If you don't take the routine fleecing attempts personally, haggling in China can be a lot of fun. Not only will bargaining give you a better understanding of how much markup your friends back home are paying for pretty much everything, pressing for a discount will give you plenty of opportunities for language practice with people from all over China.After covering the must-have keywords of this and that, today's podcast goes on to review Chinese numbers and prices. And if you're new to the entire haggling scene, we close with some quick tips on getting those prices down. Once you see the savings rolling in, you can thank us by purchasing an annual subscription, or picking up an extra pair of socks the next time you're passing through Xiushui: our hutong appears to be eating them.
brett
said on December 11, 2008
If we're in the habit of sharing haggling tips, my favorite is pre-empting the salesman/salesgirl by declaring that we are best friends. 好朋友. "Aren't we good friends? Why can't you give me that discount?" I also like telling them that they're earning enough in profit on 40% of whatever they're asking to go out and feast on Beijing duck and French wine.
If you can get them laughing you'll have a better time talking to them and they're more likely to come down and give you a good deal. Going back to the same places can also help - they'll keep the price the same for you over time which saves some hassle when repeat buying, which is useful for things like jeans or shoes.
hanwenchen
said on April 28, 2015
Dub,might iguvgyvyfctfvdtc poop
saqibmanir
said on September 27, 2017
i love haggling, its especially fun in China.
