Family Visits - Tiga

Robbie the Hard Bargainer by Liza

I am thankful that Robbie has practically shopped his way around Bali and Gili Trawangan because he paved the way for the women in his family. Right away, Mom and I were practically drooling over the beautiful jewelry, silks, and sarongs for sale in our first hotel in Padangbai. Robbie quickly stopped us and assured us that we would find better selection and prices later in Ubud. He also began firing us up for haggling – a skill weren't too keen on developing.

Never to fear, though, he's a great teacher. From getting our horse cart price down to $4 to getting $55 off the price of a carved sea turtle I wanted, my brother is a man who knows what he wants. I was impressed, since he spent most of his life answering to me. 0:)

When we finally arrived in Ubud, our last stop, Robbie reviewed his haggling tips in the car all the way to the village. Here are his quick tips that I remember:
1.Never buy an item from the first store you visit. Use this stop to price check.
2.Whatever price they offer, you offer at most half of the price. (This is a really difficult point for me, but even worse for Mom, who has to practically leave the store at the first sign of conflict.)
3.Whatever second price they offer, you work up a really sour grimace that makes them think you are very dissatisfied with that number. (I'm extra good at this one.)
4.As you continue to negotiate, assure them that you found the same item in a different store for the first price you offered.
5.Whatever final price you get them to, Robbie is going to ask what you got if for and he will not hide his disappointment in you if you were to soft in your negotiations.

Overall, I learned that Robbie is super good at getting his way. I thought I had this down, being the first-born and all, but I've got some refining to do! I also learned that while negotiating is kind of fun, fixed prices are much less draining.