Who doesn’t love a good deal? Whether its rocking a 10% discount on groceries on the first Tuesday of the month or auction sniping someone on eBay, nothing feels better than scoring a couple bucks off something you want.
Enter Low Yat Plaza – 7 story mall dedicated to electronics – an absolute electronics superstore if you will. The place is crawling with geeks wanting a deal on everything from computers to cameras.
This place works because everyone is essentially selling the same product – so some are willing to budge on the price if you are willing to barter. If you aren’t – go somewhere else because you will get ripped off.
So if you are headed to the KL and wanna get some products at the Low Yat Plaza, take these tips into consideration:
1.Do some research regarding the cost of the product in your home country This will give you a base value to determine if you are getting a decent deal. Sounds obvious, but the guys at the stands will always try and ‘show you another model’, stick to your guns and know what you want and what you are willing to pay.
2. Have realistic expectations If you think you will stroll in and pickup an ipad, a canon 7D and a PS3 for $500 bucks, you are dreaming. The guys will move on the price by a bit, but unless you are getting an obsolete model of something (PS2′s!) you are still going to pay within 10% of the shelf price.
3. Not everything is negotiable Some products have a price set in stone and no matter how many stalls you carouse at you will be quoted the same price. Apple products are the perfect example – no matter how hard you try, you will not get a deal on the product. Whether its sheer demand or the supplier’s orders, the stands will not budge. Try getting some free accessories thrown in, you can get value in other ways besides dropping the price. Bear in mind that some places DO NOT offer international warranty – so be very clear about this if it is important to you.
4. Pay in cash, and have it ready Not having cash on me lost me two deals – both on the same item, so having a budget and withdrawing the cash beforehand will only benefit you. In one instance I agreed on the price and was told to pay with cash, no problem since I could cruise to the ATM and pay up. Upon my return, my pal at the camera stand had to “run and grab the item”, he returned empty handed and proceeded to feed me some bullshit about not having any stock. Obviously irate, I told him that we had a deal and I would happily take the floor model. He scurried around apologizing profusely about the scenario – I had haggled him down from 1500 Ringgits to 950 and the time he had to think about it when I was grabbing the cash allowed him to fabricate the story about having no stock. Paying in cash gets you a better deal and having the cash makes sure you get the deal.
5. Make sure you spend time with the salesperson and the product Time is money as we have been told by every cliche Hollywood business movie – and it is true. The more time the person has to spend with you, the less opportunity they have to sell to someone else. Ask every question in the book, even if it makes you look stupider than you are. Buying a digital camera? Ask how it charges, how it turns on, what this red button does…if you are desperate enough ask what kind of film it takes, just burn time. The more committed you sound, and the more time they spend on you, the more likely you will be to get the product for a better price.
6. Know the product you want and beware of grimy sales tactics AKA the Switcharoo One guy told me that the waterproof Panasonic camera I was looking at was no good – he had it and the seal broke and blah blah blah. OK it could have happened, but I was curious to see his alternative, which he quickly busted out. It was a dated Olympus model that was obviously a few years old and one look at the box quickly confirmed my suspicions – it was made in 2007. It was an OK camera, but the price he wanted was absolutely criminal, so never trust what they have to say about a so called product, do your own research beforehand and you will be miles ahead of other suckers in the plaza.
7. If buying multiple items buy them at the same store if possible The salespeople will usually give you a better deal if you are buying multiples of an item or buying more than one item from them. Obviously this can get expensive quick so do so only if you really want the items, it does you no good to buy something that you don’t need to get a slightly better deal – which they will try and do.
8. Know when to walk away If it seems like no agreement is going to be possible, cut your losses and go somewhere else. There is no shortage of vendors offering the products you seek, so move on and try your luck else wear
Constant negotiation mixed with electronics hawkers constantly bantering about their goods is a tiring, yet fulfilling experience. On one hand, it is a lot of work but on the other, it is quite rewarding getting something you want for a discounted price. Be ready to spend at least three hours making your way from stand to stand asking the same questions and employing the same tactics. Some guys at the plaza are great to deal with, others are to be avoided but I will leave that for you to find out. Good luck in Kuala Lumpur and happy bargaining.
If you have been to Low Yat Plaza, or are going, I would love to hear about some of the deals you have gotten! Feel free to post the your deal in the comments below.
