Fairgrounds. Conning gits!

aliasojo

I've been annoyed about this since last night so I'm having a rant to get it out my system.

OH took our 9 year old to the fair that was visiting. There was the usual stalls and rides etc and daughter had a go on a hoopla stall. You had to throw a hoop over a bottle and if you won, you got £20.

The bloke told daughter and OH..... 'you need to throw it over a bottle to win'. So she did. He then whipped the hoop back off the bottle and told her 'you needed to get it over the square at the bottom too so better luck next time'. :rolleyes: She was really disappointed because she thought she'd won. Why didn't he tell her that at the start?! I suspect it's because he wouldn't get many takers if people knew they had to get it over the square too. Conning adults is one thing but conning kids is low.

OH is quiet, so he just shook his head and walked off. Probably just as well I wasn't there or I'd have picketed his stall telling everyone how he'd conned my girl and telling them not to play. :rotfl:

Git!

before_hollywood

aliasojo wrote: »

I've been annoyed about this since last night so I'm having a rant to get it out my system.

OH took our 9 year old to the fair that was visiting. There was the usual stalls and rides etc and daughter had a go on a hoopla stall. You had to throw a hoop over a bottle and if you won, you got £20.

The bloke told daughter and OH..... 'you need to throw it over a bottle to win'. So she did. He then whipped the hoop back off the bottle and told her 'you needed to get it over the square at the bottom too so better luck next time'. :rolleyes: She was really disappointed because she thought she'd won. Why didn't he tell her that at the start?! I suspect it's because he wouldn't get many takers if people knew they had to get it over the square too. Conning adults is one thing but conning kids is low.

OH is quiet, so he just shook his head and walked off. Probably just as well I wasn't there or I'd have picketed his stall telling everyone how he'd conned my girl and telling them not to play. :rotfl:

Git!

conning little so and so's :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

there are words i could type but i am at work :rotfl:

jamespir

aliasojo wrote: »

I've been annoyed about this since last night so I'm having a rant to get it out my system.

OH took our 9 year old to the fair that was visiting. There was the usual stalls and rides etc and daughter had a go on a hoopla stall. You had to throw a hoop over a bottle and if you won, you got £20.

The bloke told daughter and OH..... 'you need to throw it over a bottle to win'. So she did. He then whipped the hoop back off the bottle and told her 'you needed to get it over the square at the bottom too so better luck next time'. :rolleyes: She was really disappointed because she thought she'd won. Why didn't he tell her that at the start?! I suspect it's because he wouldn't get many takers if people knew they had to get it over the square too. Conning adults is one thing but conning kids is low.

OH is quiet, so he just shook his head and walked off. Probably just as well I wasn't there or I'd have picketed his stall telling everyone how he'd conned my girl and telling them not to play. :rotfl:

Git!

check out old episodes of the real hustle it explains all the cons fairgrounds use

aliasojo

jamespir wrote: »

check out old episodes of the real hustle it explains all the cons fairgrounds use

Funnily enough there was an episode of Brainiacs on the tv yesterday...it showed how the cans are stacked and which one to aim for to knock ALL of them over. It also showed how fairs will stack the cans in a certain way (closer together) and you haven't got a hope of clearing them all, so just walk away and don't waste your money.

Hoopla stalls are supposed to be designed to be more difficult if the hoops are thrown within a certain height range (i.e height of most people then :rolleyes:)....if you get on someone's back or stand on a step stool, you will apparently have better luck.

vitamin_joe

jamespir wrote: »

check out old episodes of the real hustle it explains all the cons fairgrounds use

beat me to it! here's the Real Hustle clip that shows how the conmen (and indeed women) work the hoopla scam-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqY1qnKaxN0

sorry about your daughter's disappointment, aliasojo. I agree that it's a low trick

montyrebel

the old tricks are the best lol

aliasojo

vitamin_joe wrote: »

beat me to it! here's the Real Hustle clip that shows how the conmen (and indeed women) work the hoopla scam-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqY1qnKaxN0

sorry about your daughter's disappointment, aliasojo. I agree that it's a low trick

Thanks for that, I was just searching for it when I saw your post.

I might go over there today and stand at the stall with printouts from the link to show people what a scam it is. :whistle: Think they'd pay me the £20 to go away? :rotfl:

aliasojo

Atomised wrote: »

The title of this thread made me laugh! I doubt anyone ever wins on these fairground stalls , next time tell your hubby to spend the money on doughnuts instead:rotfl:

I won a goldfish once (much to my Mother's disgust) on the 'ping pong in a goldfish bowl' stall.

jamespir

aliasojo wrote: »

I won a goldfish once (much to my Mother's disgust) on the 'ping pong in a goldfish bowl' stall.

yeah when i was little we won loads of goldfish my parents brought tanks and everything only for the cat to eat them

vitamin_joe

aliasojo wrote: »

I might go over there today and stand at the stall with printouts from the link to show people what a scam it is. :whistle: Think they'd pay me the £20 to go away? :rotfl:

only if you could throw a hoop over it... from OUTER SPACE

FloFlo

jamespir wrote: »

check out old episodes of the real hustle it explains all the cons fairgrounds use

My daughter is only 8 but I only have to say to her thats a real hustle game and she saves her money for something else.:T