Word of the Week: Kaffeefahrt

An elderly lady gets a personal invitation in the mail, congratulating her on winning 1,500 euros. The letter claims the money will be formally handed over at an inn on the shore of beautiful Lake Starnberg. The woman is thrilled.

A bus takes her and other alleged winners to the inn, which turns out to be far away from the aforementioned lake. And instead of being awarded the money, the participants find themselves at a sales event.

Electric blankets, lemon squeezers, and arthritis medication for joint pain are all on offer for inflated prices. These are the typical wares that draw people in to Kaffeefahrten. And it's usually only after returning home with dozens of useless products that it becomes clear it was all a scam.

So what does a Kaffeefahrt (literally, coffee trip) have to do with coffee?

Not much. The name is designed to make the trip sound more enticing. Coffee, however, is usually served on Kaffeefahrten - but it's rarely free.