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South by Southeast: Ugly bargaining
Welcome back to Gadling's series on backpacking in Southeast Asia, South by Southeast. Most visitors in Southeast Asia are on a tight budget. Lucky for you, the prices here are very negotiable. As I've learned during the past two months, everything from the price of my guest house, to my tuk-tuk to souvenirs, is up for negotiation. For a traveler living "on a shoestring," it's a been a useful skill to master. But sometimes there's a difference between bargaining your way to a good deal and just plain "ugly bargaining."Bargaining in Southeast Asia need not be an "ugly" affair. If done right, it's an interaction that benefits everybody. You, the traveler, get a good deal and the local merchant earns some much-needed foreign currency. Everybody goes home happy. Wondering how to do it right? Check below for a few tips.
Rule #1 – Everybody Can Win
Bargaining is not winner-take-all. In a good bargain, both the buyer and seller get something of value. Don't aim to make your bargaining session a contest with winner and losers. You're trying to make a purchase, not prove a point or show off your haggling-savvy.
Rule #2 – Stick to Your Word
Negotiating for anything is built on trust. If either side feels the other won't fulfill their terms, it's much more difficult to agree on a price. Once you've settled on an amount, commit to pay for it. Don't walk away and check elsewhere. Don't back out. And if you have no intention of completing a transaction in the first place, don't ask for the price.
Rule #3– Be a Good Guest
When walking around with plenty of foreign currency in our pockets, it's easy to assume a mindset of superiority. When we shop at home, we expect a particular level of service will come with our purchase. But in Southeast Asia, mass tourism is still a relatively recent phenomenon – English is a second language and infrastructure is often unreliable. When your bus leaves 30 minutes late or the the power is out at the restaurant, freaking out at the staff is poor form. Don't stand for poor service, but a little patience and a smile goes a long way. It will work out...promise.
Rule #4 – Keep Perspective
Long-term traveling means sticking to a budget. But don't let your own budget get in the way of the bigger picture. Sure, you might be saving a few bucks, but the gap between your income and the average merchant in Southeast Asia is huge. A week's wages for you could be more than they earn in an entire year. If you don't get the price you wanted, consider the extra as a gift for their assistance.
Not every bargaining session works out perfectly. Maybe a merchant still managed to get a few extra Thai Baht than you planned. Or you'll hear another traveler bragging about a great deal that was better than your own. In these situations, remember to smile - a few dollars lost in a bargain isn't the end of the world.
Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann is spending the next few months in Southeast Asia. You can read other posts on his adventures "South by Southeast" HERE.
Filed under: Asia, Budget Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RCP Jan 6th 2010 5:08PM
Nice one. I lived in Cambodia for a decent amount of time, and those kinds of tourists always drove me crazy. The situations inevitably worsen when the vendors/bus drivers/guesthouse workers smile and chuckle when the enraged tourists lose their composure. Pro tip: They're laughing to deflect how seriously impolite you're being, not making light of your displeasure over the $7 you paid for those Gap pants.
G Jan 6th 2010 12:05PM
A nicely written article! I, myself, am Chinese and just came back from China. I witnessed the horror of foreigners (British and American ESPECIALLY), bargaining with the merchants in Beijing, as if the merchants have nothing to live for. Bargaining is an ART, and A PRIVILEGE. However, if some people feel like it's a right for them to do so, then honestly do not even bother to do some shopping, let a lone travel in Asia.
Jeff Pruett Jan 6th 2010 2:50PM
I was just in Cambodia as well and was horrified by the conduct. I went to view the sunrise at Angkor Wat. While I waited I watched the Cambodian vendors move through the crowd offering to sell them coffee. When someone would decline they would politely say "maybe later".
I thought this was a very nice way for them to save face. However, I noticed a lot of young backpackers (mostly male) behave very rudely, for no reason whatsoever.
Besides a passport, I'm beginning to feel that folks should have a license to travel internationally.
Jack Jan 6th 2010 9:19PM
And all of you are perfect travelers. As someone who lives on a very multicultural island and lived for 8 years in Thailand and the Philippines, it's not the ugly bargainers/complainers that make me cringe, it's those who feel like they are going native, looking down on other travelers, and feeling like they were more in tune with the local culture. To thine own self be true, my friends.
Enjoy the culture, enjoy what you are doing and let others be themselves, even if you think it's cringe worthy. Leave your foibles and superiority trips at home. Let travel naturally change you and your attitude.
me? Sometimes I acted like an ugly bargainer(and felt I had reason at the time and even now), but other times I just went with the flow. In others words, I was and am myself...
Chris Jan 7th 2010 5:09AM
Well said Jack...well said....The "Holier then thou" attitude some express is at times worse then the the bad barganing behavior...You learn and you move on not to be looked down upon by others. That is what is really petty about all of this.
Jeff Pruett Jan 11th 2010 7:31AM
Jack,
I too have lived in another country and I'm sure I've made a fool out of myself when I've traveled. But I've never treated my hosts with anything but civility.
I'm a guest in their home and am ever mindful of it. I'm curious as to why these comments would elicit so much anger? Very odd.
cindy Jan 8th 2010 4:22PM
I agree with you on this!!Jack.
Thats what make travel culture. Travellers can act however they want to be, as they experiencing and learning the way of life.
Paul Jan 8th 2010 11:43AM
I'm with Jeremy. Yes, Jack, no one is perfect. Not you, not me, and not Jeremy. I don't think that is the point.
When I was in Bangkok and negotiated, I was always treated with respect, and I treated them the same. It makes me feel better to act that way, also. A little politeness and respect goes a long way, and does not make you a pushover...
stephanie Jan 10th 2010 3:49PM
Jack isnt saying that everyone isnt a perfect traveler, hes straightforwardly saying we are perfect and to not pretend to be better than everyone else because we are not acting like them. Hes saying to do your own thing and dont worry about how others are acting. Go with the flow, very good advice i must say, Jack!
Wren Jan 17th 2010 12:30PM
I'm not a traveler but I was born and raised in the Philippines until I came to the US in 1974. I am familiar with "haggling" and it is an art. I learned it early on in my early teens when my mother sent me to market. And yes, my mother sent me to market alone at an early age of 10.
Bargaining for a better price is normal if you have time to spend but when pressed to go home to cook the fresh meat, fish and vegetables you just purchased, cut the bargaining in just 3 sentences. How much is this? Can you go lower on that? I'll met you halfway.
If there is no agreement reached at that time, either pay for it or go on. The merchant will call you back if you start to move away. And if the merchant calls you back, don't haggle again. Its either he or she is giving you the goods at your last call or not. Just politely decline if the merchant is still trying to coach you into raising your price just a bit or you can accept it, pay for it and go. Simple as that.
Maybe I was raised in a more gentler era because I have not observed any Americans or tourists who visited my small town being rude to anybody. They were very polite and smiled a lot!