Tis the season... for Bargaining!

Bargaining. It's more than just a neat addition to your shopping experience here in China, it's a must in every transaction or purchase you make. Especially as a foreigner who has a huge "rip me off sign" on your head.

So here, hot on the heels of Hanukkah and just in time for Christmas, Year Of The Rats proudly presents: The Official Year Of The Rats Guide To Bargaining In China.

It's not as easy as some make it seem, but it isn't as difficult as some will have you believe. There are a few basic tactics that are worth trying, and all have the possibility of saving you more than just a few RMB in the process.

TECHNIQUE 1: Down And Up
Haggling over even a few RMB can be important. Don't let them charge you even one yuan more than you want to pay, otherwise you're officially their bitch. They go down, you go up, and you find a happy medium that leaves you with your kitschy piece of crap you didn't even want in the first place.

TECHNIQUE 2: Chop it in half
Conventional wisdom will tell you that you should take the prices offered to you at touristy spots and instantly chop them in half. This will lead to some price haggling, and you're guaranteed to save yourself some dough this way. My only problem with Technique 1 is that it isn't NEARLY drastic enough. Seriously only half? If they give you some outrageous price, give them one right back. Haggle, haggle, haggle and you could settle at the chopped in half price, or if you're lucky - even lower.

TECHNIQUE 3: Walk Away
Simple yet effective: bargain for a bit, then say no thanks and walk away. Upon your return (a significant amount of time later - but minutes here, not days) the seller is almost guaranteed to loosen their purse strings for ya!

TECHNIQUE 4: Feigned Indignation
This is one of my favorites, and is best used in conjunction with any of the techniques listed here. When they give you a price you don't like, act like they just insulted your grandmother. You want me to pay WHAT?

TECHNIQUE 5: Laugh It Up
This is a difficult one considering the language barrier, but doable with even a minuscule knowledge of Chinese. Joke around with the seller. If they're telling you something is expensive because it's big, tell them it's TOO big. (Tai Da Le!) If they're telling you it's expensive because it's old, tell them it's TOO old! Why should you be expected to shell out primo Mao bucks for some dusty old treasure... I mean piece of crap. Be careful though. Know who you're unleashing this tactic on, for some people, this is no laughing matter. It's money we're talking about here.

TECHNIQUE 6: Down And Down
The opposite to technique number one is the most difficult and advanced one. I've only tried it a few times, but its led to such colossal failures that I've had to mask it as a joke (see technique 5). Still though, I hear this is doable and has yielded VERY successful results for people. But I must beg you to use caution with this strategy. You give a price (a reasonable one), and then they go down a little bit. This is standard haggling (see technique 1) but here's where it differs... you don't give an inch. Instead, you go lower. The seller's initial response to this gambit is essential. If they flinch for a second, you have them. Feign as much disgust and indignation as you can as support (technique 4) and laugh it up with them if you can (technique 5)... or play it serious like the game of chess that this is about to become. The lower they go, the lower you go. Keep an eye on what they're saying and when they start to get fed up, and pounce when they've gone lower than the magic number you've settled on in your head. Who knows, you could have overestimated in your planning, and wind up something for far cheaper than you ever could have imagined.

Hope you enjoy, and hope this helps.

Happy Holidays and much love!
- Shawn