Your Guide to Bargaining in Guatemala

Not much of a shopper but want to learn to haggle anyway? Take it from someone who once accidentally bargained a vendor to sell me something at a higher price than before. Yeah, oops. The moral of the story is, if I can learn to be a master bargainer, you can do too!

Follow these guidelines, and before you know it you’ll be out on the streets having the time of your life bargaining for everything from bananas to handicrafts and doing it in a way that’s culturally sensitive to boot.

Bargaining and Guatemalan Culture

Before we get into the ground rules of bargaining in Guatemala, it’s important to note how bargaining fits into Guatemalan culture as a whole. Historically, most rural Guatemalans lived in scattered and isolated communities. Coming into town to go to the market was their chance to visit friends, connect as a community, and stock up on supplies.

Although some things have changed and people are less isolated, going to the market still isn’t just about buying stuff, its about the people you meet and interact with while you’re there. This gives us an important clue in what our approach to bargaining should be: Yes, bargaining is partly about getting great deals, but at its heart it’s about connecting with the humans around us.

My dad and long-time Guatemalan resident, Rick McArthur, sums it up this way:

“I enjoy conversing, joking around and just getting to know the seller while interspersing bargaining as part of the conversation. Don’t look at bargaining as merely trying to get a better price, see it as part of showing respect and appreciation for the other person through your interest in them.”

Remember this key point, and you’ll avoid committing many cultural and bargaining faux pas and have a lot more fun haggling.

Basic Bargaining Rules

Now let’s get into the good stuff. Here are some essential guidelines you can apply to pretty much any bargaining situation.

Rule number one:

Don’t start bargaining unless you actually want the item you’re bargaining for.

Rule number two:

If the vendor agrees to your price, buy the item! Not to do so is rude, rude, rude.

Rule number three:

Before you start bargaining, get an idea what the usual starting price is for the item you want. Do this by asking several different vendors how much an item costs. Some vendors try to take advantage of foreigners by jacking up their starting price, while others are much more classy (or “buena onda” as we’d say here) and give reasonable amounts from the get go. Once you’ve asked around a bit, you’ll have a good idea what an average starting price is for the item you’re looking for.

Rule number four:

Another good idea is to think through what you’d like to pay for the item you want. We’ll call this your target price. Your first counter-offer should be lower than your target price, but still reasonable.

For example, a vendor tells you that carrots cost twelve quetzals a dozen, and you want to pay ten. Your first counter-offer could be eight quetzals.

Rule number five:

Be sensitive to the fact that Guatemalans perceive most foreigners as being quite well off, and by comparison, most of us are. Don’t degrade them by demanding dirt cheap prices or getting offended if you don’t get quite as good deals as locals. Remember, the goal isn’t only the low prices, it’s about those human connections. You and the vendor should both be happy with the transaction at the end.

What can you bargain for in Guatemala?

Bargaining in Guatemala is usually reserved for informal settings such as farmers markets, street stalls, among ambulatory vendors and in used clothing stores (called “pacas”).

It is common to bargain for fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, used clothing sold at the side of the road or in small towns, and sometimes when hiring guides or transportation services for a large group.

It is usually inappropriate to bargain at restaurants, butcher shops, grocery stores, corner stores, or roadside eateries. If an item already has a price on it, you probably can’t (or shouldn’t!) bargain for it.

Bargaining Tips and Trips

Pay Attention to Quality

When you compare items from different vendors, pay attention to the quality. Does it have a liner? How is the stitching? Is the cloth hand or machine woven?

Sometimes a vendor’s prices will be higher than a competitors for good reason.

Note: Most vendors are usually happy to point out what make their wares so great, whether its a sweeter/tastier variety of fruit, yellow-skin versus white-skin chicken, or a bag made with fabric from genuine traditional clothing as opposed to cloth patterned on a machine.

Price too high? Go somewhere else!

If a price seems outrageous to you, especially if the vendor can’t give convincing reasons for the high price, just go somewhere else. One benefit of a free market system is that most vendors sell similar goods.

Is it always okay to bargain?

If you’re in a situation where you’re not sure if its okay to bargain, simply ask the vendor if that’s their best price. If they say yes, then you know bargaining is out.

You can say, “Cuanto lo menos?” (Is that the lowest?)

Price Matching

If you’ve seen a similar item for a lower price somewhere else, use that as a bargaining chip. For example, “Last week I bought a dozen oranges for eight quetzals!” The vendor might say, “Oh, but they probably weren’t this big or this juicy.” And you can counter, “They were the same size and very sweet and juicy.”

The vendor still might not match the exact price you found before, but they might give you a better deal than they would have otherwise.

Buy in Bulk

Want to get one hundred bracelets for your friends back home? Be sure to tell the vendor you’re looking to buy a lot and they’ll be more likely to give you a better deal.

Walk Away

If a vendor refuses to come down to your target price and you’re not willing to buy it for more, take a risk: shrug and walk away. They might call you back, “All right, all right, take it!”

Get into it with your acting skills

Feel free to point out flaws in the product (“Look at this stitching!”, shake your head, act surprised (or shocked) at their prices, use a cajoling tone, and repeat your offer more than once.

Be friendly

Remember to be friendly and polite. It’s acceptable and usually well-received to ask the vendor about themselves, their families, where they come from, if they make the wares their selling, or where they source them. You might learn something and make a new friend while you’re at it.

When a vendor says this, it means “yes”

If you make a counter offer, and vendor says, “How many do you want?” It means they’ve agreed to your price but are pushing for an upsell. You can say, “only one” or “half a dozen” and still get the same per item price.

Say hello and goodbye

It’s good form to greet a vendor when you walk into their shop or space, or consider their wares. Likewise, offer a friendly “gracias” or “se cuida” (take care) when you leave.

How to say no

If a street vendor gets very pushy and aggressive after you’ve already said “no gracias”, avoid eye contact, continue with what you’re doing, and if necessary, shake your index finger at them. This is a very strong “no”.

What if the stuff seems too cheap?

Rick McArthur shares this bargaining story:

Someone who came down… who spoke Spanish was excited about trying his hand at bargaining. The first time he was told what the price was on an item, his response was “How can it be so cheap?” I laughed and told him wasn’t going to develop any bargaining skills that way.

A vendor will never sell you anything for a loss. Coming from the west, some things seem like they are just too cheap, and we wonder how people can make a living. Paying way over price doesn’t change the harsh realities many face daily, it just makes you look like a fool in the eyes of the vendor. Bargaining is one of the ways we honor and show respect to others who are providing us with things that we both value…

Conclusion

Now that you have these bargaining guidelines and tips and tricks in your repertoire, it’s time to get out on the streets, highways and byways and put your new-found bargaining tips to use!

Bargaining is a fun and satisfying way to connect to Guatemalan culture, use your language skills (however rudimentary) and come home with some trophies to show for your hard work.

Have fun!

***A version of this post first appeared on GuateAdventure.com***