BootsnAll Travel Community

It seems some people are good at the whole bargaining thing, and others aren't. That might depend on what culture you're brought up in, or how comfortable you are in other cultures, but whatever the reason - some people seem to be born hagglers, while others just pay the asking price to avoid the hassle. So what about you?

Question:
Are you a haggler?

Choices:
Always - I love to bargain
When it's culturally appropriate, yes
No - "full price" isn't that much anyway, so why bother?

 

I definitely love to bargain, but only when it's culturally appropriate. The ALWAYS answer sounds like someone who tries to bargain in department or grocery stores, which would be a bit demented.

My fondest memories of haggling are from Bali. Several times I literally got into shouting matches with elderly women over their technique of agreeing to a price and then demanding more after they already had some of my money in their hand. It was all in good fun, and they definitely encourage it themselves, but a couple times I walked away with my new purchase and realized we were shouting over less than 30 cents in US money.

The only time that I will really haggle is if I know for a fact that I am about to pay waayyyy too much for something.

Case in point: nodding turtles from Mexico. They are tiny and cute, no two alike, sometimes they come in unusual shapes. I have many many of them. They *should* cost about $1. I'll pay as much as $3 for one if it is particularly awesome and unsual. Say, it has t-rex arms, goat horns, or butterfly wings. The uniqueness factor, in my mind, makes it worth the extra money.

Now, if you are a typical street vendor and you bring out your box of nodding turtles and they all look the same -- standard green body, tiny rainbow spots, reasonable looking eye stalks, then I will pay $1 for one of those. Ask me for $5, I'll just look at you and laugh.

I think the key to good bargaining is having a sense of humor. It is fine to play act that you are about to be the victim of highway robbery, but make sure that everyone is in on your feigned sense of displeasure.

In every day life, though, I have started to ask for 'the best price.' I used to be shy about it, now I think, why not? The other day I went for an oil change at a new place. The rate for the oil change seemed a bit high, so I just asked about it. As a reward, they gave me a $10 off coupon book for the next year. Woo-hoo!

It takes me about 2 or 3 days of being in a country where haggling is the norm to feel comfortable with it again. After that adjustment period then I really enjoy the give and take.

My bf on the other hand will ask the price and then pay--it drives me nuts! He's uncomfortable with knowing he is so wealthy compared to the merchants that he feels guilty haggling over any item.

For the most part he lets me do all of the haggling now.

I had a crash-course in haggling when I moved to Afghanistan as I had never done it before then. I learned quickly...and it's served me well since. I enjoy and respect it as a market custom, but also understand that I will never walk away having paid the price a local would, and that's ok. It's par for the course to being a (in their eyes) wealthy guest in their country.

Plus, bargaining is a great way, if nothing else, to learn how to say hello, goodbye, please and thank you in the local language!

I hate shopping in haggling cultures. I never know what an appropriate price is, and I always walk away either feeling ripped off, or, on the occasional instance when I actually got the price lower, like I was a jerk for haggling over 40 cents.

I don't mind it so much when the initial price is reasonable, even if it's slightly high by local standards. In that case, I'm perfectly fine just paying it, but when the seller puts forward outrageous prices to start, it's just the most miserable experience.

I'll seek out set price shops if at all possible.

I love haggling. You can't take it too seriously, though. And you shouldn't feel bad for paying less...they're not going to sell it to you at a loss!

I had lessons in haggling from my Indonesian cousin while staying with them in Singapore. I tend to go with the flow - that is, if I see others haggling - I'll get into it!!

Haggling is tons of fun. In fact after 3 yrs in Korea when I was interviewing for a job here at home, I started haggling for my pay rate. Luckily the new boss was also a haggler so it was rather amusing.

Although I must admit I am not super confident haggling in the US as in other countries, but its something I always enjoy.

Trekker

I love haggling and not laways when it's "culturally' appropriate. I went into Best Buy to get a new laptop 6 months ago. The sticker price on the computer was $1495 I haggled with the manager and got it for $999. I think almost everything is over priced so when I can I haggle.

I'm all for haggling. Though on our first trip to Thailand a several years ago my boyfriend got off to a rough start...our very first morning filled with excitement for the travels to come we set out to explore Bangkok. Wanting to get a feeling for the prices of things he asked a man the price of some piece of cloth.
Being the good little fledgling travelers that we were, we did what every guidebook recommends, and offered half.
I noticed the man's body tense and he was on his feet screaming "fuck youfuckyoufuckyou!! fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou!!" about three inches from my boyfriend's face! We complimented him on his english skills and moved on.

I think that was also the day we ended up walking from the Khao San Area back to the Atlanta on Suk2 because we were so fed up with the tuk tuk drivers.....but that's another story...
Anyway, haggling it's a good thing.
It keeps the prices from inflating unnaturally. Hopefully it makes up for those of you who don't bother...like the tourist I saw seriously concidering 400baht was a decent price for an umbrella in Ao Nang!
-K

I can see why some people think haggling is fun, but when you live full-time in a country that haggles/barters on everything, it can get old. You can't buy anything (except food from grocery stores or markets) without having to first establish a price. I go to the same stores all the time so fortunately the owners know who I am and give me the same price they give the local people.

Being able to bargain in the native language (Tibetan and Chinese in my case) helps a lot. Everyone who goes to a country that barters on prices should at least learn how to do it in the native language. Learning even numbers can be extremely helpful.

It can be a pain, but in countries where it's common, I think it is good to enter into the haggling spirit, especially if it is possible to do it in the local language. The locals will get a good price out of you anyway and I'm under the impression that they look down on people who pay the asking price without even trying.

However, Thailand can be confusing. I reckon that most of the stuff on sale in road stalls and shops is fixed price, so trying to haggle would be taken as an offence. As for tuk-tuks: one of the drivers blatantly told me that I'll always pay less for a metered cab!

Haggling can be a problem when I'm really just looking and don't want to buy a souvenir that's too big or heavy, but the vendor insists and reckons I'm just mean-spirited for not buying anything. I end up with lots of little trinkets I don't really need.

When its appropriate I haggle...Simple as.

I've been in SE Asia for over 2 months now and you kinda get a feeling for when the rice is way too high or just a little too high..>Sometimes its a case of offering double to start or just lowing it a little. Most arent offensive but ocasionally you get the one one who doesnt like it. SO what..move on...there's always someone else willing to negotiate.

As mentioned before Tuk Tuk drivers in BKK are just a waste of time...haggle if you like but you're more likley to pay less for a metered cab than a tuk tuk.

On the bad side you cant just window shop, cant simply find out how much something is...If you want to actually look at something and get an idea of price you cant...instead you have to enetr the haggling war. This can be immensly frustrating.

So it has its good and its bad...in some ways its nice just to be able to look at something and see a price but it can certainly be fun to give it a whirl and see if you can getr a bit off.

I love to haggle! I never haggled until a few years ago when a good friend showed me the ins and outs of it. My parents just always paid full price for everything and the thought of haggling never crossed their minds so it never really crossed mine either. Now I haggle just about everywhere...I even hear my kids say to vendors "Can you do a little better on that?" You wouldn't believe the deals that are out there if you just ask. Iv'e gotten discounted stuff everywhere...places you would never think of like Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx, Best Buy, Linens N' Things, etc. It's almost become a sport...

I don't. As a small business owner the second someone tries to haggle about my prices I show them the door. To me it's a waste of my time and I only want to deal with people who can afford my prices anyway.

I don't see why anyone should feel bad about haggling. In most places that it is common, it is a part of their culture and there is no offense taken to trying to bring down the price. Also, like stated earlier in the thread... they aren't going to sell it to you at a loss. They ALWAYS win and YOU always win because you got some random junk from another country at a reasonable price.

They expect it and enjoy you haggling, trust me. I think they get a bit confused when you take the item at their first price.

I hate it. I don't like the ideas that they look at you as a westerner and assume you are rich and then offer a higher price. I basically don't like getting ripped off, no matter the price. If you are haggling in a foreign country where you have only a vague idea of costs then you are always at a disadvantage to the merchant.

And I really don't feel sympathy for the carpet merchants who charge tourists $200 for a rug when the village peasant who actually made it was only given $5 or whatever.

I also prefer to browse around the shop before I buy something. But in haggling countries this is impossible, the moment you enter the shop the merchant is constantly in your face trying to sell you something. Other cultures may take this as normal, and fair enough it's their culture, but I prefer the fixed price system and always will.

I only haggle if I really have to. In haggling countries I mostly avoid buying souvenirs for this reason.

I make a point of visiting Supermarket chain stores or Hypermarkets just before I depart the country. The barcode scanner doesn't hagggle and there is no "special price" for foreigners.

By the way, if you want to see what rugs are actually worth beforehand, visit eBay. You will need to be very specific, however.

I hate haggling. Always have. Likely always will. I don't even like shopping in stores in the States where the prices aren't clearly marked. Nothing makes me less inclined to shop than having to ask, "What does this cost?" Lucky for me that I don't much like shopping to begin with.

When I visited the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul I found earrings that I loved; but I had to go to several shops before I found a pair that weren't somehow flawed. When I finally found that pair I said to the owner, "I don't haggle and I have to pay by credit card. You tell me what you think is a fair price and if I agree I'll buy the earrings." He no doubt thought me a freak but I was totally at peace because I bought a stunning pair of earrings that I wear most everyday at a price I thought to be quite fair (at least one-quarter of what I would have paid here). On top of which I have yet to find earrings that are as attractive and comfortable as these. Why should I haggle if I think the price is fair and I'm happy with the transaction?

I know that I am definitely in the minority on this one. My dearest friends in the world bargain for EVERYTHING all the time. While I admire their chutzpah it has never rubbed off on me, despite 30 years of exposure to their mores.

This haggling thing is about to rear its ugly head big time as I head out on a RTW to many countries where it's the custom. The idea of haggling with poor people who are struggling to survive just makes me sick. If I get labeled a sucker and pay more than the locals, so be it. I would probably feel differently if I settled in one place as I would want to be think of myself as a local. But if I am a traveler, especially a traveler from the First World, I SHOULD pay more than my fair share. Afterall, my lifestyle, my relative wealth, is made possible because the Third World sells their natural resources to the First World at obscenely cheap prices.