Having read Frommers® prior to my departure to Istanbul, I knew that encountering a carpet salesman would be a memorable experience.
It’s amazing how they canvass you in Istanbul. The guy you see in this picture was seemingly harmless when I ran in to him on the street in Sultanamet, just a few yards away from the famous Blue Mosque and the Ayasofya. Having received directions from him, I felt obliged to visit his store, just to have a look.
I made it clear to him that I was not interested in buying a carpet and that I was just browsing. Before I knew it all kinds of carpets were laid out on the floor. He had an assistant that would remove carpets and replace them based on what I seemed to be interested in. They also served me Turkish apple tea which I couldn’t refuse. The biggest mistake I made there was to let my guard down and admire the carpets that was laid before me.
Eventually, his “uncle” joined in on the game. This guy was much older than the one you see in the picture and wanted to close the sale as soon possible. Some of what he said didn’t make sense to me. 10% discount if I paid using Master Card or 20% discount if I paid using Visa. When I said I was from Canada he immediately said that he has been to Canada “hundreds” of times. This was not the first time I heard this in Istanbul.
I managed to get away from that shop without being coerced in to buying a carpet.
There was nothing wrong with the carpets. Some of them were very nice, but I just wasn’t interested in buying one at the time. Try explaining that to a Turkish salesperson.
Frommers® was right. This was a memorable experience indeed.
I’m no expert, but this is what I would do differently the next time I visit Istanbul:
- Never show interest in a carpet or any item for that matter and insist on looking at other items while you make up your mind.
- The first price they quote you is always guaranteed to be bogus!!! You can knock off more than 50% off that price if you’re prepared to walk away from the deal. Price is always subjective by street vendors.
- Accept an invitation for tea if you’re offered one. You might offend the person if you decline.
Feel free to share your own experiences in the comments below.
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