Cheap tailoring

[Matt]

so i decide its time to get some new pants

have some that a tailor in singapore made for me a couple of years ago, fit very well.

so i take them to some streetside guy who had done some alterations for me in the past, ask if he can replicate them.

Can do...customer to supply fabric - he points to a big market over the road

so i buy some "Dormellue" (sic) wool - it says made in England, but unless there is a town of that name in central China i doubt it - anyhow, it was wool according to the lighter test, and it felt quite acceptable.

1.3 metres required....the price 140000 Vietnam dong - about 8 dollars.

"Ill take three, you can discount for me, yes?"..price reduced 120000 dong so about $21 for three lengths (light gray, dark gray, navy)

back to Mr Streetside tailor.

His price...70000 dong - about $4.50 each.

So...for under 35 bucks I get myself three pairs of new pants this week.

 

[alchimiste]

so i buy some "Dormellue" (sic) wool - it says made in England, but unless there is a town of that name in central China i doubt it - anyhow, it was wool according to the lighter test, and it felt quite acceptable.

It must be cool to trust people so much that you need to burn the cloth to check that it is wool, not asbestos.

 

[Matt]

actually they pretty much volunteer it on the cloth they know to be wool - when they dont pull out the lighter you know there is something they dont want you to know...

besides, my super 900 asbestos suit is fused...doesnt dryclean well

 

[newyorker]

I am very much against bargaining when buying trivial items in developing countries. I see it as fairly hypocritical, since all of us tip 15-20% on restaurant meals in the NYC. We can afford to be more generous in other parts of the world where the extra 50 cents mean nothing to us but mean a lot to the people there.

 

[alchimiste]

so i decide its time to get some new pants

have some that a tailor in singapore made for me a couple of years ago, fit very well.

which tailor?

 

[Matt]

local guy called Lee Ya at Fu Lu Shou Centre.

Made me some decent pants and some average shirts, but never had a suit made by him

 

[Matt]

I am very much against bargaining when buying trivial items in developing countries. I see it as fairly hypocritical, since all of us tip 15-20% on restaurant meals in the NYC. We can afford to be more generous in other parts of the world where the extra 50 cents mean nothing to us but mean a lot to the people there.

....try living in one

i totally understand what youre saying - i used to say exactly the same - but its different when you live here and have to buy everything here when everyone is cranking their prices on sight.

first of all i never never get things at the cost that the locals do. never. I am always paying more, even with voracious bargaining - im still paying 50 percent more...just not paying triple. I can live with a 50 percent caucasian surcharge.

You have to bargain to accomplish two things

1. knock off any existing insane markup. There is a saying among expats here, I dont mind paying a little more but I dont like being treated like a fool. I subscribe to that theory.

2. avoid getting an insane markup next time. if u accept their price what you are saying is that you will accept ANY price. So I dont question it, Ill go back, theyll all remember me, and triple their prices knowing I am not paying attention. I accept that newly inflated price and go back, theyll all remember me........

 

[newyorker]

Quote:

(newyorker @ June 05 2005,08:10) I am very much against bargaining when buying trivial items in developing countries. I see it as fairly hypocritical, since all of us tip 15-20% on restaurant meals in the NYC. We can afford to be more generous in other parts of the world where the extra 50 cents mean nothing to us but mean a lot to the people there.
....try living in one i totally understand what youre saying - i used to say exactly the same - but its different when you live here and have to buy everything here when everyone is cranking their prices on sight. first of all i never never get things at the cost that the locals do. never. I am always paying more, even with voracious bargaining - im still paying 50 percent more...just not paying triple. I can live with a 50 percent caucasian surcharge. Â You have to bargain to accomplish two things 1. knock off any existing insane markup. Â There is a saying among expats here, I dont mind paying a little more but I dont like being treated like a fool. Â I subscribe to that theory. 2. avoid getting an insane markup next time. Â if u accept their price what you are saying is that you will accept ANY price. Â So I dont question it, Ill go back, theyll all remember me, and triple their prices knowing I am not paying attention. Â I accept that newly inflated price and go back, theyll all remember me........
i agree with you. i guess what i am saying is that perhaps if you are paying 20% more than locals for trivial items (things costing less than USD 10), let it go and just think of yourself as giving world bank development aid. but of course i don't mean pay 50% more than locals for your rent, car, etc.

 

[Matt]

my rent is just under triple what the Vietnamese girls downstairs pay for the same room - and I dont have any choice in the matter, cos no one else will give me a better price than i pay here

 

[newyorker]

my rent is just under triple what the Vietnamese girls downstairs pay for the same room - and I dont have any choice in the matter, cos no one else will give me a better price than i pay here

this is a bit unusual, and i think it calls for serious investigative economic research. the market-based economy is obviously failing here. if anything, you should be paying LOWER rent since the presence of a caucasian in a building significantly increases its prestige.

 

[Kent Wang]

I enjoy haggling actually. Well, I lived in Shanghai as a kid. I'll often contact eBay sellers directly to do some haggling.

m@T: I'm totally with you. It's sad that human nature causes people to mistake kindness for weakness or foolishness.

 

[bachbeet]

newyorker and m@t: I can see both sides. Let me offer my take. I was in the Peace Corps in Ghana. In our training, the Ghanaian trainers specifically told us to bargain. That the natives expect it and don't respect white people who don't. We also assumed we didn't get as good a deal as the natives still got, but, using newyorker's reasoning, didn't complain, considering our relative wealth.

 

[globetrotter]

Quote:

(m@T @ June 05 2005,12:28) my rent is just under triple what the Vietnamese girls downstairs pay for the same room - and I dont have any choice in the matter, cos no one else will give me a better price than i pay here
this is a bit unusual, and i think it calls for serious investigative economic research. the market-based economy is obviously failing here. if anything, you should be paying LOWER rent since the presence of a caucasian in a building significantly increases its prestige.
that is always the case for expats, locals see it as a good chance to make better money, even if we are talking about amercican expat execs living in germany, or europeans living in india. that is life

 

[Matt]

Quote:

(newyorker @ June 05 2005,09:47)

Originally Posted by m@T,June 05 2005,12:28

my rent is just under triple what the Vietnamese girls downstairs pay for the same room - and I dont have any choice in the matter, cos no one else will give me a better price than i pay here
this is a bit unusual, and i think it calls for serious investigative economic research. the market-based economy is obviously failing here. if anything, you should be paying LOWER rent since the presence of a caucasian in a building significantly increases its prestige.
that is always the case for expats, locals see it as a good chance to make better money, even if we are talking about amercican expat execs living in germany, or europeans living in india. that is life
oh no doubt - im more than used to it these days (coming on 4 yrs in Asia over three countries and constant regional travel in the past)...just taking up the point that i shouldnt be paying extra on rent, car et al

 

[alchimiste]

I think there is a tendency to overestimate the wealth of foreigners.