China - never a dull moment!

[SeatBackForward]

Upside downedness?

 

[TheEmu]

We had 50,000 of these suckers arrive yesterday:

View attachment 54882

Can an anybody spot what might be the minor problem with this shipment?

Only 50,000? !!! That should be nearly enough…
Can't really see the detail too much so I'll bite: what's the problem with the 50,000 Honka Hootas?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Upside downedness?

Correct - 50,000 mounted on hang sell card UPSIDE DOWN

Can't really see the detail too much so I'll bite: what's the problem with the 50,000 Honka Hootas?

See above mate.

 

[hummel]

Correct - 50,000 mounted on hang sell card UPSIDE DOWNSee above mate.

I want to know what the supplier said... no problem!?

 

[TheEmu]

Correct - 50,000 mounted on hang sell card UPSIDE DOWNSee above mate.

Must've taken a special effort to package them ALL that way! Maybe they were right side up when they left the factory (northern hemisphere) :shock:
So, a really big suitcase next China trip?

 

[mushez]

Not hard to do if you know how this packaging works, is done normally in a rotating lazy Susan type arrangement where they put the plastic front down in the moulds first, then product, then cardboard card on last, then small amount of electric current to semi melt the plastic to the card, then out of mould and around in the circle to start again, often 3-4 people in a chain gang situation at each of the 4 stages and often had 4 sets of moulds on the rotating table.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Not hard to do if you know how this packaging works

Impossible to do if the assemblers had half a brain - all these horns are mounted manually and are screwed to the cards.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Impossible to do if the assemblers had half a brain - all these horns are mounted manually and are screwed to the cards.

How much are they being paid? AUD25 an hour? A mistake like that probably isn't good enough. But if anyone is willing to buy a product, assembled by someone doing back-breaking work for long hours for as little as one Australian dollar an hour, it might be more understandable that mistakes happen.

My concern would be your independent agent - who should have picked up the error when checking the shipment before it left China.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

MEL, MEL, MEL - I have been importing this exact product from the same supplier for 15 years - I have been in their factory personally myself a dozen times - they export to 65 different countries around the globe - they are not a little backyard operation. Their staff remuneration policy? NFI - none of my business. They do supply Walmart in the states - are you aware of the rigorous processes any supplier has to jump through to get a gig with Walmart MEL?

The 'Independent Agent' you speak of does not exist - we buy directly from the company. Mr Du (dad) owns the company - Liu Yu (daughter) runs factory and production, Wang Qi (son in law) handles all export - dad was in hospital at the time they were shipped - daughter was Yiwu I think at the time shipped - s.i.l. was in USA dealing with customers - total break down in house - Ava the best English speaking girl in the office declares she inspected them prior to shipping and saw no defects - apparently 50K of these rotated 180deg in shipment - but I do appreciate your concern MEL.

 

[hummel]

How much are they being paid? AUD25 an hour? A mistake like that probably isn't good enough. But if anyone is willing to buy a product, assembled by someone doing back-breaking work for long hours for as little as one Australian dollar an hour, it might be more understandable that mistakes happen.

My concern would be your independent agent - who should have picked up the error when checking the shipment before it left China.

My staff here will stick a label on upside down... and they're being paid $25/hour!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

MEL, MEL, MEL - I have been importing this exact product from the same supplier for 15 years - I have been in their factory personally myself a dozen times - they export to 65 different countries around the globe - they are not a little backyard operation. Their staff remuneration policy? NFI - none of my business. They do supply Walmart in the states - are you aware of the rigorous processes any supplier has to jump through to get a gig with Walmart MEL?

The 'Independent Agent' you speak of does not exist - we buy directly from the company. Mr Du (dad) owns the company - Liu Yu (daughter) runs factory and production, Wang Qi (son in law) handles all export - dad was in hospital at the time they were shipped - daughter was Yiwu I think at the time shipped - s.i.l. was in USA dealing with customers - total break down in house - Ava the best English speaking girl in the office declares she inspected them prior to shipping and saw no defects - apparently 50K of these rotated 180deg in shipment - but I do appreciate your concern MEL.

Unfortunately Walmart hasn't always enjoyed good press in regards to its labour relations in developing countries. Not saying they aren't trying their best, but with such a large organisation it's entirely possible there are lapses in even the best processes from time to time.

I'm not entirely sure this is something where risk can be avoided simply by placing it on a third party (in this case another company).

As for remuneration, or other working practices (for example no employment of children, health and safety of employees), that's something I would want to know if I am sourcing goods from countries where labour protections may be muddied, low cost is a major factor, or where production is on a scale where things can slip through the cracks.

The issue regarding an agent - independent of the factory - to check shipments, I guess that is something I would have in place as part of a risk management strategy if an incorrect order was likely to have significant ramifications.

 

[mushez]

I thought this was a good candidate for here, spotted and taken during my naturally delayed by 1.5 hour flight today JJN-PVG

 

[mushez]

I swear this load was 4mts high, it was coming so close to hitting the over road road signs.

This was near Shanghai Hongqaio.

 

[mushez]

Note to self: Shanghai Metro line 2 from Pudong to Hongqaio railway station is a 1 hour 40 minute exercise.

Booked my train tickets in advance on Ctrip and missed my train, and then on arrival no tickets left.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Note to self: Shanghai Metro line 2 from Pudong to Hongqaio railway station is a 1 hour 40 minute exercise.

Booked my train tickets in advance on Ctrip and missed my train, and then on arrival no tickets left.

Yep tried that once - never again!

 

[mushez]

Mr. Dundee - you call that a knife???? Standard run of the mill box cutter that you find in most jails and Chinese factories - guess the bosses don't supply or supply cough options so staff improvise to get the job done.

 

[mushez]

WUXI airport international check in.....

Lucky 22-25 were open for check in for the few flights.....

 

[UP4014]

I swear this load was 4mts high, it was coming so close to hitting the over road road signs.

This was near Shanghai Hongqaio.

View attachment 55398

Haha, well the warning sign only limits tonnage not height.

Matt

 

[Cruiser Elite]

mushez did you have intl dep Wuxi? Carrier? Dest?

 

[mushez]

mushez did you have intl dep Wuxi? Carrier? Dest?

Yes I did, MU5081/5082 Wuxi-Singapore, fly 3 times a week and comes from and goes to Qingdao.

Schedule is roughly 7pm departure to arrive SIN at 00:30. 2 hour turn around for SIN departure at 2:30am for 8am arrival in WUXI. Is A320 service.

Flight was delayed 2 1/2 hours last night due to typical Chinese Air traffic congestion.

Had a Hong Kong airlines flight to Hong Kong at the same time as well as China Airlines flight to Taipei.

The 2 x 23kg baggage allowance on China Eastern has them as my preferred airline currently to do my SIN - PVG/SHA/WUXI flights.

Never a fan of the night flying so not a flight I have elected prior to now. But with it pricing at $550 SGD in Y and my hate of the battle to get from PVG to Suzhou or Changshu as soon as I land, gave it a go.

Meet a guy on the flight who booked with MU directly $950 USD directly to fly Hawaii- PVG with 18 hour lay over to get train to WUXI to get same SIN flight - and didn't realize what he was getting himself in for.