china the worlds new shopping venue?

Brooker_Dave

RFW wrote: »

I guess if your primary motive is money then you won't be bothered about the workers that made the product, tax avoidance and the effect on the economy of buying direct from China

I could buy them off an American company selling them on an American website that does not pay any tax for £110 and they'd still be made in china.

Or I could buy off the same Chinaman who makes them for the Americans for £15 inc postage.

I think my way is better for everyone other than the greedy people.

chancesare_2

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

I could buy them off an American company selling them on an American website that does not pay any tax for £110 and they'd still be made in china.

Or I could buy off the same Chinaman who makes them for the Americans for £15 inc postage.

I think my way is better for everyone other than the greedy people.

Tax or no tax, the American company has to make them fit for the American market.

The Chinaman doesnt give a toss. The UK consumer dies.

ballisticbrian

I think you only need to buy a few things and inspect the quality, and you will see the difference. Buy chinese, reduce your expectations or pay a little more for something where the quality control is done before the retailing.

The news items about the upper class in china buying Landrovers etc, has decades to go before this appreciation for quality to filter down to exports from China to UK \ US.

Often the Chinese manufacturer has ony put enough effort into making something look like, and *just about* function as the item they have copied. When things are made this way, they are often made of inferior materials, and haven't been tested in a suitable environment, and therefore break down quickly.

Brooker_Dave

chancesare wrote: »

Tax or no tax, the American company has to make them fit for the American market.

The Chinaman doesnt give a toss. The UK consumer dies.

Killer trainers??

Brooker_Dave

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I think you only need to buy a few things and inspect the quality, and you will see the difference. Buy chinese, reduce your expectations or pay a little more for something where the quality control is done before the retailing.

But *everything* is made in china anyway.

SSGjosh

Even on eBay you can see the price difference between the Chinese sellers and the UK sellers - for example one of the lines that I sell, if you do a worldwide search, you can get around 25 of them for £2.49 - I sell 2 of them for around the same price and despite the greater amount available from China, mine still sell very well. I believe that people are still willing to pay for the convenience. If China shipping ever increases in speed, so that items take around a week , or two weeks to get here, rather than up to four weeks, then they may become a more direct competitor.

ballisticbrian

But *everything* is made in china anyway.

Hold on, I'm talking in the context of your post, which states two web sites, and the typical products you find on them. We are not talking about products made by SONY and Apple which are made to a very high standard in China. Cheap consumer products, electronic, or plastic gadgets of various types, right at the bottom end of the market, cheapest price.

duncan-biscuits

Thought this was a wind up, as IF anyone would be so stupid as to pay good money to some fake Chinese website in the vain hope of getting a "bargain" (if it even does arrive here )you may get something that is a very good replica , hard to tell apart until you look at the glue and stitching and the flimsy photocopied labels, cos copywrite laws don't seem to exist there, so it isnt seen as a crime over there and they have no Trade Descriptions Act preventing copying of items, until they touch down on UK soil you won't be sued. But you start selling counterfeits and the arm of the law will fall quickly on your bahooky! Trading standards would be round your pad quickfast.

Clothing that falls apart , electronic items that ignite or smoulder and set houses on fire, childrens toy that contain lead paint or choking parts, it really is not worth the risk to face jail trying to resell cheap worthless junk that doesnt meet any British Standards (or European Standards!) no kitemark, No CE mark etc.....

Brooker_Dave

duncan-biscuits wrote: »

Thought this was a wind up, as IF anyone would be so stupid as to pay good money to some fake Chinese website in the vain hope of getting a "bargain"

All the stuff I've bought has been top quality and no different to what's sold here anyway.

ballisticbrian

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

All the stuff I've bought has been top quality and no different to what's sold here anyway.

You've been very lucky and probably haven't bought much from China.