When traveling outside the US and Canada it is very likely that you will run into situations where bargaining is essential to get a fair price on something you wish to purchase. For me, at first, bargaining was a very uncomfortable situation. I had grown up with the price is the price, so asking for a lower price was unthinkable. Now having had many experiences I’ve become a lot more comfortable with it and wanted to share my advice.
1.Pay what you want to pay and not a penny more. When you see something you like make sure you approach the seller with a price in mind. Ask yourself how much you are willing to pay for that particular item. What is that item worth to you. If you can work the price to that number or lower great, but don’t pay more then that number because you will regret it as you walk away.
2. Keep a smile on your face. It’s important to keep your cool. It can get frustrating when you feel an object is worth a lot less than what the seller is offering it for. If you get frustrated or aggressive the seller will not want to lower the price for you. Keeping a smile on your face will help the seller believe you are a friendly person and deserve a better price.
3. Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. Make sure you are giving an aggressive offer, but not so aggressive that you offend the seller. A good rule of thumb is offering half of what they first say knowing they will give you a counteroffer. When you reach the number you this it is worth hold strong at that number.
4. Walk away. If the seller just won’t come down act uninterested and walk away. Most of the time the seller will then yell out to you either agreeing to your price or lowering theirs more. If they let you walk away then you know you were never going to get a price as low as you were looking to pay.
5. Never pay what you don’t think is fair. Depending where you are there can be aggressive sellers. They may follow you down the street, tell you they are your friend and how dare you not buy this item, there are many aggressive tactics. Don’t ever buy just to get them off your back or because you feel uncomfortable. Stay friendly, but firmly tell them no thank you until they leave you alone.
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