BestPrice.com

Haggling has been practiced for thousands of years in countries around the world but some have a hard time getting it.

Haggling is not an argument about price, it’s negotiation that should be polite and even friendly.

Haggling can save you big bucks and help you get the best price.

• Make friends with the vendor and, if possible make them laugh. People are much more likely to give a better deal to a buddy rather than someone who they see as a threat or a sucker.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for his best price before you make an offer. And when you make your counter bid, it should be lower than the figure that you’re actually prepared to pay.
• Haggling takes time and patience and cannot be rushed. The final result may be a compromise on both sides but neither party should feel cheated.
• This is not a game of tennis in which you have to hit the ball back immediately. If the seller is starting to come down in price, he may also begin to throw in extras for added value.
• Silence is a useful tool. If there’s a long pause after his last offer, more often than not he’ll add a little more to sweeten the deal.
• If it looks as though the price is not going down as much as you’d like, call bintang time. Translated — walk away, saying that you’ll think about it over lunch. If the vendor believes that a sale is walking out of the door, he or she will often better the offer.
• Never appear to be too eager to buy or too keen on one particular model or type. And give reasons why you can’t pay the asking price.
• Ask the salesgirl whether she can better the price of the deal that you’ve seen elsewhere. Everything is negotiable and she wants you to believe that her price is the best. If you buy, you’ll come back for more.
• And finally, if the price is over your budget or you’re not happy — leave. There’s always another deal that can be haggled around the corner.