How the hell can China Ship for Free to Your Door??!? by serpentza
Nothing is ever really free.
Important Update: @pilotyuan says there has been a fundamental change to the UPU https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/13918636/redir
Why We Really Shouldn't Be Shopping Directly from China
bargain huntress on 17/06/2023 - 12:34
Last edited 20/06/2023 - 21:51
Last edited 20/06/2023 - 21:51
Comments
Buy from Australian businesses wherever possible
who have already imported the useless gadget from the same place?
Have any recommendations on an Australian made phone?
@freefall101: Only available as a kit:
Two empty metal cans
A piece of string.
Accessories not included.
How many stump-jump ploughs do I need?
@Boshait: lol - if only we had stuck with the tried & true way of land management & farming then we wouldn't have the crop issues we have now.
@[Deactivated]: What in the world is what you call the, "tried & true way of land management & farming"?
What's that about 10% of goods because of high costs.
The serpentza guy is just another failed white guy who went to china to do business and got his arse handed to him. He was some english teacher and thought he would make big bucks in china just cause of his western appearance.
He did manage to find himself a chinese wife though while there.
Now since the guy got booted out of china and literally no one will employ him now he's got no choice but to go down the political/social media band wagon and take commission from the extreme right wing media/falun gong etc etc all those baron weirdos.
Guy has a dopple ganger who pummels out the same propaganda rubbish albeit pro china and most likely funded by you know who.
It's the morons who repost and believe these fools that highlights how easily common folk get manipulated by politicans and the media without even questioning the motive or funding behind it.
I've followed SerpentZa and Laowhy for a long time an they have extensive Youtube careers, promoting and showing the good and the bad of China.
To say that SZA is a "failed white guy english teacher" is ridiculous and most likely beacuse you're racist :/
They both have many friends and family living in China including Uyghurs.
They also seem to steer away away from political positions and falun gong, but will talk with all types.
Maybe you could enlighten the "morons" and prove how they are funded besides their audience?
@Barganious: To deny they make money out of the slander china bandwagon following is ridiculous. They started off showing China when they were enjoying their time and when faced with reality vs their vision what they perceived as china they started off on the sensationalist china videos. It's pure distasteful entertainment along with their dopple ganger who calls himself hotpot guy.
listening to guys like this is literally poison in itself. 100% he highlights issues in china, but not in a way that will resolve those issues, and he's purely taking economic benefit out of pleasing anti-china bandwagon base. click bait videos designed to appeal to skewed views.
Having friends in china doesn't negate you from taking an economic advantage from spreading sensationalism. When your entire channel is dedicated to an entire one sided point of view you would need to take heed on the guy making the content.
China ain't a perfect place, but these guys don't help anyone and simply further provide a wedge between people, especially when some people don't exactly get to choose their representatives.
If it wasn't for the sake of free speech youtube really has to remove the nathan rich turd and serpentza but alas I guess we need to hear things for the sake of reaching an understanding that it's all just publicity and fools media.
To be clear, what enrages me the most is people who profiteer at the expense of others, and the people who mindlessly subscribe to this.
@CalmLemons: You are just typing outright lies and idealogical nonsense, they have 100's of hours of content and personal history on their channels, and it's obvious you haven't seen any of it.
People should check them out on Youtube "The China Show"Back on topic, I still support shopping direct from China.
@CalmLemons: I've seen some of their stuff, and thought they were pretty fair on the whole.
Sure, their focus is pretty narrow, but I don't see CCP bashing, and exposing the whole economic trickery in China as anything wrong.
For example, their recent video about electric cars. We all know the CCP and their propaganda machine works to pump up figures, and you often read in Western media about how China's car manufacturers are leading the world in EV output, but it's all a scam because the manufacturers over there are pumping out crappy unsellable EVs and just leaving them sitting in yards unused/unsold so they can present a big number to 'impress' the Western press. There are videos of these yards out there, and similarly of the bicycle sharing boom where China's bike sharing companies produced hundreds of millions of bikes on government incentives and VC money and then just trashed it all after the boom.
Their whole economy is built on numbers that doesn't make sense, but looks good on the reports for the local authority and central government.
China is in no way a leading green tech country as some would have you believe.
China is in no way a leading green tech country as some would have you believe.
This drives me insane. China has built a insane amount of windmills yet their kwh output "reported by China" per windmill is tiny, and only lead by generating windmill power by building far more windmills then the entire world. Because China has botched the planning process for renewables, now the world pays for it by building more coal stations.
@CalmLemons: If they expose the CCP and other Chinese bullshit then so what? Someone's got to do it.
While there is hysteria in the West about the CCP, the rise of China and what's going on there, the CCP are basically c***s and need a bit of exposing. There is plenty of dodginess in China and it's good that someone is showing it for what it is.
What gets posted on YT can be nonsense and/or bullshit, or it can be really good and informative, it's all just part of the great big melting pot called democracy - something the people of China don't have.
@R4: The manner in which they do it doesn’t help, goes to incite racism against the Chinese people who have no control over it, and their sensationalist way of doing it is purely just for the sake of clickbait and subscribers who want views to align with their existing perspective.
Channels like polymatter are much more constructive.
Each to their own.
People always get upset when others people’s views don’t align with their own. What normally happens when anyone tries to question these guys is that they get labelled as CCP shills. Hypocrisy in their own right if you’re going to mention ‘democracy’ when it’s more so referred to as freedom of speech. Democracy is purely the system of government.
The primary issue with attitudes that those YouTubers promote is that instead of getting people who they’re commenting on to side with them it pushes people living in these authoritarian regimes even more further away. It’s not what they are doing, it’s the way in which they do it. It’s a nuance.
@CalmLemons: Splitting hairs.
I don't think these guys are racist - they're just calling out the bullshit and contradictions of the CCP and Chinese society. And a lot of that needs calling out. The CCP is the most dangerous entity on planet earth right now and needs to be challenged on everything.
I don't get upset when others views don't align with mine - I'm a libertarian and believe that anyone should be allowed to say what they want as long as they're not inciting violence or the commitment of crime.
I see democracy as fundamental to normal society and that encompasses free speech but you see it however you want to see it.
If these Youtubers are driving people away then that's their problem and their judgement to make. If you're basing what you believe on what you see on YT then you've got major issues.
@R4: I agree.
Don’t think I mentioned racism though.
The trouble is like Fox News, some people literally believe what they see on YouTube. I guess as rowan Atkinson says, free speech does need to be robust even if it offends.
@R4: If hypocrisy on a global level was a race ,the Yanks would beat China to the winning line. (decades ago)
Free speech. cough cough. Long dead since social media poisoned the whole concept.
America claims to be the blueprint of democracy and peace. How's that all going at home?@Protractor: Sure, the US is deeply flawed and often hypocritical but I prefer what they have to what the CCP offers the Chinese people - and to the rest of the World
Free speech
Long dead since social media poisoned the whole concept.I dont remember seeing privately run social media companies in the the text of the first amendment :/
@SBOB: LOL, quoting the most exploited,twisted,abused and rorted document in a century, and since Trump was defecated into politics, it has become a veritable laughing stock.
That very 'amendment' has become a lightning rod for civil war where every gun junkie is 'the prophet'.
@CalmLemons: wow so sour and bitter, guess username checks out…
you seem to care a lot to write so much dribble about them…
It does come off a little "idealogical nonsense" as some guy mentioned and a little racist, just re read it.
I havent watched the guy's channel because i do get annoyed by the "I'm in asia hype channels"
@juki: Probably not as bitter as these youtubers are it seems, to be fair the guy who wears the limousine suit was apparently arrested at one point unfairly and it seems they invested much of their lives in china.
Yeah the first line about the failed white guy probably plays right into han chinese ethnic prejudices I admit. My intention was to more highlight the stereotype people would often see in china, it would be hard to deny that profile of male does not exist. There could have been a better way of phrasing it.
Though, perception wise, imo, nowhere near the borderline racial connotational standards of these youtubers. It's like when people go up to a chinese person saying 'ni hao'. I don't know why, but everytime that happens, it just feels like there's racial undertones, or just ignorance. Someone with better literary skills would be better at wording this or explaining it.
Not too sure about the ideological nonsense stuff - very often people use these terms when they don't know what exactly that means and purely want to apply a label to things.
Regardless it's all just tasteless theatre. Many channels cover the same topics in a much better way. The issue with having a subscriber base is once you attract a certain group of subscribers with a particular point of view who fund your patreon, you nontheless impose on yourself on limiting your content to appease your subscribers. I think their videos recently are much more toned down than before.
For the record, things are not as good over there as they used to be by far. unfortunately i've run out of social credits.
@CalmLemons: i dont really follow youtubers and crap like that, so i cant comment, the little i do see, "tasteless theatre" is a nice description.
having worked and lived with people like that i think i might get the drift of what you're getting at, they were around even at my parents time. My parents would probably say arrogant losers. A lot of westerners have trouble adapting overseas, even for simple things such as not making someone losing face. Some may argue the opposite is also true, but probably with less ripples.
I havent followed china since covid, except for some engineering stuff but yeah it seems the hay days are over for sure.
I prefer keeping political opinions to myself@juki: Keeping any opinion to yourself is the wisest thing and best advice, especially in business and at work.
I do it online to help hone my debating skills and to develop better language definition. Would not say any of the above in public whatsoever, with anyone, friend or at work less risk offending someone because they do not agree with your intepretation of the weather today lol.
Surprisingly ozbargain is probably the last remaining australian forum where there is actually freedom of speech without the political zealots, woke culure admins or extremely abusive screamers.
Surprisingly ozbargain is probably the last remaining australian forum where there is actually freedom of speech without the political zealots, woke culure admins or extremely abusive screamers.
didn't you see the recent post for the "What Is A Woman?" documentary?
You claimed he is a failed white guy who went to china…..
Your are right in comparison to a few white guys who are prominent been CCP propagandist.
But at least he has a backbone compare to these other white guys..One of them can't remember his name decided to go back to Canada to live with his chinese wife and kids but still working as a CCP propagandist.
I bet his chinese wife telling him the kids are almost school age now surely we want them to be educated in canada vs china. LOL.But this guy without fail keep harping on how good china is on his YT channel compare to the west.. The way he put it as if China is the advance country. LOL
Reality he wants his family to grow up in Canada. 2 face liar..
How's the weather in Beijing today?
some of Australian products are made in china, that means they might be the middle person between you and the manufacturing, just with a different brand, and charge you more expensive
The only time people but from places like AliExpress or temu or Banggood etc is when the item they are looking for isn't available locally, or the local price is jacked to the moon.
As for useless gadgets, 99% of the stuff on Chinese market places or local drop shippers is useless and I can't imagine who buys it.
I can't imagine
That just shows your distinct lack of imagination 🤣
Let's set up an OzB iron-ore group buy.
Who can afford to?
Ha! The many whiners who post about their online orders for non-Australian goods not qualifying for cashrewards/shopback
yeah, should pay everything at 20-30% higher price.
I wish. Usually it's a lot more on small items.
Here's a shocking example. I needed a $200 part for my truck. I saved $70 buying TEN from a factory in China via Alibaba. That was their minimum order, but I could have bought a sample for $60. I can resell the others for just $20 and still profit.
Great example. Australian businesses marking up items by 1500%. And people wonder why I hate this country so intensely.
@bargain huntress: Yeah,Nah, local consumers have been getting this reaming treatment long before the latest spike on COL
@Thaal Sinestro: It's actually the goal of any business to make a 70-80% margin unfortunately, especially in western markets where rent and wage costs are high.
$1000 taking
-$91 GST (10%)
- $150 (15% rent)
- $150 (15% wages)
- $100 (10% marketing)
- $50 (5% misc)you're left with $459
Assuming your cost if goods is 30% or $300,
that leaves you with a 8-15% net profit.
So literally any business not making more than a 300% markup can essentially be unprofitable.
Welcome to capitalism.
@Thaal Sinestro: the problem with this country is Centrelink and minimum wage. where do you think Centrelink has the money to pay to the unemployed ? the govt tax businesses 50% on their profits, then give to Centrelink for the handouts. Bunnings and K-Mart sell simple items which they buy from China for $2, then they sell it to the Australians for $49.95 That is a $48 profit. After tax, they still profit $24. so as long as they profit, they will continue to run. a lot of the Australian public are unaware, but the smarter people are now buying online cos it is cheaper. the govt has now got wind of that, and now if you buy things from eBay that come from overseas, there is a 10% surcharge on top of that. it is too much for me to type everything in here to explain, but if you do your own research, you will see what i am saying.
if people stopped buying from China, or worse, if China decided to stop selling to Australia, i believe K-Mart and Bunnings would be the first to go bust.
all this because Australians demand $30/hour for working, while people in China get $8 a day. i think it's time Australian opened their eyes to the facts instead of just relying on news to feed them.
@J-T: Wesfarmers group, of which Bunnings and K-Mart are parts, has an effective tax rate of 29.1%, according to their own Report here https://wesfarmers.gcs-web.com/static-files/4d4c9c6c-9129-48…
The 10% "surcharge" you describe is actually GST, which (almost) all imported goods are subject to when they enter Australia. Looked at a different way, those importing via eBay were fortunate to enjoy a holiday from this GST for many years. If you bought the same goods from an Australia eBay supplier, you were (generally) required to pay the same 10% as part of the price.
What other "facts" should we be opening our eyes to?
@jackspratt: like i said, try to find out for yourself, ask yourself questions, instead of waiting to be spoon-fed by the media.
@J-T: Perhaps you should follow your own advice.
I pointed out 2 of your incorrect "facts" above, without needing to resort to the "media".
BTW - the corporate tax rate in Australia is 30%.
@J-T: "if people stopped buying from China, or worse, if China decided to stop selling to Australia, i believe K-Mart and Bunnings would be the first to go bust."
Spot on. I've been saying this for years. If China up stumps, imagine how many Bunnings ppl would hit the dole overnight,and the downstream impacts would cave the joint(Straya) in.
I wonder how many Aussie businesses would also collapse without the mass industrial conveyor belt that is China. The fact is big ag globally is fkn enormous cos feeding too many humans. Something had to give, and this is just one industry that will suffer our wilful dumbfkry"if people stopped buying from China, or worse, if China decided to stop selling to Australia…..
Short of a war, neither is likely to happen - what is your point?
If there is a war, trade in consumer goods would be the least of our worries.
@jackspratt: You are reply to someone else's words, which I quoted and replied to. Ask them
But in my agreement to the comment >look what happened when China stopped buying wine,barlely and timber.Imagine if they stopped the flow of essential stuff? No war required. Ppl have no idea how addicted the globe is to mass production out of China. They can easily pick and choose.
eg Who would pick up the slack if Bunnings supply line dried up? (Think pandemic x 100)
@Thaal Sinestro: just you and the 7 upvotes can feel free to leave, i left my country because i didnt like it. I think aussie isnt that bad.
so just like being stuck in a rubbish job, dont sit and moan, get your gear and move on
@Thaal Sinestro: Feel free to leave then. Bet you are more than happy to suck up any of the benefits of this place.
Gerry made it more expensive to shop from o/s
?
@boomramada: No, what he meant was that doesn't apply to his original comment. Gerry is just a bitter old POS.
Which Gerry are you referring to and how did he do that?
Harvey Norman, and Jb hifi complaining AROUND 2016-2018 I think about the Taxing of overseas Business (to make foreign products more expensive for normal ordinary consumers), Forcing a lot of them to buy locally (to avoid paying 10% tax).
Anyway I really dont want to blow my budget, and start spending more $$ just for sake of calling myself Aussie supporter, My finances come before that
@USER DC: I dont see the issue of adding 10%, still things from China can be considerably much cheaper.
to avoid paying 10% tax
Actually the point was to bring international retailers in line with Australian ones as local businesses had to pay the 10% GST while overseas businesses didn't. Effectively it made every Australian business 10% less competitive which is not a good thing.
@Michael15286: Goal was not really to bring international seller in line with Australian local sellers, but to increase corporate greed and these big businesses make money. And assuming government officials held quite a lot of shares in those companies so want to profile from that too.
This by no means was designed to like even out field in Australian Market
If that was the intention then how about government tax big business more?? ( Or more like cut their tax credit exemption) , so that they come on even plain field with small businesses??You know they wont do something like that.
The difference is the US can somewhat compete with China because they actually make stuff, while Australia doesn't make anything.
Australia makes stuff.
Makes stuff-up.
YesGo on, give examples of stuff Australia makes that can also be bought directly from China.
@smartazz104: Rode microphones are made in Australia. Popular and world class product, made in Sydney.
@Cluster: No Rode microphones are DESIGNED and ASSEMBLED in Australia.
Where do you think all the parts are made?
A PERCENTAGE of them are made in Australia. But what percentage?@bargain huntress: the components would come from digikey etc.
CPUs etc aren't made in Australia so its not fair to club them into it.
there was a recent article on Rode on either SMH or the theAU about their setup in Silverwater, Sydney
they do quite a bit locally!@bargain huntress: very good ! seems you are the only one thinking in here. the rest don't read the fine print
@[Deactivated]: So I recently contacted the aussie made guys for my business.
I've just made a product which is just over 97% australian made.
They told me there is no minimum percentage needed to use the logo.
as long as "it underwent its last substantial transformation in Australia"
Australia digs stuff. That's about it.
@GregRust: ^ yep
And we are attempting to stop digging up 2 of the biggest - coal and gas.
We are a banana republic. But our bananas are dirt.
@bargain huntress: The incessant posting & rampant posturing against all-things Australian is so C R I N G E !
But he didn't actually stop it did he.
He had 4 years to do so.
He's full of @&#*.(To be fair most if not all politicians are, but Trump is particularly annoying because he and his cult members pretend he is different somehow.)
Yeah then covid hit and it became a shit show, don't think he was prepared for that.
[Deactivated] on 17/06/2023 - 12:48 Comment score below threshold.
