Taobao agents offer shady discounts for Grand Resort Deck

Taobao agents are offering shady 45% discounts for a day at Galaxy Macau’s Grand Resort Deck, with their customers instructed to follow carefully planned itineraries that have them avoid personnel at the integrated resort.

The Grant Resort Deck Day Pass offers customers access to Galaxy Macau’s wave pool, beach, watersides, and aquatic zone.

The Day Pass for one adult and one child aged 6 years or below normally sells for a combined rate of 568 patacas, as advertised recently by the gaming operator.

But at least one Taobao shop is offering a “good deal” to people who wish to enjoy some “expensive” fun at a more economic rate.

Taobao shop “Sun Hao Jie 1995” is offering passes for RMB145 (MOP170) for adults and MOP141 per child. The combined amounts represent a 45% discount on the normal price.

By paying MOP170, adult customers are allegedly guaranteed not only one ticket but also one lunch voucher – a freebie that Galaxy does not offer with the official Day Pass. The same promotion applies with child tickets purchased from the Taobao shop.

In addition to offering a better deal than Galaxy, the shop also gives its customers a waterproof cellphone case bag, a swimming nose clip, and ear plugs for free.

But is this promotion too good to be true?

The Taobao store lists six instructions on its page, mainly directing buyers not to show the receipt to anybody, especially workers on-duty at the Galaxy water park. This is all to ensure a positive experience for its customers, it says.

One of the instructions dictates that customers are not allowed to access the waterpark by themselves but must wait at a designated spot inside the Galaxy property and be led by specific “receiving agents” to enter the Grand Resort Deck. 

“After the payment, the receiving agents will take you to the park, normally around 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., [picking you up] in front of Galaxy McDonald’s,” one of the instructions reads.

The instructions appear to vary from agent to agent. Different entrances to the park can be found, including at the Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Banyan Tree, and Okura Hotel. The instructions also suggest that during the busy summer vacation period, special arrangements may be made.

“Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Galaxy offer free lockers. On the day of your visit, if the entrance happens to be from Banyan Tree or Okura hotel, [the receiving agents] will charge MOP20 or HKD20 for the lockers at the buyers’ expense,” another user rule indicates.

Aside from the instructions, the shop advises its users to not show their purchase receipt to staff working at the Grand Resort Deck.

“After you enter the waterpark, the waterpark will give everybody a waterproof stamp. On the day of your visit, the stamp can be used unlimited times for entering the waterpark,” the instructions wrote, adding “please keep the secrecy of the source of the reservation.”

“Due to a park regulation, which suggests that discounted price tickets shall not be sold online, visitors should remember not to wait on the 2nd floor and not to show the reservation receipt issued from us,” the instructions state.

According to sales statistics on the shop’s information page, a total of 124 sales have been recorded over the past 30 days, but the page has no customer reviews.

Galaxy Macau could not immediately be reached yesterday for comment.