Caveat Emptor
I read an article in the International Herald Tribune last week that a study by China revealed that about 20 percent of the foods and goods on the shelves of stores in China are defective or substandard (ie. bad). My own experience bears this out. Last week I bought a standing fan from the Carrefour but once I got it home I discovered that the housing was cracked from end to end. The patio umbrella I bought a month ago has developed several defects and won't stay open in wet weather. What is puzzling is that China-made products I bought in US stores didn't fail nearly as often as the China-made products I buy in China. I would presume that this is because the US retailers have more stringent quality control demands than do retailers in China. Poor packaging is also a reason. When goods are packaged for export they are simply better boxed and protected.
Returning damaged goods in China is also much more difficult than in the States. Most small retailers simply won't take returned defective items. Even Carrefour, the French retailer in China, makes it an unpleasant experience. When I took the fan back I had to stand in front of a "service" counter and fight for the attention of one of the uninterested young clerks. At the same time I had to fight to keep other unhappy customers from getting in front of me in the non-existent line. People here simply don't know what a queue is and are brazen about shoving right in front of others trying to wait their turn. They will literally reach right over you and shove their cash or papers in front of your face.
But there's always a drama that either complicates things or brings a bit of entertainment. When I was returning the fan there was a lady trying to return some bras. She was shouting at the clerk and the clerk was pointing at the return policy on the wall and simultaneously going about some unrelated paperwork. The other two clerks were just staring at the hysterical customer and ignoring the rest of us trying to get their attention. Once I finally got ones attention she took my receipt, told me to go get a replacement fan and then come back and try once again to fight through the crowd and get someones attention. The entire transaction took me over an hour. And this is at one of China's leading retailers. Ah, the life of a consumer in China!
I can also believe that at least 20 percent of the food is substandard. I've never gotten sick as often as I do in China. Almost monthly I'm laid low for a few days with some sort of food poisoning. But looking on the positive side - I'm accumulating a collection of bacteria that should eventually make me invincible - if I can live that long.
I read an article in the International Herald Tribune last week that a study by China revealed that about 20 percent of the foods and goods on the shelves of stores in China are defective or substandard (ie. bad). My own experience bears this out. Last week I bought a standing fan from the Carrefour but once I got it home I discovered that the housing was cracked from end to end. The patio umbrella I bought a month ago has developed several defects and won't stay open in wet weather. What is puzzling is that China-made products I bought in US stores didn't fail nearly as often as the China-made products I buy in China. I would presume that this is because the US retailers have more stringent quality control demands than do retailers in China. Poor packaging is also a reason. When goods are packaged for export they are simply better boxed and protected.
Returning damaged goods in China is also much more difficult than in the States. Most small retailers simply won't take returned defective items. Even Carrefour, the French retailer in China, makes it an unpleasant experience. When I took the fan back I had to stand in front of a "service" counter and fight for the attention of one of the uninterested young clerks. At the same time I had to fight to keep other unhappy customers from getting in front of me in the non-existent line. People here simply don't know what a queue is and are brazen about shoving right in front of others trying to wait their turn. They will literally reach right over you and shove their cash or papers in front of your face.
But there's always a drama that either complicates things or brings a bit of entertainment. When I was returning the fan there was a lady trying to return some bras. She was shouting at the clerk and the clerk was pointing at the return policy on the wall and simultaneously going about some unrelated paperwork. The other two clerks were just staring at the hysterical customer and ignoring the rest of us trying to get their attention. Once I finally got ones attention she took my receipt, told me to go get a replacement fan and then come back and try once again to fight through the crowd and get someones attention. The entire transaction took me over an hour. And this is at one of China's leading retailers. Ah, the life of a consumer in China!
I can also believe that at least 20 percent of the food is substandard. I've never gotten sick as often as I do in China. Almost monthly I'm laid low for a few days with some sort of food poisoning. But looking on the positive side - I'm accumulating a collection of bacteria that should eventually make me invincible - if I can live that long.
posted by Kevcham at 8:08 AM
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