Campus Superstar Champ Was Trapped in Chengdu Tour Scam With Forced Shopping and Threats

Imagine going on holiday and finding out it’s a scam... with no escape.

That was what Campus Superstar Champ Shawn Tok experienced while on a family holiday in Chengdu, China.

The 31-year-old revealed on his Instagram Stories that he was travelling with a tour group of 23 on a nine-day trip.

Shawn claimed the guide pressured the group into buying items at jade, silver, comb, and herbal shops and wouldn’t let anyone leave until the sales quotas were fulfilled.

Those who refused to shop were shouted at and treated poorly.

Shawn said by the third day, the group had spent around 105K yuan (S$20K). However, the guide still wasn’t satisfied, claiming it wasn’t enough.

He then further pushed them to buy items such as beef jerky that cost about 150 yuan (S$30) per pack.

Shawn also claimed that everyone was forced to carry their own luggage, which posed a challenge for kids and the elderly.

Fearing what was next, the group discussed emergency plans during a six-hour bus ride, with some planning to quit the tour.

They turned to the tour agency for help, but were shocked when they were told, “We don’t care. You can vomit on the bus.”

The guide also stopped anyone from sleeping during the bus rides, forcing everyone to listen to his aggressive product pitches.

Out of 23 travellers, 16 requested a break, hoping to skip the daily 5:30am wake-up calls. Instead, the tour agency threatened to cancel the entire trip, leaving everyone frustrated.

Shawn says he then checked the tour contract and confirmed that there was no clause requiring mandatory purchases.

According to local law, shopping stops not listed in the contract are illegal.

The group then tried seeking help on Xiaohongshu and, following advice from netizens, reported the issue to the police, even calling the consumer complaint hotline.

The tour agency denied the allegations but eventually was made to refund the full amount after authorities intervened.

Shawn warned his followers to report such incidents immediately, either to the police or via the hotline. He also praised the efficiency of Chinese authorities.

 “The local government is reforming the tourism industry, aiming to move from cheap, forced-shopping tours to high-quality experiences. They advised us to report immediately at the store or call 12315. Even without a local number, you can borrow a phone. Within 24 hours, we received full refunds for all forced purchases,” he said.

After winning the second season of Campus Superstar in 2007, Shawn signed with Mediacorp and went on to appear in dramas like Seven Days and Stranded until 2011.

On the music front, he released two albums, his debut Travel with Time in 2011, and Chapter 22 in 2016.

He was last seen in a November 2024 episode of the Mediacorp documentary series On The Red Dot, where he travelled to the Philippines to surprise his former helper.

Photos: shawntok/IG

Catch Shawn in Seven Days on mewatch or in the video below: