Haggling help

[TheLeadbetterLife]

There’s a big Moroccan imports shop near me, which has some lovely things, but every time I buy something and go through the haggling palaver, I feel like I’ve done it wrong and paid over the odds.

There are no prices on anything of course, and the chap that runs it is as pushy as you’d imagine. I’ve never been to Morocco and don’t really know what he expects, or what the rules of the game are.

We are in Portugal, for context, so although I expect to pay a mark-up for the imports compared to Morocco, we’re not talking about some London boutique here. It’s a huge warehouse on a trading estate, crammed with stuff.

I want to buy a small rug this week - any seasoned hagglers got advice for a strategy?

The rule of haggling that I was taught is they go high, you say half of that number and on repeat and you meet somewhere in the middle or be prepared to walk away if it’s not the price you want. On the other hand, one country I lived in the rule was don’t start to haggle unless you are going to buy the item, i.e. it’s bad form to walk away and you risk someone running down the street after you waving the item, as happened to me. I wouldn’t haggle if the vendor won’t give me a starting price.

Go in knowing how much you could buy it from a website or another shop. Do you research before you go.
Then start your price lower than want you want to pay!
Be prepared to leave if you do not get the price you want.
You can always go back later.
I got my last car at a discount even though for ages they said I couldn't get it cheaper.