Asalaam Aliakum everyone! I’m going to pakistan in October, and i’m kind of freaking out a little bit. I’m traveling with my mom, and we really will not be getting any help shopping in Lahore.
I’m scared that they will know that we are “outsiders” and rip us off, lol, likewise. My concern is that how much bargaining should i do, if any?
Any ideas how high the owners or employees raise their prices to customers?
Because those guys are smart, if you bargain too low, the next outfit you ask for, they will simply riase the price even higher. Why cant all they stores just have fixed pricings!
I really wish there could be some sort of system set up, where someone from the area you will be traveling to, can come shopping with you, lol. That would actually make things so much easier. This makes sense, since they so live there, and know the pricings and good shops to go to.
I think i’m just getting way too stressed out! HELP =(
Hmm...yeah YP is right. If your mom grew up in Pakistan (like my mom did) have her do the talking. Do NOT open your mouth at all. They figure it out, all right--even with flawless urdu and then they'll jack up the prices like no other.
Bargaining is hard! My mom can't do it any more either...we had to go with my moomanis and stuff.
What DOES work most of the time though is like telling them that you're gonna leave if they dont lower the price. They usually give it to you then. At least in my experience.
lol, my mom did grow up in Pakistan, and she speaks perfect urdu, but right when she gets caught up dealing with the workers, shes like ill only pay 3000 "DOLLARS" for that, and right away they start laughing, and there i know, its all over for that trip, lol, she cant stop saying dollar, because shes so use to it.
^ Haha... That's some good advice! I need to tell my mom about that too.. She has the whole 'dollar' thing too..!
I speak urdu just fine but since I don't speak much of it, I find it hard to communicate solely in urdu.. And when I speak english, I have an american accent so even if I am speaking to my mom or cousins infront of the shopekeepers, they will know I am from "umreeka"..! Ugh.. I have clear instructions to keep my mouth shut when we go out to the bazaarz.
^ you guys could whisper in your Mum’s ear and they wouldn’t hear you… but these ppl are prettey teiz.
I personally try to quote less then 50% of the price quoted, and work my way up, but not too much. Remember, shopkeepers will try and make you feel like a fool for quoting a low price but stand your ground… just tell 'em if this is unsuitable for you then fine, I’ll leave it pretend to walk off and they will call you back with “arey beheiN bethye tou, baat tou kijye”
go to the fixed prices shops like Salim fabrics (Liberty), raja saab (link road), Maisoon boutique (Liberty) etc & u won't face any problem, now most of the shops/boutiques in Lahore have fixed prices.. now the bargaining only works in Aurega center or where there r all Pathans. Pathans raise their rates for modern fashionable ladies, whenever I go to Pakistan while shopping in these types of places I always take big shawl or dopatta on my head & cover nicely, so it gives a good impression+ doesnot give any hint of being an "outsider".. Gauranteed!!!
I pretend im from a pind village and dont know how to speak urdu, also dress down etc, and whisper to the accompanying local person. Sometimes it works, mostly they figure it out cos they have super strong hearing and sometimes they say straight away " u r from outside".
yeh dont look like ur from abroad. dress like kurris do there (seedi saadi lahori bachi) and dont speak.
whenever i go to karachi and i never speak just point to the clothes and let my mum and cousin do all the bargaining.
my mums got used to all the bargaining stuff, but sometimes when u walk away when negotiating price they dont call you back and i started having a fit, esp if i love the suit, lool.
When in pakistan i prefer to shop with my husband, he always says to me "don't speak cos then u ruin everything" and then i point out something marvellous and he gets bargaining, then he walks away and i'm like "NNOOOOOOO!" but then they always call him back.
From what I have learned on my shopping trips you have to quote them about half of what they are actually saying and yeah they pretend that you are really stupid for quoting them that price but eventually they end up giving it to u
when i went to pk...i went shoping w/ my khalas...they told me just make selection don't show interest that u rrrally really like the dress...etc...but i can't help it :P maybe thats one of their trick or something.
oh yeah , in karachi dukander also asked for a drink meaning sharbat etc..pepsi,coke..
after we had the pepsi we left the shop w/o buying anything..i was like he offered us drink at least buy somehting...they were like pepsi is bribing..lol
If anything is in hundreds knock it down by 200, if anything is in thousands knock it down by 2,000! Best of luck! Yeah get all u're cousins and siblings to do the talking...
im always asked ot keep my mouth shut when i go to to pakistan. cause of my extreme accent and mest up urdu people attomatically know im not from pakistan.
im also not allowed to wear jeans over there. and this time when i go to pakistan since the halat and stuff is so bad im thinking to just wear an abaya .
aaah, the art of bargaining for anything and everything, in pakistan! yes, it is truly an art for the likes of us living abroad those shopkeepers will KNOW u’re not from around there…it’s like written on our foreheads i tell ya
if u can’t get any local help for ur shopping, it’ll be tough, but i’m sure u guys can manage…as everyone else has already stated here, start as lowwwww as possible… lower than 50% of their asking price…and don’t jump up too high…so if someone asks for 2000 rs. for something, offer them 700…they’ll give u a weird look of course…that’s their ploy…and don’t jump up too high…don’t even offer anything more than that till the shopkeeper starts reducing the price…and even then, increment by 40/50 rs. at a time…don’t cross the 50% of the asking price mark, walk away if the shopkeeper isn’t willing to budge…they will ask u to come back and then they’ll negotiate a better deal best of luck! :k:
pretend to walk off and they will call you back with “arey beheiN bethye tou, baat tou kijye”
those shopkeepers will KNOW u’re not from around there…it’s like written on our foreheads i tell ya 
best of luck! :k: