Advice for Bartering/Making a Deal

The best tip is to learn numbers in Arabic, and to learn Arabic at least to manage in the street and when you go shopping!
If you don t know numbers, even in big shops they ask you for more to pay, because sometimes prices are written on the labels in Arabic.
i have learnt numbers helped and using car numbers, in just one day, of course, after I was tricked and I paid for a blouse 100 LE more. Some cars have numbers both in Arabic and in English, so easily to be learnt!
Other tip" Go shopping in your area" or at least in the same area you used to do it!
In this way, people there know you, give you discounts, and even you could deal!
For visitors, they could pay how sellers ask, they don t matter it, and finally they stay here little time, so they allow themselves to spend for their vacation more!

I can read arabic numbers but in the gift shop, nothing priced I agree with neighborhood shopping and alliances. Good things based on trust and respect

MLB4861 wrote:

I can read arabic numbers but in the gift shop, nothing priced I agree with neighborhood shopping and alliances. Good things based on trust and respect

Trust and respect here, in this part of the world?
When you find something like this here, please just let me to know!
And it is " a must" not only to read them!
By the way! Gift shops are mostly for visitors, so... pay how much they ask!

@valibilic

Trust & respect exist in every part of the world even here, I don't like generalization apparently you've mostly been dealing with the wrong type of crowd

There are people getting ripped off in every part of the world so dishonesty exists there as well not only in Egypt

But you are right shop owners are mostly greedy & most of them will try to rip you off

MLB

For once I agree with ALMOST everything 'V'had to say.

1- Knowing your the numbers in written and orally help a lot.
especially if you are buying fruit from the fruit seller. (cart or stand)

2- DO NOT CONVERT TO US $ or Sterling pounds when you look at 
   the prices here.
EXAMPLE; If the small jar of mayo is for 35LE don't convert the pice mentally. Think of it as 35$ would you pay that price for it back home? NO! so, put it back and go somewhere else.

3- Some supermarkets in Zamalek and Maadi jack up the prices because they know a lot of people will pay high prices for importated products. They will even add 200% profit on local items too.

ALFA MARKET are the biggest culprits and Metro is in second place.

4- Egyptian products are good substitutes for imported ones.
(mayo, juices, water, cookies, chocolate, potatoe chips, soft drinks, CEREAL!!!...etc)

5- Do window shopping, go in and out of stores for a look around and you will be able to get a good estimate of what the market prices are and what the BIG RIP OFFS are.
Carrefour can not add a HUGE profit margin to their products.

6- The guys who have the little shoe box shops that seem to have a lot of stuff are usully a safe place.


7- If you are buying quite a few things of the samething, ask for a good price (se3r helwa). (material, CDs, pirated DVDs, gold, silver, baskets, carpets....)

8- If your at Khan El Khalili barter, barter, barter until you get the lowest price possible!