But that was then and this is now and clearly they misconstrued her upper limits. The price jumps to twenty-five. The two long hours it took to purchase one grubby armband left me limp and wilted, and ready to go back to town. Excerpt from Hitchhiking Vietnam Americans rarely bargain. It's frowned upon in good society.
Most people see it as vaguely tacky, low-class, guache.
There are a few things that Americans do bargain for, but only when the stakes are high enough to make it worthwhile, like buying a house. Then we call it Making an Offer and do it through intermediaries like lawyers. For people in third world countries, bargaining is always worthwhile, whether for five cents off a bundle of peppers or an extra handful of rice. In part this is because there is so much underemployment that most people have a great deal of time and very little money. Bargaining in third world countries is also a form of social oil, a way to create and sustain relationships.