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: con man :
Some tourists are so naiive when they go shopping, which becomes impossible to
describe with logical reasoning. That's why we are not surprised anymore that
throughout the last years in every touristik town even reaching up to Istanbul the
so called 'con man', have spread like a desease. Showing good will, some tourists
are enticed by unmotivated sales people to certain shops, and after their purchase
the 'duper' receives a 10% commission. In order to entice the tourists the salesman
talks the tourist into believing that their particular shop has the only and best offer.
Most of the time that isn't true. Most shop owner already price their product including
the 10% 'con man`charge in mind.
Even on the beach you are not safe from those 'con man'. During the day Ali or
Mehmet are providing sun chairs and sunshades as well as food and drinks. At
night they work in a leather shop or other shop to top up the family till. Nothing
wrong with that. Another advantage of the dayjob is that Ali or Mehmet is his own
boss and therefore handles new customer himself. This is a great opportunity to
talk to a 'sun-hungry' tourist and tell him about the two jobs and his hard working
backgroound etc.. That way the 'con man' is a prime position to drag the tourists
into his other shop. The story is repeated over and over again, until the tourists
gives in and follows the 'con man'. Unless your ears are switched to 'pass-through'
mode and eventuelly the 'con man' will give up.
: designer outlets :
One of our fovourite topics are the highly praised sales in the designer outlets. May
it be a daytrip to Kappadokien or Pamukkale or a free daytrip offered by your hotel.
Nowhere else is a customer lied to as much as here. Extreme caution is given when it
comes to those sort of trips. Often are the tourists, unwillingly, driven to those places
with the intention of visiting an interresting factory on the way. Preferrably sold are
carpets, leather goods and gold jewellery in shops which just look like factories, but
they are not.
Coincidently, these factories are placed just along the main streets and roads on
which you travel. Also very coincedently all the products are on offer and are
unbelievably cheap. And not to forget, nowhere else in Turkey are these product
available! One could think, so much coincedence does not exist! And you are right
to think so.
Already in the bus, as a sort of introduction or pre-treatment, you are told that these
factories are real foctories which only produce for the wholesale market. And once in
the building in fact the stunned visitors are shown a demonstration of the production
so that you are convinced that you are actully in a real factory.
The truth is that these factories are oversized shops where depending on branch,
plently of goldsmiths, carpet weaver and taylor are working and mostly for a very
litlle wage. They produce jewellery, leather and carpets which then are actully made
(in front of you) and finally sold to the visitors with skillful sales technique as well
as over-priced.
Of course that is no coincedence. It is an extreme business strategy
Whilst you go through those factories and left to believe you are walking through the
'shoppers paradise', I fact you are trapped. There is possibilty for you to walk into
a different shop purly for the fact to compare prices. On top of that, the bus is locked
throughout the visit so you are forced to take part in this shopping experience. Unless,
of course, you are up for a long walk across the green just outside the 'shopping-hell'.
Now you know why these daytrips are so cheap
Every tourists should ask him/herself self-criticly, whenever he books a day trip to
Kappadokien or Pamukkale, why these trips are so wonderfully cheap! Two days to
Pamukkale costs ca. € 30 inclusive night stay, breakfast and a range of free entries.
A trip to Kappadokien costs € 50. A travel agent who doesn't offer a shopping trip,
cannot compete with those prices because there are no commissions to be made.
Go shopping in a independent shop in your city centre
Turkish carpet are exported all over the world. If you are interrested in a particular
piece go and visited your local carpet dealer and browse through his collection of
carpets. They offer carpets in different qualities, sizes and prices. Are you interrested
in a precious carpet maybe as a investment, or rather a second hand carpet?
Good local dealers have all that available. He is happy to assist and talk you through
his collection, just once and under now time pressure. He can also expect a price which
you wouldn't get in a 'designer outlet'. Of course, the same applies to the leather and
jewellery. So don't let yourself get fooled by those day trip instructors unless you can
easly afford all of the good they sell in those factories. Anyway, instead, you should
go for a long walk, it will clear your head and is always good for your health.
: gold and silver jewellery :
There is one thing you should know. Also in Turkey Gold and Silver is bought at the
global market prices (dollar) and equally sold. Whoever tries to tell you something
else is trying to blag you. Although Turkey posseses its own supply of gold but is
still sold at global market prices. Purly the costs for design and production is far
below Europe's average. Therefore the prices of jewellery are a lot less than in the
UK and other European countries. Every goldsmith pays the same price for his/her
materials. That includes gold, stones, diamonds and any pre-processes. The gold-
smith has to calculate the usaul profit margin. And that is the only room for the
conventional bargaining by the international visitors.
By bargaining the customer is eventually damaging his own good. Of course all shop
owners and salesman in the touristik centres know that the tourist want to bargain.
By now there are many shops that have price tags. Understandibly there will be a
profit margin incorporated in those prices otherwise the shopowner could not survive.
On the other hand you still find the 'smart aleck' tourist who thinks he is the world's
best businessman and tries to sell the local businessman's grandmother as a virgin,
if she is still alive. In other words: he thinks he is so good and well-versed in the
ways of the world that everthing should be an absolut bargain just because he went
into the shop to ask for the time.
Not to forget about the 'very-clever' tourist who has to half the price of every quality
product. Often it is the tourist guide who rams into the tourists that all turkich business
men rip off especially the bonafide foreign visitors by overpricing all their products.
In fact the realtiy is far more profane. The travel agent rattles the tourists with these
brainless suspicions, assuming that all local businesses just want to pull a fast one.
Of course your guide will tell you that it is only safe to shop in those very carefully
selected shops where the minibus will take you. Now we are back at the outlet shops
which were mentioned earlier. As a tourist you should rely on your own healthy instincts
which will prevent any unexpected surprises.
8 carat jewellery (333) is classed as low-grade jewellery. It is sold in shops however
well established shop wont have sell them. In Turkey only 14 carat jewellery (585)
an higher are classed as gold jewellery. The goldsmiths have a very long history and
tradition in Turkey and the jewellery is exported all over the world. Wholesaler buy at
international tradeshows. There is a constant dynamic to that paticular market where
renewel of products is the norm. International trends are instantly transformed to
stunning pieces of jewellery. 14 carat jewellery is available for every taste and
financial status.
: leather :
The production of leather is very important for Turkey's economy. Shops offer a vast
range of all kinds and qualities. On request the customer is able to get a tailored outfit
made, which is not necessarily more expensive than off the rail. We would advise you
to inform yourself about the quality, price and design on offer during your evening walk
through the city centre. But bare in mind, just like with gold, that all quality products
have their price and well-established shops would not allow bargain hunting. In case
a seller is engaging himself with that thought, there is certainly something wrong with
the bargain.
: carpets :
For carpets the earlier mentioned story about the 'designer outlets' applies. Please
do not hestitate to inform yourself at the local shops and do not instantly follow your
tourist guide's advisory. Almost every shop speaks at least one foreign language.
: antiques :
If you would like to export antiques you must get a statement of confirmation from
the direction of the local museum. Antiques older than 100 years are prohibited from
export. Quite often souvenirs are trimmed to look old and are sold as antiques. If
you do not have an eye for authentic antiques you are in danger of falling for these
fly souvenir-sellers.
: souvenirs :
The market is harwdly comprehensible. There are masses of low quality kitsch for very
low prices. Candle holders as onyx, brass and copper object (need for constant polishing)
chess in a wide range of designs as well as backgammon (tavla). Very inexpensive are
reproductions of pictures (poster) of international artists (Kandinsky, Klimmt, Renoir
etc.) already framed. Picture frames are available in an unbeliebably range of variations,
excellent quality and price ranges. There are also antique frames in case you looking for
e.g. a baroque frame. The fossick in the shops for posters and frames in a real holiday
experience. The bought good are packaged suitably to take in the plane.
: textiles :
The textile industry in Turkey is one of the biggest assets as well as its export to all
over the world. In Istanbul there are entire boroughs dedicated to the trade. There
are all imagenable qualities, from inexpensive to oppulent. Turkish fasion designer
are very creative. Outfits which are offered in the tourits centres are usually from 'Merter'
a reknown part of Istanbul. The products orginating from this part of Istanbul are part
of the middle price range. The wholesale prices are inexpensive. Next to the high quality
top turkish brand you will also find products which a tattered after the first wash. That
should be fairly obvious that a T-Shirt sold for 2 Euros has not the same quality than
a designer shirt. Another common string is the reproduction and copying of international
brands. In short: Whoever buys these replicas ought to do so only for persoanl use. If
these clothes are bought for friends and family might get pulled out by customs officials
and consequently has to give off the goods and faces a penalty charge.
: perfumes :
The french perfumes which are sold for 3 Euros on every street corner have absolutely
nothing in common with the perfumes sold back home for 35 pounds. The only sign
which could prove that it is a original is the packaging which has been carefully copied
by the printers. The content is nothing but the cheapest cented liquids if it is a perfume
at all. Often the customer will find actually pure water inside the bottle. So be careful.
Nevertheless there is good range of turkish perfumes that you can buy and use.
The authentic perfumes are available in perfumeries and in the cosmetic sections in
supermarkets. The range offered is great enough so there is something for everybody.
The prices are according to the turkisch market price, thus not overpriced. Quality
fragrances for women and men are starting from 15 Euros upwards. Original-branded
perfumes cost as much as everywhere else in the world.
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