Getting the most for your money in China

[egolessvegan]

The Chinese women seem very adept at bargaining and stretching money to the max. Anybody want to share a good story or two.

Ken :

[Trigg]

The Chinese women seem very adept at bargaining and stretching money to the max. Anybody want to share a good story or two.

Ken :

   

Ok, just a quicky. How 'bout stopping 6 taxis to argue fair, using 50 minutes in the debating process for a taxi ride of less than 3 miles and then bragging how I was saved almost 3 yuan (near 36 cents). When i told her my time has to be worth more than 40 cents an hour, she quickly asked just what was I going to do in those 50 minutes that would have made me more than 3 yuan.

 

I shutup!!

[Guest DragonFlower]

How about being left outside on the street,so the shop keeper does not see her with an American.

[frank1538]

How about being left outside on the street,so the shop keeper does not see her with an American.

So true, so true. But, I've had occasion to watch the ritual. The loose translation that follows is a figment of my imagination:

 

You go in, browse, look at one particular item, and the salesperson immediately hovers. You put it back, and the salesperson brings out similar items. You ignore the salesperson.

 

You find something that looks promising and check out the price tag (if there is one) and mumble something under your breath about how expensive it is, but you ask how much. The manager goes to the calculator and immediately knocks off 20%. You call the manager something, tell him/her that the goods aren't worth sh*t and start to storm out of the shop, all the while listening to the manager yelling something back at you.

 

You leave the shop, start to walk away, but return and say something like you'd be willing to take this worthless piece of junk off their hands for what is now 60% (variable depending of the goods) off the tag price. As you do this, you start to point out all the flaws in the product - clothes having loose threads, a smudge on a bowl, etc.. If it's flawed in the least, you point it out.

 

More heated exchanges go on, sometimes necessitating leaving the shop a second time. The manager now offers 50% (variable) off the tag, and you wait to let the manager continue - maybe he/she will go lower.

 

You finally agree, buy the goods, and walk out, happy with the result. The manager will evetually smile after you are out of sight.

[Trigg]

Oh yes Frank, you forgot to mention that the stupid American husband should NEVER, I repeat NEVER, tell wifey that it sounds like a good deal or show any interest if the shopkeeper is listening.

 

If you wanna get cussed in no less than two Chinese dialects, just do the above.

 

Yet another lesson in cultural diversity learned the hard way by Trigg.

[Guest DragonFlower]

Frank,you forgot the part where the shopkeeper chases you down the street!

[awch]

Exactly- I'm not even allowed to stand outside the shop- I have to stay at home while Xiaoming and mother in law buy everything for our house. Of course, they never get what I want... which I think is more important than saving 20 kuai... but do they listen?

[johnxiaoying]

I've been elbowed, left outside but on occassion I have gotten the price reduced further after her haggling for so long by saying something like "damnit, I'm tired and hungry, let's go". Then I give the shopkeeper a final low ball before we walk.

 

The 6 taxis takes the cake, love it!

[Robert S.]

When I was with Ping in her home city I got to see her doing some haggling but her methods seemed to be rather quick. Now that we have been going to a lot of yard sales I expected her to want to bargain down the price but frequently she just pays what they ask, perhaps figuring these things are just so cheap anyway there is no point. I am sure I will have a chance to see a command performance from her someday. She did get a good price for me on a Buddha from 250 down to 100RMB.

[eeyore]

In Shanghai there is a custom for shop keepers to give the 1st customer of the day a good deal, the 1st customer is very important, brings luck for the rest of the day. My wife was able to get really good deals on several occasions by being the 1st customer. Twice in one day. One of the items was for a glass tea pot for me to bring back to the states, very nice and a very good deal esp since I could not find one like it here in the states. At the moment I can not remember what we paid for the tea pot but nearly 1/2 of the asking price.

[DaveR]

My fiancee got some really good deals at a mall in ShenZhen. We were the first customers of the day and went to the store room to see more stock. She didn't like the price so we started to leave, the man came running after us. She told me to wait and then proceed to talk him down even further. I have seen her get some really good bargains, for me during both my trips to China.

 

In another story on my last trip we went to ZheJiang to meet her family and then spent 2 days in HangZhou. It was right by the lake and very pretty. We were doing the tourist things and had just left the pagoda and were going to take a boat ride. We started walking, but did not know how far it would be. So we saw a cap and walked back to it and the cab took us 1 block, where we could catch one of the boats to go for a trip on the lake. The driver must have told everyone how he took the big American's money. The boat ride was nice though.

 

Dave

[pkfops]

When she is ready to talk price I go out for a smoke and take

pictures.

[egolessvegan]

I hope our fiancees realize that in the US, in most circumstances the prices are not negotiable. But then again, I thought everything in life is negotiable.

Ken

[Trigg]

I hope our fiancees realize that in the US, in most circumstances the prices are not negotiable. But then again, I thought everything in life is negotiable.

Ken

NONONONO--they don't. I get called "stupid man" on a regular basis for not arguing price. But maybe not so stupid. People at yard sales have told me they would give me what she is trying to buy---if I promise not to bring her back --EVER!!

[Guest blsqueaky]

Once while ini GZ, I wanted to buy a certain kinda tea set, told the lady that was working, and she was able to find for me. I told her that I was looking to buy 4 of them, we haggled, and got the right price. Later, my wife told me that the price that I got was for each. Well later her and I argues a little, and I told her to wait till we pick up. The next day we did, and the lady charged me the price that she gave me, for all of the 4. At lunch, my wife said she was sorry for doubting me, Now she knows that I will haggle when I have to.

 

Sine she has been here, she has never once tried to haggle in the grocery store. I am just waiting for when she starts to go to yard sales.

 

There is one thing that I learned mostly in GZ, if they see an American interested, then they will not haggle, so I learned, if I see something, just walk on by, tell Ling, then she will go back later, but I have seen her haggle to save 3-5 cents