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Posts: 111

Governor

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Q: How do you barggen for things in China?

I usually start out say a price that is 10% of what they offer. Most of the time they bring their price down. Then I bring my price up just a little bit. Once I get to price I will not go above, I slowly walk away.  The person usually want to make a sale and says yes to my price. The walk away method works.

 

I had a local friend us the following method that I thought was really good. 

She said " I have a lot of friends come to China to visit me for vacation. I take them around to buy things. Usually I take them to that store over there, but if you give this price I will start to take them here."

 

So how do you barggen to make sure you are getting the best price fo things in China? 

9 years 45 weeks ago in  Shopping - China

 
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Posts: 166

Governor

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If I don't like the price, in Chinese I say, "I've lived in China for 5 years, don't give me the 'foreigner's price', give me 'China's price.'  They laugh, comment on my ability to speak Chinese, and then, to my surprise and very quickly, they cut the bullshit!  Works about 80% of the time.  If not, I just leave, because it is bullshit, and I know if I wait, I'll find it down the street for cheaper.

One time, I really liked this pair of sunglasses and couldn't find a substitute. I had to have them. I asked the guy, he quoted me 75 RMB! So, I left. I came back two days later, asked a different lady and she quoted me 180 RMB!!! Haha! I laughed, said 'blowing cows' told her that the guy quoted me 75 RMB, told her I would give her 20. She laughed and said, 75. I said the highest I would go is 35, we settled on 40 RMB. My Chinese wife would have bought them for 15, but I had to have them.

bansufan:

This works for me too. Once they find out I can speak Chinese, I get a better price too. I have even said " My mother is Chinese, you don't want to make the daughter of your own kind loose face. It will make you lose face that you are giving another Chinese a higher price." This has worked a lot.

9 years 45 weeks ago
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9 years 45 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1838

Emperor

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Easy really!

 

I set a maximum price I am prepared to pay in my head. I offer lower and wait for the reaction. I then decide whether to raise or quit. If the seller is not satisfied, I leave.

 

One of the things that really gets to me in China is when a seller or someone associated with him will follow me and accost me physically. By that, I mean grabbing my arms or clothing. I have come close on a few occasions to actually hitting sellers for that but have exercised restraint because of the trouble I know it would cause.

Hulk:

I'm upvoting you for this, as I've experienced those same sellers grabbing my arms!

 

I went to buy some nice suits from some dude in a mall in Hefei, and the guy wouldn't let me take the time to look around. I was admiring his wares and he kept trying to get my attention.

 

Being aggressive is a lost sale. I actually lost my cool because he kept trying to pull me towards his "best stuff." The guy actually pissed me off so bad that I ripped my arm away from him, yelled at him, and left his store.

9 years 45 weeks ago
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bansufan:

Yes, I do not like having the them grab my arms. There is no sense of personal bubble. On a crowed bus I understand not having the bubble, but  when there is much space give it to me. 

 

@ Hulk. I too hate having people follow me around in a store and not just letting me look. Even after I tell them in Chinese I just want to look around first, they still follow me sometimes. This is why I do not go into some stores when I know I will be the only one. It seems to me that they have nothing else better to do and just follow people around. 

9 years 45 weeks ago
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WCG:

@bansufan, the store trailers really bug me too.  If I can, I try to dust them off by releasing healthy intestinal flatulence.

9 years 45 weeks ago
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9 years 45 weeks ago
 
Posts: 921

Shifu

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I make my offer in chines, take it or leave it. Theres no barganing involved, I just leave it to the cleverness of the seller. If not ok, whatever, there will be another one smarter down the road and in any case, it's usually stuff I can live without.

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Posts: 1439

Shifu

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One of the many techniques in my book:

 

(Smile and be polite at all times.)

 

- Pick item 1. Don't ask the price right away. Make a bit of conversation about it. Explain how nice it is. Find a little detail you don't like about it. Like a random defect or whatever. Ask the price. Explain you saw the same item 30-50% cheaper somewhere else (or get a better backstory ready, just shoot for your aim, which is preparing to ask for a discount). Ask for a discount. Listen to the answer. Doesn't matter at that point, just look neither please or disappointed.

Go to item 2.

 

(At all times, never waste an opportunity of having random friendly small talk.)

 

- Pick item 2. Do as above. Repeat for as many items as you have. If you really have a lot of items to buy, just act like it's never gonna end.

 

- You have picked all your items. If you are not satisfied about the discount you already negotiated, it is time to negotiate again. Now the seller will be much more open for bargain, because you are a better client now and he or she already spent some time connecting with you.

 

- Bargain is done. Now time for rounding the sum again. Try your luck. You can get a 79 to a 70, a 231 to a 200, a 578 to a 500... or be more dary. Just up to you.

 

- Pay, be happy.

 

Of course this is just an example and this is all going to depend on a lot of elements, you need to adapt to what you are buying, how much, the seller's mood, etc... If I have a piece of general advice, I'd just say, be friendly, talk, move around the store, but not aggressively.

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