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

xadoc

blu-k wrote: »

This might be a bit contentious but a local in one country I was in warned me that sometimes sellers could be a bit sexist... I was having trouble haggling, even when I would walk away - they were calling me back but still at a high price so I kept on walking.
The next day I went back with my OH and I still did most of the haggling, but when it got to where they wouldn't budge I would look to him for 'approval' - 'they want this much dear, what do you think?' He would shake his head vigorously and say no. Suddenly they were dealing with the man and the prices went down much quicker/easier!
I hate to say it but we seemed to have a lot more success this way. Maybe gender had nothing to do with it and it was the team thing.. I don't know but thought I'd add my experience anyway.

This is our standard technique when abroad - Good Cop, Bad Cop. We assign roles before we even start negotiations. One of us 'really wants' the item under discussion, the other doesn't at all and is doing all they can to stop them buying it. (even if we both want it)

As the sales person is not really a party to the discussions (the person who wants it may ask the price, but no more than that) and basically we're having a mini argument (not a heated one) between us, pretty much ignoring the sales-person. The amounts tumble quickly! In the Dominican Republic we bought a picture for $5 USD they'd originally wanted $80 for! It was only worth $5-10 dollars to us anyway.

It goes something like this:

Me : Ooh I like that! How much is it?
Shopkeeper : $80 madame
OH: We don't need it, where would we put it?
Me: Oh I don't know, maybe the kitchen?
Shopkeeper: I could sell it for maybe $70
OH: Thanks, but we don't need it. We've already got one like it
Me: Well, not quite like this one...
OH: Similar enough, it's just something else we don't need
Shopkeeper: What about $50?
Me: No, but we needed one for the guest room, we could move the other one there and put this one in the kitchen?
OH: No, I don't really like this one...
Shopkeeper: For you, I could sell it for $30
Me: I suppose, if you really don't like it...
Shopkeeper: What about $20?
Me: What is it about it you don't like? I thought it was nice. I keep looking at these in other shops. Is it this one or all of them you don't like?
OH: I don't know, I'm hungry. Can we find somewhere to eat? It's just another thing to clutter up the house.
Shopkeeper: How about $15?
Me: No, it's Ok thanks, I like it, but he really doesn't. Thanks for your time.
Shopkeeper: I could sell it to you for $10?
(I look at other half who shakes his head, we start to leave)
Shopkeeper: $5 is my final offer - I can't sell it for less than that. You like it, you don't need to listen to him. (smiles)
Me: What do you think? It's only $5. If you don't learn to love it we can get rid of it?
OH: Oh, alright then... gives $5 dollars to salesman and we're all happy.

Salesman is trying it on for $80 - it's worth a shot, but at the end of the day, better he makes a small profit (which he was happy with) than we buy elsewhere.

This doesn't work on the main tourist stretches as they know 'another one will come along in a minute' waiting to pay overinflated prices, and will just let you walk away. But you don't need to go far from the well beaten track for it to be that easy... if you look - we didn't even haggle. It just happened. We've travelled a bit, and this works in most places. If you start to leave and they call you back, there's definitely a margin...

And Rick Stein was had! We wandered into the area of Marrakesh dedicated to hardware (unfrequented by tourists, unsurprisingly) and bought our lovely, rustic, authentic tajine for 80p from a man surrounded by chickens! They were £5-£20 1/4 of a mile away on the main drag.

If you stay in the tourist areas, expect to pay tourist prices. :rotfl:

And to the person who thought it was rude to haggle - you're missing the point of travel - immerse yourself in the culture of others... almost everywhere but the western world (and even there) haggling is a way of life and part of the culture.

sammyboy999

Time and time again, in places like Morrocco or Thailand, I've seen groups of English tourists talking to each other about the 'bargains' that they have got. Usually they've manage to knock about 10-20% off the asking price. Little do they know that the salesmen are the ones laughing. Little do they know, that they could have knocked 90% off.
This article is entirely true. You should never be embarrassed to make an offer that's too low. If you really offend the seller, so what? there's plenty more salespeople selling the same stuff. Also, don't feel that you need to buy the item of one person in particular. As a rule of thumb, the best way to find the 'real price' is to err on the low side and walk away when they refuse (and they will always refuse your first offer). If they don't follow you, it means that the price really was too low. If they follow you, then you're in the right region.
In fact, if you make any purchase without having walked away and been chased down the road, you've paid too much.

Mr-Looovermaaan

Hi Martin, was it the FRS Tarifa-tanger trip? Sounds like the same one I went on last November and the same 'Handicraft centre'! Despite their hard sell I managed not to buy any carpets even at knockdown prices although I am asshamed to say we were conned into buying some stuff at the 'Pharmacy' which we have never used! No doubt some good commission for the guide Mr Ali. We also stayed at the strangest hotel ever, the Hotel Ahlen which was reminicent of the Shining.

I am rubbish at haggling but my brother is pretty good. He has got prices knocked down in Eastern Europe when we have been at the football although probably not as low as 10%. I will give that a bash in Georgia next week so the advice has come at the right time for me. Thanks!

Loobeylou

Yes, I know this thread is about haggling abroad, but ... like a lot of people I have paid the full price for goods in this country for many years, but have been trying to get into the habit of "negotiation".

I was in an upmarket jewellers in Harrogate last week looking at expensive watches. I was really keen on one, and dared to ask the question "is that the best price you can do it for?" The woman went into a back room to talk to someone in authority, and came back with a discount of slightly more than 10%. I dare say if I had pushed further I could have received more discount, but I didn't have the bottle.

However I was thrilled with my purchase, and with the fact that I had paid a lot less for it than the shop price.

harryhound

xadoc wrote: »

This doesn't work on the main tourist stretches as they know 'another one will come along in a minute' waiting to pay overinflated prices, and will just let you walk away. But you don't need to go far from the well beaten track for it to be that easy... if you look - we didn't even haggle. It just happened. We've travelled a bit, and this works in most places. If you start to leave and they call you back, there's definitely a margin...

And Rick Stein was had! We wandered into the area of Marrakesh dedicated to hardware (unfrequented by tourists, unsurprisingly) and bought our lovely, rustic, authentic tajine for 80p from a man surrounded by chickens! They were £5-£20 1/4 of a mile away on the main drag.

If you stay in the tourist areas, expect to pay tourist prices. :rotfl:

And to the person who thought it was rude to haggle - you're missing the point of travel - immerse yourself in the culture of others... almost everywhere but the western world (and even there) haggling is a way of life and part of the culture.

And in fairness to the sales people in tourist areas, these small business people are also being fleeced by their landlords. In many places the season lasts say three months. So the business works for 2 months to pay the rent and then the family have to live on the third month's sales. That is a huge inbuilt incentive to rip you off, be it "overcharging" in the shops or inventing the extra drinks bill in the restaurant.

[Come to think of it, with tax freedom day now in June, living in the UK is not much different]

"Tourists always spoil what they come to see."

Harry.

justpaper

this just happened to me last week, with some silver jewellery,

its down to the person being open minded, and thinking out of the box,

my view on the Blog post: (the rug)

now... even i agree...it took alot of time to make,

my next thought would be how much did it cost to make, cheap labour etc etc, after processing that ....then i would of put in a offer,

karolina1

I just love haggling!!!! its the most exciting bit of buying something!!! i haggled so much in india, the kids whose parents ran the stalls were well trained, begging, putting their hands together and shaking their head like well experienced salesmen but i normally settle for around 20% of the initial price - obviously start ridiculously cheap so the seller gets some satisfaction as there is a BIT of a compromise. it is worth realising though, that some of these people are very poor so you don't want to rob them blind! And don't forget in this country too!!!! I got 2 grand knocked off a merc when i said i was able to buy in cash there and then (obviously i was only doing a mystery shop as i clearly dont have that much cash lying around!)