Tangier Tourist Traps

You should be aware of how madinah vendors work -- they buy lots of stuff "en gros", then they calculate how much money they have spent, how much money they should get from their investment, and finally, how much money they should cash per day.

If the latter amount is, say, 500 €, they really don't care which or how many items they sell. They will only care about having those 500 bucks by the end of the day. So, they will be equally happy if they sell a carpet for 50 € and a silver teapot for 450 €, or if they sell a carpet for 450 € and a silver teapot for 50 €. It's all the same.

Being this said, it's all up to your haggling skills, your patience, your kindness -- and your ability to lie, too -- to get the best possible price for any given item you may want to purchase. Just make sure you're not hurried up at all and you have plenty of time to spend.

1. Never show a big interest on what you want to buy. If it's a carpet, for instance, ask the vendor to keep on showing you more. When he's done, he will ask you which one did you like best. Hesitate a bit before letting him know, then let the haggle start. Try to make the vendor think you like the carpet, but you are not actually interested in buying it.

2. Tell the vendor you're shy and you don't like to bargain, as soon as he asks you to quote a price. He will take you then to a separate room and offer you to have a green tea. This way, odds that you will get a better price are bigger -- if other potential clients are present, the vendor knows they will only be happy if they get an equivalent offer. As for the tea, accept it but let it cool down a bit -- when you lie (eg, when you say you don't have any money left), your tongue becomes pretty sensitive to high temperatures. This is an old Arabic trick that would let the vendor find out if you're telling him the truth or not.

3. Say this is your last day in Tangier. If you look young enough, say also you're a student. That should help you prove you have little money left to spend. Under no circumstance mention you have a credit card -- your income is not enough in your country to get one.

4. Vendors will *usually* ask for a price that is eight times bigger than it should be. If it's a 50 € carpet, they will probably ask for 400 €. When it applies to cheaper objects, this rate could be not eight, but only six times bigger. Just use your common sense to figure out.

5. Show yourself ashamed because of your low offers. Before quoting a price, make sure to insist you really don't want to offend the vendor by asking him for a too cheap price, which is the most you can actually pay. Say you do like the carpet (or whatever you're haggling for), but it is just too expensive and you're sorry you can't afford it.

6. Think of a reasonable price you would like to pay (say, 50 €) and make your first offer at 60% of it (in this case, 30 €). As you keep haggling, never forget what your top is. As you approach it (45 €), explain the guy your situation -- you have only 50 € left and by no means you can exceed that quota. You just don't have more, nor can't get more. And you have to get back home.

7. Say you've been to other places in Morocco where you have seen your friends buy goods at much cheaper prices. This is actually true, as Tangier is arguably the most expensive place in the country for handicrafts. And this is a fact every Moroccan is aware of. Tell the vendor you would rather buy the item you like from one of your friends, in case the negotiation starts to get harder.

8. Do not hesitate to pretend you give up and leave the shop. If these tips are not working and the vendor keeps asking you for more, make him understand as politely as possible that you can't go any further. Say a "thanks for your time, mate" and never lose your smile. If your offer is not outrageous, he will always ask you to come back and try to reach an agreement.

9. In case there is a slight difference between the vendor's offer and your offer (say, 10 €), look for a cheap additional item you may like and make your last offer -- you don't pay 10, but 5 € plus that extra item. In the worst scenario you will end up paying 7 or 10 bucks and get both the carpet and the cheap object for that price. The vendor will then try to look pissed off -- just disregard it. He has to pretend somehow he's almost losing money by selling you goods that cheap, as an emotional added value.

10. Make your trip coincide with low season, or what's better, with Ramadan. The less tourists around, the more and better chances you have to succeed at bargaining for an excelent deal. And don't feel guilty -- vendors earn lots of money, and they actually exploit Berber nomads, who produce all the handicrafts and sell them almost for free.

Last but not least, always be kind.

Tangier Hotels

Tangier Tourist Traps

Visiting Tangier?

Visiting Tangier?

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