The Wholesale Forums

[greedyboy]

Originally Posted by ka08

As a Chinese, all I can say "be cautious every moment when u enter China"
Be extra cautious for anyone who goes near you, especially look out for little kids.....
kids ain't innocent or naive.... they are expert Theift!!

And get prepare for great meal and wine... Chinese will pay every meal for sure....its all about prestige, dignity and pride.....

When you enter, you will be swamped from your first step on Chinese soil. Beggars, taxi drivers, you name it. They all obviously want something from you.

You are always best to arrange a legitimate pick up or as I do get one of the factories to pick you up and take you to your hotel. Even in built-up areas such as Shenzhen you can still be very isolated because of the language barrier.

A trip to China requires military type planning and if it is your first time you are best investing in a guide or if you have good business relationships out there already they can help you immensely.

Larger factories will have an office in HK which makes life a lot easier but there is no substitute to visiting the actual factories themselves.

Fortunately, I now have people in China who do all the donkey work so there is little point in me visiting frequently as I used to.

[ka08]

Originally Posted by greedyboy

When you enter, you will be swamped from your first step on Chinese soil. Beggars, taxi drivers, you name it. They all obviously want something from you.

You are always best to arrange a legitimate pick up or as I do get one of the factories to pick you up and take you to your hotel. Even in built-up areas such as Shenzhen you can still be very isolated because of the language barrier.

A trip to China requires military type planning and if it is your first time you are best investing in a guide or if you have good business relationships out there already they can help you immensely.

Larger factories will have an office in HK which makes life a lot easier but there is no substitute to visiting the actual factories themselves.

Fortunately, I now have people in China who do all the donkey work so there is little point in me visiting frequently as I used to.

I 100% agree with you!
If possible, arrange your trip with agents in HK. There are tons of agents and agencies in HK can guide you through step by step.
Personally, I used to hire someone in HK as a translator and had him to arrange the transportation. (I suggest getting agent to rent a car in HK. I wouldn't trust the driver and mechanic in China.... its too risky. About 5 years ago, I had a very bad experience with the rental in China. The car that I rented just got repair; I thought it would be safe.... yet after turning the first corner, i freaked out.... one of the tire lock was not tighten, and the tire almost loose out....)

[consultant]

Even with people in China, visiting is still a good thing. As good as your local people on the ground are, you know what you want and have the best understanding of your own business and requirements.

Having worked for possible the largest importer of OEM electronics in the UK, who limited visits to HK/China for cost reasons, when I visited, I always got a lot more than we planned for, as I could see/find things that locals couldnt pick up on. Also, not wanting to sound rude, but a foriegn visitor could normally get inproved pricing, even by $0.01, during negotiations.

One bit of general advise - just because your host/supplier does not speak English or is not dressed in the latest Armani suit, do not take them for either an idiot or a fool - they are normally VERY shrewd and business savvy!

[tarik]

how to go about looking for agents in HK?
thanks

[TYLOLA]

Originally Posted by Xplosion

Hey,

To be honest, I have nothing better to do and I did a business trip to China last year and learnt alot from my experiences and just thought I'd share them. I went to China for 2 weeks and visited about 5 cities, went to

-Shenyang
-Shanghai
-Guangzhou
-Shenzen
-Foshan

The most important aspect is language, now I presume most of us dn't speak mandarin so ideally you either want a supplier who is willing to supply a translator/guide or you can hire your own. Before you go out though, its vitally important to let all your prospective suppliers know and sit down and write down your own agenda and plan (Stick to this) because once you get to China, everyone is a potential supplier but dn't waste your time visiting every single shop, determine which offers the best quality/price for your particular product. Alibaba is a great resource for suppliers but a few things that you have to look out for, dn't trust them simply because

-They have a Gold Trust Pass (it is simply something you can buy)

The Alibaba forums are really helpful, the first step should be to copy paste that companies name into google and alibaba's forum search, stick in +Scam +Fraud and see what pop's up, you'll be suprised.

Culture:

Now I hope I dn't stereotype or generalise for this and if i do, please ignore it, its not meant. When we went, our suppliers were excessively generous, you probably will be thrown off by this, they will not let you spend a penny, they'll take you out to lunch, provide a car, driver etc and it makes you feel incredibiliy guilty, its arguable whether this is simply a sales tactic or generosity but be aware of this and dn't let your business sense wane because of this. I guess, you should also get used to Green Tea, as you will be offered it every you go . Always bargain and be ruthless in bargaining, its the only way, its not common here but regardless of what size of company your supplier is, I bet thier prices will always drop.

Business:

Always keep a camera with you but also before you take it out and start snapping away, simply kindly ask your supplier as its prohibited in alot of factories. However, if you see the product you are interested and the supplier is kind enough, take pictures of it, as many as you can as once you come back, it will aid you chose what to go for and after shipping you can also compare it with the actual product you saw. Usually the supplier has a shipping agent they use, but be aware, alot of prices are FOB not CIF, so always ask for CIF as it makes life alot easier. (FOB = free on board so basically they will load the goods onto a ship, CIF = Cost, Insurance + Freight so this is the price for shipping to england). Also, if its a large order, Bank TT's tend to create alot of hassle if things go wrong, instead I would always recommend using an L/C for all transactions. This is a letter of credit which basically means, the bank acts as a liason between you and the supplier. You pay the bank and the bank holds onto the money until the goods are recieved, once they're recieved, you give the A ok to the bank and it releases payment to the supplier. Ofcourse their is a charge for this but if you are buying from a supplier for the first time, it very helpful in reducing risks

I think thats enough for now let me know if you have any other questions

Hats off to you - appreciated greatly, superb advice & the best post i have seen for a long time... deserves member of the month award in my eyes

[TYLOLA]

Originally Posted by Xplosion

instead I would always recommend using an L/C for all transactions. This is a letter of credit which basically means, the bank acts as a liason between you and the supplier. You pay the bank and the bank holds onto the money until the goods are recieved, once they're recieved, you give the A ok to the bank and it releases payment to the supplier.

What does the L/C stand for? just so i can clarify with my bank

[RWA]

Originally Posted by TYLOLA

What does the L/C stand for? just so i can clarify with my bank

Its a Letter of Credit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_credit