tagged: Bargaining in China, Bargaining in Shanghai, Negotiating in Shanghai, rohankamath, Shanghai Fabric Market, shanghai fake markets

How to Bargain in Shanghai (Guest Blogger)

Posted by rohankamath in Guest Bloggers

When a vendor quotes RMB400 for a fake Rolex and you get it for 50 or come a whisker away from getting it at 25, it gives you some confidence about your bargaining skills. That’s exactly what I am going to preach in this blog post – How to bargain in Shanghai.

I’ve had some experience with bargaining back home in India and the same tricks have worked in Shanghai as well. So here goes… For simplicity sake, I have put down some of the rules you should stick to if you want to get the best deal.

Rule 1: Start off at the right price:

Your first quote should be the right one, not too high and not too low. If it is too high, the vendor might end up selling it to you at that price but from what I have learnt from my experiences, your best price might not be the lowest one. If you start off to low, you might loose the vendor in your first step. So, your starting price is of utmost importance. To get the best starting points, you can refer to Mike’s post on Shanghai Fake Market Prices.

Rule 2: Do not lower your price/ Stick to your quote:

This one is the next most important thing after starting off at the right price. Stick to your price and do not budge. Increasing your price gives them an indication that you’re flexible to changing your quote. Let the price come down from their side till you feel it is in a range comfortable to you (which should be somewhere close to your first quote).

Rule 3: Walk away if you don’t see flexibility at the other end:

It is safe ti walk away from the vendor if he/she is playing by my second rule. That would give you an indication that you can go a little higher in your quote while buying the same stuff at the next vendor. And you haven’t lost a great deal if you liked something at a particular shop. They’re always available at some other store. So you shouldn’t feel heartbroken. Another benefit of walking away is the possibility of the vendor giving up and quoting a lower price, which is one of the expected outcomes of this rule/ move.

Rule 4: Give them the unconvinced look:

Something that I have learnt but haven’t tried here is playing around with the looks/ gestures to compliment the previous steps. Never show too much enthusiasm or desperation for something you’ve liked. Also, give them unconvincing looks when they quote prices. This comes naturally to us and thus is a completely optional step for people of other nationalities.

These are some of the most important yet basic rules to help you get the best deals in the markets in Shanghai. Try them out and let us know if they were helpful.

Cheers!

Rohan