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In a café in Pano Gouves, a shepherd walked in with a wheel of cheese in one
hand, a well-worn knife in the other. He made his way to two men playing
backgammon, cut a couple of thin slices of the hard cheese, and passed one
to each.
“Ohi,” signaled one player with a slight nod and raised eyebrows. The other
sniffed the cheese, tasted it, and said, “poso?”
After five minutes of bargaining, a price was agreed upon, and the wheel of
cheese changed hands.
In Gournes, a Chinese couple made its way through the crowded kafenion
displaying a box full of watches and novelty items. The watch was five euros,
the laser flashlight cost six and the keychain three. By the time the couple
left, all three items went to a man sipping raki for 10 euros.
At the Saturday market in Iraklion,
the vendor offered the leather jacket for 65 euros. The young woman tried it
on, liked it, and offered him 50.
A few minutes later the woman walked away, looking smart in her new
jacket, for which she paid 56 euros.
With the cost of products continually on the rise, bargaining over the price
tag has become a new art form – and not only at cafes, kafenia and street
markets in Crete.
Recent surveys conducted by consumer groups in various countries found from
80 to 90 percent of people who
haggle or try to talk down the price of an item were successful.
Some people tend to think
haggling is rude, but for many centuries bargaining and barter was the
normal way of doing business.
And today, that
way of doing business has returned big time, and people are finding they can
negotiate the price on just about any item, as many shop owners will gladly
talk to you about a price reduction.
However, haggling is much more likely
in areas of high competition where stores are fiercely competing for sales,
such as Iraklion’s Kalokerinou Avenue and 62 Martyron Street for furniture and
electronics. Often when you deal directly with the store owner, it is much
easier to talk down the price of an item.
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It's important to remember that the
seller has a limit, and they will not reduce the price beyond a certain
point.
Here are just a
few things to keep in mind when searching for a bargain and haggling for a
better price.
-Pay with cash:
If you offer a lower price in cash instead of a credit card you are more
likely to get a better bargain.
-Shop around:
Check the price for the particular item you want to purchase. Internet
searches can prove to be a great source for pricing products.
-Don’t be rude:
When haggling on the price, your personality is very important. Haggling can
be fun, and can bring about a friendly interaction with the seller, who
would be more inclined to do business if in a pleasant frame of mind.
-Ask for a
better price, don’t demand: Having done your research, you should know where
you can get a better price. Try asking the seller to match or better that
price you have found elsewhere; you can even tell the seller where you found
it.
-Timing the deal: Haggling at closing time can often be more successful as
many shop owners are eager to simply move some products and close out the
day with a sale.
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