Bartering

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

I've always disliked bargaining in any country I travel to. Regardless of how polite both parties are, it still feels like a mild form of confrontation to me and I don't like confrontations.

 

I think bargaining can be unfair because often the party that gets the better of the deal is the one that is better informed, a slick-talker, or willing to be more rude or overbearing. Why should customer-A get a better price for the same product simply because he is a better talker or more persuasive than customer-B?

 

When I approach a vendor I try to have the price in mind that locals pay or I'm willing to pay. I don't start with, "How much is that?", because that opens the opportunity to bargain. Instead I start with, "Fifty baht for that, right?" If they agree I take it, if they don't I walk away. If they change their mind and try to call me back I generally ignore them because I don't like that they tried to take advantage of me in the first place so I don't want to give them my business.

 

If I have no clue what the price should be I'll often tell them I don't like bargaining so just pretend we've already done that, give me your very best price and I'll agree or disagree. That rarely works well as they generally begin the process of bargaining anyways. Having a good attitude and being friendly goes a long way regardless of your strategy.

 

Agreed... I also dislike 'bargaining' as it can feel like a confrontation. Once someone attempts to 'overcharge me' it then feels somewhat like an insult. 

 

As such, I have a price in mind and if that is not met, I walk. 

 

I was once with family in Patpong in Silom, my mother clearly loved a carving so I asked how much?... 

6000 baht was the response, I laughed and walked out with my mother. By the time I'd reached the front of the shop the price had dropped to 300 baht. My mother was ok to pay that, I wasn't and refused to pay any money to someone who'd attempted to overcharge us by so much. 

 

[norfolkandchance]

On 12/18/2019 at 6:47 AM, worgeordie said:

I thought bartering was (an example) offering a dozen eggs for a piglet.

exchange of goods without money.

regards Worgeordie

 

Haggle. Maybe

[dd1988]

Tried a new approach.  instead of getting annoyed when quoted double i quote half price or lower. 

 

All of a sudden the land of smiles turned into the land of frowns.  One taxi driver looked extremely angry and told me to get lost.  

 

Guess it pisses them off too

[Ks45672]

21 hours ago, URMySunshine said:

Biggest Scam artist is <snip> we bought a memory foam pillow at Pattaya Klang paid 2400 baht for it got back to the condo looked on Lazada had it for 499 - ouch I won't get fooled again ! ????

A fool and his money... 

[Gweiloman]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Agreed... I also dislike 'bargaining' as it can feel like a confrontation. Once someone attempts to 'overcharge me' it then feels somewhat like an insult. 

 

As such, I have a price in mind and if that is not met, I walk. 

 

I was once with family in Patpong in Silom, my mother clearly loved a carving so I asked how much?... 

6000 baht was the response, I laughed and walked out with my mother. By the time I'd reached the front of the shop the price had dropped to 300 baht. My mother was ok to pay that, I wasn't and refused to pay any money to someone who'd attempted to overcharge us by so much. 

 

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. For a measly 300 baht, you disappointed your mother who went through untold suffering to raise you. 

[Lacessit]

The correct term is bargaining or haggling. Bartering refers to exchange of goods and services for other goods and services, without cash being involved.

Having said that, take the trouble to learn Thai and the OP will find the incidence of inflated prices goes way down. Especially if one can joke in Thai.

[mylal]

On 12/19/2019 at 7:35 AM, djayz said:

To the OP, who seems to have disappeared, I too was annoyed at the beginning when quoted high prices at some of the markets. However, you should see it as "just doing business". The sellers, just like any business worlwide, wants to maximise their profits. The customer on the other hand, just like all customers worldwide, whats to get the best/lowest possible price. It's a negotiation. You haggle/bargain and try to meet somewhere in the middle. This practice goes on in every business and at much higher levels than you or I haggling at a street stall. I don't hear of CEOs punching people because they're frustrated though. 

After having lived here for 6 months, may I suggest that you relax and either haggle or, as a previous poster suggested, just walk away. It's nothing personal, but these guys ony eat what they sell. The more they make, the more they eat. Getting frustrated, angry or verbally abusive is only going to upset you and make you look like a fool. Chilax. There are numerous other shops and stalls selling the exact same stuff. Try one of them. 

????if haggling with boxing champ mike tyson yes a punch

[mylal]

Just now, mylal said:

????if haggling with boxing champ mike tyson yes a punch

if your hagglig with street food vendors a taxi.....uhhhh.....try macdonalds o burger king

[Fairynuff]

4 hours ago, dd1988 said:

Tried a new approach.  instead of getting annoyed when quoted double i quote half price or lower. 

 

All of a sudden the land of smiles turned into the land of frowns.  One taxi driver looked extremely angry and told me to get lost.  

 

Guess it pisses them off too

I’m assuming not Bangkok taxi drivers? I’d never use a taxi that offered a price rather than the meter

[alacrity]

On 12/18/2019 at 12:07 PM, faraday said:

It's you.

No it isn't. It's the nature of the indigenous folks (and many that aren't) here. OP's just learning they need to grow a pair.

[faraday]

4 minutes ago, alacrity said:

No it isn't. It's the nature of the indigenous folks (and many that aren't) here. OP's just learning they need to grow a pair.

A "pair" of what?

 

Can you explain this please.

 

Kap.

[neeray]

On ‎12‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 12:47 AM, worgeordie said:

I thought bartering was (an example) offering a dozen eggs for a piglet.

exchange of goods without money.

regards Worgeordie

 

You are totally correct @worgeordie. Bartering is the exchange of this for that (much like that overheard word of late "quid pro quo").

What the OP is describing is "bargaining".

[dd1988]

1 hour ago, mylal said:

if your hagglig with street food vendors a taxi.....uhhhh.....try macdonalds o burger king

street vendors double quote on rare occasions

[djayz]

I can't believe such a simple topic/question has gone on for 5 pages...

Edited December 20, 2019 by djayz

[CharlieH]

1 minute ago, djayz said:

I can't believe such a simple topic/question has gone on for 5 pages...

Who'd have thought "do you believe in God" would go to 304 pages, forums have a life of their own. ????

[djayz]

Just now, CharlieH said:

Who'd have thought "do you believe in God" would go to 304 pages, forums have a life of their own. ????

Now I believe ????

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Who'd have thought "do you believe in God" would go to 304 pages, forums have a life of their own. ????

A slightly deeper question than how to deal with two tier pricing.

The OP seems to have anger management issues, first the recalcitrant daughter of his GF, now this. Perhaps Thailand is not for him.

[bluesofa]

8 hours ago, mylal said:

if your hagglig with street food vendors a taxi.....uhhhh.....try macdonalds o burger king

Or try haggling the US dollar rate at an exchange booth. I once saw two Russian women trying to do that in Pattaya.

[Kadilo]

9 hours ago, djayz said:

I can't believe such a simple topic/question has gone on for 5 pages...

Hardly surprising with some of the pedantic <deleted> on here. 

Who gives a rats <deleted> whether its called bartering, bargaining, swapsy or my cock is bigger than yours. 

Everyone knows what the OP means but still feels the need to be “correct”

[bluesofa]

16 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Hardly surprising with some of the pedantic <deleted> on here. 

Who gives a rats <deleted> whether its called bartering, bargaining, swapsy or my cock is bigger than yours. 

Everyone knows what the OP means but still feels the need to be “correct”

To join the ranks of the pedantic for a second:

Reginald Fleming Johnston said, "If you cannot say what you mean, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says.”

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Hardly surprising with some of the pedantic <deleted> on here. 

Who gives a rats <deleted> whether its called bartering, bargaining, swapsy or my cock is bigger than yours. 

Everyone knows what the OP means but still feels the need to be “correct”

I'll bet you are pedantic when you count your change at a 7/11.

If you want to insult people who like to see the English language used properly, at least be more creative about it. Cock size doesn't cut it.

[dd1988]

Back from vietnam.  In the tourist districts there if they quoted double price then i came back with half price it was a non issue and tone remained friendly or they would say sorry i wont sell politely. 

 

im back in thailand and am barteri g with taxi and he wanted 200 baht for 1km for 2 people i offered 100 he laughed in my face and told me to go walk bitch (didnt say bitch but his face did).  

 

Thais are absolute buttholes so rude care nothing of others

Edited December 27, 2019 by dd1988

[The Old Bull]

I don't know what these "things" are he is referring too. If you want to find out the price of anything go to one of the big stores Tesco or Home Hub. That will give you something to start from , small shops or market vendors can be a little higher or a little lower.I have been here 16 years nobody has tried to stiff me.