Serious allegations have been made against the owners of the Auckland Night Markets, including claims of aggression, unsafe working conditions, and unjustified increases in stall fees.

Auckland Night Markets owner Victoria Yao and director Paul De Jonge said they strongly refuted all the allegations.

“Many of which are either exaggerated or entirely false,” they told the Herald in a statement.

A recent viral TikTok video, made by a stallholder who claimed her business was treated in an aggressive manner, sparked a flurry of unrelated and separate accusations against the market founders.

These concerns are not new. Last year, a food vendor left the Hamilton market after a manager allegedly “screamed at” her staff member, the Waikato Times reported.

Allegations of verbal abuse and intimidation

Yuli Wang, owner of clothing business XIN Clothing, told the Herald she booked a stall at the Pakūranga night market last month.

She said confusion over her stall location led to alleged aggressive behaviour and a demand for extra payment.

Wang claimed she had been told in a prior phone call to set up “anywhere”, but when Yao arrived, she was told to move immediately.

“Very aggressive, straight away telling us, ‘Why are you guys here? You guys need to move right now’. And we were a bit shocked at first with her attitude.”

Wang said they initially agreed to move, but Yao then increased the stall fee.

When Wang said they decided to leave, Yao allegedly became more upset.

“She was more angry after I said that,” Wang claimed.

“I started telling her, ‘Do not touch me’.

“After that, we left feeling very disrespected, humiliated in front of everyone in public,” Wang said.

The owner of the XIN_Clothing, Yuli Wang. Photo / Instagram

In a statement, Auckland Night Markets said health and safety were their top priority.

“Our on-site staff are trained to manage challenging situations professionally, but they are also expected to strictly enforce safety and operational rules.

“At times, this means our team must be firm and direct in ensuring compliance with important rules. Unfortunately, when a vendor is asked to follow those rules, such as relocating to their assigned spot or ceasing unsafe practices, it can lead to dissatisfaction or accusations.”

Auckland Night Markets said that the team acted fairly and respectfully in the situation, as posted by Wang on TikTok.

The bustling Auckland Night Market at the Botany Town Centre. Photo / Greg Bowker, File

Pricing discrepancies, contracts and agreements

Owners of the food vendor Elote Cartel told the Herald they had a similar experience to Wang’s after attending two markets run by Yao and De Jonge, including Silo Park and Papatoetoe, in June.

They said Yao was friendly at first, but her attitude changed when it came time to collect payment.

“All of a sudden, $300 became $500,” they said.

Auckland Night Market co-founder Victoria Yao. Photo / Dean Purcell

The vendor claimed that, despite low customer numbers, Yao told them the price would rise because “there’s so much traffic”.

Elote Cartel managed to negotiate a lower price, and at the end of the Silo Park Market, they told Yao that they would struggle to afford the stall price going forward.

They claimed that Yao told them she would give them a $300 discount for the next market in Papatoetoe.

At the Papatoetoe market, Elote Cartel claimed that the conditions were poor and they were without power for hours, yet they were still charged more than agreed.

“It’s horrendous. It’s like a dungeon; it’s just dirty.

“Even your clothes feel dirty. I’ve never worked in an environment like that.”

They alleged Yao approached them with an Eftpos machine to charge $380 instead of the agreed $300. After a dispute, the lower price was accepted.

Later that night, Yao returned to the food truck to check on how sales were going.

“She gets pretty close to me, like a little too close. I was like, ‘did you want something? ’ And she said, ‘No, but I don’t think you appreciate the spot I gave you’.”

Yao allegedly told them: “People like you, especially the new people that don’t want to pay, get kicked out”.

“I’m just seeing red. I’m standing up for myself, our business, my wife, and I’m just like, I’m not having this. I don’t leave the States just to come over here to be abused the same way,” the stallholder said.

The Auckland night market at Westfield Mall in Glenfield. Photo / Dean Purcell.

The Auckland Night Markets statement said that stall fees were always clearly communicated during the booking process and varied by location, stall size, and product type.

They encouraged any vendor who believed they had been overcharged to contact them directly, “So we can review and resolve the matter properly.”

“We operate transparently and do not tolerate any form of dishonest pricing.”

They said stallholders were not required to sign contracts, which allowed them to test and grow their businesses freely — a standard practice in the industry.

Safety concerns raised by former employee

A former event labourer for Auckland Night Markets said they left the job a few months ago due to health and safety concerns.

They alleged Yao had verbally abused stallholders and staff, and that equipment such as fire extinguishers and electrical cables were in poor condition.

“She’s very verbally abusive and very quick to yell at someone or accuse someone of doing something incorrectly,” they said.

The former employee said their manager would often just “shake off” their concerns.

They reported seeing exposed wires and faulty power cables, a non-functional fire extinguisher, airbag lights on the trucks, and tables that weren’t cleaned properly for diners.

“Most of the stallholders don’t complain by the fact that they just say they’re trying to make their money.”

An empty fire extinguisher on site. Photo / Supplied

The Auckland Night Market statement rejected the claim that safety concerns were ignored.

“All market electrical equipment is regularly inspected, and compliance with NZ safety standards is a top priority, they said.

The Auckland Night Market statement said they rejected the claim that safety concerns were “laughed off.” Photo / Supplied

“Our vehicles are subject to regular maintenance checks. If a former employee had genuine safety concerns, they were free to raise them with management or relevant authorities such as WorkSafe.

“No formal complaints of this nature were ever received,” the statement said.

They added: “To anyone who genuinely feels they were treated unfairly, we sincerely apologise and ask for their forgiveness. We also want to assure them that they are always welcome back.”

A former Auckland Night Market event labour employee told the Herald he left the role a few months ago due to “dangerous health and safety issues”. Photo / Supplied

The Commerce Commission confirmed receiving two concerns in July about Auckland Night Markets, which were being assessed.

Auckland Council said that they had received one complaint about the markets operating on private property.

“The majority of Auckland night markets operate on private property and, as a result, are not licensed by Auckland Council. There are no market or street trading licences issued for activities on private land, such as mall carparks, although resource consent conditions may apply.

“One exception is the Silo Park night market – the organisers hold a tenancy lease with the council, which requires them to meet certain conditions of use," Auckland Council said in a statement.

WorkSafe’s northern regional manager, Brad Duggan, said WorkSafe New Zealand was concerned to hear of the health and safety allegations.