March 7th, 2009
Online shopping jargons
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I have put my well loved (and hated too) Nokia 8800 to rest since coming to Shanghai. It was very inconvenient to carry two mobile phones around since most foreigner like me will have at least 2 numbers. So, I was given this 山寨 Nokia 8800, which has dual sim card feature. My 山寨机 belongs to the lower end one, though the design and exterior looks similar to the real one. I have seen the more expensive model, the 手感 and finishing is even more 正点。
And while I was in 阿里旺旺 (the chatting platform for alibaba.com and taobao.com), I received an advertisement to browse a store boasting new stock of 外贸正品 branded POLO T-shirts. Ah, my favourite - cheaper and like the real thing. However, the featured item seems to exhibit dual identity. The branding and logo say POLO, but the tartan details shouted Burberry.
I have wasted a great deal of time browsing online shopping site lately looking for cute, interesting, pretty or cheap deals. I also spent a great number of time trying to figure out the meaning of various terms like 山寨，正品，原单，尾单 etc, so as not to fall prey into buying imitations thinking they are the real thing, or paying exorbitant prices for fake goods.
So, after some reading up, this is what I have found out:
外贸原单（也叫余单、尾单）： 国外大品牌提供面料、版型，到国内寻找厂家生产。那些质量合格的，就是专卖店里的”正品”。 The order placed by foreign big brands commissioning local factory to manufacture their merchandise. The big brands will normally provide the design, pattern or even raw materials. The finished products that passed QC will be sold in boutiques or departmental stores, with the tags and branding intact.
跟单：”原版”面料，搭配一批国内辅料（如扣子、拉链、衬里等），采用和正品一样的版型做出原来的款式，就是”跟单货”。Orders manufactured using similar mold, design and material (eg: fabric) like the original item, however, some finishing or parts are different from the original item.
仿单： 与原厂没有任何关系的厂商模仿正单的原料、款式生产。质量参差不齐，没有保证。因没有商标授权厂家为了便于上市销售，经常换以自己现有的品牌商标。imitation
真品：指合法大牌专卖店出售，带有真品化验单，标签，挂牌等的商品。The legitimate real thing that passed quality control, have tags and are sold in boutiques or departmental stores.
正品：质量符合规定标准的就叫正品。真品原厂原模生产,和真品生产原料，款式，设计，品质一样，但少化验报告单，或商标被剪，或有少许瑕疵。The illegitimate merchandise manufactured by the original factory that doesn’t posses/pass QC or have had their branding tags removed.
原单货，正品尾单，外贸尾单，尾货：因生产量过大（超出客户要求数量）或海关原因剩余、滞留的部分，以及生产环节中出现轻微瑕疵部分的统称。庶出也。The illegitimate merchandise resulting from factory excesses, custom problem or manufacturing hiccups.
A、B品 ：正品之下，还分A品，B品。A品，B品纯属质量上的分类。只要是通过正规检测的A品，就成了可以送往各地上市销售的正品。那些不通过检测的，就是B品。这些B品或被销毁，或通过各种渠道流入市场。After manufacturing the legitimate real thing, they will be rated into A grade or B grade. The Aces have passed QC and are now promoted to the rank of “branded stuff” and will be distributed to the various boutiques. The B graders failed QC and will be destroyed, or flow into the mass market thru some special avenues.
仿货，仿品：模仿正单的原料、款式生产的商品。imitations, fakes.
超A货、A货、B货、C货：仿货本身也有分级。超A（或特 A，AA）当然是仿货中最好的（质量，手工可能和正品不相上下，几乎可以以假乱真），C货就不用多说了。Different gradings of imitation goods. “A+”, “AA” being the top tier that is comparable to the real legitimate ones. The lower grades one can be real trash.
That was what I have learnt recently, and the terms can still be confusing and overlapping in certain areas. Different goods have their own set of definition too. Well, still have a lot to pick up.
March 7th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
wow! that was very useful indeed, especially since I also browse the online sites but have not bought clothes yet because i’m very confused.
i don’t know about what i buy at stores though. they never state or label their goods as what kind… i can only guess, or if i ask them, will they tell me the truth?
can i assume that if i buy the clothes, and it’s cheaper than what the normal brand costs, but the label is still there, does that mean it’s the real thing but failed QC?
March 8th, 2009 at 7:39 am
For apperals, I think they will most probably tell us they are factory excess. And for things like leather goods and electronics goods, got to be imitation.
at least we can see and feel the finish products at the stores and try our best to make a guess. i think the fakes will look really trashy or won’t bother to carry the labels. Try examining the little details like 线头, the logo embroidery, the prints on the label etc to make our best guess.
Shopping online will be more of luck, so I assume everything online are factory excesses, failed QC or fakes, heh. I have bought a pair of 外贸 leggings for Zeeyau at a store for around 30rmb, and just found out one online site is selling it for 12rmb. What a sucker I have been! haha
March 8th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I see, good suggestions, next time I will look out for that. I just bought some clothes at a “discount store” for waimao brands too.
So have you started buying online? You signed up for account? I was tempted to do so on taobao but daunted after the 1st few sign up pages, too many chinese words to read and decipher and the payment methods were troublesome for me. hehe. now i browse and if i like, i ask my neighbor to buy for me, she has an account.
fortunately i have such a neighbor, else i have less purchasing pleasures.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I have had 3 transaction so far and has been satisfied with my purchase. I have a few hundreds 收藏
and James is afraid that I will go crazy and buy everything.
I have the account set up. I think the most important few items to fill up is the address and contact information. If you have a working internet banking account which allows you to do online transaction (like money transfer and payments), it is very easy settle the payment using 支付宝. I have all the different user login id and password etc recorded (in my own code, heh) just in case I got confused which to use at which page.
Be sure to contact the seller first if you are buying different items from the same shop, they could alter the shipping cost so you don’t pay double.
March 9th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
wah, haha… i have a lot in the shopping cart at amazon.com.cn too. hehe
i also tried setting up the 支付宝，but got stuck at the bank info part. something’s wrong with my internet banking. always have problem, even with online transfers to other people account or payment. so i gave up. not sure if i should try and go thru everything again. maybe it will work with more tries?
thanks for info!
March 10th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Make sure you are using PC (non mac) and it has got to be internet explorer. I have met lots of problems and got stuck here and there as we have switched to using apple products. Luckily we brought along an old acer notebook that solved my banking and shopping problems.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
oh! I see! yup, I use a Macbook. argh, ok. will try again on the PC. the PC’s very very old and slow, so don’t like to use it.