Things to bring to Beijing (clothes etc.)

[cui ruide]

dental floss

earplugs (for traveling)

wool socks

[jmhcali]

a friend told me not to buy any type of electronic(s) in China because all of them easily break, is this true? he said that you could buy electronics such as laptops, cellular phones, etc and all of them would eventually break after a few days/weeks. he even bought a weighing scale before and when he got home it broke. then when he returned the weighing scale to ask for a replacement, all the replacements are malfunctioning as well. however, all of these experiences were in Shanghai, is it true for Beijing as well?

Either your friend had a bad experience or I was quite lucky. I got scammed on a camera (the box said SONY, the camera inside said ONY because the S had fallen off) but it works just fine. It's a domestic brand not even available outside China and probably worth 1/2 what I paid, but what the hell. I've had it for a year now, no problems.

So the answer to you question is ... uh, I dunno? It probably varies by seller. My advice is to take anything you buy out of the box in front of the seller and verify that it works and that it is actually the thing you agreed to buy. And get a receipt.

[greenarcher]

Electronics

It's so fun to read people's reactions about buying electronics in China. People think everything sold in China is fake or of inferior quality. How can this be possible? China is one of the world's largest market and companies make tons of money out of it. The laptops, the computers, the televisions, the cameras and the phones sold in China are the same products sold elsewhere. Yes there are fake phones particularly fake Nokia phones but it's so easy to identify these by just looking at the user interface. The product which is widely faked and probably harder to identify are memory cards. But when it comes to laptops, digital cameras and lenses, China doesn't have the ability to fake these ones yet. And of course common sense is needed, when you go to Zhongguancun's Top City for example, you will see stores selling a lot of models for a particular brand. These are the official retailers. As long as you are not absolutely clueless about electronics, you won't be ripped off.

[ksl0588]

greenarcher, so does that mean buying electronics in China is safe? I mean if you buy a laptop or any sort of gadget, it will last long?

[valikor]

No intention to drag this out any longer, though based on what you (Greenarcher) just said, electronics are at least somewhat more expensive in China than in the US. Since I am from the US, I consider electronics to be a bit expensive here. Why are you arguing with me?

Is it because the prices of electronics in Turkey are higher than in the US and China, and therefore because the OP is from Turkey, my answer was misleading?

[gougou]

greenarcher did you even read the post above you? Somebody bought a fake Sony camera. So while obviously not everything is fake, there are faked cameras (and laptops and lenses, I'm sure), and it is possible to be ripped off.

Also there are people that believe that for certain electronics the goods sold in China are NOT the same as in the rest of the world, but inferior products. I'm not sure it's as bad as they make it sound, but it is definitely something to keep in mind.

[greenarcher]

Yes I read that post. It would probably help if the poster described the store and the circumstances. I just can't imagine buying a fake from stores which purely sell Canon, Nikon, Sony, Dell or Lenovo products for instance. I'm referring particularly to Top City in Zhongguancun. And I personally would be very careful when buying expensive things such as electronics. Proper research should be done prior to the purchase so you won't end up buying a total fake or a model which doesn't exist. In my stay in Beijing, 1 friend bought a Fuji digital camera, 1 friend bought a Canon Ixus, another friend bought a Dell Inspiron laptop and a lot of other friends bought WD external hard disks, flash drives and Ipod Touches. I only had 1 friend who ended up buying a fake Nokia phone because he didn't ask for advice nor had any idea which model he wants to buy. Apparently the weird interface didn't bother him. If you know what to buy and what the product should look like, and the rough cost, it is hard to be ripped off. Canon products all have the Canon China warranty card and seal.

I have an idea what the fake Sony camera looks like and Sony most probably doesn't have a model similar to it.

I find it hard to believe the products sold in China are inferior. I don't find any reason on the part of manufacturers to intentionally degrade their own quality for a particular market.

As for the price, there aren't many countries (which I can visit) that sells electronics cheaper than the US so yes I consider both the US and China cheap already.

Yes I am a fond of electronics and I'm always in Zhongguancun and my long familiarity with this field has told me Beijing is a reliable place to buy electronics as long as you know what you want to buy. Asus laptops here in our country only come with 1 year warranty, the Asus sold in Beijing come with 2-3yrs of warranty.

[gougou]

If you know what to buy and what the product should look like, and the rough cost, it is hard to be ripped off.

When you know what you're doing, you obviously won't be ripped off.

The difference between the US (or most other Western countries) and China is that if you don't know what you're doing, you have a much higher chance to be ripped off in the latter. So while I agree with you that people should be doing proper research before buying expensive products, please don't go around telling people that it's safe to buy stuff in China, because not everybody does that kind of research, and for these people it's definitely not safe.

[valikor]

Just a couple weeks ago I bought a new charger for my Dell Mini in Zhongguancun. Even after doing some online research, I still may have gotten ripped off. The guy did a great job convincing me that it was a genuine Dell, but maybe he was just a good actor (he actually started yelling at me and telling me that I should call Dell). He showed me lots of stuff with official Dell logos, and what not, but I really have no idea.

Anyways, it was a pretty small purchase, so it's no big deal... but I definitely have to agree with gougou. If you want to avoid getting ripped off, you must either be an expert, or do a lot (not just some) research. Even experts will probably get ripped off too sometimes, since the people selling the stuff are often experts as well...

EDIT: This stuff might better suit a thread about "buying electronics in china"...

Edited August 3, 2010 at 11:35 AM by valikor

[jmhcali]

That was me that bought the fake Sony camera. And it was in a mall, not a camera store. My old one broke down in the middle of the trip, so I didn't do any research or even really argue a lot about the price, because I was on a tourist trip and both short on time and rather desperate to have a camera. I don't know anything about digital cameras, so I couldn't tell that it did not closely resemble any models produced by Sony. I didn't even realize that until I got home. But I didn't care, because, again, I needed a camera, and this one functions in a totally adequate manner.

[jbradfor]

[Now that we are thoroughly off-topic....]

@greenarcher:

I find it hard to believe the products sold in China are inferior. I don't find any reason on the part of manufacturers to intentionally degrade their own quality for a particular market.

My understanding is that many Chinese companies make products only (or primarily) for the Chinese market. It is these products that have a reputation for inferior quality compared to products from, say, Japan or Korea or even USA. I don't think people are saying that Sony products sold in China are inferior to those sold in Japan. [Except, of course, for fraudulent products, back-channel products, ones that fail testing in the factories in China and some how show up on shelves....]

[gougou]

I don't think people are saying that Sony products sold in China are inferior to those sold in Japan.

That's exactly what I'm saying. I heard this about Yamaha products, in fact. While I can't attest to its validity, it would make sense for products that get produced in different locations - e.g. in China for the Chinese market, but in Japan for the international market or similar.

[valikor]

ones that fail testing in the factories in China and some how show up on shelves....

I thought it was widely known that products that fail to meet testing standards for certain markets are often sold in China, which has lower standards. Of course, I've only learned this from talking to people, but it seems lots of Chinese people are aware of it.

I expect it's true. Anyone ever tried to buy a pen in China? :-/

[electric]

Does anyone know if it would be a bad idea to bring both my laptop and desktop PC with me? The laptop will be useful, but I can't stand it for daily use. Like, will customs charge me taxes or give me any problems?

[Xiwang]

Does anyone know if it would be a bad idea to bring both my laptop and desktop PC with me? The laptop will be useful, but I can't stand it for daily use. Like, will customs charge me taxes or give me any problems?

The more likely major cost in bringing a desktop computer with you is the airline expense for the extra luggage. For example, United Airlines raised its charge for extra luggage a few months ago to $200 per piece. At that rate, it might be more cost effective to get a better laptop in the United States or just bring/buy accessories to make your current laptop more usable (e.g., a separate keyboard or mouse for comfort, an external hard drive for more storage space, etc.)

I agree about bringing your favorite dental floss. Carrefour only sells one kind. Also, bring an extra supply of any prescription drugs. There are too many news stories about counterfeit birth control pills, baby formula, bottled water, etc., in China.

[electric]

Yeah... I'm second guessing that thought quickly... lol.

Reading Air China's luggage information (that's my airline) apparently they allow two free checked baggage up to 50lbs each. (I'm going from NYC)

[Chinadoog]

sounds like your friend had one or two bad experiences and made an inaccurate generalization.

[Jamasian]

Moving back to the subject... I'm going in February and I know that winter is pretty cold. Of course I'll bring my own jacket but I'm wondering has anyone else found a good brand of quality warm gloves? I might buy another jacket too.

Edited December 14, 2010 at 11:45 AM by imron
color and font.

[m000gle]

It doesn't hurt to wear a pair when you come, if you already own them, but gloves are one thing I doubt you will have to worry about. Any market should have them and even plenty for street vendors will. I actually got mine, a great pair of Thinsulate® gloves, for less than 10 kuai, on the footbridge by my dorm.

[jmhcali]

I'd ask a Chinese friend where to buy electronics. And always, always take it out of the box before you walk away from the seller. Make sure it works and has no missing parts.

Finding cheap clothing will not be a problem in Beijing and since you are from Turkey you must already know how to negotiate! Buy at the markets, not in the big stores, and remember that if you find a famous brand for a low price, that means it is fake.

Chinese people probably don't use the same personal grooming brands as you do, so bring a big supply of the things you like. Chinese supermarkets and pharmacies do not sell deodorant. Toothpaste is no problem, but if you don't want to have your skin whitened, you must bring your own skin cream.

Even if you are a man you should bring skin cream; the air in Beijing is very dry and lots of people complain about how it bothers their skin.

Also I haven't seen much Turkish/central Asian/middle eastern food here. So if there is something special you like to eat and it can travel with you, maybe you should bring some. Snacks from home helped me feel better when I was homesick the first few weeks. You can buy Western-style pasta noodles in the markets, but not tomato sauce. Western food (Chinese people think Turkish/ Mediterranean food is Western food) comes in 2 kinds in China (1) not too good, (2) very expensive.