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Please don't be a jerk


MtnMama

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At Tuesday Market, I was looking over a vendor's merchandise when a gringo came up and asked the price of an item. She told him it was 105 pesos. He said, "I only have 100 pesos so you'll have to take that", picked up the item and started to walk away. I said in a loud voice, "That's terrible, I'll pay the 5 pesos. She shouldn't have to take a loss just because you're cheap." 

She thanked me and we discussed the fact that she had to raise prices because her costs went up. That 5 pesos was a part of her rather meager profit. 

So, if you can't afford something, don't buy it. Don't be a jerk and make the rest of us look bad.

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If you go to the Tuesday market you should have an extra 5 pesos.. it is not the place to haggle.. There is less haggle in Mexico anyways and times are tough  now so do not haggle with merchants...Actually this was not haggling this wad short changing someone. SHAME ON THAT MAN

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, bmh said:

If you go to the Tuesday market you should have an extra 5 pesos.. it is not the place to hagglle.. There is less haggle in Mexico anyways snd times are tough  now so do not haggle with merchants...Actually this was not haggling this wad short chsnging slmeone. SHAME ON THAT MAN

 

 

 

It was pure out and out theft by a pinche pendejo. In any event,one should never haggle on food and quite frankly,I've pretty much stopped haggling on everything.

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3 hours ago, phil in mexico said:

I don't  mind haggling  over a price of a product  but I sure don't take something  without  a full agreed price, what was done in that scenario  gives us all a bad reputation, sad

There are appropriate circumstances in which to haggle, and ones where it is not. Haggling is expected when dealing with middle-men like the guys with their briefcases full of mass-produced jewelry preying on tourists. Haggling at a market with people selling the wares they themselves produce is not. 

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8 minutes ago, mudgirl said:

There are appropriate circumstances in which to haggle, and ones where it is not. Haggling is expected when dealing with middle-men like the guys with their briefcases full of mass-produced jewelry preying on tourists. Haggling at a market with people selling the wares they themselves produce is not. 

Sorry but Mexicans bargain (haggle) all the time if they think the product is overpriced, or they have seen it elsewhere for less.   Also as regular customers we bargain for our special "discount" all the time. The seller can say "yes"  or "no" ........ and then the buyer can decide to buy or not. 

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1 hour ago, Mostlylost said:

Sorry but Mexicans bargain (haggle) all the time if they think the product is overpriced, or they have seen it elsewhere for less.   Also as regular customers we bargain for our special "discount" all the time. The seller can say "yes"  or "no" ........ and then the buyer can decide to buy or not. 

So if other people do something that means it's not a jerky thing to do? People selling the food or crafts they create themselves charge prices that they have determined they need to charge to make a profit after their expenses. They aren't trying to gouge anyone. Haggling with them is rude.

How do you, as a consumer, arrive at the idea that something is overpriced, when you have no knowledge of what it costs to produce an item?

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2 hours ago, happyjillin said:

In any event,one should never haggle on food and quite frankly,I've pretty much stopped haggling on everything.

1 hour ago, Mostlylost said:

Mexicans bargain (haggle) all the time if they think the product is overpriced, or they have seen it elsewhere for less. 

I'm with @happyjillinon this.  If I've seen it elsewhere for less I go back there and buy it.  If I know it's overpriced, I walk away.  

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11 hours ago, MtnMama said:

At Tuesday Market, I was looking over a vendor's merchandise when a gringo came up and asked the price of an item. She told him it was 105 pesos. He said, "I only have 100 pesos so you'll have to take that", picked up the item and started to walk away. I said in a loud voice, "That's terrible, I'll pay the 5 pesos. She shouldn't have to take a loss just because you're cheap." 

She thanked me and we discussed the fact that she had to raise prices because her costs went up. That 5 pesos was a part of her rather meager profit. 

So, if you can't afford something, don't buy it. Don't be a jerk and make the rest of us look bad.

that tourist was rude-I rarely carry coin; so I would just try to negociate the price down to $100 pesos--or give the vendor a twenty or a fifty and ask for change--

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2 hours ago, mudgirl said:

There are appropriate circumstances in which to haggle, and ones where it is not. Haggling is expected when dealing with middle-men like the guys with their briefcases full of mass-produced jewelry preying on tourists. Haggling at a market with people selling the wares they themselves produce is not. 

Many times vendors will drop the price for you if you start to walk away--

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If its meat or produce, I do not haggle if I think its over priced, I simply walk away.  If its manufactured or hand made, depending on item I may haggle.  I know there is a gringo price and a Mexican price.  I try to get between the two.  My Mexican wife doesn't haggle so I tell her, let me make the offers.  I usually tell them, if I buy two what is the cost and I usually get a good price for the 2.   Prices in Ajijic are higher for almost everything so depending on what I want, I usually go to Chapala or Jocotepec tiangus or stores.

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1 hour ago, Jreboll said:

Rule of thumb:

never haggle for edibles or home necessities

haggle for trinkets, curios, other non-necessities 

I would amend that- do not haggle with artisans selling their own creations. They seldom have a "gringo price" and trying to chisel them down on their prices is insulting and disrespectful. Middlemen selling things other people have made, yes. They almost always start out with some "tourist price".

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I realize that we all have differing amounts of income/resources, but the last thing I generally want to do is 'bargain/haggle' with a "poor"  Mexican National. I'm alread waaaay ahead with just the exchange rate much less my position in life.

 

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3 hours ago, mudgirl said:

I would amend that- do not haggle with artisans selling their own creations. They seldom have a "gringo price" and trying to chisel them down on their prices is insulting and disrespectful. Middlemen selling things other people have made, yes. They almost always start out with some "tourist price".

For sure never ever in the history of the worlds has an "artisan" over priced a creation... Never ever  for sure!!!!!!!!!! 

 I am sorry but  it is not insulting to offer what you think is fair. The "artisan" has the right to say yes or no.  I have seen many "artisans" over price their creations. Growing up in Taxco I learned at an early age what overpricing was. 

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I work with about 300 artisans and when they go to places where there is haggling they raise their prices so they can lower them.  A little like buen fin When the tourist bus stops prices go up 3p  per cent because the gukdes  and the bus driver have to be paid off

. AT THE FOOD MARKET i have not noticed  prices going down much except at the end of the day on merchandise that is not fesh anymore.. othersise  you may get a few pwsos off but really not enough to make a difference unless you are very poor..

 

 

 

 

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