Vendor Harassment Factor?

[El Mono]

Hello - Planning a trip to PVR, and wondering what the vendor harassment factor on the beach is for the various areas. Any comments appreciated.

Donde este el mono?

[howard_jax]

I think a simple no or a shake of the head and the vendor will move on. We have never found it to be a problem.

[kat]

First define for me "harrassment factor". I don't consider people trying to earn a living in THEIR country a harrassment. Just say no thanks and they move on. You will get more harrassment from the time share sales people that you ever will from the vendors on the beach.

[Jennybean]

Well said Kat. I find the vendors to be very polite, reasonable, and friendly. Just like your cubicle/office/store etc. is your workplace, the beach is theirs. They pay taxes and they pay for their permits to work the beach. A simple shake of the head and "no gracias" is sufficient, and they move on - they are never bothersome IMHO, and once you've said no thanks once, that's it for them, not like the timeshare hawks. True, you may see them again later in the day when they make their way back to your section of beach, but if you still don't want to buy, that's fine by them. They smile and wish you a good day most of the time.

Some of the best friends I have in PV are vendors - very hardworking people. I bring gifts to them every year (t-shirts, pins, keychains, hats, colorful beach towels), and they NEVER forget my name or my face. For this simple recognition, get great "freebies" along with my bartered for merchandise too.

[Brill]

I also agree. These vendors are good people. Just last week, in front of our Hotel, (The Premiere) I was interested in a white shirt but had just a few 5 peso coins for tipping with me. No problem, take the shirt, will come back tomorrow for the money! I was hesitant, but one of the other guests advised this was normal! She dropped by the next morning with a big shy smile, and was paid. She got an extra 10 pesos. The shirt was great! A simple polite nod with a smile and glance away will move them on! No problemo!

[bsimpson]

Have spent many a relaxed hour under a palapa on the beach with a good book in the left hand, a good cigar in the right, and a favourite drink close at hand. When the vendors come by they don't even approach me when I've got my nose in the book. At other times if I'm just sitting mentally solving all the problems of the world, I just smile, shake my head "no" and they move on. Last year was haggling for some T-shirts - started telling the vendor my story ("If I pay that I'll have to sell my 'plane ticket and walk home - no food on the table for my 18 children, etc." and got him laughing - then he tried his hard luck stories on me. We both had a great laugh and I got my T-shirts for a price we were both happy with.

One evening during the week at the Marival, there's a "Mexican Night" - property all decorated, special dinner, Mariachis come in, etc. They allow all the vendors to set up booths/tables around the pools - they bring in things they don't normally carry around on the beach - it's great to watch some of the artists doing their thing.

[El Mono]

My comment was not intended as a slight towards those who earn their living this way. I have no problem respectfully declining. However, I liken this to telemarketing. One or two calls a day is fine, after that it gets annoying. So, to further refine my question, how frequent do vendors approach?

kat (Jan 11, 2002 08:26 p.m.):
First define for me "harrassment factor". I don't consider people trying to earn a living in THEIR country a harrassment. Just say no thanks and they move on. You will get more harrassment from the time share sales people that you ever will from the vendors on the beach.

[Jennybean]

There are several vendors on each beach, so the likelihood you will be approached several times a day is likely. If you don't want to keep saying no, I find a nose in a book or kicking back for a siesta in your chair with the book over your face or a towel over your head, they will leave you be. Don't make eye contact with all the merchandise (they look for that), and not making eye contact with them as they are walking could also significantly reduce how often they approach. These are both interpreted as signals from you that you might want to buy.

These are just the little things that I do to lessen the approaches that I think may work. While I love the vendors, sometimes the frequency with which they approach can get a bit much for me too. But I always stress politeness......very important.

[Brill]

I suppose it also matters which beach you're on. In front of Buenadventura and Premiere we had maybe a half a dozen vendors that came by every 20 or so minutes. But when we sat on Playa Los Muertos (Burro's Bar) there were literally dozens that paraded by continuously. The more people on the beach, the more vendors there are, it would seem! Another way to avoid their attention without being impolite is to have headphones on. As Jennybean says, don't focus on their wares, but glance away and continue what you were doing.
After a while you develop your own way to deal with these vendors. Who knows, you might just pick up a bargain!

[kat]

I guess I still have a hard time understanding your logic. Telemarketing??? That comes into my own home when I am eating dinner, watching TV or otherwise relaxing. I am not sitting in the Telemarketer's office/beach/store, etc. How many times do browse through a store and have a salesperson ask if they can help you or show you something, is that harrassment too?????

[madmtnman]

During the first two hours you should see a vender every 5 min. After the fisrt pass and you don't buy, they will pass you by for the rest of the day. But, if you do have one stop, the rest will come. I have done some investagating, you can get the best price on the beach. My mo is to look for a few days. Then one day I hang out and get all the beach shopping done in one day. As a rule, what ever price they ask for I offer half, then work the deal from there. I know a few of the venders and have been invited to dinner at their homes a few times. They are some of the warmest people you will ever run into in PV.

One thing they have learned, woman shop and men go to buy. ie as a man they don't think I am good target, but when I have a woman with me they stop more offen.

mmm

[honeybee]

A lot depends on your attitude. I don't mind the vendors at all, in fact I enjoy them.....but, they DO irritate my husband. And he does seem to attract more than his fair share of attention for some reason. He has even been nudged on the foot a couple times while napping.
Also, keep in mind if you buy from one vendor, the others in the immediate area understandably assume you might buy from them also.
We have found the busiest vendor area to be centered around the pier on Los Muertos, with it's concentration of tourists (duh!).
All in all, if you politely indicate you are not interested, they won't waste their time or yours.
As stated before, most folks find the timeshare sharks much more bothersome.

[minrose]

I agree, the timeshare people keep on and on, no matter how many times you say no. They buddy up to you and won't let go. You just need to walk away. Then vendors can get a little irritating but at least they usually take no the first time.

[jiff]

Sitting on the beach minding your own business is *not* like being in the vendors "store" where you would expect to be confronted by a salesman.

Regardless, I was not significantly annoyed by the beach vendors, and even found looking at their wares to be a form of entertainment the first couple days. Thereafter I thought about fixing a "No Gracias" sign to my cap to avoid the dizziness that ensued from shaking my head. At Los Muertos, it was amazing that I could sit at a palapa for 3 or 4 hours and still see new vendors at the end of the day,, and end of 9 days. It would have been nice if the ones I turned down once didn't come back day after day though. I found that when my wife wasn't with me, almost none came to me.

We went out to Punta Mita one day, and seeing it was fairly small, we figured we'd be solicited for a half hour or so, then all the vendors would have passed by. Nope. They just kept coming out of nowhere the whole time we were there.

[mddfire]

I cannot wait to have to deal with those vendors!!! Only 3 more weeks.

[CVtoPV]

I agree with mddfire just 13 days and counting the seconds!!!!

[Kat]

Hey Jiff,
You are absolutely right, you are not in a store where you would expect to be confronted by a salesperson, YOUR ARE IN THEIR COUNTRY, AT THEIR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT AND ON THEIR BEACHES SO IF YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH IT DO THEM A FAVOR AND DON'T GO!!!!!!

[BH]

I don't mind the vendors myself and enjoy talking with them. They tell me where they live what their lives are like and I do the same. It is a fun way for me to keep busy on the beach and if I don't want them to bother me they move on. I do have some friends that get annoyed so they spend time at the pool instead. I think that some resorts fence off the area around their beach chairs and the vendors don't go inside the fenced area. I have never seen any vendor act in a rude or aggressive way towards anyone. I do recommend that you try talking and haggling over prices with these vendors, I know that the first time when I watched my wife haggle with a few of these people I thought that she was being too aggressive but the vendors had as much fun as we did, just try it you may enjoy yourself and bring home more than a T-shirt.

[bzy1]

I like the beach vendors, they are like walking books of knowledge. I found some of the best eating places from vendors. Most vendors I've talked to years ago still remember me, and always stop to say hi and fill me in on the lastest.

To be honest, by sitting on the beach, you have actually sat yourself in their "shop". Granted, it may not have walls, but they have to be licensed and they pay to run their business on the beach...same in Hawaii, Caribbean, and most other beach destinations.

If you go to the beach with the attitude that beach vendors annoy you, they will. I suggest a little understanding. This is their job, 100% legal, and maybe the only means of support or money for them or a family. My job requires me to annoy some people, but it also feeds the dog. The things we do for money:)

[BH]

bzy1 (Jan 29, 2002 10:54 a.m.):
If you go to the beach with the attitude that beach vendors annoy you, they will. I suggest a little understanding. This is their job, 100% legal, and maybe the only means of support or money for them or a family. My job requires me to annoy some people, but it also feeds the dog. The things we do for money:)

Hello bzy1,

Did I say something to offend you, all I intended to do was offer a couple helpfull hints. I didn't mean that the people who make a living off the vendor trade should be driven off the beach or that what they do for a living is even a bad thing in any way. I too think that a little understanding is needed not everyone handles things the same way. As I said I like and enjoy the vendors that work on the beach, but I understand that some people have a hard time with it and there are other alturnatives open to them.

Again I didn't mean to offend anyone just wanted to lend a hand.