DO NOT go to this tailor

[jinjin]

Hi,

If anyone is considering going to a tailor, I highly recommend NOT going to this one: his name is Li Jing Hua and his store is on the top floor of 3.3 in sanlitun right by the escalators.

I went to him and brought about 7 friends, who purchased about a total of $11,000kuai of stuff.

The tailor always says "meiwenti" to everything, and then drags the process on for a really long time and then at the end tells you he can't do something after he said he could. He knows that you spent so much time and money going back and forth that you will stick it through. It took me over one month to get an overcoat made and he jury rigged the buckle. I specifically asked him if he could do the buckle and he kept saying meiwenti and then at the end he said he couldn't do it. but this was after I spent hundreds of kuai in cab rides, paid the deposit, and wasted tons of time. I ended up cancelling all my other orders. He never brings the photographs, he forgets to bring the fabric, he even forgets what fabric you wanted, etc.

He also said that he would come out to us in Haidian because we have so many people and bought so much stuff. He will say he will come and then not show up and not answer his phone. He also always makes the appointments on a friday or saturday at 11:00pm so you wait and wait and he doesn't show. He also said that he will open his store early for you and then he is about an hour late. Or he'll say he's near, but he probably hasn't even left. Or he'll say he'll call you back in ten minutes and then turn his phone off. Then he will call you in a day or so and say he's coming out and demands that you rearrange your schedule for him.

He also never writes anythinng down. You will tell him 5 things that need to be changed, and he'll change 2 and have a bewildered look on his face when you tell him the 3 things he forgot and then give you a bunch of excuses as to why they aren't done Also, sometimes he will lie and tell you that the style of the suit is supposed to be that way because he is too lazy to fix it, when it is painfully obvious that it was a mistake and not a stylistic feature. He is also completely inexperienced in making women's suits.

He lies, has excuses, is sloppy, undependable, and not trustworthy. I strongly suggest that everyone not use this tailor. He always says he can do something and then it turns out he can't, but it's after he takes your deposit and wastes your time. There were several times he said that he would have my jacket ready, I make the trek out to make my appointment (about a 60kuai cab ride each way) and he tells me he doesn't have it. He doesn't apologize and he doesn't make it up to you. He knows you are coming b/c you made an appintment and he knows your number but doesn't bother calling you to tell you because he avoid responsibility. He will never apologize but only give you a mouthful of excuses about how it's not his fault.

Most of my friends wanted to walk and just forfeit their deposits but they were leaving Beijing and didn't have time to find another tailor. He knew it so he knew he could get away with dragging it on.

I think he just got greedy and saw a bunch of foreigners and took our money, and then couldn't handle it. He's a younger guy and completely irresponsible and I think he goes out and parties, so he never gets his work done on time. There are many other tailors that are better than him that are much more professional.

[Jockster]

I went to him and brought about 7 friends, who purchased about a total of $11,000kuai of stuff...I think he just got greedy and saw a bunch of foreigners and took our money, and then couldn't handle it. He's a younger guy and completely irresponsible and I think he goes out and parties, so he never gets his work done on time.

That's too bad, I can picture the scene before my eyes. I would *never* have spent that much money in a place where I hadn't done business before (especially in China).

I only have experience from a few places in China, but it seems to me that the more popular the place, the more cautious you have to be. In busy places, even crap craftsmen can get enough business. Also, you basically have new people coming there every day, so it does not matter whether you produce a good result or not (not true strictly speaking, but the impact is a lot smaller than it would be under different circumstances).

Take comfort in the fact that it is bad karma for that guy.

[jinjin]

thanks for your sympathy! my friend actually recommended him because he made some stuff for her. Turns out he is just as irresponsible with her as he was with us, but she just let him walk all over her. And I think she wanted to recommend people to get a deal with him because she was bringing him business. Good riddance to all of it!

[gougou]

If it is still relevant for you, you might want to consider Tailor Ma on the third (fourth?) floor of Yaxiu next time. I am not an expert on clothes, so I can't comment on the quality (that is to say, I am very happy with it, but then again, I am not an expert), neither on the price, but the whole process was without any of the problems you mentioned. I had two suits made; I could try them on the second day, and pick them up the third.