Hi my family %26amp; I are coming to kuala lumpur for a holiday 15 April to 25 April. Am curious as to haggling in the markets do not want to offend by starting to low have read conflicting advice regarding where to start ranging from 25% to 50% what would you suggest?
Also am concerned about traveling in taxis re them not wanting to use meters as I am traveling with 2 children aged 7 %26amp; 10 do not want to get into any altercations/disagreements how hard is it to find a taxi that is willing to use thier meters
Thankyou
Kuala Lumpur Question haggling %26amp; Taxis
Hi
They will not be offened, they rely on people being scared to start too low. If you start at 50%, the inital asking price, they vendor will rub their hands!!
When shopping at night or street markets have a real look around the night market and decide what you want to buy first before you ask the price of anything and then stick to that price whatever the vendor asks. When you ask the price this is often seen as the start of the bargaining process, which for the Brits is against the natural culture as we like to look, pick it up, see the price then decide! What you pay (when bargaining) will be what you want to pay, so if you think AU$10 is your max price, they ask for $20, start your bartering at $5 or lower and not at $10. If you are experience it will be easy, for the majority of us Brits its difficult as we don%26#39;t want to offend the vendor and the traders rub their hands when we turn up as we will often pay asking price (not me!). When you first ask the price it will be very inflated, and as a rule of thumb you will end up paying about third to half what they first ask, so don%26#39;t start your offer at 50%. If about half the price is what you are prepared to pay, then offer them 25%, so they ask 100, you offer 25 and then you too and fro with figures until you meet at 50 [hope that makes sense]. If they won%26#39;t bargain, then just walk away, if they want a sale they will call you back, if not then you either pay more or find another bargain on the next stall.
Most / Some Taxi drivers will be very reluctant to use their meters - so we don%26#39;t use them. Some areas have taxi counters so try to use these as its a pre-pay system. Most taxi trips around town will be about 10-20myr at the most. Most of the sights in KL are walkable, or use the monorail /train (less than 2myr per journey), so look at that as well, or a combination. Will also make it more excisting for the children. We would love travelling the train etc when we were their age (yes they did have trains then).
Have fun.
Kuala Lumpur Question haggling %26amp; Taxis
Hi Thankyou so much Travellingmitch for your informative insight, sounds brilliant so we will start at 25% of price and see how we go, will let you all know how my haggling skills go, the hardest will be trying to get my girls to play along without them throwing a tanty when we walk away saying to dear.
Taxi%26#39;s? totally agree with you about the monorail/public transport my girls will get a real thrill out of this and a much better way to meet the locals. Would still like some info on taxi%26#39;s though as we are staying out of Kl at a 3 bedroom apartment in a gated community, the suburb is called Sentul West is it terribly hard to get them to use their meters or at least charge a reasonable fixed price.
Hi JeanetteC0
Tip for using taxi.
Do not board taxis that are idle,loitering beside the street(preying for innocent victim)
Especailly the taxis waiting infront of Hotel,Bus station,railway station.
Flag down taxi that are in motion,better chance that they will use the meter but back off if the driver refuse to use the meter and try next one
Taxi that use prepaid system:KL sentral.
Ride LRT to KL sentral to board taxi to your hotel (cost more slightly but will not be ripped off)
TravellingMitch has offered very decent and realistic comments on bargaining. Basically, as a tourist/foreigner/white person (sorry if I%26#39;m not PC!), you%26#39;ll be ripped off no matter how hard you bargain (ditto with cabbies who don%26#39;t use the meter). If you%26#39;ve a local friend, your haggling problems are over (just make sure you ';keep away'; when your mate%26#39;s bargaining!). Otherwise, a general rule of thumb is knock down the vendor%26#39;s initial price by at least 75% (no kidding) and work up from there. Pay only what you%26#39;re willing to part with ... there%26#39;s no ';wrong or right';. Vendors are getting smart (they%26#39;ve since realized even tourists have learnt to hagge) so they really do bump up prices by an indecent amount.
Leopang%26#39;s also right about his comments on cabbies. Always flag down cabs which are on-the-move, not ones that are idling (you%26#39;ll see lots of those at major malls like The Pavilion). Cabbies excuses range from ';traffic jam, meter can%26#39;t move'; to ';it%26#39;s raining, meter can%26#39;t move'; ... ALL excuses are nonsense ... it%26#39;s just their way to earn more money illegally (tourists/foreigners/white folk = lots of dosh = they have it, I don%26#39;t so they should pass their fortune onto me!).
Sentul West is actually a suburb of KL, approx 20 mins from downtown on a ';good day'; (ie no traffic jams/no rain). Cab rides shouldn%26#39;t cost more than RM15 per trip. If you decide to catch the LRT or monorail, please watch your belongings and avoid both at peak hours (7.30am to 9.30am; 4.30pm to 7.30pm) ... they%26#39;re chockers and pickpockets use this opportunity. On another safety note, please either wear a money belt (tucked under your clothes) or sling your handbag across your chest (snatch thefts are on the rise).
Believe me Jeanette if you walk away cause you think its too dear, they will call you back in and ask you to name your price on their calculator. True story- my daughter wanted a fake guess bag- he started at $180MYR i laughed then he said how much you want - well obviously I want it for $30MYR- oh no that is too little.....well said most we will pay is $40MYR (to me $10-15 is acceptable for a fake), nope he wanted $50MYR.......so we began to walk away....you guessed it we got it for $40MYR. to be honest the people who barter are the ones who will normally get it for the correct or close enough price. After an hour or so you will be over being asked if you want a bag or watch or dvd that you will barter with glee just to have your own revenge LOL
Some advice that I had on here before I left for our trip was to say your price- if it is too low they will not accept it and let you walk away. Only once did this happen but then a shop further on was willing to take our price.
Thanks everyone for your advice will certainly take it all on board.
I love these forums have never used them before a trip and have had to learn the hard way on many occassions, this is brilliant
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