Information and Tips on Shopping in the Indian Markets
Bargaining is an essential skill in India, especially in the North. In the South bargaining is not always necessary. Most shopping involves bargaining, although government shops and other fixed-price shops don’t allow it. If possible, try to observe what locals are paying for the type of item you want, or ask someone reliable before you start. When bargaining, smile, laugh and be friendly in order to keep the process as enjoyable as possible for yourself as well as the person you are bargaining with. The idea is to arrive at a price that is fair for you while also allowing the seller a reasonable profit. It’s not just to get the lowest possible price. For Indians, bargaining is also a means of establishing a relationship and mutual respect. In the North, if you don’t bargain, you may lose the respect of the merchant who will think that you’re a fool for wasting your money.
Don’t forget that many of the people you may be bargaining with are poor and are struggling just to survive. Often at the end of the day, people who earn a hand-to-mouth living by selling their wares are so desperate for enough money to feed their families that they may let go of something for virtually their cost, or sometimes even less. It’s not good to haggle these people down to the bone. You should always let them have some profit. Also Visit – India holiday packages
Vendors who come in from the villages and spread their goods out on the ground are invariably poor. You won’t usually want what the poorest of them have, but if for some reason you do, try to be a little generous. You should remember that the majority of Indians are poor and struggling to survive, and, being particularly vulnerable, they are frequently exploited and harass-ed by greedy bosses, hoodlums, cops, loan sharks, landlords, etc.
On the other hand, don’t feel guilty about bargaining hard with more prosperous merchants and aggressive street hawkers, especially in tourist areas; in fact, it’s expected. In any case, you’ll probably never succeed in taking advantage of any hawkers or prosperous merchants, although they will often try to convince you otherwise. Many people you are bargaining with will tell you all sorts of stories about their starving families, etc. Some-times the stories are true, of course, but often they are just stories, especially with people you meet in the tourist areas.
It’s not always easy to determine what a fair price should be, so you often need to ask. Even in fixed-price shops, if you are buying in large quantities, you should be able to strike a deal. A good way to open negotiations is to ask for a discount, unless you are shopping for special items like carpets, where prolonged bargaining is expected.
Foreigners are generally considered fair game, especially in the tourist areas. With aggressive hawkers, you should bargain hard. Don’t even look at their goods if you aren’t interested, because if you show even the slightest interest, they will continue to follow you and harass you mercilessly until you give in.
In tourist areas, and sometimes other places, the opening price stated by the shopkeeper or street vendor is often much higher for foreigners than it would be for locals. If the price seems almost reasonable, counter-offer a quarter of the amount and settle for half or two-thirds of the asking price. If the asking price seems totally outrageous, offer maybe a tenth or even a twentieth of the amount and go back and forth several times before settling. If the item is an expensive one, accept the merchant’s second or third offer of tea and intersperse your offers with questions about his family and other idle chitchat. The longer you take to conclude the deal, the more likely it is that you will get a good price. This process is part of the game and shows them that you are more knowledgeable than the average tourist. You’ll always pay too much if you are in a hurry.
If you’re looking to buy something expensive, such as a fine carpet, you would do well to come back several times over the course of a few days. Take the time to shop around, learning as much as you can about carpets in the process. Once you have found what you want, ask the price in an offhand way and immediately start looking at something else to distract the seller from your interest, coming back to it casually and then, after a few cups of tea, offering maybe 20% of the asking price. Shrug when the merchant pretends to be outraged and act as if you don’t care. Never let him see that you really want what he is offering, and don’t let your impatience show. Hide your feelings. Pretend that you are more interested in something else. Also Visit – India luxury tours
Walking away is an essential tactic, too, and will often lower the price dramatically. If walking away doesn’t inspire a more reasonable offer, you could come back later with a slightly higher offer. If you really don’t have a clear idea what the price should be, ask around before you come back. Take your time, though; buyers often come back several times before settling on a price. If the merchant won’t give you a reasonable price, try to find the same item elsewhere. Incidentally, carpets which are sold as pure silk often aren’t, especially the less expensive ones, so it’s good to verify what you are getting before you buy.
Never start bargaining for something you don’t intend to buy, and never offer an amount that you aren’t prepared to pay. If a merchant asks how much you would pay for something, don’t give an amount unless you really want to buy it. Just say you aren’t interested. A friend of mine accidentally bought a fine carpet that he didn’t particularly want when he casually offered half of what the vendor was asking, assuming the offer wouldn’t be accepted. The man quickly accepted his offer, so my friend ended up with the carpet. This immediate acceptance by the vendor indicated that he could have bought the carpet for a much lower price. In any case, the carpet dealer was astute enough to see that he really wasn’t interested, so he figured he should take whatever he could get, which was no doubt a handsome profit for him.
Be careful when you are shopping for gems or carpets or other high-priced items as many dealers will not hesitate to swear that their goods are of a much higher quality than they really are. If you buy gems, or jewelry with gemstones, always insist on taking them to the nearest government gem-testing laboratory to verify what you are getting (you can do this in Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai and several other cities). You should also get gold tested for purity if you are buying gold jewelry.
If you are having goods sent from a shop, have the items packed in front of you and make sure you have all the paper-work. If possible, take photos of the items you are having sent, preferably with the invoice in the photo, and the shop owner as well. Your photos may deter the shop owner from succumbing to the temptation to cheat you in some way, but they will also provide solid evidence in case of problems, including shipping loss or damage. Pay for expensive items with credit cards, if possible, p as they provide some hope of redress in case of problems. Also Visit – India Luxury Hotels
Bargaining for accommodations is normal as well. It’s customary to ask for a discount at hotels, etc., except for government tourist bungalows, where the prices are fixed. Except during the high tourist season, you can often get a reduction. You don’t necessarily have to accept the first discount price offered, however. It’s OK to press a little for a better discount, especially at more expensive places. “Can you do a little better?” is a good way to ask for a deeper discount.
Make sure that you have a definite agreement for services (including taxis, rickshaws, tourist guides, etc.) in advance. Find out the going rate in advance and negotiate from there—then stick to what you agree on, even when they ask for more at the end, which is not unusual.
You can and should always bargain with non-metered taxi and auto drivers—before getting in—though if they’re already busy they may not be interested in negotiating. Getting a few drivers to compete against each other is the most effective way to negotiate.
It is usually necessary to bargain with cycle-rickshaw drivers, but don’t overdo it as they are always poor. For a short ride, i.e., less than a kilometer, a typical rate is Rs.10. You can negotiate an hourly rate for sightseeing, which should be at least Rs.50-60, though in some areas it may be much higher. Fairly often, the cycle-rickshaw-waias will try to avoid bargaining and just say, as you like.” Almost invariably, your idea of an appropriate fare will be met with dismay and derision even if your offer is generous, and they will demand more. They are counting on the guilt factor to get more out of you.
Coolies at railway stations in tourist towns often demand many times the going rate. In Delhi, it’s not unusual for porters to ask Rs.500 or more, which is many times the official rate of Rs.40. When they demand such an amount, the best strategy is simply to start laughing as if this is the funniest thing you have ever heard. Usually, they will start laughing, too, and then you should be able to negotiate a reasonable rate without much trouble. The official rate, incidentally, varies from place to place, but it is usually less than the actual going rate. You can ask other passengers what you should pay, but many will try to help the porters by quoting an inflated rate. Rs.40 per head-load (40 kilos, which they do carry on their heads) is typical, depending on where you are. The official rate may be much less in smaller stations. Rs.60-70 is about the most you should pay a single porter, unless your luggage is extremely heavy or if he has to carry it for an exceptionally long distance. Some porters will claim that a distance of 100 meters is really half a kilometer to try to get more money out of you, but you can ignore this, since 100 meters (109 yards) isn’t all that far.
Hill stations usually have porters available for carrying luggage and goods up and down the hills, especially to hotels that are off the road. Rates are usually similar to what you would pay railway porters, though hill station porters work a lot harder because of the hills, and the distances are often much farther.
For more information on shopping in Indian markets contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.
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