Bargaining is the rule here in Beijing. At least, at the many markets and back-street clothes stalls. Bargaining is an art and if you are unfamiliar with it we'd like to offer you some advice. The tips here are Beijing specific but may help you at any place in the world where bargaining is practiced.
DO NOT say how much you want to pay for an item unless its near the end of the process. Always try and drop the seller's offering price as much as possible before opening your mouth with a price.
DO throw out really low prices like 10 RMB as long as you have a big smile.
DO keep smiling throughout. The seller is much more likely to continue bargaining with a happy smiling face. Getting angry rarely gets you the price you want.
BE AWARE the initial price offered by the seller is usually at least 40% over the general price acceptable. It can be up to 500% over.
DO have an idea of what the item is worth. You can ask Chinese friends, hotel staff, ex-pats or look at our rough guide below. This is very general and is based on a market like Xiu Shui. You may not be able to get the lowest prices stated at Xiu Shui, especially on a weekend when there are lots of tourists around.
| Item (all fake brands) | Price range (in RMB) |
| Pants/Trousers | 50 - 120 |
| Shirts/Tops | 40 - 120 |
| Jackets (non leather) | 60 - 200 |
| Shoes | 30 - 150 |
| Watches | 30 - 300 |
| DVD | 6 - 20 (max) |
| VCD/CD | 4 - 15 (max) |
DO walk away once you've given them your final price, even before. If you get called back, you know you are close. If you do not get called back, go to a similar stall and try again with a slightly higher price.
The Process (illustrated)
The English being spoken by the seller will often consist of "cheaper", "how much you pay", "good quality", "no profit", "highest price". Numbers are tapped out on a giant calculator to avoid confusion.
Your best bet is to keep repeating the phrase "cheaper" to them as much as you can before revealing your price.
Decide on your price based on the chart above, how much you like it, and your perception of the quality of the item.
Once you've decided the price, you then tell them a figure about 40% of the price you're willing to pay, then go up in 5% increments until they give in.
|
A Bad Beijing Bargaining Example 2 |
|
| You |
(looking at a nice pair of fake Calvin Klein
pants)
How much ? |
| Seller | 500 |
| You |
(Ha ! thinking you are going to
show him !)
400 |
| Seller | 450 |
| You | 425 |
| Seller | Ok. Deal. You're killing me ! |
The way to avoid the situation in Example 2 is to have a much better idea of what the item is worth. Remember, once you state any price, the only place you can go from there is UP !
Beijing Tips - Fake goods (last updated 4/23/05)
Fake goods are easy obtainable in Beijing although the government is making fair efforts to make it less easy to find. If you went to the original Xiu Shui Market and you could have seen many a famous brand name, like Tommy, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Rolex, Boliva, Tag Heur, North Face, Jansport, etc. Some of the fakes are obviously just a plain sweat shirt with a Versace logo embroidered across it. Something you know, couldn't possibly have come out of a Versace design house.Other fakes are very realistic. They have labels, logos, guarantees, washing and care instructions. All the little details are included. Often the fabric or craftsmanship is high quality and the designs are identical to the real thing.
However, we would have to say, that everything you are likely to see in some of the markets around Beijing are likely to be total fakes. Do not be fooled. Don't pay anything like the brand name price. Instead look more at the price table in our bargaining guide.
Of course, the better quality the fake, the higher the price. If you just want any watch with a Rolex logo on it, you can pay around 50 RMB. If you would like one which looks identical to a real Rolex, you can expect to pay around 300 RMB. Also be warned some countries do not take kindly to you bringing fake goods back into their country and if found in your suitcase during a random baggage check might take them away from you at the airport (although the probability is extremely small, it does happen).
Best quality fake watches can be found in a little lockable case separate from the other watches. Its a good idea to look around good watch stores or magazines to have a good knowledge of what the real thing looks like.
DVDs / CDs / VCDs are all fake. The quality usually depends on the release date of the movie. If it has been released in the past month or two, the DVD is likely to have been shot using a video camera in a cinema. If the movie is 6 months old or more, the DVD is usually a direct copy of one of the commercial DVDs available in some country. Do not believe any of the format information, language track information printed on the cover. Its usually just the info from any movie. The movies generally have one English soundtrack and Chinese subtitles. Anything else is up to luck, but it certainly doesn't relate to what's printed on the cover of the DVD. Often the special features have been eliminated or scaled back on these fake DVDs.
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