The Art Of Bargaining In Sao Paulo..The Jeito!
Written: Mar 17 '01
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Pros: The industrialized heart of Brazil;
Cons: Unsuspicious tourists, beware of some vendors
The Bottom Line: If you want to see the business side of Brazil, then exit Rio de Janeiro! If you don't know how to bargain and be courteous to customers, you need this.
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| charles's Full Review: São Paulo |
Just the same way any North American or European business person who has been living in the country will tell you that you have to learn the Brazilian way, most first-time tourists may complain about being ripped off by one of the thousands street vendors or souvenir sales people. Yet, most natives will be more than happy to teach you the Jeito, the typically Brazilian thing. It's the Brazilian way of doing things which most tourists and foreigners don't seem to get at all. Hey, what's so strange about it any way? Sao Paulo may be one of the most expensive places to conduct business after, of course, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Washington DC, but to a large extent, it remains an integral part of the overall Brazilian business culture.
How to avoid being ripped off and perceived as rude down there!
The art of bargaining
I can't remember how many times I have seen some tourists being mortified after purchasing something on the streets. When returning to their hotel room, it finally dawned on them that they had paid too much for the items. They got ripped off. When you go from one culture to the next, a lot of things have changed without your realizing it. People tend to to do some things differently. In fact, for most Western countries where prices are fixed at the malls, shopping and retail centers, an uninformed Brazilian, Costa Rican, or Chilean or Peruvian or anybody from Latin America may not think about bargaining.
What are the premises of bargaining any way?
Your main goal is to use all kinds of transaction techniques to get the seller or vendor to lower his or her prices. This means that you must know that the price was set higher than normal to begin with. In other words, the asking price will never be the final one. If you are an unsuspicious tourist, you will just go ahead and fork over the money. The idea is to ask questions about unrelated matters such as family, crops, headline news, (stay away from political comments in third world countries), family members, school, tourism, ecotourism etc. Why do you have to engage into small talks? Most people like doing business with their friends after all.
Bargaining may not apply to trendy stores and ethnic restaurants in Sao Paulo though
One of the funny things about metropolises is that they are more the same. In a lot of ways, you may find yourself entering a store in Sao Paulo and behave just like any other important business centers such as San Franciso, Paris, Hong Kong or ...These are different, specific cases. Most bargaining occurs on the streets after all. So you need to understand the way the vendors function. You will know that you have been taken for a ride if you don't take a few minutes to bargain. If the seller does not want to accept your price, attempt to move away. There are other fish in the ocean, other similar items at the open air market. The reaction will be brisk. You need to figure out that a good sales person is somebody who is good at analyzing human behavior. If he/she sees that you truly want his/her items, they will never lower the prices for you. Once you try to distance yourself from them, they may start telling you stories to make you realize that by selling this painting, for example, will put food on the table for the whole family. There may be sad stories. Equip yourself for them. Remember that most of them are not true. This is not saying that poverty does not exist in the country. Just take a look at the surrounding flavelas where most crimes are broadcasted live on radio and tv.
The success to get great bargains on Sao Paulo streets and any other third world countries is be emotionless while shopping. Don't say, "how cute," "I must have this one" loud enough for the vendor to hear. Keep these utterances in our heart. If you still don't get the price you want, go away and walk by later. The vendors will call you by name. They have not forgotten you at all. Their goal is to sell and get rid of the merchandises. Your goal is to get new souvenirs of the country. This is better than ebay.com if you are familiar with it. When you feel comfortable with the lowered price, tell the seller that you want him to have good business with you. In turn, he or she may tell you that they want to give it to you for this price. They may even want to share some coffee with you. You have become a friend. You see, that's part of the Brazilian Jeito.
Eat at the trendy local restaurants
Once you are done, don't hesitate to check out the well-known culinary styles of Sao Paulo. The great thing is that you can sample foods from various ethnic groups. There is no bargaining here. Remember this. After all, you don't want to be seen as the cheap traveler. Enjoy the night life in Sao Paulo. If you are on a budget, make sure you take some time to shop for the right hotel. Most hotels can be very expensive there. But, you will be able to afford one to stay at.
May you find your way to get the best products in Brazil! Bargain your way to success there.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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charles
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Location: CA, USA
Reviews written: 1079
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