Foow:


Yeah, I also remembered Hotels (Dont know which one) bought those counterfeit toothpaste, and the North Carolina Department of Corrections bought thousands too. It should raised more questions like why the government or state agencies bought counterfeit products. But nothing. FDA have not claimed the toothpaste are counterfeits products yet. Since the attentions are much on to the Chinese products, maybe Colgate company got away with it? 

Replying to [Ranger]: Amazing isnt it that the fake toothpaste product has been tracked back to the manufacturer who sold it to a south american company who sold it to an importer in the US that supplys to the US General Dollar and Everything is a Dollar stores.

On another note things are starting to snowball for Chinese manufacturers as American companies are starting to check everything made in china for product specification deviations. Another two childrens products were recalled on 08/17/07 because the products contained lead.

CPSC is said to be taking steps that would deny access to the US any goods that have not been tested for hazardous materials.

Based on news articles and press releases in both the US and Europe, toy retailers are bracing for the biggest drop in sales in decades coming into the holiday season.

The discussion will soon be raging as who is responsible for maintaining quality as 4 more companies announce new contract manufacturing deals with manufacturers in India. Will Chinese manufacturing short cuts be a financial windfall for India's manufacturing base?

Ranger

Replying to [Ranger]: COuld well be so Ranger........ Until the first "bad batch" gets thru from India....... The it will be on for young and old I think..

Maybe we should set up a toy factory here Ranger! MADE IN THE USA is going to come back as a tag again VERY quickly.

Replying to [Foow]:

You stated, quote,"....Until the first "bad batch" gets thru from India...." unquote.

No harm in day-dreaming.

Let me inform you that the US companies of international repute - Pepsi & Coke were also reported to be involved in the practice of adulteration in India 3-4 years back. They reported to have used contaminated water as well as pesticides in their soft drinks 100 to 200% over and above the prescribed limits as per US/ European/international standards. All Indians know this fact. Almost everyone in India especially youth in India, all college students and others virtually stopped drinking Coke and Pepsi for months. But as per the general perception in India based on the the media reports, the then American Govt finally intervened and used their power to subside the matter at the highest govt. level and finally proved that MIGHT IS RIGHT. Similarly, another US food giant KFC (specialized in fried chicken) was banned in India 4-5 years ago, when found that the oil being used by them was adulterated and was harmful to the people. (Though they are back now but with limited outlets only.)

So I feel, if US giants like Pepsi, Coke or KFC can be found in the wrong practices, besides being well equipped with the latest technoogies and, so called, highly conscious about the qualities of the products, any one in the world can do anything to earn profits. According to me, no country (whether developed or developing) is free from companies using wrong practices for maximizing their own profits (a short term money gain) and earn bad name for their country (a long term goodwill loss).

I see it as a the fault of human nature (of greediness) which is universal; the pressure of cut-throat competition coupled with either the high costs of latest technology or lack of the availibilty of the same are responsible for all these incidences and we should blame these factors and not the country as a whole or their people in general.

I will be pleased if you will also start appreciating the point that blaming the whole country because of a few companies' wrong practices is wrong.

As per your version, if today the tag of "Made in USA" is so strong, I wonder why then Mercedez, Nissan, Toyatta or even Hundai Accent (Korean) are the first choice of customers all over the world and not the "Ford", which was once no.1 during 1920's. Even in India, after Mercedez, demand for Japanese cars and even Korean (Hundai) cars are the first choice of the people. Second choice is Indian cars - Tata's Indica and other models, (with 100% indigenous components). US Ford or GM cars still have 4rth or 5th rank.

However, my best wishes to you in your new venture.

NOTE: I feel that Ranger had serious intentions while posting this topic for inviting valuable point of views from members and to look into the problems deeply related to the "quality" in general and not targeting any specific country/s (as he himself mentioned in his last line). This topic was not posted to invite sarcastic coments either against or in favour of any specific country/s. Learned members should understand it and think twice while commenting sarcastically on others. This is not the Fun forum as I understand it.

Replying to [Ranger]:When it comes to a cheaper price the buyer will have to compromise on quality. & Since Chinese goods have established there market then obviously the quality checks are not so serious. If it is the question of establishing the market or reputation then the question of quality arises.
One more reason for quality deterioration may be since it is produced in bulk, if it has found in quality check then to discarding the batch may not be viable for the manufacturer.

Replying to [Ranger]:

The Truth of Those Recalls of Chinese-Made Products

There are many articles published in sake of blame on the low quality of Made-In-china products. For instance, Mettel recalls 9 million Chinese-made toys. Colgate toothpaste is recalled for the ingredient of Diethylene Glycol. 450 thousand of Chinese-made tyres is recalled in New Jersey. Philippines accuses Whiterabbit's milkcandy for methanol contained...

I wonder whether Made-in-China products have collapsed for bad quality at that short period.

When I fell in thinking about this problem, I heard a shocking news that the boss of the manufacturer of the Mettel toys had ended up with suicide, and then Mettel published an article to applogize for misunderstanding. Mettel said the key reason for the recall is bad design. Some USA people said that the apology was delivered under force. But I am puzzled why Mettel can still import toys from China? Don't they really mind the poison if it really exist with Chinese-made toys?

Then another news came that MS USA Trading Company had been closed, but Colgate company was still free of inquiry. Clues show that the so-called Colgate toothpaste whiched was handed for test was only with a label marked Colgate, but might be faked. I also heard that real Colgate toothpaste has voluntarily applied for test and found nothing defective.

More over, a story tells that the only reason for the recall of Chinese-made tyres is that a car suffered a traffic accident, and the car was assembled with tyres imported from China. Also a funny saying tells us that there is a dissension behind the business between FTS (New Jersey distributor of those recalled tyres) and the Chinese manufaturer. Still there is nothing fatally defective found on the tyres. Quite funny, right?

But the more funny is the recall of Whiterabbit's milkcandy by Philippines. They announced the recall but refuse to show the test report. Therefore nobody knows the source of the tested candy. Then the Chinese exporter applied for test by SGS, and found no problem. The Whiterabbit milkcandy came back to the Philippine market ten days later. Investigation shows that more than ten kinds of faked Whiterabbit candy are being sold in Philippine market.

I write this article not to deny any problem with Chinese-made products. I think every country has their quality problem with their nationally made products. For example, Mexico is forbidden to export 20 kinds of product to USA, Canada is also forbidden to export 16 kinds to USA, USA has also recalled 2.3 million dishwashers, 3.7 million pcs of candle, 620 thousand units of high-pressure launder, and 72 thousand of aire compressors at the beginning of this year(2007). All these recalled products are produced by USA. I don't want to accuse on these products. But the problem is why they never put any serious concerning onto the other problems all over the world, but only onto Chinese-made products?

USA's newspaper always shout for the recalls of Chinese-made product but remain dumbness when the truth of unfairness was dig out. I hope all of us come back to table to deal with any problem by joint effort.

Replying to [Ranger]:I contact with many factories and inform that the competition is so severe ,few profit will left after subtracting all costs.

We know why many foreigners come to China for purchasing, the reason relay on the relative cheap price. Unfortunately, more businessmen misunderstand it and define it cheap absolutely.

For surviving under severe domestic competition as well, confronting raise of salary, raw materials,oil .ect,the only way left is degrading of products.

I do not deny the reason that there are the dishonest manufacturers in China.but I think the main reason is the present bis environment rather than the Chinese Government's policies and Bis dishonest.

Remenber that if you pay peanuts,you get monkeys.

Quoting from [Ranger]:


 ...IM just looking for everyones oppinion about the current state of quality in exports.

For me it is worrying that the quality of exports have indeed gone down, not only in USA, but elsewhere in general.  What's the root of this development?  I would say it's basically greed and a "couldn't care less" attitude on all fronts - governments, buyers, sellers (especially those who are there only for big profits and nothing else), the ultimate consumers, etc.  The culture of CHEAP worship and unmindful consumerism seem to have prevailed and if it goes on I am appalled at the consequences. 

Yet, I remain hopeful that things will move away from these excesses and wasteful consumption and that people will return to value goods that are lasting and not thrown away after one or few times use. 

Just my two cents!

macs2005  

Replying to [Ranger]:the prices also a big problem, some buyers and importers, just compare with the prices, not the products and quality, in China ,they are so many exporters and manufacturers, if just compare with the prices, maybe have not a good choice to import

Time to give out the points, Ranger?