Originally Posted by
slowly
While this might be mostly true, I don't see why you quoted my post before that. Unless you consider renting an ordinary car "a first world service" worth $80 per day. The same about buying a coconut from a stall in the local market, apparently that's "being treated special" for a mere $10...
Bargaining is the accepted market mechanism to control pricing in some economies.
Take a step back and don't assume our way is better.
The bargaining system assumes that those who are most able to pay
should pay significantly more than those who are unable to pay much. As those who are most able to pay generally place a much higher value on their time than those who are not able to pay, requiring more time to pay less is a very effective way of getting those who can pay more to pay more.
It is your prerogative to not want to give your business in places where the above system is the norm. However it is not our place to try and change the system - it is a different system, not a wrong one.