Haggling: how low do you go? Blog & Poll discussion

Tiger_greeneyes

I love haggling! It took a while to get the hang of it though.

It depends what country you're in as to where you'd start. I usually have a rough figure in my head of what the item would cost in this country and then start at a third of that price. I'd look to close the deal at 50-60% of the price, depending on how much I wanted it.

The best bargaining tool you have is to walk away, if you think they're being stubborn and it's not worth it, then they'll always call you back! It's probably cheaper in a shop down the road anyway

choccyface2006

I did a fairly good job haggling in Egypt recently. DD decided she really wanted something and I offered him 10% of the price he wanted, everytime he suggested a higher price I waved him off and started to walk away, he would come down abit, again I would walk away. Eventually we agreed on a price 20% of the orginal which was the price I was happy to pay

I did it on some other things, souveniers, he offered me 3 for one price, the price was low anyway and I didn't have any smaller notes so was happy to pay but I managed to get 6 from him for the same price.

We were offered 50 camels a year for my 15 year old daughter, got him up to 500, but thought I better not!

At a papayrus gallery we haggled like crazy, got a price about 50% lower than the original on two large papyruses, the guy had to keep asking his boss if it was okay, just as we were about to do the deal I asked him to throw in a small papyrus with my dds name in hieroglyphics and we'd shake on it, after some hmmmmming and ahhhhing we did the deal! Don't think I could have got a better deal there, he wasn't as willing to barter at the street traders.

Sarah x

irishwench69

I would probably start at around 10%, maybe 10-20 pounds, then settle on a price around 30-40 pounds......figure paying around a quarter of the original price given in total!

IW x

freeride

I would offer the seller 30 notes, when he says no, i would then say to the seller "if you will half your price, i will double mine" = 60 notes in total, take it or leave it.:rotfl:

:rotfl:

freeride

One other thing, i you are in Bali DO NOT enter into any converstions about money as they will NOT leave you alone for the rest of yor holiday.:mad:

V_Chic_Chick

I'll barter in any country, including the UK.

In August, I was on Oxford Street, and there was a little shop selling alternative clothes and stuff. I was looking at some stuff, and one of the men who worked there came up to me and asked me how much I was willing to pay for the jumper I had my eye on . . . that was my cue to start haggling. He wanted £20, so I told him I'd seen it closer to home for £15 . . . he could see that he wasn't going to sell it for any more than £15 and did the deal

Sarah-Jane_2

I wouldn't haggle anywhere, in this country or abroad. I think it's rude. If you want something just pay the asking price

PeteW

That's a very naive view; in many places it would be seen as much ruder NOT to haggle!

harryhound

choccyface2006 wrote: »

We were offered 50 camels a year for my 15 year old daughter, got him up to 500, but thought I better not!


Sarah x

Phew, some daughter, don't let my wife see this; it will shatter her self image. The best offer I could ever get for Mrs Hound was two carpets and !!!!!!.:D

Former_MSE_Lawrence

Poll ran between 01-08 October 2007. How low do you go? Results

Imagine you're on holiday in foreign lands known for haggling. You see the most perfect, hand-crafted shawl/chess set/doo-dah. The seller asks for the equivalent of £120; what would your opening haggle be (which should be only a little less than you're willing to pay)?

This vote has now ended but you can still click reply to discuss below.

A. £1 -2% (162 votes)
B. £5 - 2% (180 votes)
C. £10 - 5% (444 votes)
D. £15 - 3% (305 votes)
E. £20 - 9% (811 votes)
G. £30 - 11% (1010 votes)
I. £40 - 14% (1247 votes)
K. £50 - 15% (1377 votes)
M. £60 - 15% (1297 votes)
O. £70 - 6% (555 votes)
Q. £80 - 9% (756 votes)
R. £85 - 2% (167 votes)
S. £90 - 4% (337 votes)
U. £100 - 3% (252 votes)
W. £110 - 0% (30 votes)
Y. £120 - 0% (27 votes)

Thanks to everybody that voted