A simple comparison
Comparison price shopping is common, in order to locate the best deal. A particular television model may be priced at $200 dollars at one store but found on elsewhere on sale for $180 (a full $20 less) by the savvy shopper. Sure, pre and post sales service may differ slightly per retailer, but the actual quality of the product will remain relatively the same – regardless of the store from which it was purchased. Even when purchasing a completely different model or brand as long as the item remains within the same price range this rule holds true. Certain assumptions can be made concerning quality and it is rare, for even the most inexpensive item to fall apart after just a single use. This is because all items are quality controlled to meet certain basic standards.
In China, where none of these rules hold true, quality is generally directly proportionate to price of the item.
In the west, lying is considered unethical. In China, it is an accepted business practice necessary to maximize profit. Which is why vendors will literally promise anything. It it’s something they’ve never done before, they’ll wing it. If it’s a custom request at no extra charge, they’ll cut corners elsewhere to recoup the cost. And, of course, every ‘antique’ they sell is from the Ming or Qing dynasty. In the end, the container of incredible product that one can buy at bargain prices will likely be filled with what is paid for – low quality merchandise. Not necessarily a bad thing, unless you were expecting/paying for something better.
Low to Average – Average to High
In China, where none of these rules hold true, quality is generally directly proportionate to price of the item. In fact, all levels of quality are manufactured and sold and it is possible to find an almost identical item existing in distinctly different quality, durability and price levels. When meeting the price demands of a customer, many factories will simply substitute lower grade materials for quality (and spend less time producing and controlling the quality of the product). Eventually this can lead to somewhat ridiculous situations. A product normally expected to last years (such as a washing machine) may become almost disposable in that it will break after just a few uses. It also can lead to products being manufactured that are not fully functional, durable or at times even harmful or environmentally unsafe. In these cases the few dollars saved per item is a futile exercise in that the item is now unusable – thus the total time and direct cost of the item is a complete loss.
You get exactly what you pay for here.
You get exactly what you pay for here. There is no such thing as getting a great quality product at rock-bottom pricing. It is no different than in the west: junk is junk. No matter how much you pay for it, it’s still junk.
- Determining quality in antique furniture (What is Quality?)
- Comparing apples to oranges – more on determining quality in Chinese antique furniture
- The problem of “Chaobuduo” (and how it effects reproduction furnitures)
[…] Low Cost vs. Low Quality? You get what you pay for […]