A woman in China who took advantage of an array of businesses and managed to live in Shanghai for two months without spending a penny has been arrested by the police.
The woman in her 20s, surnamed Huang, was arrested by officers in the city in April and is facing charges of picking quarrels and stirring up trouble.
According to the police, Huang had been scamming hotels, restaurants and taxis in Shanghai and successfully escaped paying for anything for two months.
Huang stayed at different hotels and bathing centres in the city, and each time at the end of her stay, she complained about hygiene conditions in exchange for payment waivers.
She also deliberately rubbed and grazed her skin to claim refunds from bathing centres on numerous occasions.
Investigators also found a box of dead crickets in Huang’s luggage, which she used to frame the hotels.
The hospitality venues usually charged about 200 yuan (US$28) a night.
She only paid three times for her stay; on each occasion, the bill was paid by men she met online.
One man said he paid for her stay at a bathing centre and she completely ignored him afterwards.
When the woman could not find anyone to pay for her meals, she would order delivery food, then find fault with the restaurants to get a refund.
Huang also travelled by taxi all the time and complained about the drivers on the ride-hailing platforms escaping payment.
She downloaded all kinds of ride-hailing apps on her two phones, so as to take advantage in turns.
Huang also bought new clothes online and took advantage of e-commerce platforms’ seven-day return policy to look nice and shiny for free.
She even went to a beauty parlour to have her nails and eyelashes done, then asked for a fee waiver, saying she did not feel well after the session.
The shop did not charge her but instead removed the eyelash extensions they had fitted her with.
“Nice try, thinking of getting beautiful for free,” the shop’s manager told Shanghai Television.
Huang said her alleged living-for-nothing crime spree was inspired after she actually encountered insects at a hotel and was granted a free stay.
She even called the police to settle her arguments with the shops she targeted. If the police did not support her claim, she would file a complaint against the officers.
She was finally arrested after two months of freeloading.
Huang showed little regret, blaming the police for arresting her and “ruining her life”.
She also tried to avoid punishment by saying she would “never come back to Shanghai”.
“She can now live for free in prison,” one online observer said.
“Her behaviour seems to be utilising shopping platforms’ policies legally, but in the long run it is ruining trust between sellers and customers,” said another. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
