Here is another great example of “chabuduo.” An perfect example of how “cutting corners” when making Chinese wooden furniture can cause the buyer big trouble.
Apparently the worker who put in the shelf thought that chaobuduo really wouldn’t that big of a deal…

Poorly Made in China: An Insider’s Account of the China Production Game
Poorly Made in China reveals industry secrets, including the dangerous practice of quality fade—the deliberate and secret habit of Chinese manufacturers to widen profit margins through the reduction of quality inputs. U.S. importers don’t stand a chance, Midler explains, against savvy Chinese suppliers who feel they have little to lose by placing consumer safety at risk for the sake of greater profit. This is a lively and impassioned personal account, a collection of true stories, told by an American who has worked in the country for close to two decades.
Read more offsite:
- “Cha Bu Duo”: The expression that fills western manufacturers in China with dread
- The Life of Mr. Chabuduo (Mr. “Close–Enough”)