Last week when we were in Cozumel, my wife was disappointed in the that very few if any of the shop's would negotiate prices anymore. Most claimed that the prices were "as marked". i don't know if it was just that we were not at the downtown port (Punta Longusta)or if the shop owners are getting together and trying to establish a new policy of prices as marked. The only places we bought anything was from the shops that did bargain a bit with us, but again we were disappointed.
Has anyone else been there lately and experienced this?
__________________
================================================== ========== Carnival Cruise Lines:
Fantasy 90, Celebration 95, Victory 05, Conquest 05, Spirit 6/06, Freedom 6/08, Holiday 7/08, Victory 6/09, Valor 9/09, Dream 6/10, Splendor 8/10,Conquest 8/11,Magic 11/11,Triumph 4/12,Spirit 7/12,Freedom 11/12, Triumph 2/13 - The fire cruise
NCL Dream October 2006, RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007
When we were there last July they didn't seem willing to barter too much. I usually don't try, I'll just go on to another store. They've all got pretty much the same stuff, and eventually you find a decent price. If not, I can live without it.
What I've noticed in the last 3 cruises to the Caribbean is that each island pretty much has the same products and at the same prices...Seems someone has organized all the vendors into a network....
We never haggle anyone in any ports as they deserve every penny for the items they are selling. We pay what ever the price is as we know it takes a long time for someone to make these items.
I negotiate every purchase on the islands. It's really not a question to me whether they deserve it or not. It is a business transaction in my eyes. I'm sure most of them expect it and figure it in to the asking price. They know the profit sale point of any given item.
And I am not talking just craft items. I am talking factory made T-Shirts and jewelery type stuff too. They must love you if you walk into a T-Shirt shop and pay $25 for a cheap quality T-shirt. We have been to these same islands often enough to know the cost of most items and what they typical sell for. MOST sales people start at 200% to 300% of what they would sell an item for. If you are willing to over pay by that amount, fine.. I don't need to buy their things if I can get them at half the cost in the states...
__________________
================================================== ========== Carnival Cruise Lines:
Fantasy 90, Celebration 95, Victory 05, Conquest 05, Spirit 6/06, Freedom 6/08, Holiday 7/08, Victory 6/09, Valor 9/09, Dream 6/10, Splendor 8/10,Conquest 8/11,Magic 11/11,Triumph 4/12,Spirit 7/12,Freedom 11/12, Triumph 2/13 - The fire cruise
NCL Dream October 2006, RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007
We agree with Penny, if we see any item too costly we just keep walking. We do not buy t-shirts for $25, the most I have pay for these are $5. My wife knows what is good quality and what is bad. Also, we check to make sure it's not imported from China or else where. When you buy stuff in stores in Canada you can not haggle the price, so if you do not agree with the price just walk away and go else where. You have to shop around and get the best quality and best price. We have seem stuff from China and know it's marked up a lot and will not touch it. We can't be brother to haggle as we are on vacation and there is not much time in the ports, so why waste it. I will tell you what happen last December in St. Lucia. We purchase about 8 items from this one family booth and pay. Then about 10 minutes later two kids came running up to us and handed us $2 as they say they over charge us!!!! So we went back to the booth and purchase several items to show that we like what they did. You do not see this too often, if any.
Linear Mode
