Bargaining in China
Bargaining
Bargaining is necessary when making purchases. Here are some suggestions.
Know exactly what do you want and go to several stores or vendor stands to note the prices for the item you want to buy.
If you are not satisfied with the price given by the vendor, walk off. The vendor will probably call you back and sell his things to you at your price. Don't let the vendor feel that you are eager to buy anything or you will be asked a very high price that will be hard to negotiate.
If the price the vendor asks is much more than your budget, tell him or her that while you have other choices about the item you want, you think that his or hers is the best. Probably the vendor will reduce the price in response to your positive remarks.
It is good to shop with a friend or friends who offer to buy the same thing you want. Offering to buy more than one item gives you bargaining power and can bring down the final price.
Tell the vendor that you are very familiar with the price of the item you want to buy. You can probably get a satisfactory price. Remember even though you are not an expert on the price of that item, you should pretend to be.
Don't feel shy about bargaining with vendors. Start with offering to pay an amount below what you will finally agree to. The vendor will no doubt counter with an amount double your offer. You reply with a price a bit above your original. If the vendor does not accept your price and if you really want to buy it, you can increase your price little by little.
Related Reading: What/Where to Buy in China
Weights and Measures
To purchase things in China with the most reasonable price, it is important to know the rules of weights and measures. Hereunder list the common ones:
An Ancient Standard of weights and measures has been followed by Chinese for over 2,000 years, and it is impossible to ignore its wide use. Still, with the development of society and the requirements for keeping pace with the world, China also accepts the metric system. As a result, both the Chinese system and the metric are in wide use throughout the country. The conversion between metric, the Chinese system and the imperial system are offered below for ease of communication in China.
Linear Measure|
1
|
100
|
0.002
|
3
|
1.094
|
3.2808
|
39.37
|
|
0.01
|
1
|
0.00002
|
0.03
|
0.01094
|
0.03281
|
0.3937
|
|
500
|
50000
|
1
|
1500.15
|
546.81
|
1640.42
|
19685.04
|
|
0.3333
|
33.33
|
0.0007
|
1
|
0.3646
|
1.094
|
13.123
|
|
0.9144
|
91.44
|
0.0018
|
2.743
|
1
|
3
|
36
|
|
0.3048
|
30.48
|
0.0006
|
0.9144
|
0.3334
|
1
|
12
|
|
0.0254
|
2.54
|
0.00005
|
0.0762
|
0.0278
|
0.833
|
1
|
1 kilometer is equal to 1000 meters and is about 0.6 miles.
Unit of Weight|
Gram
|
||||
|
1
|
1000
|
2
|
20
|
2.2046
|
|
0.001
|
1
|
0.002
|
0.02
|
0.0022
|
|
0.5
|
500
|
1
|
10
|
1.1023
|
|
0.05
|
50
|
0.1
|
1
|
0.1102
|
|
0.4536
|
453.59
|
0.9072
|
9.072
|
1
|
Square Measure|
1
|
10000
|
15
|
2.471
|
11959.9
|
107639.1
|
|
0.0001
|
1
|
0.001493
|
0.000247105
|
1.1960
|
10.7639
|
|
0.06667
|
666.6667
|
1
|
0.16474
|
797.3528
|
7176.1755
|
|
0.40469
|
4046.86
|
6.07029
|
1
|
4840.1627
|
43561.46
|
|
0.00008361
|
0.8361
|
0.001254
|
0.0002066
|
1
|
9
|
|
0.00000929
|
0.0929
|
0.0001393
|
0.00002296
|
0.1111
|
1
|
Measure of Capacity|
Chinese System
|
||||
|
Sheng
|
||||
|
1
|
0.001
|
1
|
0.22
|
0.264
|
|
0.001
|
1
|
1000
|
219.9688
|
264.1729
|
|
4.564
|
0.0045461
|
4.564
|
1
|
1.201
|
|
3.785
|
0.0037854
|
3.785
|
0.833
|
1
|
Measure of Temperature C) |
- 17.8
|
- 10
|
- 5
|
0
|
5
|
10
|
15
|
20
|
25
|
30
|
35
|
40
|
100
|
|
Fahrenheit (
F) |
0
|
14
|
23
|
32
|
41
|
50
|
59
|
68
|
77
|
86
|
95
|
104
|
212
|
|