I go on eBay a lot for a lot of different reasons, and one thing I tend to do is buy from Hong Kong/China. Sometimes I can get items for much, much less than they would be coming from the US, but there's also the problem of them taking months to arrive, and occasionally being fake or broken. So my question is, do you buy from China? Is it worth it to you?
I've bought some items from a Chinese site but honestly I only ever do so more for finding unique items unavailable to me locally than I do for savings. Often I'd more likely just purchase a more trusted brand if I can since I think I'm saving myself more by just getting a quality item instead of one that I'd have to gamble with. Like I said, though, it's still very useful to have it as an option for when you don't need the quality all too much.
Depends on what you buy and what you're expecting from the product. Can't really say if it's worth or not in general. If it's a small piece of electronics, or something like that, then yeah, it's just fine. For the more complex items, I would do some research on the individual product first.
It would totally depend on the item. I only buy cute little stuff from Chinese stores. Never electronics or gadgets. I personally had bad experiences with Chinese gadgets. They never lasted for more than a year. Well, I guess that's pretty much expected since Chinese things are very cheap in terms of price. There are also some items, though, that are really good and useful and totally convenient. Overall, I think Chinese items are worth it.
I have had enough really bad experiences to say it's not worth it. I now select North America for item location before I start looking at the items listed. Some issues I've had-- obviously pirated DVD, totally wrong item (jazz pants when I ordered leotard), low quality that didn't hold up at all. Problem with Chinese sellers is if you have a problem, your just stuck because return shipping is on you and will make it not worth the trouble to make an exchange.
Sometimes I do, it really depends on the actual rating that the seller has. I look to make sure that they have at least a 97 rating, if not, I don't take my chances. Now, I don't buy just anything, it has to be inexpensive. I would never buy anything over $5 from China honestly. I want to get my money's worth and if I find the same thing listed somewhere in the States for $3 more, I will buy it from the States. I've heard a number of bad experiences and I don't want to get scammed.
I think it depends on the item you are interested in buying. If you want something that is of high quality then it is probably better to not buy from a Chinese seller or to not buy used at all. My dad uses ebay more than I do. He purchases batteries and computer parts from ebay and I think he brought from a Chinese seller once and was not happy with the result. Also, keep an eye out for fakes. There are a lot of fakes begin sold from Chinese sellers. Take the chance if you want to but just make sure you're not paying a lot just in case you end up losing/wasting your money.
I think the shipping is what makes the whole thing not worth it. I feel like the shipping for Asian websites and sellers are very very slow. Other than the fact that the shipping is ridiculous, I find very unique items that cannot be found in American stores, or are very expensive here. I think that it all depends on what you are getting. If it is an electronic, the quality most likely will be bad. I find also that the pictures that the seller uses are generally fake pictures of the actual object being sold, and the actual object looks a little different than the picture. I have ordered clothes and jewelry from China and I have yet to have a bad experience.
Well, I guess it depends, you could get lucky and get some really high quality items for a very low price, in fact in my country I know for sure there are brands who does that and then re-sells the items for a ridiculous high price. But you might also not get lucky, in fact how much you pay that's how much it does.
There are some good products you can buy but you'll have to be really careful when buying one. In my country, most malls have stores that sell loads of these products (especially China phones, they're huge here) and I myself have bought a couple of inexpensive Chinese items and there were times I was lucky enough to buy a product that would be really great and would last long. I guess it depends where you buy and what the product might be. China phones, though sometimes weird looking and it screams "fake", are said to be really good as well. It's just a matter of knowing what products you choose and where to buy them.
It really depends on what you personally perceive by "worth" items. If you run short on money but still want that little gadget you wish you'd have, for a veeery long time, then a replica of that item would fulfill your needs. If you want something both qualitative and durable, then Chinese items really aren't for you. I'm telling you from personal experience, since I pertain to those unlucky ones who were somewhat "scammed" into thinking that a cheaper replica is more qualitative, and although I paid only $20 less than the original, it lasted a quarter of what the original item would've done. Never going to put my trust easily for such low amounts...
I make a lot of jewelry that I sell online and have found that buying findings and components in bulk from China could save me tons of money; however, you have to be extremely careful about what the jewelry findings and components are made from. The key phrase here is: I could save tons of money, but I DON'T. We're always hearing stories about the chemicals found in the baby formula or the Cadmium found in the charms on necklaces sold at Wal-Mart or Target. This is stuff coming from China. If I can avoid buying something like that from China, I will avoid it at all costs.
Normally, I just buy clothes from China or other areas around East Asia. It's mostly for sizing issues and less for price, at that point, though. I'm 5'9", which isn't really that far from average in the U.S., but for some reason even Walmart shirts leave me swimming in them. It's annoying if I'm trying to actually look presentable. I've had a few where seams on the inside of a garment start coming apart, but that's easy to stitch back together. For the price and the fit that I get out of those, no complaints here, but I do have to expect to break out a sewing kit or put something through the machine every once in a while. I mean, to pay $15 for a peacoat that actually fits and has lasted me years instead of $80 for something that makes me look like I dug through Dad's closet, that really isn't a bad deal.
I also enjoy shopping on ebay, and sometimes buy items from China . I have not had any problems with doing so, and the items were exactly as represented, and the price was excellent, and the shipping was free. The only drawback that stops me is that it takes forever (almost a month sometimes) for the item to arrive. So, if it is something that you want to have very soon; then this is not a good option. If you are ordering something that you like and want; but do not have to have it right away, then you can save money and get a good bargain.
There was a time I wouldn't buy Chinese. Then someone showed me a phone they'd bought. It was cheap but was very much like some of those high-end device that would be extremely expensive. He'd had it for quite some time and swore he'd used nothing better. And having learned that there are some high quality Chinese products should I find any that's cheaper then obviously I'd buy it. The risk of being scammed though is quite high so when buying one must be extra careful.
I would say it really does depend. Sometimes it's a false economy. Items can be cheap but fall apart when they arrive. Other times you'll get a complete an utter bargain. That's the charm of China. It is getting better, though, and the consistency is improving, but you'll always have a few duds. I also wouldn't group Hong Kong into the equation - it's a very different manufacturing, price point and cultural set up.
I am thinking about it as a couple of my friends/family have done so and despite the companies bad feedback they've recieved more than okay items. Yes they do take a while and sometimes go missing or need refunding but I've had the same problem with UK companies. I expected the quality to be very cheap. It is compared to designer clothing but I have not found it to be of any worse quality than some of the leading highstreet fashion stores in the UK and for a half or third of the price.
I've had some costume jewellery from one of these sellers on eBay before. I say costume jewellery, it claimed to be sterling silver and even had a "925" mark but who were they trying to kid? Anyway, at 1p plus £2.99 shipping for a chunky necklace and bracelet set which still looks as good as new, I really don't mind! However, I'm not allergic to any metals and this could be pretty disasterous for anyone who was.
It all depends on what you are buying in my opinion. I had bought a few products that were pretty good, however, there were others that was just plain awful. I think like anything you choose to buy its going to be somewhat of a gamble.
I've night atuff like this before. Sometimes it's fine, other times its broken in some way. I suppose paying the higher price moreso guarentees that it isbwhat you're looking for, but sometimes you just can't afford it. I'd always check the sellers reviews and such, if they have any available.
