On Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:06:52 -0400, Bill
wrote:

On 6/5/2012 10:59 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:17:54 -0400, Bill
wrote:

On 6/4/2012 12:20 AM, wrote:

I also found in Cozumel specifically that the cruise ship recommended
stores had fixed prices but the stores on the back streets(which the
cruise ship shopper said were unsafe and no one should go there) were
willing to bargain.

So is this what you consider greed? I am confused.

I don't know what you mean, so I am confused too.

You had said:

If the people were paying attention (or weren't so greedy), or if they
had ever been to a cruise ship destination like Cozumel when they were
not on a cruise, this wouldn't be a surprise to them. It's no worse
than those art auctions.

and then:

The greed is people wanting to buy stuff on the cheap. They are
trying to fool the vendor into giving them more than they are paying
for. If they weren't focused so much on getting a bargain, they
might think a little more about it.

and then this:

It is greed. And the markets where people bargain and think they get
the better of the vendor - the vendor just lets them think that. If
the vendor did not make a profit, they wouldn't stay in business.

but then you said this:

I also found in Cozumel specifically that the cruise ship recommended
stores had fixed prices but the stores on the back streets(which the
cruise ship shopper said were unsafe and no one should go there) were
willing to bargain.

So you're telling us that people who look for bargains in cruise
destinations like Cozumel are being greedy. Then you tell us about
stores on the back streets where you can bargain. I am confused how
you're telling us looking for a bargain is greed and then you tell us
that you also do it.

Did that help?

I was saying that going to the ship recommended stores and thinking
that you are getting a great bargain would only be possible if you
were greedy. Bargaining in an area of the world where that is the
norm isn't greedy. I don't like to do it, but sometimes it is
appropriate.

In order to really get a bargain, IMHO you have to know the product
well enough to be able to tell what the quality is and know what the
normal price is. That goes for everywhere - not just cruise ship
ports. Relying on the 'recommended stores' isn't going to do it.

Tanzinite has (again in my opinion) an artificially inflated price. If
you want to get a true price for something you bought in a port, you
should ask the jeweler to buy it from you. If the price he offers you
is more than you paid, then you got a bargain.