Destinations › New Zealand › Auckland › Scams
Auckland, New Zealand
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Auckland, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Campervan and rental car operators charging for pre-existing damage and applying large fees for minor issues, with no signed condition report at handover.
Advance-fee employment and visa-sponsorship offers charging for placements that never materialise.
Rental and share-house listings demanding deposits before viewing for properties that do not exist, aimed at new arrivals and working-holiday visitors.
Fake charity collectors with tablets working the central shopping streets and ferry terminal.
'Māori' carvings and souvenirs sold as locally handmade when they are imports, at premium prices.
Dynamic currency conversion at card terminals and independent cash machines at poor rates.
Adventure-tour operators taking payment for activities cancelled without refund when conditions or numbers do not suit.
Theft from parked rental vehicles at trailheads and scenic car parks, a persistent pattern nationwide.
Drivers taking extended routes from the airport where the direct route is well established.
Resold event tickets that are already used or non-transferable.
