tootsie. you either love it or hate it!!!

when we went to sharm, everyone haggles. we were told to start by offering half, if not less, than the price first quoted. normally you end up paying somewhere in the middle. at the end of the day if you're happy with the price.....pay it!! medot.xx

ps i didn't think you haggled in majorca?

Medot - thanks for that, you are probably right, theres no point doing it if you dont feel comfortable with it, you will only mess up anyway!

I suppose its best to just be philosophical and be content that if you have paid a good price, and a better one than at home, then you should just forget about it.

BUT............... how many times I have become friendly with people who then gasp "You paid WHAT FOR IT...............I got it for a squillion euros less than that!!" and I just know I have been taken for a mug

I am very uncomfortable doing it - thats why I was hoping someone would tell me how to do it with confidence!

I haggle wherever i go that includs pc world and powerhouse I take the same view as the trading standards dept.."a price is only an offer to sell"
I have never paid the asking price for any major (over £50) purchase in the uk or abroad

brian

If you turn it into friendly banter then you'll most likely do better. I would guess that as you aren't confident in haggling it comes across in your 'manner' and so they don't budge on the price.

So rather than be serious about it, approach it in a jokey manner and have a laugh with them - be friendly and confident if you can and you might see some results.

It will come in time - I'm a Airline Negotiator making deals with companies like Virgin and BA everyday, yet still find some of the market traders a tough cookie if I go in guns blazing. As soon as a few smiles and laughs are added it's much easier. A tilt of the head to the side usually works too for some reason!

LisaMJ xx

What I always do is offer a very low price and they'll say no way. You then offer the price you'd like to pay and again they'll say no way. You then say well I'm not paying more and walk away as though you are not interested anymore. They will then chase you down the street saying you can have it for what you said!
Job done

I'm with thependlewitch. I haggle, even in this country. Keep it lighthearted and don't get into any arguments and it should be fine. It's not the first time I've gone to walk out a shop then suddenly been offered a deal.
Happy shopping.

ahhh jo bless your little cotton socks

im not brave enough to haggle so always pay what ever they ask for so will be watching your thread for some tips

love fizz xxxx

My brother-in-law is the master of the hagglers.
He haggles for everything everywhere he goes.
I dont think there are any hard and fast rules. A lot of laughing and joking.

Carol

They say £20.00

I say your'e havin a larff £15.00

They say, I have wife 10 kids at home and another 10 on the way £17.50

I say no way hosehey £15.00 or I walk away......walk away more often than not they shout you back and sell you whatever you wanted

It's all good fun

Regards,

TIMUK.

I agree with Timuk! if they say no walk off.
In my experience you will walk 2 paces they will then shout after you, and if they don't you can bet the next shop down will have nearly the same thing so you can start again!!
Have fun!!

You should take my Mum with you she's the queen of hagglers, the traders get so fed up they virtually give her the stuff free to get rid of her

Lynn

Hi Jo (and everyone else) Haggling is a big worry for me also. I am off to Turkey in October also next July. I really love shopping when abroad.
I like Lisa's suggestion to try and have a laugh and be confident

Oh wow everyone, I came in this morning and was so surprised to see all these great replies. Thanks so much

I think Ill try the laugh and "What? you must be joking.........and a smile, and if they dont come down then smile and walk away (probably look like the village idiot, but what the heck your on your hols) and if they chase after me and give me a good price then Ill take it.

If I have to walk away and its something I really want then I can always go back and get it later, but at least I know I have had good fun trying.

Maybe then when I meet someone who has bought a similar item....I can be the one to say..........."YOU PAID WHAT FOR IT...............I got it a squillion euros less than that"

13 sleeps till

Mid May went to Son Severa market, near Cala Bona.
Liked this nice table cloth, but it was too dear went to walk away and the lady halved the price so I looked at a few others. I said I'd come back but she said was an offer for now only. Well I bought the table cloth and I'm very pleased. Was 30E down from 60.

Another man I just had a quick look at a small handbag and put it back. He said, " You like?" "No it's ok thanks" within minutes it had gone down from 25E to 8!!! and he'd put it in a carrier bag and put it on my arm!!!

I don't like to haggle too much but it was nice to feel I had a bargain

I always ask the price, pull a face like "That much" and go to walk away, they then usully ask how much will I pay and I give a very low figure, they give me a higher figure just down from original price, I say no, too expensive, they give me one nearer to my price, I say I'll think about it go to walk away and then they usually offer me it just over the price I stated.

Basically have a price in your head how much you'd be happy to pay and work from that, if they won't budge you walk away, if they want your business they will shout you back.

Agree with all the above posts, though one more tip i must add never tell them something in their shop or on a market stall is very unusual and you havn't seen it anywhere else.
Made the mistake a few years ago regarding a watch on a market stall in Turkey, found a really unusual watch that i thought i must have, i stupidly informed the seller of this and he would hardly budge off his asking price even with the usual walking away pretending your not paying that price business. Ended up paying over the odds but did manage to get one over on him. A friend was with me and had a watch on that i had bought her 3 years earlier, a few days before she had jumped in the pool forgetting she had it on and broke it so i told him we had bought it from him the week before which he accepted and exchanged it

OOOH I do love a good haggle!!! Think its something of the Eastend in me!!! One most important tip is this...when first looking ..and something takes your eye immediately...DON'T touch it...or even show interest to your partner!! Move on to other bits and pieces on display..act bored even!! Pick something else up first and ask price...put it down....THEN and only then...start to home in! Do as the others say...pick it up..ask..shake head and put it back..move onto something else. Always half their asking price...and work from there. Bottom line is walking away...if they don't come after you..then usually you know its worth a bit more. I've even managed to haggle the punts down when we've been to Cambridge! When we were on holiday in India and Thailand, my sister in law used to tell me what she liked when we left the 'shop'...and I'd go back and get it for her! Love it!!!!