My first stand-up argument in Thailand when shopping

[FolkGuitar]

Folk guitar, are you one of these people that goes around being overly concerned with what Thais think of you?

Not at all. I simple don't get worked up over trivia the way you tell us you do.

Let me guess, you go around wearing one of those Thai traditional shirts for men, improperly wai every person you come in contact with, know about 4 words of Thai, and try to explain 'everything Thai' to any farang you don't deem knowledgeable enough about the local customs and traditions.

You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I wear sleeveless shirts, and can speak enough Thai to get along with my Thai friends, and after 15 years living here, know to whom and how to properly wai people I meet. AND... I don't get upset if a cash register doesn't ring up the 6-baht difference in an item I wish buy. In the marketplace there are times to argue and there are times to ignore.

I do, however, think it's nice of you to provide entertainment to the store clerks.

[LarryBird]

It's funny that you would think I care what a clerk thinks about me if I ask her to correct the charge.. Talk about trivial and petty, she's the one with nothing better to talk about, why would I care of her opinion.

I bet you look real cool with the sleeveless shirts! That's the best entertainment provided in the thread! Youe uniform!

[LarryBird]

By the way, Folkie, can you tell me what the threshold is for me asking for the correct price? Is it 100 baht? Is it 500, 1000, Mr High Roller? And then, can you also inform me the proper etiquette for going about this? Can you please let Rimping know this allowable limit, too? Or should it be a percentage amount cushiom? Please share Mr. Cutoff sleeves.

[Chiengmaijoe]

I make sure no one overcharges me,i set out for shopping with a list of the things

i want to buy at Makro,Tesco.Yoke, and Rimping,i write down the price against the

item on the list,also write down other stuff i may pick ,add everything up,and if it

comes to say THB 1,267 ,i make sure that is all i pay.

You would really be surprised at the amount of times,they try to overcharge,happens

just about every week at one store or another,at Makro its mostly when the lady scans

something twice,others overcharging,it might just be 20,30,but the most was 189 THB

at the then Carrefour, NEVER undercharge but.so you folks with plenty money,just hand

over what they ask for,and walk away,you will never know you have been O/C,so why worry.

Its not too much exertion to do this,and adding a column of numbers in your head helps

keep your mind sharp,if you have had to work hard for your money,you value it more.

regards worgeordie

I've seen little old women do this in the past, but not for 40 years or more, so it's good to hear that these traditions are being continued. Unlike yourself, I'm not of a compulsive- obsessive nature, or generally suspicious, especially in places like supermarkets. My way is to assume that they are honest and decent, but that they may make the odd genuine mistake. Unless I've bought something that's on promotion I probably wouldn't notice if they made a mistake, and I certainly wouldn't want to stand there beady-eyed watching every move.

My view is that if the price at the till doesn't match the price on the shelf, then more likely than not it is because of the lack of a proper procedure for keeping them in line. Any big anomalies I would probably notice, but I certainly wouldn't notice a baht or two here or there. The odds are that every now and then I will be a victim of these errors, but if the alternative is to be obsessive, distrustful and unfriendly then I don't mind. I prefer being trustful and friendly with the staff than standing there watching like a hawk, counting every baht as I put it in my tightly held purse.

By the way, I'm not someone 'with plenty money', or a mug, and the only money I've ever had I've earnt. I'm just someone that would rather trust people and assume the best in them, than assume that they are going to cheat me. I'd hate to spend my life being suspicious and distfustful of everyone.

That so many people here are constantly on the alert, expecting to be taken advantage of, and assuming the worst, is of no great surprise. Being suspicious of the natives is part of The Illness.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Chiengmaijoe

[Chiengmaijoe]

It's funny that you would think I care what a clerk thinks about me if I ask her to correct the charge.. Talk about trivial and petty, she's the one with nothing better to talk about, why would I care of her opinion.

I bet you look real cool with the sleeveless shirts! That's the best entertainment provided in the thread! Youe uniform!

What has fashion got to do with it? You're not going to win any argument about prices if you start getting involved in the length of shirt sleeves. If that's the 'best entertainment' you can find, you need to get out a bit more often.

[worgeordie]

I make sure no one overcharges me,i set out for shopping with a list of the things

i want to buy at Makro,Tesco.Yoke, and Rimping,i write down the price against the

item on the list,also write down other stuff i may pick ,add everything up,and if it

comes to say THB 1,267 ,i make sure that is all i pay.

You would really be surprised at the amount of times,they try to overcharge,happens

just about every week at one store or another,at Makro its mostly when the lady scans

something twice,others overcharging,it might just be 20,30,but the most was 189 THB

at the then Carrefour, NEVER undercharge but.so you folks with plenty money,just hand

over what they ask for,and walk away,you will never know you have been O/C,so why worry.

Its not too much exertion to do this,and adding a column of numbers in your head helps

keep your mind sharp,if you have had to work hard for your money,you value it more.

regards worgeordie

I've seen little old women do this in the past, but not for 40 years or more, so it's good to hear that these traditions are being continued. Unlike yourself, I'm not of a compulsive- obsessive nature, or generally suspicious, especially in places like supermarkets. My way is to assume that they are honest and decent, but that they may make the odd genuine mistake. Unless I've bought something that's on promotion I probably wouldn't notice if they made a mistake, and I certainly wouldn't want to stand there beady-eyed watching every move.

My view is that if the price at the till doesn't match the price on the shelf, then more likely than not it is because of the lack of a proper procedure for keeping them in line. Any big anomalies I would probably notice, but I certainly wouldn't notice a baht or two here or there. The odds are that every now and then I will be a victim of these errors, but if the alternative is to be obsessive, distrustful and unfriendly then I don't mind. I prefer being trustful and friendly with the staff than standing there watching like a hawk, counting every baht as I put it in my tightly held purse.

By the way, I'm not someone 'with plenty money', or a mug, and the only money I've ever had I've earnt. I'm just someone that would rather trust people and assume the best in them, than assume that they are going to cheat me. I'd hate to spend my life being suspicious and distfustful of everyone.

That so many people here are constantly on the alert, expecting to be taken advantage of, and assuming the worst, is of no great surprise. Being suspicious of the natives is part of The Illness.

Hi Jo, I JUST knew when i posted this you would be there like a dog to a bone,nothing better to do,maybe.

regards your friend Worgeordie

[Chiengmaijoe]

Hi Jo, I JUST knew when i posted this you would be there like a dog to a bone,nothing better to do,maybe.

regards your friend Worgeordie

Hi Geordie,

My response was as predictable as your post was; the only surprise for me is how late you were in joining the debate. How could we possibly survive without our little differences?

Nothing better to do! I'm pleasantly surprised as to how much I have done today, the only fly in the ointment being the possibility of tennis being rained off.

Cheers

[FolkGuitar]

It's funny that you would think I care what a clerk thinks about me if I ask her to correct the charge.. Talk about trivial and petty, she's the one with nothing better to talk about, why would I care of her opinion.

I bet you look real cool with the sleeveless shirts! That's the best entertainment provided in the thread! Youe uniform!

If you're going to be defensive, wouldn't it be better to defend against something that was said?

I never said that you cared what the clerks think of you. But... if the shoe fits...

As for my shirts, it's not about looking cool. (You need to understand that not everyone thinks as you do. Do you worry about looking cool?) It's about being comfortable in hot weather. If out in the sun, long sleeves keep you cooler, but in a shady spot with a nice breeze... hey, nothing beats it!

As for my 'uniform,' that's white knee socks, white gym shoes, white trousers, white jacket, and white glove. And a sabre. Wanna play?

By the way, Folkie, can you tell me what the threshold is for me asking for the correct price? Is it 100 baht? Is it 500, 1000, Mr High Roller? And then, can you also inform me the proper etiquette for going about this? Can you please let Rimping know this allowable limit, too? Or should it be a percentage amount cushiom? Please share Mr. Cutoff sleeves.

Be happy to. The threshold is probably different for everyone. For the average person who doesn't need to count their pennies, bringing up a trivial mistake does nothing but cause animosity on the part of the clerks as well as raising the blood pressure of those waiting in line behind. On the other hand, for a pauper who needs to stretch every satang, no one would think twice about it. If you enjoy pissing people off, it's a good way to do it. But you tell us that you don't care what anyone else thinks. Between you and me, that's not a very civilized nor socialized way to interact with the community. But I certainly won't tell you how to behave. That's entirely up to you.

And by the way, the sleeves aren't cut off. The shirts are designed that way. If you are going to try to play 'Fashion Police,' you really need a wider educational background.

Edited May 21, 2015 by FolkGuitar

[Phrafarang]

Had a similar experience in Tops yesterday, walked in and right at the entrance was a large table stocked with grapes and a sign proclaiming that they were 99 baht a kilo. Bargain thinks i and a bag goes in the shopping trolley, get them weighed and the sticker says .9 of a kilo and 279 baht, excuse me i politly ask but the sign says 99 baht a kilo, a short but polite discussion ensues and a supervisor arrives, we walk over to the grapes and lo and behold the 99 baht sign has gone to be replaced by one saying 299 baht a kilo. Only in Thailand.

[beau thai]

But guys dont let's try to make this out to be a Chiang Mai thing. It's a global shopping thing.

Suipermarkets carry tens of thousands of items and necessarily employ low cost (therefore low- educated uncaring in the main) staff.

Customers even move things around on the shelves.

I cant think of a country I have lived in or visited where shops/tills/labels were 100% perfect. And sometimes in my favour, so then I keep quiet of course.

I'm with Folkguitar - life is too short to get exercised over the small stuff.

We bought an AC yesterday at a busy shop that mostly supplies trade. GF phoned first- Quoted LG 9000 btu, 8800. Great price.

Got to the shop and they had made a mistake, It was 9550. We were cross briefly, but it was still a great deal, and less than half the price of the same kit in europe. Why get worked up?

I make mistakes and so do most people. Hopefully not brain surgeons but for most of us mistakes are inconsequential.

I love living in Chiang Mai and that will not be spoiled by a few shopping mistakes - which I probably dont notce normally!

[mascarabertha]

Had a similar experience in Tops yesterday, walked in and right at the entrance was a large table stocked with grapes and a sign proclaiming that they were 99 baht a kilo. Bargain thinks i and a bag goes in the shopping trolley, get them weighed and the sticker says .9 of a kilo and 279 baht, excuse me i politly ask but the sign says 99 baht a kilo, a short but polite discussion ensues and a supervisor arrives, we walk over to the grapes and lo and behold the 99 baht sign has gone to be replaced by one saying 299 baht a kilo. Only in Thailand.

lo and behold you say

[Chicog]

AND... I don't get upset if a cash register doesn't ring up the 6-baht difference in an item I wish buy.

I think you're the type they keep laughing at as they divvy up the weeks "farang bonus".

[Chicog]

BI cant think of a country I have lived in or visited where shops/tills/labels were 100% perfect. And sometimes in my favour, so then I keep quiet of course.

Well the upside of being honest and expecting honesty is that I wouldn't "keep quiet", especially as the error might come out of someones wages.

[beau thai]

BI cant think of a country I have lived in or visited where shops/tills/labels were 100% perfect. And sometimes in my favour, so then I keep quiet of course.

Well the upside of being honest and expecting honesty is that I wouldn't "keep quiet", especially as the error might come out of someones wages.

Well bully for you. Didnt take long for the morality police on TV to appear. If you can hear the sound of one hand clapping, that'll be me

[Chicog]

We bought an AC yesterday at a busy shop that mostly supplies trade. GF phoned first- Quoted LG 9000 btu, 8800. Great price.

Got to the shop and they had made a mistake, It was 9550. We were cross briefly, but it was still a great deal, and less than half the price of the same kit in europe. Why get worked up?

I think more like "Got to the shop and they realised a farang was paying for it".

Edited May 21, 2015 by Chicog

[Chicog]

BI cant think of a country I have lived in or visited where shops/tills/labels were 100% perfect. And sometimes in my favour, so then I keep quiet of course.

Well the upside of being honest and expecting honesty is that I wouldn't "keep quiet", especially as the error might come out of someones wages.

Well bully for you. Didnt take long for the morality police on TV to appear. If you can hear the sound of one hand clapping, that'll be me

Being honest makes me the "morality police"?

[FolkGuitar]

In today's markets, most items are simply scanned into the register. The people responsible for changing the computer prices are not the same ones who deal with the daily maintenance of the stock on the floor. If there is an error between the scanned price and the shelf label, it's certainly NOT a case of some clerk trying to rip us off. Staff are waaay too busy talking to each other to deal with day-to-day changes in the thousands of items that line the shelves. If the shop happens to have a good manager on duty the work gets done. If not, there will be discrepancies between the scanned price and the shelf price. No big deal. Sometimes it's in our favor, other times it isn't.

[FolkGuitar]

AND... I don't get upset if a cash register doesn't ring up the 6-baht difference in an item I wish buy.

I think you're the type they keep laughing at as they divvy up the weeks "farang bonus".

In fact, I am. Doesn't bother me a bit that someone got an extra 25 cents out of my weekly budget. I hope they buy themselves something nice.

[Chicog]

AND... I don't get upset if a cash register doesn't ring up the 6-baht difference in an item I wish buy.

I think you're the type they keep laughing at as they divvy up the weeks "farang bonus".

In fact, I am. Doesn't bother me a bit that someone got an extra 25 cents out of my weekly budget. I hope they buy themselves something nice.

99% sure it would be phone credit.

[beau thai]

We bought an AC yesterday at a busy shop that mostly supplies trade. GF phoned first- Quoted LG 9000 btu, 8800. Great price.

Got to the shop and they had made a mistake, It was 9550. We were cross briefly, but it was still a great deal, and less than half the price of the same kit in europe. Why get worked up?

I think more like "Got to the shop and they realised a farang was paying for it".

Like many assumptions you are sure about, you are wrong. No farang went to the shop. But keep entertaining us with your assumptions. some are funny...

[FolkGuitar]

We bought an AC yesterday at a busy shop that mostly supplies trade. GF phoned first- Quoted LG 9000 btu, 8800. Great price.

Got to the shop and they had made a mistake, It was 9550. We were cross briefly, but it was still a great deal, and less than half the price of the same kit in europe. Why get worked up?

I think more like "Got to the shop and they realised a farang was paying for it".

So what? So what if they choose to charge a higher price just because it's a farang buying? The value of an item is a personal choice. Someone might value an item highly and not bat an eyelash at paying a high price. To another person, they may think the item is of little value to them, and refuse to pay a high price. It's up to the individual buying to make the decision about the value. It really makes little difference what the 'actual' price is.

As Beau Thai said, to him even the higher price was still a great deal and he was willing to pay the price rather than work up a sweat over the extra $50. Someone else might just smile at them, and walk out. You might choose to stand your ground, argue that you were quoted a different price and refuse to pay, believing that they are trying to rip you off. In the case of the air conditioner, Beau Thai would be home relaxing the cool comfort while you might have stood there arguing over the price. It's all about what's important (or of value) to the individual. Me? I'd rather be relaxing in the cool comfort of a new AC.

[LarryBird]

Folk guitr, the part you fail to realize is that by pointing out the mistake, it prevents it from happening to other customers.. Are you ok with that?

[mascarabertha]

criminals who fraudulently charge 206 instead of 199 Baht should be sentenced to six years hard labour, one year for every Baht to teach them a lesson!

I'm curious, if I came up 50 satang short on the bill, do you think they'd look the other way?

In Massachusetts, if a supermarket does this, you get the item for free, and they give you twice what they charged you in cash.... Nevermind acting like you are insulting them, or causing them to lose face. It's rimping's fault for having the price wrong, not mine.

larry I too am from mass. and Massachusetts is always for the underdog. can't evict a non paying tenant blah blah blah

[Mapguy]

Seems a lot of foreigners who decided to decamp to Thailand packed a persecution complex to bring with them !

[LarryBird]

criminals who fraudulently charge 206 instead of 199 Baht should be sentenced to six years hard labour, one year for every Baht to teach them a lesson!

I'm curious, if I came up 50 satang short on the bill, do you think they'd look the other way?

In Massachusetts, if a supermarket does this, you get the item for free, and they give you twice what they charged you in cash.... Nevermind acting like you are insulting them, or causing them to lose face. It's rimping's fault for having the price wrong, not mine.

larry I too am from mass. and Massachusetts is always for the underdog. can't evict a non paying tenant blah blah blah

It's not a bad law, and as a business, i wouldn't mind it, as long as its properly enforced, it just means businesses don't look for a competitive edge by deceiving their customers this way..

[MaeJoMTB]

So what? So what if they choose to charge a higher price just because it's a farang buying? The value of an item is a personal choice. Someone might value an item highly and not bat an eyelash at paying a high price. To another person, they may think the item is of little value to them, and refuse to pay a high price. It's up to the individual buying to make the decision about the value. It really makes little difference what the 'actual' price is.

Dual pricing is dishonest, I don't like to support dishonesty.

Saving money is smart, wasting it is foolish.

When I shop for a drink in 7-11, don't care about the flavor, many flavors are good.

Choosing the buy one get one free offer is where the smart money goes.

[Chicog]

As Beau Thai said, to him even the higher price was still a great deal and he was willing to pay the price rather than work up a sweat over the extra $50. Someone else might just smile at them, and walk out. You might choose to stand your ground, argue that you were quoted a different price and refuse to pay, believing that they are trying to rip you off. In the case of the air conditioner, Beau Thai would be home relaxing the cool comfort while you might have stood there arguing over the price. It's all about what's important (or of value) to the individual. Me? I'd rather be relaxing in the cool comfort of a new AC.

I wouldn't stand my ground at all.

I'd stroll out and go and find another shop that know what they are doing and/or are honest. They do exist.

The tolerance level for rubbish service or outright villainy for some is way lower than mine. Do they wear you down or something?

[CNXBKKMAN]

But guys dont let's try to make this out to be a Chiang Mai thing. It's a global shopping thing.

Suipermarkets carry tens of thousands of items and necessarily employ low cost (therefore low- educated uncaring in the main) staff.

Customers even move things around on the shelves.

I cant think of a country I have lived in or visited where shops/tills/labels were 100% perfect. And sometimes in my favour, so then I keep quiet of course.

I'm with Folkguitar - life is too short to get exercised over the small stuff.

We bought an AC yesterday at a busy shop that mostly supplies trade. GF phoned first- Quoted LG 9000 btu, 8800. Great price.

Got to the shop and they had made a mistake, It was 9550. We were cross briefly, but it was still a great deal, and less than half the price of the same kit in europe. Why get worked up?

I make mistakes and so do most people. Hopefully not brain surgeons but for most of us mistakes are inconsequential.

I love living in Chiang Mai and that will not be spoiled by a few shopping mistakes - which I probably dont notce normally!

Just thinking allowed but did the shop quote you the price without VAT? You said it mostly supplies the trade?

[slipperylobster]

One other area of concern....

Two items, one above the other, or on the same display shelf. A huge price sticker advertising a bargain price is placed between the two items.

However, it turns out that price reduction is on the item nobody wants. The better item is marked up a bit over average..just to add more pain.

That item that you really wanted has a missing sticker price. It is a take off on the old "bait and switch" scam. They will try not to answer your questions, but if you take the item you wanted to the cashier, you will find out.

Edited May 21, 2015 by slipperylobster

[Konini]

As Beau Thai said, to him even the higher price was still a great deal and he was willing to pay the price rather than work up a sweat over the extra $50. Someone else might just smile at them, and walk out. You might choose to stand your ground, argue that you were quoted a different price and refuse to pay, believing that they are trying to rip you off. In the case of the air conditioner, Beau Thai would be home relaxing the cool comfort while you might have stood there arguing over the price. It's all about what's important (or of value) to the individual. Me? I'd rather be relaxing in the cool comfort of a new AC.

I wouldn't stand my ground at all.

I'd stroll out and go and find another shop that know what they are doing and/or are honest. They do exist.

The tolerance level for rubbish service or outright villainy for some is way lower than mine. Do they wear you down or something?

I'd do exactly the same - but you and I would be the losers really. Beau Thai would be sitting in his lounge with his air conditioner keeping the temperature on the pleasant side of cool, while we are trailing around shops - obviously trying to get the price that was original offered, which may really have been in error, making it a deal we'll never win. Even knowing this, I'd still walk out after giving them one single chance to make good.

It's just as well we're all different, it would be a boring old world if we were all to react in the same way.