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[mr.stinky]

here's a new experience;

my chinese girlfriend stops at a local sporting goods store, and when paying asks for

a discount. they at first decline, but when she mentions her laowai boyfriend shops

there, they finally agreed.

wow, furr'ner gets a better price than the locals!

[adrianlondon]

No, local gets good price on promise of rich overpaying laowai shopping there later ;)

[shanghaikai]

No, local gets good price on promise of rich overpaying laowai shopping there later ;)

x2

[Lu]

It all depends on how you use it. They think: laowai = rich, but if you say 'but I came from so far away, especially because I'm a friend of China, can't you give it cheaper?' that might work. It's all about the game.

I once was looking at necklaces. Chinese girl next to me was bargaining about one for herself. When she was done, I asked the lady how much one was, and used the fact that I just heard what she had sold it to the Chinese girl for to get my price down: you just sold it to her for so-and-so, you can't make me pay more! By that time another Chinese girl came over and asked about the price, and used the price I had bargained down to get her price down: you just sold it to the foreigner for so-and-so, now you can't make me pay more!

[muyongshi]

I once was looking at necklaces. Chinese girl next to me was bargaining about one for herself. When she was done, I asked the lady how much one was, and used the fact that I just heard what she had sold it to the Chinese girl for to get my price down: you just sold it to her for so-and-so, you can't make me pay more! By that time another Chinese girl came over and asked about the price, and used the price I had bargained down to get her price down: you just sold it to the foreigner for so-and-so, now you can't make me pay more!

This is the method I use the most... I try to wait until another person has asked about the price of something before I ask. Just wait and listen. They usually ignore me anyway (as long as I don't say anything- think I won't understand, etc) and then I have an idea of what they are selling it for.

[zozzen]

I always pretend to be a student, let them know i'm not a big pocket. In some cases the offer I got could even amaze many locals.

[adrianlondon]

some cases the offer I got could even amaze many locals

Which goes to show that they're not trying to rip "us" off because we're foreigners, but because we're bad at haggling. Once you've learnt that skill the price should be similar to a native. Although, like learning the Chinese language itself, haggling is a difficult subject that's best started in childhood ;)

[shanghaikai]

Ripping someone off generally involves taking advantage of someone's ignorance and ignorant foreigners are often singled out for ripping off. So yes, they ARE trying to rip "us" off because we're foreigners. The moment a vendor offers a foreigner a higher starting price than a local, irregardless of anticipated bargaining, it is about ripping off the foreigner. When a Chinese local tells you the little tricks they use to fleece more money out of a foreigner, there is no doubt about it that they are indeed trying to rip off foreigners. When they laugh and say that's what foreigners get for being stupid foreigners, that's pouring salt into the wound.

Not all Chinese are like this, but let's not deceive ourselves. Foreigners are often subject to being ripped off, both here in China and elsewhere.

[gougou]

Foreigners are often subject to being ripped off, both here in China and elsewhere.

Jonaspony had a very insightful post on that in the thread about culture shock.

[zozzen]

Ripping someone off generally involves taking advantage of someone's ignorance and ignorant foreigners are often singled out for ripping off. So yes, they ARE trying to rip "us" off because we're foreigners. The moment a vendor offers a foreigner a higher starting price than a local, irregardless of anticipated bargaining, it is about ripping off the foreigner. When a Chinese local tells you the little tricks they use to fleece more money out of a foreigner, there is no doubt about it that they are indeed trying to rip off foreigners. When they laugh and say that's what foreigners get for being stupid foreigners, that's pouring salt into the wound.

Today I was finally ripped off when i bought a bottle of water. It should be RMB1, but one shop around Shaolin sold me RMB3. The "local" price in that shop for a cigarette is RMB5, one attempted to take me RMB10. Quite surprised on this, as i haven't experienced this for a long time, but i tended to believe it was only a problem in some famous tourist areas like Shaolin. So far, i haven't felt that i was ripped off in Dengfeng.

Curious to know how often foreigners are ripped off in China? Anyone share their experience?

Which goes to show that they're not trying to rip "us" off because we're foreigners, but because we're bad at haggling. Once you've learnt that skill the price should be similar to a native. Although, like learning the Chinese language itself, haggling is a difficult subject that's best started in childhood ;)

Try to play a Friendship card and it can help ....sometimes.

it was really surprising that many shops offered me a discount because they wanted to "keep the Tongbao (comrades) of Hong Kong feel belong to their Mother country (zhuguo)".

Over the past few days, i visited many kungfu schools in Dengfeng, Shaolin and made a bargain at school fees (oh, that really can be negotitable). When i expressed my frustration at being offered a "foreigner's price" and felt dramatically upset that they didn't regard me as a "member of our great mother country", many really cut the price deadly!

One offer was RMB3000/ month, then it became RMB500/month. Another offered RMB3500, and i got RMB2000/month. Some price cuts are lesser, only around RMB500-1000, but about 6 out of 8 schools were just willing to cut the foreigner's price.

I guess, if you show that your bargain can enrich the "international friendship", it works at least in some mainland provinces that are less visited by tourists.

[chenpv]

So far, i haven't felt that i was ripped off in Dengfeng.

Well, that seems to be well attributed to this lady. Back in February during a trip there, almost every local person that I talked to was proud of her and the secure, harmonious social milieu she fought to create. Many even strongly advised me to see the photo exhibition in town depicting her old days in Dengfeng, which was not something that we got a lot today...

Edit: In order not to distract the original post, PMed zozzen answering his questions.

[zozzen]

chenpv, great thanks for the info. I'm actually looking for what Henanese is proud of, but unfortunately after i talked to many locals, most of them only mentioned "Shaolin", some talked about "Kaifeng snack food", but there's not much to talk about their cusine, clothing, pop culture and favourable news.

Do you know any other favourable hot (past or today) topics in Henan? I've arrived here only a few days, and has an urgent need to have a semblance of being one of them in this province.