Quote:
Originally Posted by FizzyFish  I try to avoid using English at all costs. General experiences have lead me to the conclusion that speaking in English puts the price up...or certainly won't let it drop as far as possible.
Certainly in Beijing buying stuff when speaking English puts the price sky high. Once you start negotiating in Putonghua attitudes change and the price comes down faster.
Laowai you hen duo qian!
I would like to test the theory in the real world more though. When I get a chance to go to Guangdong I may try and do a little experiment and see who, between me and some Chinese friends, can get the best deals on the same items from the same seller... |
Haha... it's certainly true that speaking foreign languages gets you higher prices. This is true everywhere where prices are flexible.
In my case, I negotiate with them over phone in putonghua, then in email I use English just cos I'm lazy but they know I'm not laowai anyway.
Even if you speak putonghua, they can tell if you are laowai or not.
But I guess it does help.
You don't have to test the theory because I can share with you one of my experience that says it all.
In a big country like China, they try to rip you off even if you are from the same country but from another province.
Chinese people regard Chinese from other provinces as "outsiders."
On the premise that such a person do not know the place and prices well, they can be ripped off easily.
In direct translation to Chinese language, they call people from other provinces "outside land people (wai di ren)" and those from other countries are called "outside country people (wai guo ren)."
So there is a distinction between provinces as well.
People from one province know straight away if they hear someone from another province speak - this is because each province has their own dialect.
When I was in Guilin for a holiday, I had a local guide take us around.
He was a very nice and honest guy. One day my camera got damaged by the rain and I asked him to take me to a repair place.
He brought me to this shop which he knew the people were professional in fixing Canon cameras.
Before we went in, he told me not to say anything and he would do all the talking.
He told me that if they heard me speak (and I spoke putonghua to him), they would know that I am not local and they would push up the prices.
I got my camera fixed for 6 times less than the price it would cost me in my country (i had the same problem before so I know exact prices).
And it would probably cost even more in other Western countries!
I could not believe the price I paid.
My camera is still working to this day.
.
