Professional bargainers can help consumers

Updated: 2011-09-27 14:43

By Xu Pingting (chinadaily.com.cn)

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A woman surnamed Zhang, of Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou province, recently got the key to her new house. But she had a new worry: the price of decorating her house was too high. With little experience, she had no idea how to bargain.

She had heard of professional bargainers before she contacted one named Xiaotan, who helped her save 2,500 yuan ($391) in 32,000 yuan ($5,003) of decorating costs. Zhang ended up saving 2,000 yuan ($313) after she paid Xiaotan a 20% service charge.

In Guiyang, there are quite a few such professional bargainers. Some of them even set up bargaining networks and groups. They provide a wide range of services, including buying cars, furniture, property and wedding services.

"We use the 'on-site group buying bargain' model, which means we organize a group of customers who need decorating materials, furniture, electric appliances and other things and then we together negotiate with providers in those fields before a favored price can be reached," said Zhou Xin, another professional bargainer in Guiyang.

"Meanwhile, customers can protect their rights in groups if there are disputes in products or services. This way the disputes can be resolved more smoothly," Zhou added.

Not all customers share the same view of bargainers as Zhang. A woman surnamed Wang, who is also engaged in decorating a new house in the same city, has little interest in bargainers.

"I'd rather learn about decorating on the Internet and bargain by myself. If the bargainers and sellers had agreements under the table, customers will pay for it in the end."

Analysts say that the emergence of bargainers and group buying networks reflect the irregular price and imbalanced sale information in some fields. The new industries will help price adjustments, and meanwhile, proper regulation is needed in competitive areas.