Anyone Travelled To China Or Other Foreign Country?

[Leila]

Codex57, thanks for advice! Do you mean start by asking for 10% off the selling price or 10% of the selling price? Did you used to live in China or H.K.?

 

[codex57]

Date: 9/27/2006 6:21:54 PM
Author: Leila
Codex57, thanks for advice! Do you mean start by asking for 10% off the selling price or 10% of the selling price? Did you used to live in China or H.K.?

Start at 10% of the selling price. You''re asking for a 90% discount basically. Yes, that''s huge. If you feel kind, start at 20%. The point is, they''ll act horrified or shocked, and then throw out a number. You throw out a number below that and kinda work your way to the middle. You judge your next move based on the number they throw out.

Say something is $10. You throw out $1 or $2. If they come back with $9, you know they''re not going to budge much so you either walk or you make an offer back (like $6 or something). If they come back with $5, then you know you can do some major bargaining and throw back $3 and you''ll end up at like $4. 40% of the original price and a 60% discount.

There''s some art to it, but it really just takes practice. I''m not that good, but that''s cuz I never had to bargain that much. My parents are cuz, well, they''re the first gen to come to America. Lately, most of my practice comes from the Chinese areas in SF. My wife is from SF but she doesn''t speak Cantonese. So, whenever we buy stuff, she makes me talk to them and bargain in Chinese.

I never lived in China or HK. However, my dad used to work in Chinatown in Los Angeles. So, I grew up seeing my parents shop there and bargain all the time. He''s now in Monterey Park (where all the SoCal Chinese people moved to from out of Chinatown) so I still bargain when I go down there to buy stuff.

I''m half Shanghainese and half from a province in Southern China. However, both parents'' families moved to Hong Kong and my parents grew up in Hong Kong. So, I speak Cantonese and am more familiar with Hong Kong cuz of all my family there and going to visit them.

Where are you and your husband from?

 

[Leila]

Codex, thanks for all the tips, I really appreciate it.

My husband is 3rd generation Chinese in Hawaii, on his father''s side. His mother is from Hong Kong. I''m first generation Chinese in Hawaii, my parents are from China.

 

[Leila]

I''m going to be off to the airport in about 7 hours. Time to get some sleep before I go. I will let you guys know how it goes!

 

[justjulia]

When we lived and traveled in Africa, moons ago, we wore passports inside our clothing on necklaces. I would personally always want my passport on my person.