A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100

Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by unreal37 on Friday November 16, 2012 @07:11PM (#4796541)

I visited Istanbul earlier this year, and it amazed me how bargaining and selling was so ingrained in the culture. Every store, every restaurant, even the hotel... it's just a different way of dealing with customers.

And here in Canada/USA, some stores have sales people that don't want to disturb you. They sit quietly in their chair in the back of the store, don't dare approach you, and don't speak until spoken to. That's not sales, that's "question answerer".

Real sales has an active component.

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Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by seanmcdirmid on Friday November 16, 2012 @08:27PM (#4796758)

Uhm, try that "active component" in Germany. Even Walmart greeters make them nervous.

I dislike going to places where people work on commissions unless I'm really sure about what I'm getting; information asymmetry combined with a party out to get you for all they can is a bad combo. So those guys at the back of the mall store ignoring me is perfectly fine!

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Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by gadders on Friday November 16, 2012 @11:38PM (#4797219)

I had a colleague that was trying to buy an expensive stereo in a store in Zurich once. He was just about to choose the model when a bell rang.

"I am sorry, it is 5pm. You must leave the store now."

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Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by ZoFreX on Saturday November 17, 2012 @06:46AM (#4797878)

> even the hotel

Hotels are one service that I've found you can always haggle over the price, wherever you are. You're wasting money if you don't try!

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Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by ayla on Saturday November 17, 2012 @03:29AM (#4797623)

Turkish, living in Istanbul here. I absolutely hate the bargaining culture. Not so much in the blood after all :)

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Re:A breakdown of how I was talked out of $100 by mistermann on Saturday November 17, 2012 @12:20PM (#4798508)

In Canada at least, in most retail places I go, I tend to know more about the product than the person selling it. Most recent example, cell phone service store - the guy told me the incorrect SIM card for an iPhone 4S. When I corrected him, he still insisted the incorrect one was the one I needed. I just said thank you and left.

In my experience, most people know very little about their job, and they are not interested in learning more. But they're happy to complain about their economic spot in the world and how they're not getting their fair share of the pie.

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