Uta'isolo Dennis Ropeti, owner of Sieni's Beach Fales, at Lalomanu now believes that no publicity is bad publicity. His fale was the one that featured in a controversial TikTok video blamed for overcharging.

Mr. Ropeti thinks the videos have worked in his favour as he has been able to make more money in 2022.

"We have been increasingly busy, and more opportunities are given to us to sell more for the beach fales. I think people overseas who saw that video wanted to do something better for us locals so they showed up," he claimed.

"A lot of them asked to take photos with me which is kind. They then posted about us on their social media pages." 

Uta'isolo lost his mother and some of his family in the 2009 tsunami. As the only one who stayed back to look after his land and family assets, while his other siblings reside overseas, he made his livelihood relying on the beach fales. 

" This is all I know really. I have not worked anywhere else, except when I went overseas for a while. But I came back and here I am supporting the church and doing matai things for the village by depending on the fales," he said. 

"I felt uncomfortable with it because I was trying to make them happy. But I did not know they were filming me. I told them my prices. The least they could have done was just move on if they did not like it.

"But I am okay. I forgave them long ago. We have far more important things to deal with here. I just thank them for coming my way, and promoting this place despite their negative ideas of me.

"People with good hearts decided to rescue us, and came by anyway. God works in strange ways."

The tourists in their video claim that they were charged $50 for parking and when they moved their vehicle to another spot they were charged another $50.

They claimed that there were no signs about the payment and they were being ripped off by the local community.

Uta'isolo is shown in one of the videos telling the tourists that they needed to pay $50 to park and go onto the beach. 

Another video shows Sina Taufua Ale, co-owner of the Anita's Beach Fales and her husband Taua Taufua Mani. Ms Taufua Ale is seen responding to the tourists asking her about a $100 payment for the fales. 

A third video shows the influencer asking Talisolo Dennis for his $100 which he had not been given a change for. Mr. Dennis is also seen telling the tourists had he known they were filming him, he would have charged them $1000. A conversation can be heard between the tourists and the owner about going to the police.   

After the videos were posted, there were critical comments against Uta'isolo and Sina Taufua.  

"These videos just helped Dennis get famous. I don't have time for them because I have to run two operations. I just hope that people like these no longer have the rights to do fake news in our country," Sina Taufua said in an earlier interview.