Haggling,do you feel guilty?

[Gecko123]

4 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

I’ve bought quite a few TVs  from HomePro mostly. There are often extra discounts not even advertised that the sales guys will offer if they see you’re genuine. I can’t remember ever actually haggling there.

Thanks. Consistent with my experience as well.

[Fairynuff]

Haggling is part of the culture and I enjoy the game when it happens. I mostly know what a fair price is and also know that the vendor won’t sell at a loss. I can get pissed off when a first price is off the scale, in which case I’ll say nothing and walk on. There have been times when I’ve liked the vendor and see they’ve enjoyed the game too and so I’ve given a bit more than the agreed price. 

Before I lived in Bangkok I used to buy fresh stuff in the local market mostly sticking with the same sellers. One particular woman wouldn’t serve me if Bangkok people were there because she didn’t want them to see me paying less.

It is a game, it’s also business and I want everyone to get a good deal

[sipi]

8 hours ago, catman20 said:

please get it right if your going to use Thai phrases.

he is being Prayut. ask an intelligent Thai if you can find one. 

A tight arse however you spell it. 

Haggle over the purchase of a house for sure, a taxi fare?  Get a life. 

[lust]

1 minute ago, sipi said:

A tight arse however you spell it. 

Haggle over the purchase of a house for sure, a taxi fare?  Get a life. 

Every Thai I know haggles over the price of a taxi if the meter isn’t being used. Maybe you should grow a backbone instead of being a doormat.

[sipi]

3 minutes ago, lust said:

Every Thai I know haggles over the price of a taxi if the meter isn’t being used. Maybe you should grow a backbone instead of being a doormat.

I have a back bone and a door mat and use the meter every time. 

Every time.  Every time. 

[Jonmarleesco]

Depends where you're buying. The likes of Emporium, nope. Chatuchak market? Certainly.

[catman20]

1 hour ago, sipi said:

A tight arse however you spell it. 

Haggle over the purchase of a house for sure, a taxi fare?  Get a life. 

I got a life mate properly a lot better than yours. sorry ?

[sipi]

2 minutes ago, catman20 said:

I got a life mate properly a lot better than yours. sorry ?

"properly" not. 

Next... 

[4MyEgo]

I bargain with everybody, banks, hardwares, markets etc etc, I also tip when I feel it appropriate.

 

To me, it's about finding middle ground, if I think I am being ripped off, or an item is too much, I will ask for a better price, including a car I purchased almost 3 years ago, two dealerships missed out, the one that bargained not only got me as a customer, they got me for services every 15,000 kilometres and will also get my repeat business when I upgrade.

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't break everybodies balls, but if I feel someone is marking the product up too much, I will ask for a better price, and if they look like they are struggling, I will give them back what they reduced the price too, but be warned, been some street beggars with young babies in the gutters about in Phuket that own their own car and house, so I have been told by Thai's.

 

If your mate is embarrassing you, avoid going to places where he is going to bargain, that or just wait for him a little further along, browsing at something yourself, I have a few mates like that when they come over from Oz, if an item is 500 baht, they will try to get it for 100 baht without success, whereas I would pay say 250-300 baht for it.

[Odin Norway]

After living here for a few years,most of us know the marked.I know what I am okey paying for everything I buy.

Ofcourse the city and tourist places is very different, then out in nowhere land I live.At home I pay the asking price without question.

If they get a 20 more then normall price,I wil not loose any sleep for that.You dont piss in youre own back yard.

Same thing in the city.Make up the price in youre head first.If you close the deal at the same time the seller start to cry.

You have made a good buy

[GTgrizzly]

If its something I really want, I like to haggle and screw then to the bone just for the hell of it

If they are nice people then I usually give them a few extra baht as well as buy the item

[moontang]

20 minutes ago, Odin Norway said:

At home I pay the asking price without question.

 

Does she provide you with good service?

[smotherb]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What I mean is the number of guys I've met claiming "my wife is a respectable educated woman", with a wife that I had previously paid for sex in CM has entered double figures recently. Not that I'd ever tell them, shhhhhhhhh.

I too have seen girls I knew worked the sex trade trying to become respectable. On my first contract in Saudi, I was invited to my boss' house for dinner. I met his wife; she had been an old acquaintance of mine from Saigon. So, yes, it does happen.

 

However, I have thoughts on both sides of that equation.

 

For the ones whose wives were bar girls, yet they deny it; I think they just want to lose that stigma associated with prostitution. I understand that. I took two Asian wives to the US, and both were thought by some, to be ex-bar girls. I did not like that. I prefer a new woman. I want my wife to not have been married before, to not have had kids before, and to not have had sex before.

 

For the ones who doubt another man's wife never worked in a bar, especially if they do not know them; I think that is because bar girls have been the majority of the women they have met in SEA. I guess, I can understand that too; I know many expats who have had only bar girls. If you spend your time frequenting the bars and running around with bar girls; bar girls will undoubtedly be the girls you meet. 

 

Nevertheless, I have known some very good women who worked the sex trade. The key, I believe, is if the women want to stop the sex trade. Some get married, not to gain a husband, but to secure a long-term customer. 

 

I can give you a perfect example; I introduced a friend to a girl who worked the truck washes in Vietnam. If you are not familiar with the truck washes; suffice to say a short-time stop for truckloads of GIs. The girl in question was very good looking, so much so that GIs would wait in line for their turn with her. He was infatuated, and contrary to my advice, he married her. They went back to the US and she took in laundry and watched kids to help then get by. You could not touch her; she had changed, she was a wife and mother, no longer a sex worker. When my friend died, I went to his funeral, and she had me sit next to her. As the priest was giving his eulogy, she squeezed my hand and whispered in my ear that she had always loved me. I thought, Jesus, at his funeral she is coming on to me. I felt so ashamed as she continued. She said she loved me because I knew her where she came from and never told anyone.

 

So, you see my friend, if you don't believe it when someone tells you their wife was not a bar girl; let it be. See how she acts, maybe she has changed. Maybe both are ashamed of their past and are simply trying to make the past be exactly that.

[moontang]

7 minutes ago, smotherb said:

I too have seen girls I knew worked the sex trade trying to become respectable. On my first contract in Saudi, I was invited to my boss' house for dinner. I met his wife; she had been an old acquaintance of mine from Saigon. So, yes, it does happen.

 

However, I have thoughts on both sides of that equation.

 

For the ones whose wives were bar girls, yet they deny it; I think they just want to lose that stigma associated with prostitution. I understand that. I took two Asian wives to the US, and both were thought by some, to be ex-bar girls. I did not like that. I prefer a new woman. I want my wife to not have been married before, to not have had kids before, and to not have had sex before.

 

For the ones who doubt another man's wife never worked in a bar, especially if they do not know them; I think that is because bar girls have been the majority of the women they have met in SEA. I guess, I can understand that too; I know many expats who have had only bar girls. If you spend your time frequenting the bars and running around with bar girls; bar girls will undoubtedly be the girls you meet. 

 

Nevertheless, I have known some very good women who worked the sex trade. The key, I believe, is if the women want to stop the sex trade. Some get married, not to gain a husband, but to secure a long-term customer. 

 

I can give you a perfect example; I introduced a friend to a girl who worked the truck washes in Vietnam. If you are not familiar with the truck washes; suffice to say a short-time stop for truckloads of GIs. The girl in question was very good looking, so much so that GIs would wait in line for their turn with her. He was infatuated, and contrary to my advice, he married her. They went back to the US and she took in laundry and watched kids to help then get by. You could not touch her; she had changed, she was a wife and mother, no longer a sex worker. When my friend died, I went to his funeral, and she had me sit next to her. As the priest was giving his eulogy, she squeezed my hand and whispered in my ear that she had always loved me. I thought, Jesus, at his funeral she is coming on to me. I felt so ashamed as she continued. She said she loved me because I knew her where she came from and never told anyone.

 

So, you see my friend, if you don't believe it when someone tells you their wife was not a bar girl; let it be. See how she acts, maybe she has changed. Maybe both are ashamed of their past and are simply trying to make the past be exactly that.

Well, at least it wasn't the priest, who came on to you...must have been about 50 years too old for him.

[Elkski]

I was exposed to haggling or as they say in Maine "bickering" Its called a rounded childhood..  My real first exposure was in   Nogalas Mexico as a young lad.  I honed my skills further in Cozumel, Mexico in the 80's on numerous dive trips.  For those that don't know the 80's in Cozumel was like heaven. The diving was still great and one cruse ship a week arrived sat at 9am and left at 5pm.  You knew not to buy anything that time period.  After the cruise ship left there was a big dance in the town square to celebrate all the stupid tourists.  I think it was tradition but they did have a good reason to be happy after all the ugly cruise ship suckers left.Today there are like 7 cruise ships or more each day and the place is one big jewelry/scam store now.  Those that don't haggle on Taxi fares or force the meter use are a big part to Blame for how things are today.  The guys who pays to much  raises the price for the rest. IF you don't haggle just know they think you are a stupid man.  Just remember to be above average income in Thailand these stall owners only need to make 600 baht a day.  It only takes a few good transactions  with suckers like you to triple that.  Yes its hard work compared to what you did in life but they are not knee deep in rice paddy water or cleaning fish all day. 

[moontang]

4 minutes ago, Elkski said:

I was exposed to haggling or as they say in Maine "bickering" Its called a rounded childhood..  My real first exposure was in   Nogalas Mexico as a young lad.  I honed my skills further in Cozumel, Mexico in the 80's on numerous dive trips.  For those that don't know the 80's in Cozumel was like heaven. The diving was still great and one cruse ship a week arrived sat at 9am and left at 5pm.  You knew not to buy anything that time period.  After the cruise ship left there was a big dance in the town square to celebrate all the stupid tourists.  I think it was tradition but they did have a good reason to be happy after all the ugly cruise ship suckers left.Today there are like 7 cruise ships or more each day and the place is one big jewelry/scam store now.  Those that don't haggle on Taxi fares or force the meter use are a big part to Blame for how things are today.  The guys who pays to much  raises the price for the rest. IF you don't haggle just know they think you are a stupid man.  Just remember to be above average income in Thailand these stall owners only need to make 600 baht a day.  It only takes a few good transactions  with suckers like you to triple that.  Yes its hard work compared to what you did in life but they are not knee deep in rice paddy water or cleaning fish all day. 

Regis Saloon may be the best bar on the planet but Nogales is more corrupt than LOS...nice weather though.  5 pesos for a few joints, 50 pesos for a small bag of coke....and those are the prices inside the prison.

[upu2]

It is normal practice. Only people direct from Europe dont haggle. I have haggled for years around the world. It is expected if not always liked.

One thing I would say is NEVER haggle unless you intend to buy the object for the agreed price after haggling.

Edited July 31, 2018 by upu2

[moontang]

5 minutes ago, upu2 said:

It is normal practice. Only people direct from Europe dont haggle. I have haggled for years around the world. It is expected if not always liked.

One thing I would say is NEVER haggle unless you intend to buy the object for the agreed price after haggling.

yes, mostly pretentious snobs, who refuse to bargain.  Usually the same ones, who shiite themselves over a high electric bill...,,,,,

[catman20]

3 hours ago, sipi said:

"properly" not. 

Next... 

definitely yes !

move on...

[tingtongtourist]

6 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I'm calling BS on this claim. Was there maybe a 10% reduction available to anyone which you weren't aware of and they brought it to your attention? Are you claiming that they cut the price especially for you because you haggled??? I don't even think their computer system has the capacity to do impromptu discounts. Mark me down in the extremely dubious column. I speak Thai well, have shopped there a lot, and tried innumberable times to wheedle discounts on major purchases, never with success. Would be extremely interested in knowing if anybody else can report that they have successfully haggled a discount at HomePro.

I will not call 100% BS,

but IF he got the discount it would not be for nothing.

either it old stock.

something missing/slightly broken

no packaging 

is on-floor/old stock

 

OR most likely they just simply point him to a model thats already discounted.

 

Thats been from my experience with them anyway but i do know a guy that they gave him some free promotional stuff but he spend like over THB800k to setting up his house.

but no i never heard they would discount any product you chose just from haggling unless above reason

[tingtongtourist]

I will just say to these people who think a vendor "enjoys" to haggle...

this was the excuse of a family member i went to JJ and he is trying to get 20baht discount on a 100baht t-shirt.

so rude and i told him and he dont like it either.

 

you think they enjoy hey?

Sit out in rain/heat day in day out making probably 20baht per shirt, because of so much competition and probably they must live in fan room with three others.

 

but this cocky (cockheสd) farang wearing $600 wristwatch want to haggle down 80cents from something already dirt cheap.

yesss real fun for them!!

[Thian]

It they don't want to haggle they should show their retailprice.

 

[tropo]

11 hours ago, robblok said:

Ok let me rephrase he would make less of a loss if he sells then if he does not. Because in all of those occasions your talking about that extra sale will decrease the loss. So the seller still benefits from the sale. My point was a seller wont make any sales that will increase his losses. 

I was actually referring to per item cost. What the market stall holder paid for a particular item. There are many reasons to sell items under cost. Some obvious examples:

 

1. Items are getting too old and starting to soil.

2. Only odd sizes are left in stock, sizes that are harder to sell.

3. Items are just unpopular and slow moving.

 

 

[wallwallyau]

In Thailand, you need to haggle with different vendors even though local people also do that which is a quite common norm here. However, some poor hawkers like bringing the steamed peanut or snacks e.g 10-20 baht to sell in restaurants or on the street and local will not haggle with them. 

Local always charge tourist/farang 2x-3x times of regular prize which I would blame it on some tourists. Once, I saw the tourist bought mango sticky rice from hawker in Chiangmai which the prize is 45 baht but tourist gave her 100 baht and walked away which made that hawker so confused. This behavior just instill local that everything tourist or farang that they don't care about money.

In Asia, there is only Japan in where you don't need to haggle.

Edited July 31, 2018 by wallwallyau
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[HHTel]

2 hours ago, tingtongtourist said:

I will not call 100% BS,

but IF he got the discount it would not be for nothing.

either it old stock.

something missing/slightly broken

no packaging 

is on-floor/old stock

 

OR most likely they just simply point him to a model thats already discounted.

 

Thats been from my experience with them anyway but i do know a guy that they gave him some free promotional stuff but he spend like over THB800k to setting up his house.

but no i never heard they would discount any product you chose just from haggling unless above reason

In my particular experience with HomePro, I was interested in a 75 inch TV.  It had already been discounted from 89,000 to 69,000 (started at 200k a year ago).  I asked about a soundbar and he showed me a couple.  I settled on the one at 8,000 baht.  That's when I said that I'll have the TV if the soundbar is thrown in for nothing.  He called his supervisor who offered me 50% on the soundbar.  "Nope.  I'll take the TV but I want the soundbar included".  Went over to the 'office girls' and got an invoice for the soundbar showing FOC"  Checked the TV through the checkout and Bob's your uncle.  From 8k to 4k to free.
 

[Damrongsak]

13 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

... Scale says 800 grams, but she asks for 40 baht anyway, which just happened to work out to 50 baht per kilo.

Sounds like my mother in law was reincarnated as a vegetable seller for the second time. 

 

She once bought something and it was weighed on one of those old wooden beam scales.  She reached out to "steady" the wavering scale and put some busted bits of magnet on the counterweight. 555

[moontang]

34 minutes ago, HHTel said:

In my particular experience with HomePro, I was interested in a 75 inch TV.  It had already been discounted from 89,000 to 69,000 (started at 200k a year ago).  I asked about a soundbar and he showed me a couple.  I settled on the one at 8,000 baht.  That's when I said that I'll have the TV if the soundbar is thrown in for nothing.  He called his supervisor who offered me 50% on the soundbar.  "Nope.  I'll take the TV but I want the soundbar included".  Went over to the 'office girls' and got an invoice for the soundbar showing FOC"  Checked the TV through the checkout and Bob's your uncle.  From 8k to 4k to free.
 

and the mattress prices are a freeforall....

[tingtongtourist]

43 minutes ago, HHTel said:

In my particular experience with HomePro, I was interested in a 75 inch TV.  It had already been discounted from 89,000 to 69,000 (started at 200k a year ago).  I asked about a soundbar and he showed me a couple.  I settled on the one at 8,000 baht.  That's when I said that I'll have the TV if the soundbar is thrown in for nothing.  He called his supervisor who offered me 50% on the soundbar.  "Nope.  I'll take the TV but I want the soundbar included".  Went over to the 'office girls' and got an invoice for the soundbar showing FOC"  Checked the TV through the checkout and Bob's your uncle.  From 8k to 4k to free.
 

yes i think if sit there a long time they need space for new stock and will give away stuff to move it. 

I noticed not much old stuff mark down like that anymore.

A Thai friend tell me many of the chain stores will send out the old stuff to other location where they will discount and sell quicker 

 

[Nyezhov]

I dont haggle at food vendors, but I only eat where Thais eat and dont eat at one without posted prices.

 

I haggled once with a tuktuk dude in Khon Kaen. I figured out I was haggling over 25 cents so gave up.

 

On the other hand I have a HiSo friend that taught me how to haggle in the right situation. In her method, there is no bargaining...it is I will you give you this much..No? Bye. Works wonders. Especially first thing in the morning when shops are opening...I once got a Man U knock off kit in Pattaya for 50 baht marked down from 900 by doing the first customer in the morning gig....

[catman20]

22 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

Giving them extra while they're ripping you off lol

They must really love to meet a mug like you... 

you know what they say about a fool and their money ? soon parted