Is the art of haggling and bargaining alive and well in the Australian context? I've been to Asia and saw tourists haggling to get whopping 90-95% discounts to stuff (mostly touristy souvenirs).
How do you know when to haggle and how much to haggle?
Haggling/bargaining in Australian stores?
[Deactivated] on 24/03/2014 - 22:45
Comments
prices are easily doubled or tripled for western tourists in some touristy areas in South East Asian countries
It's the nature of the game. The price given is very high and then you bargain them down. If I have no idea what something is worth I tend to use the 30% rule - my buy price will be 30% what they first quote me or I walk away.
I always cringe when I hear a tourist just pay the asking price. Once or twice I've intervened before the person is completely ripped off.
We in Australia have a higher standard than haggling, we instead utilise price matching and best prices.
Asia is so dodgy T_T they make so much profit and try to pass items as "genuine" when they're otherwise. most of the time getting it down to half price is still a huge rip off…
I've heard people say that Australian "RRP" is much higher than e.g. our American and European counterparts. More notably items like laptops, phones, watches etc.
But to make the conclusion that "Asia is dodgy" is ignorant.
If I am buying from a market, I say, what is your best price, and usually get a small discount.
If I am buying an appliance/furniture worth more than say $100 I will ask the same in a store.
When they quote me a figure, I'll often say, and can you do me a better price for cash?
Cash works best in independent shops where you are dealing with the owner.I stop haggling when the other person comes out of the room and start swearing at me :)
When I was in vietnam, I haggled for a scarf. It was a nice scarf. I loved the colour. After haggling for a while,
We met somewhere in the middle.Leter I realised that I was haggling over AUD$0.50
For the rest of the trip, if it amount is less than AUD$1, I just let them have it. It is worth more to them than it is to me.yeah some of my friends haggle for sport.
When I was in Bali I'd haggle to an acceptable price point but if it was about a $1 or 2 I'd let it slide. I'd then get told how I got 'ripped off'.
The problem with places like Bali and Vietnam (going there at Xmas) you tend to forget how low a few 1000 is really worth.
Agreed.
Our other rule is if somebody offers us a good price first off, we won't haggle. So if you try and start selling me a t-shirt for $12, I won't buy from you until I can get it for $3, but if you open with $4, I'll give it too you.
Obviously, this takes some price research beforehand.
95% discount? Must be a massive profit margin for the seller if people don't haggle.