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It's a bargain!

Bargaining is an art. Here's how you can strike a good deal

HAPPY HAGGLING An art

A tourist to any destination in the world would never return home without the customary visit to the local marketplace. The market place neither boasts of historical monuments nor museums. There are no boards announcing special offers/season sales. It is a chaotic place where the sights, sounds and smells are all original. But, the moment you stop by to look at an item on sale, a long and exciting game starts. The outcome of the game is a win-win situation shaped from a series of exchanges governed by unwritten rules and etiquette. Shopping at a marketplace or bazaar is a great bargain!

Have patience

Bargaining or haggling as it is called, is a tradition in some countries.

In Turkey, the shopkeepers encourage you to bargain, whereas, in North America bargaining is restricted to purchase of cars/shopping for loans.

Bargaining is an art that demands patience and tact.

Says Ranga, a senior technical lead it an IT company, "My wife is very good at bargaining. She can negotiate with the shop keeper till the time she feels that a fair deal has been struck."

According to Lathika Saral, homemaker, "It is important to be aware of the prevalent market prices. Otherwise, we could land in a soup. It is better to be prepared. One could check out a few stores for prices." Agrees Ashwini, "On a trip to Mahabalipuram, I bargained aggressively for a souvenir I wanted to take back with me. I thought I was smart enough to get a little lower than half the price. On my way back, I spotted the same guy selling it for peanuts, as he had only a few pieces left."

Wear a detached look

One of the tips for the buyer is to always let the seller make the first bid. Says Rajesh Kumar, an avid shopper "I always wear a detached expression when I bargain. The seller should never get a feeling of how desperate I'm to purchase it. Even if we yearn to purchase something, it is best to walk away if the price is too high. One can always check it out again at the end of the day, when the seller will be in a hurry to dispose the items before he closes shop." All the groundwork for bargaining needs to be done beforehand.

Checking out prices after an item has been purchased will only lead to guilt.

"I try not to discuss my bargains with others. Apart from your pockets it can burn a hole in your heart too, making the whole experience sour," says Azim.

Some shoppers are habitual bargainers, who will stop by at shops and bargain for things they might not ultimately purchase. Says Rachna Singh, a Marketing Consultant, "I enjoy the conversation I have with the shopkeepers in the process of bargaining. Some of them justify the prices by narrating the importance of the piece and the work that goes into it. This could in turn lead to enquiries about where it is made and then the conversation could drift to some local trivia that could educate me more about a place and its culture."

Be reasonable

One of the rules of bargaining is to be reasonable. Surinder, a street vendor, who sells funky jewellery says, "We are open to bargaining as it gives a nice feeling to the buyer and turns him into a repeat customer. But, there are some demanding customers who start with the lowest bid that is only a quarter of the price we offer. Bargaining should in the end be profitable to both the seller and the buyer."

After the seller accepts an offer, it is not right to bargain anymore. For Kumari , a vegetable vendor, "It is irritating when buyers try to act smart by bargaining beyond the accepted price." Bargaining offers a lively and cheerful experience if played in the true spirit of the game.

DIVYA VARMA

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