What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey • Hacker News Board

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#11

Post by akd » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 5:12 AM UTC

gms wrote: post #5

akd wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In India I once hailed an auto rickshaw and had him take me about half a kilometer in the rain. I asked him in American-accented English what the fare was, and he said 200 rupees. I started yelling at him in perfect Bengali that I wasn't born yesterday even though I am a foreigner, and that I spend a lot of time in India. He countered with an offer of 10 rupees, and I gave him 20 because I was laughing so hard. The s…

How did you know that he spoke Bengali?

He was in Calcutta...

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#12

Post by hugh » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 5:14 AM UTC

shawndrost wrote: post #7

I had some similar experiences in Morocco; going to a bargaining country is a great education. An example of the kind of social hack they use is that if they offer a tourist their hand, the tourist feels compelled to shake it. One guy used this trick, then used the beat of inaction to wrap a snake around my friend's neck. She was understandably startled, and while she was standing there confused, he pulled out some o…

A friend was somehow tricked into allowing a hawker to start tying an intricate string bracelet using his finger as the base. His finger was stuck in the knot, and the guy ignored my friend's requests to be let go. It ended with quite a lot of shouting.

Oh yeah, some African guys in France tried that one on me. The best response I managed was to look 'em dead in the eye, and say "Sorry, I don't speak English". That'll confuse 'em for long enough to get away.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#13

Post by yan » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 5:23 AM UTC

The book mentioned by Cialdini was one of my favorite reads of last year. It just melts away and before you know it; you finished it.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#14

Post by swdesignguy » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 6:11 AM UTC

shawndrost wrote: post #7

I had some similar experiences in Morocco; going to a bargaining country is a great education. An example of the kind of social hack they use is that if they offer a tourist their hand, the tourist feels compelled to shake it. One guy used this trick, then used the beat of inaction to wrap a snake around my friend's neck. She was understandably startled, and while she was standing there confused, he pulled out some o…

I had a guy start something like this in Rome recently. I reacted so strongly to being touched by a stranger selling stuff that the guy called me names. I guess I'm just not used to personal contact except handshake.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#15

Post by flipbrad » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 7:18 AM UTC

ahizzle wrote: post #6

Great article. I wonder if rug merchants will have to adapt now that their tactics are getting wider exposure?

it's the developing world. people from the west will very rarely know the appropriate price for an item or service. If we supposedly 'get wise' to inflated asking prices and start haggling down to 30-50% original - they'll just inflate the original. We'll be happy knowing we got some 3rd world grinning buffoon down to 30%, he'll be happy taking home a week's wages from your fare. Frankly, that strikes me as win-win, cynical though that may sound.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#16

Post by falsestprophet » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 7:21 AM UTC

hugh wrote: post #12

shawndrost wrote: post #7

I had some similar experiences in Morocco; going to a bargaining country is a great education. An example of the kind of social hack they use is that if they offer a tourist their hand, the tourist feels compelled to shake it. One guy used this trick, then used the beat of inaction to wrap a snake around my friend's neck. She was understandably startled, and while she was standing there confused, he pulled out some o…

A friend was somehow tricked into allowing a hawker to start tying an intricate string bracelet using his finger as the base. His finger was stuck in the knot, and the guy ignored my friend's requests to be let go. It ended with quite a lot of shouting. Oh yeah, some African guys in France tried that one on me. The best response I managed was to look 'em dead in the eye, and say "Sorry, I don't speak English". That'l…

I love French street-people. A beggar cornered me and politely asked for money. I responded, "Je suis desole. Je ne parle pas francaise."

"MONEY," he shouts. "I want money!"

That was, predictably, ineffective.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#17

Post by radu_floricica » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 7:48 AM UTC

ashleyw wrote: post #2

Turkey is nice, been a few times. You really need to become immune from this kind of thing, or at least play them at their own game. If they say 100 euros, you say 20 and agree on 40. Seriously - they are there to rip you off and would sell anything for any price if they thought they had got you to pay more than you first wanted to. :)

It's not that "they are there to rip you off", they also enjoy bargaining tremendously. Most of them would much rather haggle to 20% the original price then just get the money, an probably feel dissapointed by the tourists who either pay or walk away. It's simply a bit of culture shock.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#18

Post by thaumaturgy » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 8:14 AM UTC

radu_floricica wrote: post #17

ashleyw wrote: post #2

Turkey is nice, been a few times. You really need to become immune from this kind of thing, or at least play them at their own game. If they say 100 euros, you say 20 and agree on 40. Seriously - they are there to rip you off and would sell anything for any price if they thought they had got you to pay more than you first wanted to. :)

It's not that "they are there to rip you off", they also enjoy bargaining tremendously. Most of them would much rather haggle to 20% the original price then just get the money, an probably feel dissapointed by the tourists who either pay or walk away. It's simply a bit of culture shock.

My girlfriend recently spent a few weeks in China, and related some of the same stories. She figured out the process pretty quick: it's not quite that the people she encountered enjoyed haggling, it's just what they're used to. Haggling successfully to a low price gets you respect from the seller.

It is a completely foreign concept to Americans, who tend to come away with this feeling that either they've just been ripped off, or they just ripped off the seller.

I don't think I would handle it well at all (partly because I'm not fond of buying trinkets anyway).

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#19

Post by greyman » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 8:23 AM UTC

I must confess that I very much hate bargaining. I can't overcome the feeling that the other person tries to steal my money, and now I have to be careful and defend myself to reduce the damage. Then, I will end up with a stuff I don't really need.

Regarding the Turkey story, I just would not follow the man no matter what. I can't help, but persuasion doesn't work on me - the more other person tries to persuade me, the less likely I will buy anything.

Re: What I Learned Buying a Rug in Turkey

#20

Post by hooande » Fri, Aug 08, 2008, 9:00 AM UTC

My friend had a similar experience in india. I wonder how the same kind of soft well approach could be applied to startups? Perhaps by making sure you provide value for people with no pressure to buy? The methodology sure seems to work.