Whether you're shopping at a French flea market, or a Moroccan souk, you want to pay a fair price for your souvenirs. Here are tips to help you to be a polite traveler and make smart buys.
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Difficulty:
Moderately Easy
Instructions
1
Ask for information at your hotel or at another business that serves travelers, such as American Express, before you go shopping. Find out whether, and where, bargaining is acceptable. It may be fine at a street stall but not at an antiques store. Ask: "Is it okay to bargain at an antiques store?" ("Est-ce OK pour négocier à un magasin d'antiquités?")
2
Browse first. If you have something specific in mind, for instance, a North African weaving, browse in a few shops to find the ballpark asking price. Then make an offer within a reasonable range so you're not insulting to a proprietor. Say: "I'd like to pay X euros for this weaving." ("Je voudrais payer X euros pour ce tissage.")
3
Ask for it in writing. You may get a counter proposal. If you have trouble understanding the amount the shopkeeper suggests, say, "Please write that down for me." ("Veuillez écrire cela pour moi?")
4
Accept the offer, or suggest another price, somewhere between your original one and the shopkeeper's. If you can't reach an agreement, say, "Thank you very much, but it's still too expensive for me." ("Merci beaucoup, mais il est encore trop cher pour moi.") As you leave, don't be surprised if the shopkeeper makes another offer and the bargaining goes on!
Tips & Warnings
Keep the bargaining lighthearted. It should be a kind of game in which both parties end up as winners. You purchase an item you want, and the proprietor gets paid a fair price.
If you want to translate something and you have access to the Internet, visit a website such as translate.google.com. You can type in an English phrase and get the French meaning, or vice versa.
