Traps Inside the Zhong Guan Cun IT Market and How You Can Avoid Falling Into Them
Some say Zhong Guan Cun is the nation’s center for IT product supplies, while others say it’s the logistics headquarter for smuggled goods and pirates. The truth is, it is a very complicated place. You can definitely find bargains, but you have to take extra caution and do your homework before heading there. Continue reading and find out what are the most common traps and how you can avoid falling into them.1. Greeting and welcomingImmediately after you step in the entrance of any IT shopping malls at Zhong Guan Cun such as Hai Long and Ding Hao, you will be surrounded by sales reps calling you brother or sister and asking you to pay a visit to their stores. I know you are well-mannered, but don’t respond to their greetings too warm-heartedly because if you do, you will find yourself hard to get away. They will continue bombarding you with all the bargains they have until you agree to visit their offices upstairs, where you will be total in their hands.There are hundreds if not thousands stores inside every mall. In order to compete with each other, the sales reps are always excessively friendly. If you don’t have a clear idea about what you want and what you’d like to pay, and show any interest to their prices or products during the early stages, you will most likely end up paying more.This is what you should do. Don’t say a word and don’t look straight to the eyes of anyone. Instead, look for the products or brands you have in mind. Straightly head to the store front. Browse the price tag and the sample product. Ask the sales rep how much it costs. They’ll most likely give you a price that’s more than average. You must ask them again and say you are going to buy today if they offer a floor price. Continue to the next store without saying too much when you have their floor price. Do this several times and you will get an idea of the real price. Now go to the store that gives you the lowest and say you’d like to pay a visit to their office upstairs.2. Introducing something differentAfter sitting down in their office upstairs. You will be asked to wait for them to grab the item for you. When they come back they probably have several similar products in their hands. They will show you what you have asked, but they will not recommend it. They will emphasize its disadvantages and brag about the other items they brought.You may think that these folks are really considerate. You may also think that these are the pros, it’ll be better to take their advices. Don’t! They know you may be clear about the market price for the item you firstly asked, but you may be not about other similar products. They could be a similar model of the same brand, or a totally different brand. They have similar capabilities and configurations, but the important part is that the profit margin the sales rep gets are higher. Remember, these guys live on commissions. The more you pay above the market price, the more they make. If you don’t take extra caution, you could pay hundreds more if not thousands.Don’t let them continue recommending the others. Tell them the item you firstly asked is exactly what you want. If they don’t listen to you, tell them that you are buying for a friend and you cannot make the decision. You also need to do some research on the internet before hand. Have a clear idea about what you want and the average market price of the item. A good place to go is ZGC Online (www.zol.com.cn). Check out the prices and take note of the configurations, because prices differ for configurations and settings can be different for the same model, especially for computers.3. AccessoriesAfter they fail to trick you into buying other products (of course they will if you follow my advice), they will find other ways to make it back. They’ll give you what you want at the price they promised, which is probably the lowest among the stores. But, before you settle the deal, they will bring another handful of stuff. Yes, accessories!They will say that these accessories are essential, you cannot live without them, they are cheap as hell, and it’s wrong if you don’t buy… Hold on, don’t fall. Why? Because they cost more than average out there in the market. If you need accessories, research first. Have a clear idea about the market price and only ask for what you need. Add that to the order and straightly head to check out.You think now you’ve won?No!4. TaxThere’s a 5% tax for anything you buy. Some low prices offered by the stores have not included that. Once you pay they will ask if you want an invoice, if you do, you must pay 5% extra. It seems ridiculous and wrong for any legitimate business. An invoice is a must for expensive IT products. And it’s needed for after sale services and complaints. But it is a common practice in Zhong Guan Cun. If you haven’t asked first, that’s your fault and you gotta pay extra.Remeber the first step? Yes, ask if the floor price they offer includes the 5% tax!It is sure that Zhong Guan Cun is a great place to find bargains for IT products. But the water is deep, you must get prepared before hand if you don’t want your feet to get too wet and end up losing money.