Bargaining in the Dominican Republic
A visit to the Dominican Republic would not be complete without bargaining. As an obvious foreigner, you may be quoted prices that are way beyond what locals would pay so what you end up paying will largely depend on your bargaining skills. Below is the highlight of a few tips to help you with bargaining in the Dominican Republic. As a general rule, if you can have somebody by your side while bargaining, take them with you. Bargaining is often a strength-in-numbers game so having someone who’s on your side can greatly increase your chances of scoring a better deal. Bargaining – whether in the Dominican Republic or anywhere else is like any other skill – you get better with it as you keep using it. If you feel awkward from the beginning or if you feel like you’re failing at it, just chalk it up as an experience and know that you’ll be better next time around.
Speaking Spanish Helps
If you can speak Spanish, even just a little bit, your chances of bargaining the price down increase indefinitely. Limited communication options caused by inability to understand each other makes for difficult bargaining no matter where you are. If you don’t speak Spanish, at least learn a few helpful phrases – “gusta, vengo despues” or “alli es mas barato” are good ones for starters and will put you in much more advantageous position when bargaining with the Dominicans. Even if you can’t speak any Spanish otherwise, few surprising phrases will make you sound like you’ve been in the country for a while and are not an easy prey.
Speaking Spanish Helps, But You Can Also Get By with Sign Language, Photo: dlakme, Flickr
Compare Prices Before Bargaining with Vendors
Knowing what to expect gives you great leverage to work with. If you end up bargaining with the first vendor you stumbled across, you don’t have the slightest idea whether the price you are paying is fair or not. It may sound like you bargained it down to 40% of originally quoted price, but that could have been 2000% above normal price. Walk around eyeing what’s available, pop in a few shops and stop by a few booths to see what others have to offer and how much they are asking for.
Blend in with the Locals
The more you look like a tourist, the more you identify yourself as affluent or unaware, the better a chance you stand at being over-quoted. On the other hand, the more you look and act like a local, the more you blend in, the better a chance you stand for bargaining the price down or being quoted less than obvious tourists. If asked when you came to the Dominican Republic, always say that you’ve been there for a while. Strike any random number that’ll make it sound like you know the country backwards – I found that 3 months works pretty well. If asked whether this is your first time in the Dominican Republic, tell them you’ve been here three times before and this is your fourth. Obvious tourists who have just arrived to the Dominican Republic for the first time are the easiest prey when it comes to overcharging. If you make it sound like you’re an old schooler in the Dominican Republic, the vendors will not dare to rip you off the same way they would with newbies.
However, even if you handle this well, wearing expensive jewellery and brand name clothes will identify you as affluent which to the vendors translates as an opportunity to score big. Blending in with the locals also means not showing the signs of affluence.
Good Starting Point for Bargaining – Offer 50% for the Merchandise
Unless you already know better, start your bargaining by offering 50% of the quoted price. You will typically know by the response you will have gotten whether the original quote was way above fair price or not. It’s a start, take the rest of bargaining from there. If you feel like the negotiations are hitting a dead-lock, simply find an excuse to walk away. Showing intentions to walk away stating that you will take a look around and think about it will likely yield a response. More often than not, you will be verbally stopped and told that OK, you can have it for the price you had asked. If you don’t get stopped, then just keep walking and forget about this store. Perhaps the vendor is not in a bargaining mood or perhaps the merchandise you were looking to buy is more expensive than you find reasonable. Being able to walk away is your most powerful bargaining tool you have as a buyer not only in the Dominican Republic, but anywhere in the world.
Dominican Republic Bargaining Summary
Always keep in mind that it’s you who has the money and it’s them who wants it. Hold off on any transaction you don’t feel entirely confident about. Never give in to any pressure from vendors. There is no such thing as limited discount, no such thing as other vendors being out of this item. In the Dominican Republic, just as in many other third world countries, people try to make the most they can out of tourists because regular jobs pay very little. As a tourist, you have to know what you can afford. If you are on a budget, bargaining will be an essential part of your everyday life. On the other hand if you can afford it, most items purchased in the Dominican Republic will end up being cheap even if you get overcharged by Dominican standards.
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