Travels are usually connected with shopping, weather day trips or long voyages to far off places. In both cases we’re more or less open to the variety the market has to offer. The tour operators usually include visiting such places in the program, for they are well aware of this fact, and thus organize visits to factories where you can see how something is made prior to buying it, bazaars, marketplaces shopping centers…
With purchase of technical merchandise or brand clothes you should be especially careful – more so if they are fairly cheap. Even if sold at solid looking shops resembling original ones, it’s possible to find third rate articles with the same label as grade a material.
The biggest tourist traps are souvenir shops and lively market places that charm people from all over the world. Among most luring are the bazaars of the Arab world, such as Khan el Khail in Cairo, Hamad’s in Damascus or even the famous large covered bazaar of Istanbul. Who wouldn’t enjoy the colorful scenes in front of their eyes? An endless maze of rich stands that lure you into spending, or decorated sweets you just couldn’t get enough, while roaming through hand crafted products and charmingly smelling spices. In traditional trade haggling plays a very important part. That’s why you’ll never see prices, which the traders cunningly modify for each buyer individually. For some haggling is extremely unpleasant, while others absolutely enjoy it. Many people are not used to it and therefore don’t even want to hear about it, for they are inexperienced in it. That’s why many people are not decisive enough while purchasing something. Still, you shouldn’t take it too serious and haggling (apart from saving you money) can be fun. But if you’re really against it, it’s better to be there with a couple of friends with more experience and more haggling will. In some places you can haggle even in huge markets (for example in Singapore), for articles such as high priced technical appliances!
We always have to be prepared to lower the price, for the seller’s profit depends on it and they’re not easily persuaded to lower their cut.
When you decide on what to buy, you need to make sure, how much you’re ready to pay for it. Never buy the item in the first store you see, always try to find it at different places and try to determine its actual value. A local you meet in a new place may be of some assistance, but you really have to be certain the person’s not connected, in any way, to the merchant! So the annoying strangers around market places definitely don’t search for friends, but only for potential buyers.
You should always appear cool and look at the chosen article as though you’re not interested in it. Just casually inquire about the price of it. If you show excitement haggling is a lost cost from the beginning on.
Always be shocked at the first price offered. Then make a counter offer, which should be much lower from what you’re prepared to pay. It’s hard to say if you should say a third, a half or only a tenth of what they told you. You can never tell how much the offered price was exaggerated or for how naïve the merchant held you.
The merchant will be very disappointed at your offer, or maybe even pretend to be offended. But if he’s still prepared to negotiate, you’re on the right track. But if he shows you out, then you’ve really went over the top.
If he offers you a chair or maybe even a drink, you should carefully continue. Appear to be fed up and with all the time in the world. Do not be rushed into a quick decision. They’ll tell you it’s the last item, that the shop’s closing down, or they have to sell everything cheap due to an accident.
If you aren’t getting close to the price you want, you may pretend to leave. If they’ll try to stop you it means there’s a lot of room left to negotiate. But if you’re not stopped, then you really are close to the bottom possible price. If your pride allows it, return, otherwise chose a different shop.
Once the price is settled you really must buy the item, for there’s no worse insult then not to buy the thing you’ve haggled for and agreed upon the price.
If the merchant doesn’t seem too happy while you’re leaving, it’s a sign you’ve made a good purchase. But don’t feel bad, even then he’s not without a profit.
But some tact is in order as well. It’s different if you’re haggling in a rich shop full of things or at a stand, where a (let’s say) poor Indian woman sells something under its value, just because you’re the only costumer that day and she needs to feed the family.
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