Negotiating with Chinese sellers on Alibaba

God no. That would be weird and offensive. I think Americans have a tip culture.

 

HK is weird to me. It's nothing like mainland China. I really do not like there at all. So people who think HK is the same as the mainland. ..That's like going to Chinatown and thinking its mainland China.

 

I wouldn't bother. It's not that exciting. For sure everyone needs to come and have their mind blown on the scale of things here and their erroneous beliefs exploded. But after that its kinda a boring country but great for working conditions for a teacher like me. When I'm on one of my many paid holidays like all of us we get out and travel.

 

Go to Taiwan.
Progressive country, a little bit Japanese influenced, has technology, great trains, 7-11's everywhere and you can get chinese food there ready to eat, its scenic, its inexpensive, there are night markets, great mango desserts, check out the outdoor hot spa pools....

 

yes it was so long ago. Modern China is nothing that you can imagine. And every 7 years is like dog years to humans. Its another paradigm shift. I agree with the OP. If you want China lite (better in my opinion too) go to Taiwan or Vietnam.

 

My experince with haggling is still a laugh all these years later. I wander into a liquor store in Beijing during the games in 2008 and ask how much the beer is. He uses the calculator. Cheap. I say sure... Then hands me a 6 pack....I thought the price was per bottle and hold out my hand with one finger pointed up and look puzzled - he laughs and taps 6 in the calculator. At that price who would buy one ? My deal was 6 times better than I thought and even if it was one it was soooo cheap. a 6 pack of beer was like $1.50. I didnt question another retail price after that. One thing I did quickly learn....Ask what the "meat" is. Beef isnt always the bit you expect. Or cattle. It could be horse. Yeah I found that out after eating it.

The Chinese economy is built around supply ./ demand. Was back there a year back and couldnt believe the modernisation. Technology drives everything. They all use translation apps to assist with english and shove their phone in your face if they cant understand. We did have a laugh and wonder how badly our translation sounds. I never had a bad translation from mandarin to english on the app. Wish they had that in 2008

 

[QUOTE="Paul@PFI, Was back there a year back and couldnt believe the modernisation. Technology drives everything. 8[/QUOTE] Yep well at least you were here recently so you see how China is as many think is 1990 here. Yes we do everything via WeChat and Alipay. Payments, tickets, health codes, business, documents transfer, train scan codes, order food, cloths, groceries, didi, anything and everything. Now face scan is more popular due to facial scan health screening rather than the tedious temp guns.

 

Dependence on China is heading south? Hmm..

 

We went on a tour. The documents we signed here, in Australia said that the price included tips. When we got on the tour the tour conductor mentioned tips constantly, and how much we were expected to tip him each day. Plus at every new place we travelled to, there was a local guide, and we were expected to tip them as well.........all except one, who apparently was a Party member. No mention of tips was made at all on that day.

I'm a bit of a tight wad, so I didn't tip at all during the trip, as we were told NOT to tip. I wasn't the only one, but the majority of people on the tour did give very generous tips, and when I did a mental calculation of how much the guide made each day, on top of his wages, it was HUGE.

 

Find the other post to quote me where I talk about tourist China I do not participate. In. I live here. ha ha yes that stuff is legendary in China and Vietnam from what I hear from tourists. Cambodia I think also.

 

I know nothing about that sector but I'm sure there are well researched primary source articles to source and quote on the sector. But as I have said I live here I'm not a tourist. I recently went to Chengdu. I buy my own train tix on wechat. I stay in 5-star hotels with Citadines group (Ascott Raffles, Sommerset brands etc), I can speak everyday level Chinese. I go to big shopping malls, see my friends, go to cool bars and nightclubs, check out the hip boutiques. So you see I'm not doing things that tourists do. Just live the normal local life. So I'm the wrong person to ask about China 20 years ago or tourist-based experiences.

 

We've done that too......but usually if we get service over & above, and preaching to the tourists serveral times a day is not good service. I added up what this person wanted in tips, and it was well over what a good operator in a Western Country could expect as a daily figure....on top of his normal wage.