Indonesia Tourism

Part of your visits to many interesting places is to buy things such as souveneers from the local market. Unles you visit the places regularly, you will not want to miss buying things that you may dearly love. But there is a tactic for this so that you spent your money wisely and save your money for other things. Here in Indonesia, mostly in all places when talking about buying crafts, souveneers, etc. is to do bargaining. It is common everywhere here. Bargaining is to negotiate the price of the items sold by sellers, until an agreed price is reached between seller and buyer. And from the buyer point of view you will want that the price you pay is the lowest possible one.

Bargaining can be stressful if you are not accustomed to. Doing it in the first time may be difficult, but you will get experience and techniques yourself that you feel workable and satisfying. The following tips may be used as a common guide to help you do bargaining.

Bargaining is easier and more convenient if you are not alone interesting to buy an item. If there is other persons doing bargaining on the same item, listen carefully (but don't show to the seller) about their conversation and agreed price (if they do reach an agreement). If they don't reach an agreement, but you are happy with the price offered by the first buyer, you may then start to involve. You may talk to the seller that you are also interested to buy at that price. But, you will have to make sure that that price asked by the first buyer is the final one from him/her so that they are also happy with your involvement. Do this in the most difficult language, probably  with slang. So, you are now in a group with the first buyer facing the seller alone. The seller may consider your offer because more things are going to be sold. If the seller is try to persuade you both and ask for lower price, indicate to the seller that you are about to leave. If the seller strictly maintain their price and you are not happy with, leave that place while try to listen if he call you back.

If you are the first one to buy that thing, follow the following strategy:

1. Ask how much the price is the item. You may say "Berapa harganya" or "Berapa" meaning how much. The seller is likely to respond with the highest possible price.
2. Then ask the seller the actual price of that item, that is the normal price without putting too much on the top. The seller may resay the first price but may also give a new lower price than the one first said. You may say "Berapa harga sebenarnya?" or simply "Berapa sebenarnya"?
   
3. Do bargain based on this new price.
4. In bargaining, ask for below half of the price the seller just said. May be 40% of it. The seller will try to increase it bit by bit, but don't feel dropped, you also have to lower it bit by bit until it reaches the limit that you are happy to pay.
5. When you say the upper limit of your offer and the seller won't move their position, indicate to them that you are not buying and show that you are leaving. I have to say that this is very common. The seller won't give up as such to follow your offer price when you are seemed to buy according to the price they say. Mostly, they allow you step back and leave the place several steps and call you back with your price.
   
6. If they don't call you, you can try other places or stores. This time it is better for you because you have got figure about the actual price of the item. If the second seller say to you a much higher initial price (before bargaining) than the initial one from the first store, you can tell them that the first seller offered you lower than that. Do as in the first store, and pay at your price based on the price negotiated from the first store.