Police in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi have affirmed that news reports of a local street peddler charging two foreign tourists VND500,000 (US$19.7) for three pineapples were inaccurate.

Police officers said that the vendor sold one peeled pineapple for VND50,000 ($1.97) but the tourists wanted to take two more, which led to their argument. 

At 9:40 pm on Saturday last week, N.T.T., a 56-year-old local resident, was selling pineapples at the intersection of Hang Buom and Hang Duong Street in Hoan Kiem District when two foreign women asked to buy the fruit, according to a police report.

T. offered a peeled pineapple for VND50,000 ($1.97).

After receiving a VND500,000 ($19.7) banknote from the two tourists, T. gave them back VND450,000 ($17.7) in change.

Despite this, the two foreign female tourists requested two additional unpeeled pineapples, but T. turned them down.

The two sides got involved in a dispute as a result.

One of the two tourists flung the vendor’s belongings to the ground.

As many local residents rushed to the scene, the vendor explained that she sold a pineapple for VND50,000 only.

Some people said the price was still high and asked her to return the money to the tourists.

T. later returned the VND500,000 banknote to the tourists and took back her VND450,000.

While working with police officers, witnesses also affirmed that T. sold a pineapple at VND50,000.

T. has no previous convictions and has not solicited or compelled tourists.

The Hang Dao Ward police just fined her for peddling goods in a banned area.

Earlier, a video saying that a street vendor charged two foreign tourists VND500,000 for three pineapples in Hanoi circulated on social media.

Police in Hang Dao Ward later coordinated with their colleagues in Hoan Kiem District to investigate the case.

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