On super-cheap laptops and how not to do business - Part II
Yeah, and here is the continuation of the story about laptops "for all." The first part can be read here .
So buy. How it was? It was uh ... pretty weird. I negotiated with my brother-Chinese for two weeks, they know how to write letters, write politely: “Dear Sir, ...” and all that. In general, two weeks of communication through e-mail did not pass for nothing, I learned enough about devices and this only strengthened my desire to make a purchase. Said shipping cost: $ 224 if sent via EMS (Express Mail Service). Why choose EMS? Because they deliver the parcel in some miraculous way and there is no need to pay a customs duty for them, which in our country can be up to 30% of the cost of the parcel. It was because of the customs fees that I had to refuse to send via DHL, although, of course, I somehow believed them more, how many times I worked with them, everything always worked out, and FedEx was not considered for the reason that the quality of the services they provided uh ... how to say it, below the baseboard.
Yes, generally agreed on EMS. I will calculate the total cost, that we get $ 162 * 5 + 224 total $ 1034. This is almost $ 207 per device. Figase !, I thought, but what about “for all”? But what about the "super-cheap but also on Linux"? This is 2/3 of the cost of an EEE PC! But there is nothing to do, “Twenty thousand have already been consolidated” (c) Masyanya.
Sent invoice. Translation made PrivatBank. Surprisingly, quite quickly everything happened, in 40 minutes I had a personal account (I think it cost 30 hryvnia, about $ 6) and $ 12 was charged for an international transfer. I was even surprised, in PrivatBank, everything was usually sooo slow, but here it happened so quickly. At least something nice. The total $ 1034 + 6 + 12 is $ 1052. This is for $ 210 per thing. Hmmm ... almost twice the cost increased from the stated.
')
So, the money went to China. On the same day I sent a receipt of payment scans to the Chinese brothers and received from them "many thanks, technological samples will be ready within 2 weeks."
OK, two so two, you can wait until the new year is still far :)
Two weeks passed, I wrote to them, saying, “how are things with the glands”, and I get something like “we are trying to release a new version of the device with a built-in Wi-FI module, let's send you new samples, but a little later". For some reason, the word "Figase!" Oyat visited my head, what have the built-in Wi-Fi? I prepay the external. Well, I say, look, I paid you for the external, give me what I want, just send it all. In response, silence ...
A week passed, again I am writing to them, saying that there is something with iron there? I've been waiting for it already! To which I get the answer "well, here we have improved the screen, there are more colors and the resolution has improved and still remember, the built-in Wi-Fi ... but this time, we are preparing all this ... but if anything, we can give you back the money." Oooh, great, small screen ... but what about $ 60 for external wifi modules? In general, I decided to wait, promised a resolution of 800x480 (it turns out to be less!).
He waited until the beginning of the October Revolution, again silence. Unsubscribe, they say, how is it? Have already done? Silence again. But I am persistent, every three days I wrote letters to them :) Finally, three days ago I received an answer that we sent it by DHL. Tracking namber bla bla bla bla.
Oooh! Sent! But DHL! It turns out that for all this good I will have to pay a customs fee! Well ekarnybabay, we agreed! With such a deal, these devices will cost me as an EEE PC! I decided to calm down, but it was not the same. The specified tracking number on the DHL website was invalid. For greater certainty, I went to check on the EMS site, maybe in the letter I made a mistake with the name of the courier company ... I tried the same non-valid number.
Today I wrote to them about this, waiting for an answer, I am nervous ...
Continuation of this story will write as new information will appear.
PS: Does anyone else have experience buying equipment in China? How it was?
- Source
UPD: the continuation of the story can be read here .
So buy. How it was? It was uh ... pretty weird. I negotiated with my brother-Chinese for two weeks, they know how to write letters, write politely: “Dear Sir, ...” and all that. In general, two weeks of communication through e-mail did not pass for nothing, I learned enough about devices and this only strengthened my desire to make a purchase. Said shipping cost: $ 224 if sent via EMS (Express Mail Service). Why choose EMS? Because they deliver the parcel in some miraculous way and there is no need to pay a customs duty for them, which in our country can be up to 30% of the cost of the parcel. It was because of the customs fees that I had to refuse to send via DHL, although, of course, I somehow believed them more, how many times I worked with them, everything always worked out, and FedEx was not considered for the reason that the quality of the services they provided uh ... how to say it, below the baseboard.
Yes, generally agreed on EMS. I will calculate the total cost, that we get $ 162 * 5 + 224 total $ 1034. This is almost $ 207 per device. Figase !, I thought, but what about “for all”? But what about the "super-cheap but also on Linux"? This is 2/3 of the cost of an EEE PC! But there is nothing to do, “Twenty thousand have already been consolidated” (c) Masyanya.
Sent invoice. Translation made PrivatBank. Surprisingly, quite quickly everything happened, in 40 minutes I had a personal account (I think it cost 30 hryvnia, about $ 6) and $ 12 was charged for an international transfer. I was even surprised, in PrivatBank, everything was usually sooo slow, but here it happened so quickly. At least something nice. The total $ 1034 + 6 + 12 is $ 1052. This is for $ 210 per thing. Hmmm ... almost twice the cost increased from the stated.
')
So, the money went to China. On the same day I sent a receipt of payment scans to the Chinese brothers and received from them "many thanks, technological samples will be ready within 2 weeks."
OK, two so two, you can wait until the new year is still far :)
Two weeks passed, I wrote to them, saying, “how are things with the glands”, and I get something like “we are trying to release a new version of the device with a built-in Wi-FI module, let's send you new samples, but a little later". For some reason, the word "Figase!" Oyat visited my head, what have the built-in Wi-Fi? I prepay the external. Well, I say, look, I paid you for the external, give me what I want, just send it all. In response, silence ...
A week passed, again I am writing to them, saying that there is something with iron there? I've been waiting for it already! To which I get the answer "well, here we have improved the screen, there are more colors and the resolution has improved and still remember, the built-in Wi-Fi ... but this time, we are preparing all this ... but if anything, we can give you back the money." Oooh, great, small screen ... but what about $ 60 for external wifi modules? In general, I decided to wait, promised a resolution of 800x480 (it turns out to be less!).
He waited until the beginning of the October Revolution, again silence. Unsubscribe, they say, how is it? Have already done? Silence again. But I am persistent, every three days I wrote letters to them :) Finally, three days ago I received an answer that we sent it by DHL. Tracking namber bla bla bla bla.
Oooh! Sent! But DHL! It turns out that for all this good I will have to pay a customs fee! Well ekarnybabay, we agreed! With such a deal, these devices will cost me as an EEE PC! I decided to calm down, but it was not the same. The specified tracking number on the DHL website was invalid. For greater certainty, I went to check on the EMS site, maybe in the letter I made a mistake with the name of the courier company ... I tried the same non-valid number.
Today I wrote to them about this, waiting for an answer, I am nervous ...
Continuation of this story will write as new information will appear.
PS: Does anyone else have experience buying equipment in China? How it was?
- Source
UPD: the continuation of the story can be read here .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/43161/
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