Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
161
prices than the going rate in anticipation of the bargaining ritual. These are the places to
find good prices, if you negotiate well.
BARGAINING
In Singapore, not all shops fix prices on mer chandise, and even many
that display price tags ar e open to negotiation. F or outsiders who ar e unaccustomed to
this tradition, bargaining can be embarrassing and fr ustrating at first—especially for
those who are used to accepting fixed prices without an argument. But with a little prac-
tice, soon you'll be bargaining with the best of 'em.
The most important tip for successful bargaining is to first hav e an idea of the v alue
of what y ou're buying. This can be difficult for unusual items, but a little comparison
shopping may help you out. By comparison shopping, I mean look at prices for the same
item here in S ingapore. Many foreigners overpay because they consider what the same
item might cost back home, which naturally will be far mor e expensive than in S inga-
pore.
When bargaining it's important to keep a friendly, good-natured banter between you
and the seller. In local terms, it's called, “showing face.” Keep it friendly and respectful.
A simple “How much?” is the place to star t, to which they'll reply with their highest
price. Tell them you're willing to pay half that amount and go from there. When buying
more than one item, ask for a discount. If you've seen it cheaper elsewhere, tell them. Or
you can pull the old “B ut I only have $20” ploy. (Just make sure you don't turn around
and ask them to change a $50!) Try anything, even if it's just a wink and a little “D on't
you have any special discounts for ladies shopping on Wednesdays?”
Some people have said that once you start the bargaining ritual, it's rude to walk away
and not purchase the item. Well, I see it this way: I t's my money, and if I still don 't feel
comfortable shelling it out, then I won't do it under any feeling of obligation. (However,
if you've spent hours negotiating o ver a high-priced item, and the o wner agrees to your
offer, it will be consider ed harsh to walk away after going thr ough all that tr ouble.)
Besides, your final bargaining strategy is to just politely say , “No, thank you” and walk
away. You'll be surprised at ho w fast prices can come do wn as y ou're walking out the
door.
GLOBAL REFUND SCHEME
When you shop in stores that display the blue “Tax Free
Shopping” logo, the go vernment will refund the 7% goods and ser vices tax (GST ) you
pay on purchases totaling S$100 (US$67/£45) or more, if you are leaving Singapore via
air trav el. A t the point of pur chase, the sales cler k will fill out a Tax F ree S hopping
Cheque, which you retain with your receipt.
When you leave Singapore, present your checks at Customs along with your passport
and let them see the goods y ou've purchased to show that you're taking them out of the
country with you. Customs will stamp the forms, which y ou then present at any of the
Global Refund Counters in the airport for an on-the-spot cash refund (in Singapore dol-
lars), a check, a dir ect transfer of the amount to y our credit card account, or an airpor t
shopping v oucher. F or complete details, call the G
8
lobal R efund Scheme hot line at
&
65/6225-6238;
www.globalrefund.com.
Another company , P remier Tax F ree (www .premiertaxfree.com), also offers GST
refunds with kiosks at the airpor t.
CLOTHING SIZES
Those of you used to shopping in big-and-tall stores will unfortu-
nately find little r eady-to-wear clothing in S ingapore that 'll fit y ou—but that doesn 't
mean you can't take advantage of the many ex cellent tailors around town. Shopping for
ready-made clothing in standard sizes can be confusing, because clothing made in Singa-
pore is generally for export and everything else is imported from outside. This means that
