I hesitate to write about this but I have had a number of bad greedy people experiences here, besides the constant ripping off by every vendor. I stayed at one hotel for over a month. The overnight clerk was not at all friendly to me, and maybe down right rude until he found out I was an English speaking American. He would asking me to help him with his English. He would read passages to me and I would help him with his pronunciation, which was poor. He never would offer me a cup of tea or a snack. Nothing. Then he wanted me to go out to his school but that would require me to skip my class to go to his which seemed fine to him. Also, I would have to venture out there on my own. He would ask me to help and I would say that I was sick, and still he would insist. I would sit with him for long periods of time. Then it came to the point where he would be texting his friends while I waited. So, I chalked this up to one isolated asshole. Then at Cinemateque, the alternative movie theatre, a young woman who did the translations for the movies asked me for help on a war movie of all things. I helped her the best I could for 1.5 hours. I told her she could call me next time she needed help. We exchanged numbers and she said she would take me for ice cream one day. That of course never happened, but not very important. After I helped her for that 1.5 hours, the clerk who was sitting there the whole time asked me for a donation for the movie I was about to see. I felt like saying that the 1.5 hours of help was my donation. Well, whatever, they are two separate people. Then a week or so later, she texted me at 3pm to come help her and she would be there until 6pm. I was with friends having coffee but we were heading there for a 4pm movie. She asked me to come at 3:30pm to help her, I said I would try. So we arrived shortly before 4pm and she wasn't there. Oh, well, not my problem. So, we went into the movie and right before it was starting she came in looking for me. She came over and wanted me to leave the movie and help her. Why would I do that? She didn't offer to let me view the movie at a later date or anything. I was just supposed to miss the movie to help her. I told her I would help her after the movie, she thought about it and generously agreed (sarcasm - I know she works until 6pm so I guess she calculated the length of the movie and figured we would have enough time so she wouldn't have to stay late). But I was supposed to miss part of my movie. The only reason I followed through was because I wanted my 20 year old Vietnamese teacher, Cuc, to see the process of translating a movie. So, after the movie, we went into the office. I introduced her to Cuc and then she banished her to another seat in the office. I thought she told her to go get a chair. But then I looked up to see little Cuc sitting far away facing the opposite direction. I called her over. She hesitated but I insisted. For me, there was no point to be there if she could get a little exposure. How rude of this woman to want my help but then expect for me to accommodate her schedule instead of she mine. This was the same with the guy from the hotel. And then for her to treat my friend so rudely. That was an opportunity to repay my kindness. So, now I feel it is a Vietnamese MO - help me but I will not appreciate it, I will show you any kindness in return and I will expect you to do it on my convenience.
The other way these people are greedy, and related to the shopping situation. Now, not only will they rip you off in pricing, they generally will not give you a volume discount, and they will relentlessly push you to buy more and more and more. I by chance met a woman at my favorite sweets place at the market who had an art gallery across the street from me. She knew who I was and where I lived. Her husband was an artist and she knew the previous artist tenant in my apartment. So, I told her I would stop by. I thought to talk. I did stop. She said her husband was gone. She didn't really seem interested in talking, only at shoving pieces at me. I looked around a bit and decided to buy some cheap small pieces. She relentlessly showed me more and more all done by local artists. I decided to buy some for all my friends to support my fellow artists which of course set her off even more. After I was done, I asked how much and she gave me no discount what so ever, well she did a tiny bit (less than a dollar) but to me it seemed that some of the prices were a bit high. Then she tried to get me to buy more. I left there feeling used. What for me started out as an act of kindness, ended up making me feeling exploited. Now, I wish I could say that this was some isolated incidence here, but it is not. I felt the same way in Thailand. I often feel like if I give something, more is expected, or demanded or even taken and not just in Vietnam and generally not appreciated. It really takes the joy out of giving.
I feel bad writing such negative things about a place but this has been my experience. It is possible that I am the only one. At first when I got to Thailand, I was chalking it up to desperate people but these incidences weren't even with the poorest people.