PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Double Pricing?

I am currently living in Bangkok, Thailand and preparing a move to South America later this year. One of the most onerous things about Thailand is the double pricing policy. Foreigners (farangs) commonly pay 10 times more than Thais for admission to entertainment venues. For example, admission to a national park costs a Thai 20 Baht while a farang is charged 200 Baht. This policy is also found in restaurants, hotels, shops and services such as haircuts. Certain promotional prices are available only to Thais. Even a farang who is married to a Thai, and who lives in Thailand as a worker or retiree is subjected to paying more for practically everything.
Usually the prices for Thais are posted in the Thai language which only a very few foreigners can read. The price for foreigners is posted in English so that they are unaware that they are being charged at a much higher rate.
I am wondering if such a policy exists in Colombia as well? Of course, when one barters for a price the local has the advantage of knowing better than a tourist the real price for a product. But the example for such a system in Thailand is set and endorsed by the government.
Your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

By ned on Aug 17, 2004, 01:32 in Friendly Talkzone.

LarsBrink says on Aug 17, 2004, 01:39:

Not generally I do not think that the operate with 2 sets of prices in Colombia. You will pay the same prices as the Colombians for the goods and services in most places.

Ofcourse on the beach in Catagena they can tell that you are foreigner and you will have to get the price down to 40-50% of the original but that is part of negotiating.

Good luck!

Regards,

Lars Brink - colombia.dk - brink-christensen.dk

~ Lars Brink ~ www.colombia.dk ~

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pointofview says on Aug 17, 2004, 03:23:

Double Pricing Since you mention entertainment venues I will let you know that there are separate pricing for admission to the government Confama parks (many in Colombia). If you are an employee of the government or any registered company in Colombia (participation is mandatory) you receive cheaper admission that all non-employees including foreigners. We are talking about peanuts anyway. The Confama parks are the best entertainment value at any (either) price.

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ned says on Aug 17, 2004, 03:37:

Not directed specifically at foreigners! At least that program does not target foreigners. It's more of a perk for federal employees or certain companies.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Aug 17, 2004, 05:35:

Informal double pricing Colombia, like much of Latin Ameria, has an informal system of charging people whatever the salesperson thinks they will bear. You can go into a furniture store 3 different times and be quoted 3 different prices for the same chair. So, yes, sometimes affluent foreigners (and even affluent Colombians) end up paying more. But it's really more a function of market economics than some sinister plot. Nobody is going to charge you 10x the price of your Colombian friend to see the same movie.

It's entertaining to compare the prices fruit vendors along the road are charging for a crate of mangos or a cluster of bananos. Sometimes the exact same crate of mangos will be 5x more expensive in the streets of northern Bogota than in el centro.

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LarsBrink says on Aug 17, 2004, 05:48:

Strata I guess that the fruit prices follow the strata system like the other civil utility payments.

Strata is a clasification where you pay gas, electricity, telephone etc. regarding the strata your address is connected to. Low is strata 1 and high is strata 6.

Regards,

Lars Brink - colombia.dk - brink-christensen.dk

~ Lars Brink ~ www.colombia.dk ~

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Mr. Hollywood says on Aug 17, 2004, 08:17:

Strata system I was thinking exactly that about the strata system when I wrote the post.

What's interesting about the strata system is that 1 isn't low in quality of the house. 1 = historic dwelling, and receives the lowest utility rates, but most of the strata 1 houses are beautiful old homes inhabited by fairly well-off families. Many of the most expensive homes in Bogota qualify as Strata 1. Strata 2 is actually the lowest in terms of quality of the dwelling.

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Aug 17, 2004, 10:11:

segun el marrano I haven't noticed any double pricing in Colombia. There are discounts from the full price for club members, for example, but foreigners pay the same as Colombians. Which is as little as they can manage. Of course, market prices vary according to the customer: you ask for a price that you think your customer can afford. This is just the commercial application of jungle capitalism.
Cheers,
Desi

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Hunter says on Aug 17, 2004, 14:15:

Ned... I spent over a year in Thailand and know exactly what you are talking about, Colombia is totally differant.

Doesn't exist in Colombia, apart in some tourist areas like Cartagena mentioned above, even then you can get the price down to what you should be paying, unlike Thailand. Any price differance elsewhere, is just down to your bartering skills as you said.

Hunter

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poulet says on Aug 17, 2004, 14:59:

that definitely doesn't exist here, in informal markets the vendor will put the prices according to what type of customer he sees, but in regular stores, (i mean actual stores in buildings and stuff) have fixed prices, you can't bargain.

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LarsBrink says on Aug 18, 2004, 01:53:

Strata system again As I recall the strata system is not based on the quality of the houses as you also write. As I was told it depends on the area of the city and the income group most likely to live there.

Beeing dane an' all I like the system that to some extent try to put som equality into the tax payments.

Regards,

Lars Brink - colombia.dk - brink-christensen.dk

~ Lars Brink ~ www.colombia.dk ~

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