That old man at the bus station in Morocco taught me a lesson about haggling

I was waiting for a bus in Marrakech back in 2019, and an older local guy sat next to me and asked what I paid for my djellaba. When I told him 200 dirhams, he just shook his head and showed me the receipt for his identical one at 80 dirhams - same shop, same stall, just a different day. Has anyone else had a stranger give them a reality check about overpaying while traveling?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert2481h ago

That line about the same shop, same stall, just a different day really hit me. I had a similar moment in Istanbul when a guy selling carpets showed me the exact same rug I bought for way too much, just with a different tag on it. It stung in the moment but honestly it taught me that haggling isn't really about getting the lowest price, it's about not being totally clueless either. I still think about that old man sometimes when I'm shopping anywhere new and trying to figure out fair prices.

the_andrew54m ago

@robert248 that's a great way to put it. For me, I started treating haggling like a game instead of a fight. The first price is almost always a test, right? So I'd just smile and toss out a number that felt fair to me, not the lowest I could possibly go. I learned that if you act casual and friendly, sellers will often meet you in the middle just to keep the good vibe going. One time in Marrakech a guy actually laughed at my offer, then gave me the thing for exactly that price because I made him laugh. It's all about reading the room and not taking it too seriously.