Otavalo, Ecuador. Photo by Theodore Scott.
Marketplaces can be intimidating. Learn to bargain with confidence and you won’t lose out on key cultural (and monetary) transactions.
I wasn’t always comfortable haggling. The first time I tried it was in Marrakesh. I wanted a Berber drum but had no idea how to haggle. The only reason I didn’t pay too much was that I didn’t have much money to start with.
Since then I’ve haggled in many places around the globe. It is a useful skill for every traveler. Haggling can get you cheaper taxi rides and discounts on hotel rooms. Although, I think it is the most fun when done at the local market.
If you are new to this sport, the following advice will give you a good chance of getting what you want at the right price:
1. Don’t get too attached.
A common mistake is convincing yourself that you must get a certain item. A worse mistake is letting the seller figure that out. If they see that you have fallen in love with something they are selling, then you are in a very weak bargaining position.
Even if the item is a one-of-a-kind piece that you will never find again, that doesn’t mean you can afford to pay a high price for it. There are plenty of other unique pieces that you can afford. Always be willing to find something else if the price isn’t right.
2. Set a ceiling price.
Before you start to haggle, figure out how much you can pay. This isn’t the price that you would prefer; it is the most you will let yourself pay. This stops you from getting caught up in the experience and regretting how much you spent.
Marketplace in Dubai. Photo by Theodore Scott.
3. Walk away.
Everyone knows this and yet most don’t do it. Walk out the door. The seller will probably yell at least one lower price as you leave. If not, the item will still be there in an hour – after you have looked for similar items elsewhere. You can come back. Don’t believe the shopkeeper if they tell you it will be sold by then.
4. Learn the language
You don’t have to be anything close to fluent, but learning a few phrases helps. Simple phrases can help you state your case without relying entirely on the shopkeeper’s English. Get a phrasebook or have someone teach you. Learn how to say “too expensive”, “how much”, “you are crazy”, etc.
Practice your numbers. You will feel much more comfortable if you can name your price and can recognize the numbers they are saying. Spend five minutes reviewing them before falling asleep each night to make them stick.
Ankara vendor in Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Lola Akinmade
5. Bargain backwards
Bargaining in reverse sounds crazy, but it works. Haggling over a figurine in Peru, I offered 20. He was trying to rip me off at 100 and wasn’t coming down at all. I countered with 15, because he was being greedy and inflating his tourist price. I was getting even further from the asking price. He quickly lowered his asking price.
This tends to shock them into realizing that you are not going to come anywhere near what they are asking. If they want to make a sale, then they can start by being reasonable.
6. Ask for a bulk discount.
Another favorite is to buy multiple items and ask for a discount. Typically, you should haggle over one item until it is down to a reasonable price. Then, pick up a second and ask how much for both. You can get a little extra knocked off, so it won’t cost twice as much. I use this on simple gift items for friends and family back home.
7. Be reasonable.
Sometimes travelers lose perspective. If you find yourself close to an agreement, but can’t make them budge that last little bit, then ask yourself if another dollar really matters. You don’t need to spend your whole afternoon making sure you got the absolute best price on a Machu Picchu shirt. Save your energy for the more expensive items.
Community Connection
For more on haggling, check out Lola Akinmade’s beautiful blog on the marketplace in Lagos, Nigeria.
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19 Comments... join the discussion!
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I like the idea of backwards negotiating. I would think that would be a shock to your opponent in any negotiation and would definitely show them that you aren’t going to cave.
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Like you say–everyone knows “walk away” and it IS underutilized. But walking away is best used in conjunction with “Money in Hand.” The combo of these tactics has served me well from Colombia to Kenya to Thailand.
Pick a price that you are comfortable paying. Start below that, as you say with “haggle backwards”, and then when they try to brush you off, take the exact amount of money you’re comfortable with out and say the amount in conjunction with “right now!”
Make a gesture of handing them the 20 in cash. Whether it’s a popsicle or a piece of expensive art, any vendor will be tempted to cave once they see that cash in hand, coming their way. They know if they pull the trigger then, that the cash is theirs.
If not, then walk. And as you say, come back around in an hour.
This also works like a charm for cab rides: “20 and we go!”
-Ross
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I know this sounds weird, but for one country in particular (italy) I had the best luck when yelling at vendors.
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Nice post – but I hope all readers keep in mind how ugly you can look haggling over 50 cents with a farmer when you’ve just paid $500 for a plane ticket – haggling, done right, is a good form of local interaction, but please don’t be that guy yelling at the rickshaw peddler.
-Tim
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In India I wound up traveling for a few days with a girl who’d been living in Delhi for six months. Ever since, I’ve wished I’d had the nerve to copy her signature line: “No, no. For me, Indian price.”
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Nice advise. I agree with #7, I’ve seen so many people lose perspective and not think. They’ll argue over what would be the equivalent of say 10c here in the states. Is it really worth it? Especially when that extra 10c could mean a lot to the vendor whilst it’s considered only chump change to you.
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Definitely with Tim on this one. Sometimes I don’t haggle knowing that the seller might need the extra dollars more than I do at that moment.
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This may sound odd, especially in light of a recent BNT article about a global language, but I’ve found it actually helps NOT to know English. Or at least pretend.
When I was haggling in Thailand, it didn’t take long to notice they were out to fleece anyone from the States. So I put on a few lines of Portuguese I’d picked up in Brazil: “Eu não sou um americano. Eu sou um brasileiro…” It confused the vendors enough that they started low.
A friend of mine went to Viet Nam a few years back, and she told me the vendors were going after Canadians, and giving Americans a break. “Americans are going through hard times,” explained one seller.
Fortunately, times have changed and we’re all now enjoying the global economy.
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Hooray, global economy! It warms my heart to see profits at GE and PG rising even as the U.S. economy tanks. I think I need to go incorporate myself in Dubai.
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Thanks for the tips! The bulk discount suggestion is a good one.
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Most important thing for me- relax, smile a lot, understand that its a bit of a game, and even (possibly) try to enjoy it!
The only time I have been put off with the bargaining process is when the seller is all “screw you, i’m not bargaining”, in places where every shop bargains by default.
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I dont think its fair or “smart”, to bargain in developing countries, its rather selfish and cruel. This poor people dont have much of an option when negotiating with “skilled” people like yourself. They need to sell their goods anyhow and at any cost, that´s the only way they can make some money to feed their families . Must of these people survive with less than a dollar per day, just think about it.
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Must of these people survive with less than a dollar per day, just think about it.
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Thanks very much very good read that text
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Thanks very much very good read
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its very nice porjected.
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Like you say–everyone knows “walk away” and it IS underutilized. But walking away is best used in conjunction with “Money in Hand.” The combo of these tactics has served me well from Colombia to Kenya to Thailand.
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But walking away is best used in conjunction with “Money in Hand.” The combo of these tactics has served me well from Colombia to Kenya to Thailand
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