Doing Business In China

[hdonk]

The Telegraph has an interesting article up today:

"Come back? Not for all the scooters in China"

Enjoy!

 

[mali]

Great read, thanks :lol:

 

[Jourdy288]

"We seemed to spend all of our time just sitting around drinking tea with bosses. I played ping-pong for hours with the head of one of the largest battery factories in the north. They put us up in five-star hotels and we had endless drunken banquets," he says. "But then when it came to negotiating the deal, it kept breaking down."

This would explain alot



JK, JK, keep at it.

On a side note, this is in the wrong section.

 

[craigix]

Along with watching Micromen, add this article to essential Pandora reading.

Very accurate and why we avoided China as much as we possibly could.

 

[intense_mc]

"Initially I went back to the UK while they were making the prototype. Victor sent me email updates with pictures of the bike and when it looked like it was finished I returned to China," says Chris. "What I found when I got to the factory was no prototype, just a wooden frame with an engine in the middle."

pwnt.

 

[WizardStan]

I think a lot of the commenters are missing the point. They're all "way to bad mouth China, jerk", or anecdotally saying how well their relations with China are, but the big thing I got from the article is not that dealing with China is necessarily bad, but it is very different from dealing with any other location, and if you fail to account for that it can very quickly become bad.

 

[intense_mc]

I think a lot of the commenters are missing the point. They're all "way to bad mouth China, jerk", or anecdotally saying how well their relations with China are, but the big thing I got from the article is not that dealing with China is necessarily bad, but it is very different from dealing with any other location, and if you fail to account for that it can very quickly become bad.

'...Other mishaps seemed to occur randomly. When Chris asked for the prototype to be made in black, he received one in bright pink.'

 

[WizardStan]

'...Other mishaps seemed to occur randomly. When Chris asked for the prototype to be made in black, he received one in bright pink.'

And what's your point?

 

[kattle87]

Along with watching Micromen, add this article to essential Pandora reading.

Very accurate and why we avoided China as much as we possibly could.

One question comes natural: have you looked for Taiwan or Japan for case manufacturing, back when you had a choice?
Just curiosity, nothing more

 

[Trip]

Now that's the most entertaining thing I've read in a while. Don't half feel sorry for the guy though

 

[craigix]

Along with watching Micromen, add this article to essential Pandora reading.

Very accurate and why we avoided China as much as we possibly could.

One question comes natural: have you looked for Taiwan or Japan for case manufacturing, back when you had a choice?
Just curiosity, nothing more

Yep, Japan is very expensive, Taiwan is pretty good for having things made. I'd not rule them out in the future. We went with a factory we had used before, looks like we just presented them with a design more complex than usual.

 

[truls_rhock]

Ahhh... Clearly it was China's fault for procrastinating the case until August. Remember those 30 days to create the mold?

 

[fusion_power]

Yep, Japan is very expensive, Taiwan is pretty good for having things made. I'd not rule them out in the future. We went with a factory we had used before, looks like we just presented them with a design more complex than usual.

Do you have reference material of what the Pandora-Case-Factory is capable of? Product samples seen or what do they build usualy if a (relative) simple Case like the one for the Pandora is to much for them? Do they only build Rubber Ducks or what? :lol:

 

[craigix]

Yep, Japan is very expensive, Taiwan is pretty good for having things made. I'd not rule them out in the future. We went with a factory we had used before, looks like we just presented them with a design more complex than usual.

Do you have reference material of what the Pandora-Case-Factory is capable of? Product samples seen or what do they build usualy if a (relative) simple Case like the one for the Pandora is to much for them? Do they only build Rubber Ducks or what? :lol:

Yes we do, they can do the quality we require, they just need the usual Chinese persuasion.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Yep, Japan is very expensive, Taiwan is pretty good for having things made. I'd not rule them out in the future. We went with a factory we had used before, looks like we just presented them with a design more complex than usual.

You could have them made cheaply in North Korea, but then you'd have to replace the Pandora logo with an engraving of the Great Leader.

 

[Wheels]

You could have them made cheaply in North Korea, but then you'd have to replace the Pandora logo with an engraving of the Great Leader.

You say that like it's a bad thing! Everyone should be overjoyed to see the visage of The Great Leader glowering at them whenever they shirk their duties to waste time with mindless games or internet. He is such a caring Father for us all that he silently chastises us across all distances.

 

[mali]

And he has some awesome glasses larger than his head. I'd like an engraving without head, please. Just the glasses

 

[peelie]

"Without any experience of business in China, or any language skills, it has been a gruelling process."

lol funniest line in article...doh!

 

[craigix]

"Without any experience of business in China, or any language skills, it has been a gruelling process."

lol funniest line in article...doh!

Surely the wooden bike was the funniest part? I had tears in my eyes.

 

[Sugar_Kane]

This might be a stupid question, but could the moulds have been made in china and then shipped to japan/Europe etc, would that have eliminated most of the cost?