HELP! I am terrible at haggling prices!

[momof4boys]

Do you always try to haggle on the price of something in Coz?

 

In Jamaica last year a lady on our tour bus asked me how much I paid for some t-shirts. I told her, and she loudly laughed and stated that I sure got a "bad" deal. :( I felt utterly ridiculous (and had some very unpleasant thoughts about how rude she was!:p )

 

Any tips? Just remember, I am not good at it. I always feel like I am insulting the merchants.

[cusyl]

Just have your taxi drop you off at Los Cinco Sole at the end of the tourist strip. They have fixed prices and great merchandise.

I also hate to haggle.

[kenf333]

Do you always try to haggle on the price of something in Coz?

 

In Jamaica last year a lady on our tour bus asked me how much I paid for some t-shirts. I told her, and she loudly laughed and stated that I sure got a "bad" deal. :( I felt utterly ridiculous (and had some very unpleasant thoughts about how rude she was!:p )

 

Any tips? Just remember, I am not good at it. I always feel like I am insulting the merchants.

 

Rule of thmb is that it never hurts to ask for a better price... They can either say yah or nah...:D

[bruce-r]

Just have your taxi drop you off at Los Cinco Sole at the end of the tourist strip. They have fixed prices and great merchandise.

I also hate to haggle.

 

I totally agree with this. Plus they take credit cards without an added charge.

 

Here are a few photos from Los Cinco Soles:

 

DD is over to the right.

 

 

Rule of thumb is that it never hurts to ask for a better price... They can either say yah or nah...:D

 

I also agree with Ken. Just be polite when you ask.

 

 

[shiloh25]

Good luck with this. For what it's worth, I agree with you that person was extremely rude.

[cusyl]

Great pictures, brings back fond memories.

[Bonnie Voyager]

I don't mind haggling but I also don't mind paying the asking price for most of the items I am shopping for. Even the top asking price for most souvenier items is rarely very high and I feel like if I've paid thousands of dollars to go on this vacation, I don't feel right haggling over a couple of dollars when I know those dollars won't make any difference in the quality of my life but they may make a difference in the quality of life of the merchant selling me the goods. If I truly feel an item is overpriced, I will suggest what I'd prefer to pay. I'm not talking about items such as fine jewelry or electronic equipment. I would have done plenty of research on those items and I would KNOW what price I should expect to pay. I just mean the fun local artisan stuff you see on every island.

[oklahoma_doug]

If I think something is too expensive I politely ask them if they will sell it cheaper, sometimes they do sometimes they don't.... And then I usually buy it anyway... :) ... The further you get from the water front which is the main tourist shopping area the prices are cheaper to start with plus they are more open to deal making...

[Magic City Cruiser]

I don't haggle for "souveniers". I don't like it so I don't do it. If someone laughed at me for paying too much I'd just say "well, I'm sure you have your reasons for getting the best price but I'm pretty sure the street vendor needed the money much more than I did and I just consider it my small part in helping the local tourist economy". Life's far too short to worry about getting the best price on a t-shirt while on vacation. Haggling is expected, some people like to do it. I don't!

Donna

[clackey]

I love to haggle. It is not that I like or have to save the money. It is more like gambling. Some people like it to the point of addiction.

 

On our first trip to Coz I asked (in spanish) the price of a leather rifle scabbard. $118. I haggeled for a little while and then continued to look through the shop. The man came down to $75 for the scabbard and a $30 wallet. When I told him, "No tango denero". He answered in good english, "It is no problem senor, we take plastic.";)

 

Last year in Costa Maya I found a wooden pelican that I wanted, priced $40. After 10 minutes of bargaining I had him down to $18 + a $1 tip. When I asked him about the tip, he grinned and replied, "Senor, this is how I make my living." I gave him the tip and then bought 2 more carvings from him. You could tell that he enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

Some of them will haggle and some won't. If you don't like to, that is fine, but I like it.:p

[Bonnie Voyager]

I love to haggle. It is not that I like or have to save the money. It is more like gambling. Some people like it to the point of addiction.

 

On our first trip to Coz I asked (in spanish) the price of a leather rifle scabbard. $118. I haggeled for a little while and then continued to look through the shop. The man came down to $75 for the scabbard and a $30 wallet. When I told him, "No tango denero". He answered in good english, "It is no problem senor, we take plastic.";)

 

Last year in Costa Maya I found a wooden pelican that I wanted, priced $40. After 10 minutes of bargaining I had him down to $18 + a $1 tip. When I asked him about the tip, he grinned and replied, "Senor, this is how I make my living." I gave him the tip and then bought 2 more carvings from him. You could tell that he enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

Some of them will haggle and some won't. If you don't like to, that is fine, but I like it.:p

 

 

My 12-year-old Son seems to enjoy the "sport" of haggling too. On our recent visit to Labadee he haggled with a local over the price of a wooden sword. The starting price was something like $25 and my Son said he'd pay $7. The merchant said, "No", my son walked away and the merchant said, "$20 and I'll carve your name in it", my son said "no", the merchant said, "okay $15 and that's my bottom offer"...my son said, "No" and walked away. The merchant followed him and said, "okay, okay, $7"...my son said, "no thank you, I didn't want it anyway" and walked away. I asked my son, "why did you haggle with him then?"....he said, "it was fun". :eek:

[cusyl]

Personally, I think it is demeaning to the natives, especially if they have handcrafted the item themselves. I would be very hurt if a "rich tourist"

wanted something for nothing....but then I am too tender hearted.:rolleyes:

[poppyskim]

I appreciate how little the natives on the islands have. However, I do believe in alittle haggle. On Cozamel, I avoided the main shops along the water and we ventured back down the street to the flea market area. All of the shops were very clean and the natives wonderful. These shops get less traffic and are eager to deal. Way back, we found a beautiful dealer of hammocks. His price went from $50 to $30 or two for $50 then two for $40. He jsut wanted to sell ! He even had his wife bring over the baby to help convince me to buy. We did buy one sit in hammock of great quality and he was smiling ear to ear that he sold to us.

[clackey]

The locals expect you to haggle. It is like a national pastime. If you don't haggle they think that you are a dufuss. I don't know how to say dufuss in espanol, but I am sure that they have such a word.

 

I admire these people and would not degrade them on purpose. I will, however, participate in their sport of haggling every chance that I get.

[Mrsg324]

I always start out with 1/2 of what they are asking. Usually get it for that sometimes even less.

First trip, H wanted a couple cigars, the guy in the store wanted 122 for 3 cigars, I told him no way. He ended up being such a jerk that I told him I only had $12 on me. He said 25 each was his lowest, told him I only have 12. I walked out of there with not the original 3 but 5 cigars for 12.00.

 

This trip a friend looked at a silver cross, maybe something worth 15. They wanted 160 for it, she told them no way. We walked out, chased us down, asking how much we would pay, she said no more than 10.00. He said come back I sell it to you for 10. We kept walking, he still tried getting us to go back. She was furious that he wanted 160 for something he would sell for 10.

 

Some of these vendors make a killing on their stuff. I learned if they can't come down they won't even try. Usually if I don't find it lower, I go back to the first place if they aren't jerks.

[Compass Rose]

Just remember that anything with a barcode on it will have a fixed price, and the shop is owned by a larger corporation and will not barter. Barter is a custom of the people. They expect you to do it. Just go down to the flea market or two or three shops in from the main drag and you will have the time of your life bargaining with the local people who are trying to make a living. They really like tourists and have a great sense of humor.

[Uncle Doug]

Cozumel is the best port for haggling. Its like a sport downtown. Its true the futher back you get from the water front the better deals. If the cheep t shirts are 4 or 5 for $20 then I may go ahead and pay full price but if there is a special shirt or anything else I start my bidding off at 50% below the marked price. Generaly you and the seller will meet somewhere in the middle. Sometime I know I can make them go lower but go ahead and buy at their first counter offer so they can still make some profit.

 

I bought a straw cowboy hat in Cozumel in one of the leather shops. Fist offer was $60, ended up at $40. Could of gone lower but it was a well made hat so it was worth the price. I think Wal-Mart has the same hat for $25,

[jimjamxx]

While in Belize in April we were outside the port shopping area at the flea market just outside the gates and stopped a booth that was selling wooden bowls. Being a woodworker myself, I stopped for a look. Talking to the guy asked how much for a bowl. He asked another guy sitting there with him, in the local Belize dialect(Creole) and then asked if I wanted it signed by the artist? I said sure, guy signed it then said $6.00 USD.

 

I then told him I would not pay $6.00 USD but would give him $10.00USD.

 

It was worth alot more than $6.00 USD. They both thanked me over and over and said nobody has ever done that before. I got a great deal and they got a fair price.

 

Lesson learned: It made my day and their day as well.

[adrianhurt]

We just got back from Cozumel yesterday and it was a blessing that we walked by a few stores first before going into one. We saw maracas and sombreros for $1 and $18 each. The last store tried to sell us these for $80! We walked out. It was originally $120. Since we knew what to expect we didnt pay any more for it.

[jap114]

.....I then told him I would not pay $6.00 USD but would give him $10.00USD. ......I got a great deal and they got a fair price.

 

Lesson learned: It made my day and their day as well.

 

Compassion and humanity at its best - kudo's to you!