12 Jan 2007
Typical Bargaining Scenario in Shanghai
Posted by: Squareface In: Taking in; on; and to Shanghai (or China in general)
(In a particular shop, I start browsing the rack)
Shop personnel: 喜欢什么吗美女？喜欢我给你便宜点。[Do you fancy anything, pretty girl? If you like anything I can give you a discount)
Me: (pointing at a certain item): 这个怎么卖？[How much is this?]
Shop personnel：这个啊，给你优惠，150。[This? I'll give you a special price of 150RMB]
Me：啊那么贵啊. [Gosh, that's expensive]
Shop personnel：已经给你优惠了啊！好吧小姑娘那你说多少？[I'm already offering you a very special rate! Alright, name a price then, Miss.]
Me: (quotes some price）[ranges between 30-60RMB]
Shop personnel: (price I quoted）不能卖啊真的！再加一点好不好啊小姑娘？[That's not a feasible price! Increase the price a little, will you, Miss?]
Me: (either adamant about the price I quoted or increase it a little）
Shop personnel：不行！好了别说了，一口价，给你120好不好？[No way! Okay, let's just make a deal, 120RMB ok?]
Me: (starts to walk away)
Shop personnel：小姑娘！要是有诚意买的话就再加一点吧！100块！[Come on Miss! If you're sincere in buying, offer me a better price!]
Me：不要。(walks out of shop）[I don't want it (referring to both the price and the item)]
Shop personnel：过来啦小姑娘，有心买就过来好好说嘛！70块！要就拿去！[Come over here Miss, if you really want to buy it let's negotiate harmoniously! 70RMB and it's yours!]
Me: (turns around, smiles, and waves a “no”)
Shop personnel: 过来！拿去吧，拿去吧！[Alright already! Just take it (at the price I quoted right from the start, which may even be the initially ridiculous 30RMB)]
*NB: Scenario only applicable to highly bargainable places. Eg. QiPu Wholesale Market, XinYang shopping mall (the new XiangYang market), etc.
I may seem to have appeared victorious, until I see another place with the exact same item asking for the same price I had bargained for. Or worse, cheaper. I don’t get this bargaining culture. National pasttime? It’s great to feel that you made a good buy, but the nagging thought that you might have gotten it cheaper inevitably makes you feel constantly fearful of being cheated.
