It doesn't matter what I attempt to buy secondhand locally - via FB or K24, it's difficult to elicit any sort of meaningful reply, whether I enquire in English or Khmer (admittedly auto generated on FB, google translate otherwise). Apart from that there is the fact that many sellers do not post prices, leading to the usual going around in circles with the "ïnbox bong", where is the item liocated? "near the pagoda" which pagoda? "the big one", where are you? "where are you bong?" bullshit. Is there some cultural thing I'm missing/unaware of? I know time-wasting and cutting to the chase are concepts that don't apply here in KOW. As it is I'm presently looking for a moto, something light, simple and automatic. I'm starting to feel I'll have to bite the bullet and try the shops near the Olympic roundabout at the top of Street 214. Can anyone recommend one?

boofhead wrote: ↑Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:13 pm It doesn't matter what I attempt to buy secondhand locally - via FB or K24, it's difficult to elicit any sort of meaningful reply, whether I enquire in English or Khmer (admittedly auto generated on FB, google translate otherwise). Apart from that there is the fact that many sellers do not post prices, leading to the usual going around in circles with the "ïnbox bong", where is the item liocated? "near the pagoda" which pagoda? "the big one", where are you? "where are you bong?" bullshit. Is there some cultural thing I'm missing/unaware of? I know time-wasting and cutting to the chase are concepts that don't apply here in KOW. As it is I'm presently looking for a moto, something light, simple and automatic. I'm starting to feel I'll have to bite the bullet and try the shops near the Olympic roundabout at the top of Street 214. Can anyone recommend one?

Sok Heng Motorcycles if your going up that way, barang friendly. I have bought from him before and he is very fair and helpful with his sales, so it's not worth bargaining too much when he offers the price, doing so too much may probably leave you frustrated and no sale.

Why don't you just go there near Olympic? In fact most posts on Khmer24 and Facebook are from sellers near that roundabout. You will not get any discount by buying from a private Khmer seller (unless he's an expat who is leaving/upgrading). And buying from a vendor you will get a receipt and usually some warranty.
As for communication, locals usually call the phone number listed, not chat in writing. Khmers don't generally like reading or writing especially in their own language. Too lazy.

This goes on not only in the bottom ranks of commerce, but also in the top echelons of Khmer business. It took me a few years to figure out why Khmer companies don't have multi-page white papers, don't write proposals, don't write project descriptions, case studies, brochures, but just use short presentations in Powerpoint for everything - mostly pictures and some headlines.

Same principle.