Thread: Candy change

I thought this was a funny piece in the Bali Discovery. I suppose when it happens the first time it is kind of funny, but after living here a while and you don't eat the stuff, it does get a little annoying.

The Dangers of Accepting Candy from Strangers

Those of us cautioned from an early age to never accept candy from strangers, might be shocked and a little dismayed when shopkeepers in Bali make up for a lack of adequate change by adding a handful of wrapped candies when making change at the cash register. One disgruntled foreign visitors half-jokingly threatened a shop keeper that he would contact Bank Indonesia to obtain the current "official" exchange rate between Rp. 1,000 and a popular candy mint.

This common complaint and a recent regulation outlawing "candy change" has prompted the Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Retailers – Bali (Aprindo-Bali), Ir. Gede Agus Hardiawan, to say he wholeheartedly supports regulations outlawing "candy change."

Hardiawan, more commonly known as "Gede Hardy," is the owner of the prominent Hardy chain of supermarkets in Bali.

Gede Hardy told the Bali Post that all his fellow members of APRINDO-Bali dislike the "candy change" phenomenon and the dissatisfaction this practice creates among their customers. However, he went on to explain that, "retailers are not handing out candy instead of change on purpose, but because of the lack of small coins and small denomination bills in circulation."

I've started to refuse the stuff now and just insist that they round down to the nearest 1000, funny how fast they come up with the correct change after all :lol:

As a visitor, I am not bothered by not getting 300 rps, but I think as a resident and shopping regularly, I would either want my change or they should round down, not up. :lol:

the candy thing works both ways...try it and pay the number of rupiahs below 500 to the cashier with candy...I actually did it as a joke but she smiled and said nothing..what's she might have been thinking is something totally different ofcourse :lol: .