Always Check the Terms and Conditions of the Delivery Health Store!

This is a story of when I was scammed in Aomori City.

It was early March, still a bit chilly, and I was in Aomori City working as a tour conductor.

After finishing a package tour and the local sightseeing, I checked into a hotel.

I headed to the bustling downtown area to grab a drink.

I drank at a girl's bar in Honcho and then went to a hostess bar recommended by the bar's manager. After that, I returned to my hotel.

Along the way, I was approached by several touts, but I ignored them. Having been scammed multiple times before, I wasn't falling for that again.

Finding a New Shop on a Major Portal Site

(Now, which shop should I try...)

After searching for a while, I found a newly opened shop on a major portal site. The faces were blurred, so it was hard to tell, but all the women looked young, in their teens to twenties, and they pulled off the school uniform cosplay well.

(Hmm... On the system page, it says that changes are free, and in case of cancellation, there's a 5,000 JPY fee plus transportation costs. Also, there's a campaign right now where the 90-minute, 23,000 JPY course is discounted to 20,000 JPY. Alright! I'll go with this one.)

I immediately gave them a call.

"Hello, this is **."

"Oh, is this **?"

"Yes, it is."

"I'm calling after seeing your website on **..."

"Thank you very much."

"Is it true that the 90-minute course is discounted from 23,000 JPY to 20,000 JPY?"

"Yes, we're currently having a campaign, so that's the price."

"I see. In that case, I'd like to request the 90-minute course."

"Understood. May I ask if you have any specific requests?"

"No, I'll leave it up to you."

"Which hotel are you staying at?"

"Ah, it's room ** at ** Hotel."

"Understood. For security reasons, your hotel requires a card key to be shown at the elevator to access the guest room floors. Could you please come down to the lobby?"

"Ah, yes, understood. So, you want me to come and get you, right?"

"Yes, sorry for the trouble, but thank you. Also, for new customers, we'll need to register you as a member, so please cooperate with that."

"Understood. How long will it take for you to get here?"

"Well, if there's no traffic jam, probably around 30 minutes or so..."

"I see. In that case, I'll head down to the lobby, so give me a call when you arrive."

"Yes, sir."

And with that, I filled the bathtub, brushed my teeth, trimmed my nails, and waited.

The Sales Staff Arrived in About 30 Minutes

About 30 minutes after hanging up, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is **. We've arrived, so please come down to the lobby."

"Understood."

"May I ask what you're wearing, PIJ Writer?"

"Ah, yes, I'm wearing a navy blue suit. White shirt, no tie."

"Yes, sir. Thank you very much."

When I went down to the lobby in front of the first-floor front desk, there was a man standing there.

(That must be him...)

As I approached him to greet him, he spoke first.

"PIJ Writer?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too..."

The two of us sat down on the lobby sofa, and he took out a terms and conditions form.

"Please read through these terms and conditions, and if you have no issues, please sign here."

"Understood."

The terms and conditions included over 20 rules in small print, including prohibitions on actual sexual intercourse and on secretly taking photos or recordings.

It would take a while to read through everything carefully, so I skimmed it and then signed.

I didn't think there would be any problems...

But little did I know that this would cause me trouble later on.

"Now, we'll take the fee first."

"Huh? You want me to pay now?"

"Yes, for new customers, we ask that you pay in advance. From the next time onwards, you can pay the girl directly."

"Understood."

"For the 90-minute course, it's 23,000 JPY."

"Huh? Didn't you say it would be 20,000 JPY...?"

"Yes, the play fee is 20,000 JPY, but there's a 3,000 JPY transportation fee."

"So, that's how it is..."

I was dissatisfied, but reluctantly handed over the 23,000 JPY.

"Alright, then. I'll be leaving now, and the girl will be here shortly after, so please wait here."

"Understood."

And with that, he left the hotel.

Enter: The Middle-Aged Lady!

After a while, a middle-aged lady, probably in her 50s or 60s, entered through the hotel entrance.

(No way that's her, right... But I guess it's about time...)

I was expecting a cute girl in her teens or twenties, so my head was spinning.

Then, to my surprise, the middle-aged lady approached me and spoke.

"Are you PIJ Writer?"

"Huh? Ah, well, yes..."

"I'm Kiyomi. Nice to meet you."

"Huh? No, no..."

The reason for my reaction was that while the website showed all the women to be in their teens or twenties, the person who actually came was clearly in her 50s or 60s.

"Are you from **?"

"Yes, but you ordered a free option, right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Is there a problem?"

"Well, it's a problem all over... But anyway, can I change to someone else?"

"Change?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I was expecting a young woman in her teens or twenties."

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

The woman took out her phone and started calling the shop.

"Yes, that's right... He wants to change... Yes, that's what he's saying..."

After hanging up, she told me, "You'll receive a call from the shop, so please wait a moment."

And with that, she left the hotel.

I waited in the lobby for about five minutes, and then my phone rang. It was the shop.

"Hello?"

"Is this PIJ Writer's phone?"

"Yes, it is, but..."

"What's the matter?"

"Well, all the girls on the website were in their teens or twenties, but the woman who came was clearly in her 50s or 60s, so I asked for a change."

"I see. In that case, we'll treat it as a cancellation."

"Huh? No, I didn't ask for a cancellation, I asked for a change..."

"Actually, there are no other girls left, so we can't make a change. Therefore, it will be treated as a cancellation."

"Huh? But it's past 11 p.m.!"

"Yes, all our girls are booked, and there are none available."

"In that case, for a cancellation, I'll get my money back, right?"

"No, we don't offer refunds for customer-initiated cancellations!"

"Wait a minute. Didn't it say on the website that in case of cancellation, there's a 5,000 JPY fee plus transportation costs? I paid 23,000 JPY, so shouldn't I get 15,000 JPY back?"

"Did you read the terms and conditions, sir?"

"I did read them..."

"Well, it's written there, isn't it? We don't offer refunds for customer-initiated cancellations!"

"Bu-but... There was so much written in small print that I didn't notice!"

"I confirmed with the sales staff who came earlier, and you did sign the terms and conditions, right?"

"Eh... Eh?"

"That's why we can't offer a refund since you signed the terms and conditions and gave your consent."

"No, please..."

"Well, then. Goodbye."

And the call ended.

I hurried back to my room and checked the website again. Sure enough, in small print at the bottom of the system page, it said:

"Customer-initiated cancellations are non-refundable. Changes are free, but if there are no girls available, it will be treated as a cancellation."

(Ugh, I wouldn't have noticed that small print...)

And that's how I lost 23,000 JPY.

I thought about consulting the police, but since I had signed the form and the website had the same information, I gave up.

Summary

Points to note:

1. Always read the terms and conditions before ordering.
2. Shops with blurred faces are likely to be substitute shops, and you might end up with someone completely different from what you expected.
3. Shops that collect cash before the play are likely to be fraudulent scam shops.
4. Even scam shops can be listed on major portal sites.
5. Be cautious of newly opened shops with no customer reviews.

Be careful out there, everyone!