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"Should I negotiate in restaurants?" No, this is not necessary, unless there is no menu and the price they
quote you seems high. But most places have menus and just go with the
printed prices.
"Do you negotiate in hotels?" The higher-end chain hotels have a set price, but the mid- and
lower-end
privately-owned hotels regularly give discounts just for the asking. It
is very simple to ask, “No puede dar me un
discuento?” Sometimes, the
hotel will say, “Do you need a receipt?” If you say
no, then they will
often give you a 10-15% discount. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
That said, we
have even received discounts at the Hotel Quito simply by asking.
"Should I negotiate for tour
services and guides?" Many tour services will give discounts too, just for the asking,
especially if you are within one or two days of their departure date.
The tour
company may have 10 slots but only 8 filled. For them, it is better to
get something rather than nothing for those last two slots, because
their fixed costs are already covered by the first 8.
In fact, this is
a very good
strategy for getting low-cost fares to the Galapagos and to the Amazon,
particularly if you are in country and your departure date is flexible. You can sometimes save as much as 50%, even on
the expensive boats. Shop around.
There are many of
tour agencies in the Mariscal Sucre district of
Quito. But make sure you ask for references and have them specify
exactly what you are getting for your fare. Sometimes the agencies cut
fares by cutting services.
If you go to two
or three agencies and do some comparison shopping,
you can get an idea of the differences for different prices Also, check
the guide books. Many tour books will point out agencies that are less
than solid.
"I assume that most people who
are
can afford to visit from wealthier countries are considerably wealthier
than the people of Ecuador. I imagine that I may well feel quite a
degree of guilt if I try too hard to get the best deal."
This is most
often an erroneous assumption and is characteristic
(excuse me for being blunt) of the imperial attitude of many westerners
who travel abroad. In the market places of Ecuador, especially Otavalo,
the merchants have been doing this business for years, even centuries.
They send family members to Europe and America to peddle goods they
make here in Ecuador. They have found
that the “We are so poor” approach works very well
with gringos to separate them from their dollars. Then
they get into their new 4-wheel drive pick-up and drive home.
I guarantee that
no one will sell an item at a price that they do
not want to sell it for. If you make a deal with a merchant, then you
can be assured that he is happy with what he gets. Maybe you cut into
his margin a bit, but he knows that the next gringo that comes along
will make up for it.
Many times, westerners are played for suckers
because of their, “Oh, we just want to help
attitude.” The wise merchants love it. I have negotiated hard, even walked away
from a potential purchase, then come back to buy it, only to find that
on another day, a friend or acquaintance purchased the same item for
20%-30% less than what I paid. So regarding your feeling of guilt, I
have one thing to say. Give it up!
Now, in spite of
all this, if you hire a guide, go on an
excursion,etc., you’ve bargained hard for a good price, and
then you
get excellent service, reward the
service with a good tip. Believe me,
you will be appreciated.
So the bottom
line is this: If in
doubt about a quoted price, ask for a discount. This
simple question takes you out of the tourist class and puts you into
the traveler class. There is a huge difference and can save you
significant dollars on your trip.
If I ask the price for avocados and they offer
me four for a $1, I come
back and say, “Le doy a usted un dolar por
cinco.” “I will give you a
dollar for five.” If that is a good price, they
will give it to me. If not, they say no. I try
again, just to check, “Por favor, un dolor por
cinco?” with a pleading look in my eye and voice and a bit of
a whine! Then they smile and give me the fifth
avocado. I happily give them the dollar. Now we
respect each other and our relationship is developed for the next
weekend. 