Here is my first addition to the warnings about Chinese suppliers and it saddens me that I even need to make such a warning.

A bit of background on myself so that you can get an idea of what I base my concerns upon. I am a westerner who has been pretty much living in China for the last 12 years and am therefore fluent in Chinese. I have been involved in foreign trade for a while as a buyer and overall I believe that most suppliers are honest but that many are incapable which makes them appear dishonest.

Yiwu Weituo Ornament Firm, or perhaps more correctly a guy called Andy, contacted me today through the Trade Manager trying to sell his wares. We had a short discussion during the course of which I developed a number of concerns about the honesty that he was showing. Perhaps my concerns can serve as a warning to others.

By the way I told Andy about this post so perhaps he will respond to give his version of his business practices.

Andy purportedly makes belt buckles. I asked him specifically if the items were his current designs and he said yes. We discussed prices and MOQ's etc. My concerns about the discussion include:

1. Toward the end of our discussion Andy tried to suggest that I should pay mould costs on his current items. He assured me that the costs of the moulds are low (USD40) but that they would be necessary as his old moulds have deteriorated. He claimed that he fully agreed with me that it was ridiciulous that I should pay mould costs but that it was his company policy.

2. When I refused the above he tried to suggest that it is the standard in his area in Yiwu - so I told him no problem I would continue my business with suppliers outside of Yiwu, suppliers who I know to be honest and where I don't need to pay mould costs on current items.

3. Then he suggested that I was claiming that all Chinese were dishonest - I pointed out to him that my wife is Chinese and that I have been dealing with Chinese people for 12 years. I was only claiming that he was dishonest not Chinese people in general.

4. Then he started going on about how charging for samples is standard practice - which obviously has nothing to do with the problem at hand which is the fact that he was trying to charge mould costs on his 'current' products.

My take on Andy and the company that he works for Yiwu Weituo Ornaments Firm is that they are dishonest.

Many suppliers in Yiwu try to get away with a lot as many of their customers are first time buyers in China. They offer small order sizes and the items that can be bought in that area are generally the sort of product that first time buyers are after - cheap and easy to ship. There are some legitimate suppliers there, but there are also a lot that are not.

I do not like the fact that I received an unsolicited contact via Trade Manager.

I do not like the fact that I was told that I would have to pay mould costs even though I was earlier told that the items were factory current items. Either Andy was dishonest with me and the items are not his items just pictures from somewhere else and he wanted me to cover the cost of making the moulds, or he was trying to scam me into paying more money on the pretext that this money would cover the cost of making new moulds. Either way I believe that he was being dishonest.

I don't like the fact that he did not answer my specific questions but deliberately avoided these by bringing in discussions about sample costs etc. Generally speaking I believe that an honest person in a legitimate situation does not need to avoid answering questions.

I don't like the fact that he tried to suggest that my concerns with him personally were symptomatic of my dislike of Chinese in general. The fact that he suggested this seems to me to be an overly defensive move by someone who is caught in a corner with no way out.

Andy I am sorry that you contacted me, and I am even more sorry that you think it acceptable to try to deceive people from other countries in an effort to make money. I am hoping that you will genuinely come to learn that the suppliers in China who make the most money are the ones who are honest.

I would not recommend dealing with Yiwu Weituo Ornaments Firm as in my opinion they are likely to be the sort of company that makes promises and then comes up with all sorts of excuses and reasons as to why they don't need to keep their promise.

Replying to [Egernia]: As a supplier should keep promise. That's the basic of business.

Replying to [Egernia]:
as a Chinese proverb says: without credit, a man can not stand toe to toe in the world.

Replying to [Egernia]:

I worked InYiwu during last six monthes,Then I left.

Being honest is one of most important facts in business.

Most business men and companys know this.

Replying to [Jane1984]:
It could be true ....or you are wrong!

To be serious,
It is great to do biz in Yiwu City.
If you are an honest buyers here,
You will benifit alots from the permernent suppliers
here in the dedicated 4 starred and verified markets internationally.

They are some small factories in the suburbs of Yiwu City around all directions. The main biz here I have introduced before
es Zipper / underwear/sockings/( belt y bag y shoes ,most from guangzhou,wenzhou,fujian)/ foto frame/christmas decoration/fashional jewellry....

and There are always some new factories which do new business y do copy from other city to make Yiwu Market full of all kinds of products and give cheaper offer.......while quality varies.

It is reasonale to ask for Mould charge to some regard.
If you wanna try some suppliers in Yiwu,
you can ask me as i M here for two years

Here, I heard more suppliers were scammed from the yearly report from gov party. some from Korea/arabian countries/chinese solo agent.
Here in the Market, if you are an old buyers, you can
get credit to pay monthly after shippment of your goodz.....in this way,it is very risky to get some buyers take the goodz and go back to their countries .......

There are some story telling about how suppliers take plane to
foreign country
to claim the outstanding debt or something with buyers.

and THere is another thing, we prefer to do biz with westernors
who pay cash against pick up the goodz in the warehouse,
some westernors pay to foreign company so that the suppliers have to follow the policy of -after-one month payment effected...

and it is not easy to battle on this situation when competitions are fierce......Mercy to Suppliers in Yiwu City

---Joey In Yiwu

Moderators,

Please tell me one good reason for not removing this thread?

Street Smart

Simon,

You can take them to court for fraud and scam. The alleged mould scam, Yiwu Weituo Ornaments Firm will suffer because of the $40.00 they are charging for the mould, which was not done, because you did not pay, nor accepted their offer.


So till now, this posting is still here, where more and more people read and have the reputation and name of Yiwu destroyed by this allegation. Not only Yiwu, but you mentioned "Chinese suppliers" which includes all other Chinese suppliers. If I were you, have this thread retracted and deleted asap, before the Chinese reckon their legal rights, and what constitutes a defamation.



Spider Web

This I got to read.


Let the whole world know.

Like the song that goes like this:

"In His hand, he got the whole world, in his hand he got the whole wide world. He got the whole world in His hand."


"He got the Little Bee brother, in his hand he got the little bee brother, in his hand he got the whole world in his hand."


"He got the little Cee sister, in his hand he got the little cee sister, in his hand he got the whole world in his hand."

"he got someone down under, in his hand he got someone down under. Who thought that he gotta whole world in his hand."


Racist or braggadocio Pig?
Here is my first addition to the warnings about Chinese suppliers and it saddens me that I even need to make such a warning.
A bit of background on myself so that you can get an idea of what I base my concerns upon. I am a westerner who has been pretty much living in China for the last 12 years and am therefore fluent in Chinese. I have been involved in foreign trade for a while as a buyer and overall I believe that most suppliers are honest but that many are incapable which makes them appear dishonest.
Yiwu Weituo Ornament Firm, or perhaps more correctly a guy called Andy, contacted me today through the Trade Manager trying to sell his wares. We had a short discussion during the course of which I developed a number of concerns about the honesty that he was showing. Perhaps my concerns can serve as a warning to others.

ahem ....

If this is the truth, you will have the burden of proof. However if the truth is twisted, and because of one Chinese company asking the Aussie to pay $40.00 for a mould, he has stereotype all Chinese companies to be in the likes of Yiwu Weituo Ornament Firm, as what he describes in the subject line

Yiwu Weituo Ornaments Firm - Mould Scam

ahem ....

If this is the truth, you will have the burden of proof. However if the truth is twisted, and because of one Chinese company asking the Aussie to pay $40.00 for a mould, he has stereotype all Chinese companies to be in the likes of Yiwu Weituo Ornament Firm, as what he describes in the subject line

Yiwu Weituo Ornaments Firm - Mould Scam

Keep on putting up the meat, and you will attract the flies, and the maggots.