Haggling a hassle? Here’s our handy guide to bagging a bargain
In hindsight, my over-enthusiastic attempt to negotiate the cheapest possible price for a wet shave in Pakistan was foolhardy. If you’re going to expose your neck to a man brandishing a cutthroat razor, it’s probably best to go with his first quote.
Many tourists believe the more you pay for something, the more you’re helping the local economy, since the money circulates within the community. But it’s also reasonable to point out that all those copy-watch sellers, sarong traders and gem dealers are in your face precisely because holidaymakers were paying over the odds long before you arrived on the scene.
It’s unfair to blame the hawkers. They can pocket more from one astute sale than might be earned toiling in a factory or field for a week. This can have a knock-on effect, though. Farmers in tourist areas may have trouble recruiting workers at harvest time as there are such easy pickings elsewhere.
Here are some suggestions that could help to make the encounter less like a visit to the dentist:
1 Haggling over the price of anything from a shave to a sheep is still the accepted way of doing business for many people around the globe. However, it often flusters and embarrasses people from the developed world, who treat the entire exchange as an unpleasant chore to be completed as quickly as possible – or not at all, if there’s a fixed-price store nearby. You won’t be insulting anyone if you try some good-natured horse-trading. As long as both parties are happy with the final figure and have gained something from the transaction, then it’s a deal well done.
2 Shopping should be enjoyable and bargaining with an amiable salesman can be rewarding. View the experience not as an ordeal but as a cultural interchange. Keep things light and relaxed, and accept that your “opponent” is likely to come out on top; he has been in the game for much longer than you. Remember, though, you’re in a position of strength because you make the final decision on whether a sale takes place. If you reach a stalemate or have any doubts, thank the vendor and move on.