A travel vlogger is under fire online after he shared a video accusing a street vendor in India of "scamming" him, prompting backlash for what many saw as unfair treatment of a small seller trying to make a living.
In the now-viral Instagram video, which gained over two million views, content creator @nativety is seen strolling through a Kolkata market. After stopping to buy some fried snacks, he approaches a tote bag seller and asks for the price.
When the vendor quotes ₹550, the vlogger refuses and walks away. The seller quickly drops the price to ₹400, but the vlogger asks for a more "honest price" and walks off again. The vendor continues to reduce the price, eventually agreeing to ₹50.
Take a look at the video here:
Throughout the video, the vlogger repeatedly calls the vendor a scammer. He later claimed the drastic price drop proved he was nearly scammed. However, social media users were not convinced and lashed out at the foreigner for acting cheap and blaming a poor street seller.
{{/usCountry}}Throughout the video, the vlogger repeatedly calls the vendor a scammer. He later claimed the drastic price drop proved he was nearly scammed. However, social media users were not convinced and lashed out at the foreigner for acting cheap and blaming a poor street seller.
{{/usCountry}}“I wouldn’t call this a scam. I am sure you will buy the same tote in America for much higher price and then pay tip on it too,” wrote one commenter.
Another user criticised the vlogger’s lack of empathy: “Give him the 5 dollars and sleep well. He is trying to survive the best he can and for you 5 dollars is nothing. Shame. Make the same calculations for the medicines sold in USA for example, which could be 100 times cheaper.”
A third user sided with the street seller: “Scam? You are cheap. He is just trying to make a living. You buy it back home 5 times his price and I bet you are not going to be crying for a discount," he said.