamming them with a dirty payment method.
Some taxi drivers use the underhanded trick of charging customers as much as $80 for a ride from the MCG to Richmond, which is just a short walk from the famous stadium, and one traveler was recently told to pay $100 for a six kilometer ride. .
The offending drivers have found a way to bypass the current payment system, which is directly linked to the meter, to prevent taxi drivers from adding extra costs to the fare.
Instead, they use another, portable payment terminal to bypass the meter and charge extremely high prices.
Taxi giant 13Cabs has asked the Victorian Government to introduce new regulations to stamp out the practice.
‘This is the method they use [the drivers] use when they charge you $80 to take you from the MCG to Richmond,” David Samuel, head of public affairs for 13Cabs, told me News Corp.
‘The taxi meter ensures integrity in the taxi. It is that taximeter that gives you the privilege of doing rank and hail work.
Tennis fans planning to head to Melbourne to watch stars like Alex De Minaur (pictured) at the Australian Open have been told to be wary of sleazy taxi drivers
Nick Kyrgios (pictured) will be one of the biggest draws at this year’s Grand Slam
Spectators catching taxis back from Melbourne Park (pictured) have been told to beware of drivers using a separate payment system to drop them off
“If you want to abuse that privilege, you’ll probably lose it.”
Samuel added that it is currently possible to ensure that all payment terminals can only charge what is stated on the meter, but that the industry still needs regulation to enforce that.
Australian Open fans have been hit with high prices for everything from tickets to food and clothing.
Last year, seats for the men’s singles final cost as much as $6,000 each, while the cheapest tickets cost as much as $1,998.
The hip pocket pain continued in the merchandise stores, with one official tracksuit setting fans back $419, while official towels cost $79 and some baseball caps cost $99.
Spectators paid $14.50 for a 16-ounce plastic cup of beer and $29.50 for a glass of champagne.
Chili cheese dogs cost $18.50 each, while a beef burger and hot fries cost $22.50 and chocolate bars cost $6.
In 2023, the Open sold designer backpacks for $449, Ralph Lauren water bottles for $99 and $419 for the jackets worn by the tournament’s ball kids.