Comments on: Let’s Make a Deal: Haggling Abroad

By: Vaarok

Vaarok — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:34:41 +0000

There’s also the hard-haggle and the soft haggle.

You can criticize, carefully, the flaws in the merchandise, the height of the price, or express your limited time or marginal need of the item in order to force the seller to come down, throw something in, or sell you something better instead. Opening negotiations on a lesser item and then changing your mind reluctantly to what you really want often adds incentive for the seller to be reasonable.

Likewise, you can compliment the merchandise, express your eagerness or use for it, but then lament the price or dismiss your own stated goals, putting the onus on the seller to do better.

It’s a very ritual practice, but it’s both a compliment to the seller and a means of getting better merchandise and a lower price.

By: Robert Elwell

Robert Elwell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:49 +0000

Was I the only person who balked at the misspelling of nunchaku and its subsequent mislabeling as a Chinese objet d’art?

Doesn’t sound like the author is practicing their own advise of researching.

By: senatorrosewater

senatorrosewater — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:39:57 +0000

As a sailor, I’ve bought junk all over the world. The article is pretty good, but there’s one thing you missed… tell the merchant that the guy on the next street over is offering the same thing for $X. Can you beat his price? This works every time if you name a realistic price.

I’ve actually found lower prices by naming my price, walking away, and coming back later. If I make it known the ship is leaving that day, so much the better.

Also, consider haggling in US dollars. many world currencies are hard to do the math on, and are very volatile from day to day. People in the 3rd world treat USD like gold. Just make sure your dollars have no rips or tears. People are very suspicious of old money, and most won’t accept it.

By: Patrick B.

Patrick B. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:22:59 +0000

Sure it may be “fun” and “customary” to haggle with street vendors overseas. But, come on. What difference does a few dollars in price really mean to you. So you have a story about how you bargained the third worlder down three whole dollars. That cannot even buy you a cup of coffee in The States, but it could feed his wife and four kids dinner that night. Pay the poor guy and walk away with a momento of your trip and knowing you helped an impovershed person make ends meet for that day.

By: Christatos

Christatos — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:03:08 +0000

The key to haggling everywhere in the world is to never question the quality of the merchandise unless the merchant can’t deny that they were trying to bilk you. You want to respect them, but when it becomes clear the emperor has no clothes, don’t be afraid to go for the throat. Sometimes this will still get you thrown out of the shop, but that is the price of wisdom.

As to the question of dressing down, my view on it, as a man who considers being well dressed a requirement, is that the better dressed you are the gentler a technique you must cultivate. A man in a $2000 suit has no business playing hard ball over the price of an apple, but gently nudging it down if it is bruised a bit is acceptable. Don’t dress down to get a deal, act like who you are, and represent the money in your bank account with honesty. There is a fine line between going for a deal, and being a shark. One is the key to being a responsible but classy man, the other leads to being a greasy shill.