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Tips on Bargaining in China

Although the major businesses in a shopping centre may not welcome attempts to bargain for lower prices, the smaller businesses outside the mall are accustomed to this type of shopping and will most likely cooperate with your attempts to get things economically.

Of course, you should be sure that you actually know the rules of bargaining before you begin. One of the important 'first' rules is to keep it friendly. If you know a couple of introductory phrases in the Chinese language, this is the place to use them. Even a "Good morning" in Chinese can help you to appear friendly and approachable.

If possible, you should have a general idea of the value of goods that you may choose to bargain for. If you have no idea of the retail price of the items, you will be at a definite disadvantage when trying to bargain.

You should never simply pay the price that the shopkeeper quotes or which is marked on an item. A good rule is to begin with an offer to buy the product at fifteen or twenty percent of the asking price. The seller will most likely refuse the offer and make a higher counter offer. If your original offer is rather high, you will probably end up paying too much for the item after the bargaining is finished. It is wise to have a top price in your mind, one which you will not overspend. If your seller does not cooperate with such a price, you can always walk away. Perhaps a vender in another stall has a similar item which can be purchased at your preferred price.

If bargaining is not something that feels comfortable to you, it would be better to begin by bargaining on very cheap items, just to get yourself into the bargaining mode. Souvenir items such as chopsticks or a teapot would be good items for a beginning bargain shopper to use for practice.

Be careful about emotional issues when bargain shopping. The vendor may try to make you feel guilty if you begin to walk away without buying his product. This is a gimmick which tourists sometimes fall for. Keep in your mind that this same vendor will probably see scores of prospective buyers throughout the day. He will have many opportunities to sell his wares. If the vendor speaks some English, he may try to get you to believe some lies. One is that you are offering him less than he had to pay for the items himself. One retort you can use in such a situation is to tell him that you will not have enough money for dinner if you pay the price he is asking. Join into his own game and enjoy the moment.

A common tactic used by bargain shoppers is to find a small flaw in the product, using that flaw to lower one's offering price. However, the vendor may have a similar item that does not have that same flaw. If you elect to take the item that does not have the flaw, be sure that the shopkeeper does not wrap the flawed article instead of the perfect one.

When planning on bargain shopping, be sure to take smaller denominations of the local currency. Do not expect the vendors to be able to give change for a large note. Often, too, the locals understand the values of their currency better than a foreign shopper does. They can easily short change you without you noticing.

Keep in mind that your presence is noticed. A non-Chinese shopper does not need to wear cheap-looking clothing or leave their rings and other jewellery at the hotel. You will not succeed in making the Chinese vendor think that you are a poor person. The businessman will do his best to get as much from you as he can for his products, regardless or your financial situation.

Let's be honest when we bargain with shopkeepers for their products. Once a vendor has agreed to your offer, do not begin bargaining again on the same item. He assumed that you were bargaining in good faith so your duty is to pay the price you both agreed upon.

Although this may not apply to shopkeepers, it is wise to protect yourself against pickpockets. One recommendation is to keep your cash in several locations so that it will not all be available at the same time. Money belts, a wallet, money in different pockets and even in one's shoes are effective against people who make their living from picking the pockets of tourists.

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