Bargining or haggling is a tradition in Turkey as in many other countries. Shoppers in Europe bargain over price when they buy cars, houses and other expensive items. In Turkey, bargaining is extended to include many less valuable items, esapecially unique hanmade goods such as carpets, crafts, artwork and antiques, items which do not have standardized prices. Many people find bargaining tedious and distasteful. Get over it! "Pazarlik" / bargaining/ is a social as well as a business practice in Turkey, and can be relatively pleasant when done properly. A few simple bargaining or haggling tips will help you get the best price for whatever you buy in Alanya.

·     know the market, examine goods and ask prices in several shops / at least three/ to get a sense of the market before bargaining

·     don`t show enthusiasm for the item you want, a poker face pays off :) look at several items, ask the pprices for several items, whether you`re interested in them or not, act as though the piece you really, really want is only so-so, not a big deal :)

·     let the shop keeper quote the first price, if a shop keeper asks " what will you pay?" you shoulld ask again "ne kadar ?" / what`s the price/, of course the shopkeepers price will be higher than you expect to pay. There is no fixed formula for making your counter-offer. It should be substantially less than you expect or want to pay, a half or even a quarter of the shopkeeper`s price /depending on how inflated that is/. If your counter-offer is too low, however, the salesman will know he`s dealing with someone who doesn`t know the market or doesn`t get what bargaining is all about.

·     if you buy several items, get "indirim" / discount/ as anywhere in the world is much easier to get discount if buying several items at one shop

·     don`t haggle over pennies , if you`re close to agreement on price, don`t let a few "kuruş" /turkish pennies/ get in the way of your satisfaction

 ·     don`t be afraid to walk away... and perhaps to come back. It`s one of those philosphical conundrums: you get the best price on an item if you can convince yourself that you really don`t need it :) don`t feel obligated to buy unless you`ve agreed on a price - shopping is a social custom in Turkey, you will be offered tea, coffee or soft drinks, and perhaps cigarettes, snacks, perhaps even a meal. the shop keeper may wait on you for a considerable time, showing you dozens of items and explaining their qualities. Even so, you are not obligated to buy anything at all ! Distrust any salesman who tries to burden you with the feeling that you should buy "because s/he has spent a lot of time with you", just leave the shop and don`t go back. You have no obligation whatsoever !

•  if you offer a price and the shopkeeper agrees to it, you`ve made a verbal contract and you have an obligation to buy the item at the price agreeed upon, so don`t offer a price unless you`re ready to buy the item at that price.
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