In many countries it is customary to haggle when shopping, especially in markets and other simple shopping centres. Are you one of those who take up haggling as a sport, haggle hard and do everything to win the battle? Or are you a bit Swedishly cautious, haggling too little and crying afterwards? Is there perhaps also a risk of haggling? for hard sometimes?
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Haggling - the opposite of tipping?
Last week we wrote about this with tipping on the journeyi.e. giving a little extra on top of the price in return for good service. In a sense, haggling could be described as the opposite, i.e. trying to pay less than the price initially quoted.
The interesting thing about these two phenomena is that, according to custom, they are often done in completely different contexts. In restaurants, hotels, taxis and guides, tips are often given. In shops and markets, on the other hand, haggling may be the order of the day.
When should you haggle?
One thing that is common to both tipping and haggling is that the culture differs from country to country, so you may need to do some research to find out what the rules are in the country you plan to visit. In some countries, such as Sweden, haggling is very rare.
In some other countries it is almost necessary to haggle to get a reasonable price. It is also common to haggle in certain places, such as small shops and markets, while prices may be fixed in department stores and other large shops.
Haggling as a sport - whoever haggles the most wins?
Of course, there is no answer to how much you should haggle. Our rule of thumb is that we should be satisfied with the price we pay for a particular product. It can therefore be useful to first think about what you are prepared to give. Then you can make an offer slightly below that price, debate it for a while, and finally settle on a reasonable price.
Some people engage in haggling as if it were a sport, and that can be a good thing sometimes. Some sellers start at SEK 400 for an item that may be worth a maximum of SEK 40, and it is part of the game to stand and mumble for a while. If you not If you haggle, there is a high risk that you will leave feeling cheated because you have paid a much higher price for a small item that has no real value.
At other times, we may feel that the vendor really needs to sell something, and that haggling too much will leave the family with hardly any income that day. If the price of a bracelet seems reasonable to us, we can sometimes choose to pay it, without haggling, to also support the local vendor. Sometimes it can be good (and perhaps absolutely necessary!) to haggle hard, but other times we don't necessarily feel that the haggler wins.
How do you feel about haggling?
How do you feel about haggling? Are you good at haggling? Do you find it fun or difficult? Have you ever felt cheated, or perhaps, on the contrary, felt that you haggled unnecessarily hard? Do you usually think that the one who haggles the most wins?
Ditte says:
Interesting! When I lived and worked in Tunisia, haggling in the medina was the rule - something I quickly learnt from my Tunisian friends. But after a while, when I was well known, there was no need for that and I got the price the natives paid- Yes. A little haggling is part of it.
Similar during the years we lived in China. In some department stores in Beijing they haggled a lot and in other places not at all. It varied. But after a while I knew that I would pay the equivalent of 80 SEK for jeans and left it in silence. Others happily paid 200 SEK and thought they were getting a bargain. Quite ok. The same with down jackets, clothes, bags and other things. We who lived there knew the prices and paid it and it was accepted. And no one would sell a product if they didn't make a profit from it - so as a regular customer there were certain benefits... The fact that "tourists" paid more was perfectly ok for the sellers - on the other hand, we contributed to bringing friends there as customers.
But the morality of it all? Well...
13 March 2024 - 15:56
Helena says:
Interesting! Yes, of course you learn how things work when you live in one place for a long time.
13 March 2024 - 16:13
Ditte says:
Wrote a long comment that disappeared...
But had some thoughts.
13 March 2024 - 15:58
Helena says:
Thank you for your comment Ditte! We have to approve all comments before they appear, but they do come up after a while.
13 March 2024 - 16:14
BP says:
When I was a student and short of money, I even haggled at home. For example, I found clothes with stains on them and got a discount.
As an adult, I haggle at flea markets if I buy something there, which I rarely do. However, haggling in Arab countries and their markets is a must. They will be surprised if you don't do it.
13 March 2024 - 19:48
Helena says:
I've also haggled on a few occasions in Sweden, like if a garment was a bit damaged. Once I haggled on a roll of thin bread because I had two kronor too little in cash, and it went well, but that was a very long time ago ... 😉.
16 March 2024 - 20:22
Ditte says:
Thank you, sir! Now I know! No hurry, but I thought there was something wrong...
13 March 2024 - 22:07
Helena says:
Understand!!! Since we became "responsible publishers", we are obliged to approve all comments.
16 March 2024 - 20:22
Lena - good for the soul says:
Well, I don't like that. I have always been very frustrated and annoyed by "wrong" pricing and haggling. I don't get the point. Why should I pay one price while the next person has to pay a completely different price for exactly the same thing?! Anyone who sells something should set a price for the product that applies and anyone who wants to buy, I think! A little difference, however, if you buy many things. Then it feels more reasonable with a kind of quantity discount, but that is something else.
Hug Lena
14 March 2024 - 5:52
Zara says:
Wow! I'd rather not buy, I can't haggle and they can see that! Luckily, I don't have the urge to buy so I'm cheap to run :). Tips? Yes it happens, rounding up a little roughly... I don't know the percentage for different services.
17 March 2024 - 18:52