Shanghai Transportation and Shopping

Rules of Shanghai Driving 101

1- Big guy wins

2- No lines and no signs (just optional)

3- Know honking techniques (warning: they are tonal as is the language)

4- Lights are optional

5- Traffic lights are optional (warning: break at your own risk)

6- Pedestrians are targets even if they are on the side walk

7- Don't jump to ride an elephant (unless you like to be laughed at)

8- Obey Train entry and exit rules, or get really embarrassed

9- This is a tunnel, this is a bridge (know the difference)

10- Taxi's believe death is unavoidable (enter all cabs with care)

Now that we have the driving and basic train rules down.  

Let's discuss Shanghai greetings in shopping:

Street shopping and bargains:

The Seller will say things like this...

Hello, you want to buy, this very cheap.

I have smart price for you.

I am your best friend,

I give you friend price.  Very nice.

While bargaining, always offer 20% to 30% of their first offer. (ex. He says $100, you say $15)

Have a set price you will not go over, make sure it is really set.

This means you walk away if it doesn't fit your price. Never start with your final price, work up to it.

Don't linger if they wont drop to your final price, leave with determination to find a better deal, 80% of the time if you had a good price set at the beginning, they will say ok, and you got it.

Look for the key words above.

Hello = they are willing to bargain

Very Cheap = not cheap for you, cheap for them.

Smart price = for him, not for you but he has lowered the price a very little

I am your best friend = he will go lower, but don't get pulled in to agreeing with him and paying too much.

Best Friend price = 50% of his first offer or 2 for 1 deal, not low enough, but this is usually were all people fall and say ok.

I never get the best deals unless I start walking away, if you didn't get that far then you didn't get the best deal, you did ok, but not the best.  He got the deal if you didn't get that far.

Shanghai is awesome, and remember never be rude, in bargaining, politeness is always a must, they don't care if they don't sell to you.  Be human, don't make their day bad just because you are richer and still want the best deal.