Just how much do you "haggle?"

I was just talking to a friend yesterday about our upcoming trip this summer. It's her first time to Jamaica. In fact, it's her first trip out of the country! We were talking about shopping the local beach vendors and she asked me if we pay the price asked or if we are supposed to haggle on prices there. Welllllll...that brought up a whole new conversation! LOL!

I can NOT haggle on prices. I just can't. I feel too bad doing it. I did it ONE time last year and Murf was so proud of me! But- I walked away feeling AWFUL about it. It's not like I was asking to pay waaayyy too little for something. It was a messenger bag. He was asking $25 US for it. I thought it was too much. Now, usually I just say, "No thanks." and I'll do without if they are asking too much. OR most of the time I tell Murf- "Hey- I WANT that- can you strike a deal?" and he will just take care of it. And I stand off to the side because it makes me feel uncomfortable. But on the messenger bag when he said $25. I said- would you take 20? He said no. I said, ok- thanks and was walking away. (I saw the exact same bag at a store there for $18) Then he said, "yeah, Mon! I'll take 20!" and I got the bag!

We do try and eat at the local places, buy from the beach vendors/flea markets rather than stores and things like that. I don't mind paying a bit more for something local. After all- one of the reasons that we love Negril so much- are the people there. So, if I can do a little something to help - then that's what I do.

BUT- Obviously I don't want to pay WAAAYY too much for something. Say- taxi rides. We were paying too much for a trip to the Hi-Lo. When we talked to others staying there and found out what they paid- we were paying double that!

Murf is an antique dealer and frequents yard sales and auctions so he LOVES the thrill of striking a good deal. (He can be brutal here in the US- but I have noticed he is quite a bit of a softy when it comes to Negril people! AWWWW!)

So- do you haggle on prices of things and if so- is it mainly just taxi rides and things from local beach vendors? Maybe I am looking at it all wrong. But have to admit- that I pay the asking price MOST of time. I have even went as far as telling Murf that they asked for $30 for a necklace and I got them down to $20. In truth- the asked $20 in the first place- but I didn't want to admit it! LOL!! Shhhhh-- don't tell him!
What say you?

part of life here in Negril is to haggle.....and not to get wrangled........lol
so be prepared to haggle as it is a way of life there for most eveything that a tourist would want.......
the red plate route taxis prices are pretty much set so there isn't a need to really haggle most times......
you just need to confirm the price before you sit in da car/van.......
mi pay $100J's to go anywhere on da Cliffs from Pee Wees.....
and mi pay $100J's go from da roundabout to anywhere on da beach.....
at night you gotta throw some things out da window and haggle for your rides like from the beach to the cliffs at 3AM....lol

okay when it comes to vendors........you usually need to haggle.........to get da best price
mi was an auctioneer for 15 years and a dealer before dat so mi enjoy getting da best deals....
so mi really like the price is right game....lol... Jamaicans are Pros at playing it with most everything.....lol
if you can't get da price you want...........just walk.....sooner or lata you will get your price if you put an effort into it......

Cool Runnings, Marko

Almost never. I don't enjoy haggling, and don't care whether I get the "best price" from a Jamaican.

On cabs, I rarely use a charter, and when I do, I usually find that overpaying by Jamaican standards is still much less than a cab would cost me at home. Just out of my own pride, I do tell cab drivers that I know what the rate should be.

This year we forgot towels and when I bought one on the beach, the guy asked me for $20. for one and I told him I know they sell for half that in town; he asked for $15 and I gave him that. It's certainly fair to tell someone "That's only worth X to me" if that's the case.

If, when I leave, a bunch of Jamaicans feel that they had a good week because I was there, that means I feel it was a better week for me, too. When I'm spending $4000. for a week away from winter (including airfare for 2, on which US Air doesn't negotiate!), it's silly to quibble with the Jamaicans about whether my total spending will be 5% more than that, which goes directly to individual people and not to a US corporation. And it's never right to take advantage of someone who is desperate, which every year I see being done.

I have a friend who loves to haggle, and does it as entertainment. When he is done haggling and buys something at a price favorable to him, he often tips a buck or two - a good solution all around.

I'm not much of a haggler myself, but my other half makes it a sport :)
I'm okay with saying the price is way more than I would pay for it, but I'm not going to make a big deal out of a few dollars that is going into someone's pocket that needs to feed their family.
On the other hand, I don't like to be made to feel that I am being taken advantage of like when a cab driver tries to charge $10 a head for 8 people for a ride from the cliffs to the beach!

I haggle everything, especially if I know there aren't set prices. I have haggled at times square to duty free shops. I mainly do it along the beach...I hate buying "hand crafted" items only to see made in China on the bottom. Whomever is selling usually comes down on price a bit when I point that out too them.

I will haggle briefly and then walk. It's a buyer's market. I figure out what I want to pay for an item and offer a little bit lower than that, then come up to the price I've set in my mind. Usually works well.

Often I'll ask the price of an item (having an idea what the going rate is already) and if they quote me an outrageously high price then I know it's not a vendor I want to deal with and walk. Any attempts at hustling will also cause me to walk away. If the vendor offers a fair price for the item, s/he'll often get a little extra from me just for having good business practices.

An easy way to haggle without haggling is just ask if the vendor has something at a specific price. Example; Go to a jewelry vendor, or fruit stand and ask if the have something for $3.00 or what ever price you want to spend. If they say no, just walk away. Route taxies are as Marko says, 100J's beach to roundabout, 100J roundabout to cliffs.

First of all.....have some ideas of what others are charging for similar objects...one thing you dont want to do is insult the seller with a first shot that is too "low ball".......then as you work the price..smile its suppose to be fun...make sure your both having a good time...lol

then tip him before you leave.........YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED.....lol

Okay- so how much is fair to go from Nirvana to the Hi-Lo and back? The driver waits on us- and we are inside no longer than 20 minutes. I can't be 100% sure- but I think we usually pay $10-$15 US. Is that about right?

I can't wait to get back!!!! 84 sleeps!

We negotiate on everything that we buy on the beach or the cliffs. The locals expect it and set their prices accordingly. If you don't negotiate, you are paying too much. It doesn't work at the HiLo though :)

I generally offer about one third of the original asking price, and I don't go much higher. Vendors seem to like me.

I pay whatever is a asked ......but I don't buy from many people .....

I haggle if the item doesn't have a fixed price ... but I don't like haggling. Many times they try to haggle me w/ price on something I don't even want .. like boy's athletic socks w/ the J'cn flag on it, or one more bracelet that I know will end up poking me w/ that plastic thing in the middle, or a piece of aloe leaf for my impending sunburn (which, if I get sunburnt, I know where to find aloe) . Good grief! Sometimes just to get them off my back, I'll tell them point blank, "I wouldn't pay more than 50 cents for that, cuz I don't even want it." Sometimes I end up with the item, even though I don't want it, because I told them I'd give them 50 cents, and sometimes they just give the item, and usually I end up with a new friend for the rest of the reach.

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Originally Posted by Mandy

Okay- so how much is fair to go from Nirvana to the Hi-Lo and back? The driver waits on us- and we are inside no longer than 20 minutes. I can't be 100% sure- but I think we usually pay $10-$15 US. Is that about right?

I can't wait to get back!!!! 84 sleeps!

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We paid about that, can't remember exactly for some reason :)
Although they will try to get you to pay much more, the driver's at Nirvana will take that if they're not too busy. We'll use Leon if he's around, if not it's easy enough to find someone.

I am not good at it so if I am with my local friends I have them bargain for me!!

I don't think $10-15 from Nirvana to HiLo, driver waits 20 minutes, and back is unreasonable.

You could wait for a route taxi with space for you on the road and get out near HiLo (but not at the door). After you shop, take your packages out to the road and wait for another to go back. That would be $400J total. But you walk more and you wait more and you share the ride with others. Your choice :)

Edited to add: HiLo is actually past the roundabout so you'd have to get out at the roundabout and walk to HiLo from there, or pay double to go to what is technically the cliffs ($800J round trip for 2).

$10-15 looks pretty cheap to avoid the inconvenience of all that.

I get haggled to buy most times I say no the prices starts high then prices keeps going down with me say no thanks then when walking away I get the lowest prices. This past trip was looking at sea shell by old T-Water a local seen me he say Limo don't pay him nothing . Next morning had 10 shells in bag sitting outside my door for FREE FREE FREE LOL.

For me... Taxis... No real haggling... If it's not route, I offer a price, and that's it. Vendors, I haggle a little... Not a lot, particularly if I really like an item... Some of that stuff takes some serious work, and I don't mind paying for their time. Duty free jewelry store... Game on. I set my wife loose on them. I got my favorite watch for a couple thousand less than I would have paid here, and I remember one trip when we stayed in ochie... My wife bought a bangle which had a starting price of $10k for $2500... It took her three days, but she got what she wanted, and if memory serves, they delivered it to the hotel.

Course, then when I get home, I want to haggle here... And it does not work.

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Originally Posted by Hussyband

Course, then when I get home, I want to haggle here... And it does not work.

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You'd be surprised how easy it is to "haggle" or get a discount in US stores if you know who to talk to.

A lot of my customers get discounts built in or haggle when they build a rapport with me, and I'll go to bars/restaurants/chains and haggle with the managers because I get to know them.

It all comes down to attitude, if you're friendly to the people in Negril/US then they'll be a lot more likely to drop the price(hopefully).

I don't mind the Made in China stuff as much, it's still supporting the locals and it's also supporting a global trade system, if the quality is good it gives you more reason to haggle because they didn't make it themselves but at the end of the day how much of your stuff is "really" hand made?

Machine produced goods can actually be of a better quality than hand made goods especially when it comes to items like clothing or towels, even hats one could argue a machine is better at producing.

I like haggling to a certain extent, but it's nice when the prices are already "reasonable" and they're not trying to sucker tourists left and right.

I remember I was on the beach and got offered sugar cane at a reasonable price, for kicks I haggled him down, he handed me the sugar cane, I handed him what he originally asked for, then he tossed me another bag of sugar cane.

Good times, haggle in Jamaica, haggle in the USA, haggle anywhere because everywhere you go there will always be a margin that they've built to factor in discounts/haggling, especially when the items in questions cost a penny to make and they're selling it for $10-20.

I don't mind paying a bit more as long as I'm not being gyped. I was staying at the Rock House,went across the street to get a 6 pak of Red Stripe. I came back later for another 6 pak and the "new" worker said it was like $4 dollars more.

I told him "no,my friend" I just bought one for the lower price,got a bit heated but I was right. After he agreed to the lower price,I gave him the $4 dollars as a tip anyway to show him to do the right thing.

We used to spend a lot of time in Mexico and someone told me once to cut the asking price in half and work from there. He say's $20, you say $10 and meet somewhere in the middle.

Haggling can be fun...some people love it some people hate it. Long ago when we used to spend time in Ocho Rios we went to the craft market in town. The year before I bought a

machette with a nice wood carved sheath and my brother-in-law wanted me to bring him back one. We entered the market with our friend Patrick to find the best price. After looking

at a few stalls, I seen the one I was looking for and asked the Lady 'how much?' Her reply was $100J...this was long ago, the exchange rate was around 8J to 1.. so she was looking

for about $12 US. I offered her $60J...she countered with $90 saying it was the best price. I offered $70J and again she said $90 was a fair price and she could not really drop any lower.

I looked at Patrick and said "hey, I seen one around the corner for $70J" ... the lady reached into her bra, pulled out $70J and told me to go bring it to her as she knew that price was not real.

We laughed, I gave her the $100J and the deal was done.

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Originally Posted by Fred Stripe

After he agreed to the lower price,I gave him the $4 dollars as a tip anyway to show him to do the right thing.

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so what you did is reward him for bad behavior.

I look at is like maybe I taught him a lesson?

A few years back me see a necklace me like. I ask girl how much? she say $15.00. I say $7.50 she say I go ask boss lady. Boss lady came , I say how much for your necklace? She say $5.00 !! Me go home with necklace! You just never know!!!!

at one time the rate was 20-1... a couple went with us on one of our trips, the woman's husband ( a know it all) barged in when the woman was buying a large sack of fresh oranges and limes for 30.00 (J)

"Are you nuts Lisa???, Thirty Dollars !!!????.........Your Crazy,here lady...takes this 20 (US) and be happy about it, we can buy this stuff at home"....................."Lisa I dont know about you , what you would do without me"

They are now divorced :)

He is also known for his statement " I dont haggle with the Taxi Guys....I jump in tell 'em where I wanna go...
jump out...give 'em a Ten and close the door and walk away"..I cant figure that "stuff" out....."
We asked him what the drivers would say ??

"Oh... some were mad ...some were happy as hell" "All evens out in the end"

he no longer travels out of the US.....:)

My wife absolutely can't haggle. It's not in her. One time we were in the craft market and my wife wanted gifts to take home to our kids. She found a bracelet and she was wondering if our daughter would like it. She asked the girl how much and she replied "$12.00".

My wife never said anything and kept looking at it trying to decide. The sales girl then spoke up and said "$7.00".

In her mind, my wife had decided she was going to buy it and continued to look at it, thinking of what outfits my daughter could wear with the bracelet. The salesgirl appeared nervous that she wasn't going to buy it and said: "I like you....$5.00) My wife looked at me puzzled and I laughed and handed the girl $5.00 and left with my wife. It was the first time I ever saw someone haggle and never say a word after the first question of "How much?"!

You can also haggle at the resorts. We stayed at the Grand Pineapple in March. My sister was with us and had never been to Negril before. Her and her girlfriend wanted to go to Ricks. She had talked to the resort and they told her it was $30 for the two of them round trip.

I told my sister to let me talk to them. I let them know I knew how much the red plate taxis cost to go to Ricks and that I wouldn't let my sister over pay. They brought the price down to $10 each. I still think that was too much, but my sister was happy with the price.

I don't have it in me to haggle because I make it a point to buy from the small vendors instead of the bigger shops, where a few dollars makes a big difference to them.