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It's not that "they are there to rip you off", they also enjoy bargaining tremendously. Most of them would much rather haggle to 20% the original price then jus
by radu_floricica 18y ago
It's not that "they are there to rip you off", they also enjoy bargaining tremendously. Most of them would much rather haggle to 20% the original price then just get the money, an probably feel dissapointed by the tourists who either pay or walk away. It's simply a bit of culture shock.
- thaumaturgy 18y agoMy girlfriend recently spent a few weeks in China, and related some of the same stories. She figured out the process pretty quick: it's not quite that the people she encountered enjoyed haggling, it's just what they're used to. Haggling successfully to a low price gets you respect from the seller. It is a completely foreign concept to Americans, who tend to come away with this feeling that either they've just been ripped off, or they just ripped off the seller. I don't think I would handle it well at all (partly because I'm not fond of buying trinkets anyway).
- mrtron 18y agoI think the people who enjoy it are the people buying, not selling. I was recently in Taiwan with some locals, and everything we did was discounted. It seemed awkward bargaining at a 4-5 star hotel - but we ended up paying about half by paying cash in advance.
- mynameishere 18y agoObvious link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA