Haggling in the Souks! (Sousse)

Member Name: Little Miss

Product:	Sousse
Date:	27/06/01 (978 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can get some great bargains, it can be quite fun

Disadvantages: Can take quite a while, you have to be patient, having to drink mint tea

I'm really going to Focus on shopping in the Souks (The narrow streets of shops and market stalls in the Medina) in this opinion as it's where most English tourists get ripped off in Tunisia (the rest of Tunisia is very cheap), I think the reason for most of us is we don't have a clue when it comes to haggeling. Remember the Life of Brian (It was filmed just down the road from Sousse in Monastir which is why I remembered this) when he has to haggle for the false beard to use as a disguise? Well I think that's how we tend to do it, the shop owner says one price we say another he drops it slightly and we agree. This is not a good idea, so here is my guide to not being ripped off in the souks.

Firstly there are two types of shops in the Souks, Government shops with set prices and normal shops where you can haggle. I recommend firstly going into one of the government shops and having at look at the prices of things you like. If you really can't bear the though of haggling then you could also buy your souvenirs here. Once you've got yourself familirised with the prices, head off into the little narrow streets. Do not buy anything in the stores right at the beginning of the souks, the further in you venture the cheaper you'll get the prices.

Here is a good example, I saw a nice bracelet in one shop but having skinny wrists it needed making smaller. The guy sat me down, offered me some mint tea, which is a tradition and won't cost you anything (so don't think if you've drank it you have to buy something you don't). The guy measured the bracelet on my wrist and measured the size. Before he altered it I obviously wanted to know the price so he put it on a scale and weighed it, now just think about this a minute, they are selling by weight, he was about to shorten it for me but to work out the price he weighed the whole thing. Luckily I noticed this. Next he worked out some ridiculous price about 200
dinars, but then told me today they were having a 25% discount (funny that as 3 other shops on the same street were also having a 25% discount that day) so then he told me the price for me was 150 dinar (you'll note they always tell you "for you it is 150 dinar" as though for someone else it would be more, actually depending on the country your from they will start slightly higher of lower). He then says but for fun now we play a game, you give me you absolute maximum price so I did 30 dinars. At this he put his hand to his chest and made a surprised but painful noise (it's a complete over dramatised act and all part of the "fun") so he writes his price at the top of a piece of paper and mine at the bottom and then says we'll try meet in the middle. At this I told him I was a student (well I was at one time) and really couldn't afford any more. I also told him he'd asked me my absolute maximum price and I'd given him it. I then apologised and told him I really couldn't afford it and got up to leave. He finally accepted the 30 dinars.

You will find walking away may help in getting a lower price, as you walk away they often start shouting lower prices, if you hear one you like go back, but be prepared to walk away again as they sometimes try putting the price back up again when you go back.

Also with Jewelry be careful, they have several tales about Berber silver, I really think there is no such thing but I'm not a jeweler. What I do know is that one apparently silver bracelet with no hallmark, I was told was Berber silver, it doesn't have a hallmark apparently. In the next shop I was told how Berber silver is more pure than sterling silver and how it has healing properties like copper. I was told it's hallmark was 925, one thing I do know is that that is the hallmark of sterling silver, and this I was certain about, unless you can get Berber silver from Argos!

A good
idea is to go nearer the end of your holiday, you won't be quite so white/red therefore they'll see you've not just arrived, therefore they know your not quite as naive about the money as you we're when you first arrived, by this time you'll have at least come to terms with the exchange rate.

And the final watch out's - their ways of getting you into their shops. Firstly they'll guess your country (us brits are usual very easy to spot as we're lobster red) then they'll start shouting hello at you and telling you that there goods are "Cheaper than Asda price!", I found this rather amusing at first and when I laughed I'd let my guard down and next thing I know the guys leading me by my arm into his shop and showing me a range of Jewelry. They'll also want to shake your hand another way of getting hold of you and directing you into their shop. Asking you how much something would be in your country is another way, they then tell you how much cheaper they are selling it for (seeming to forget that you probably don't want whatever it is they just picked up). They will also volunteer to write you name down in Arabic, this is free however the motive is they then offer to engrave it onto a bracelet or make you a necklace, this does make nice holiday souvenirs fro friends but watch out as I collected numerous scraps of paper which people had written my name on for me and they didn't all look the same to me, so it could be useful to check they've actually written it right. You don't want to be walking around with a necklace saying something completely bizarre on it now do you?

So now you've had the warning, but don't be put off as if your on your guard it can be quite fun, especially if you grab yourself a bargain and something can still be a bargain even if you find someone else got it cheaper, as long as you got it cheaper than it would cost at home or if you would have a
ctually paid more for it if you'd had to.

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