HELP!! I don't know what to do with defective product from China

[anmaria]

Just starting up a new business by importing disposable cameras from China. This company that I imported from is called Vinjaz Co. I though they are a reputable company. But turns out it was a nightmare for me.

After importing about 2000 pcs of these cameras, I paid everything including shipping cost door to door according to our quotation, the product arrived in Singapore and the shipper told me I have to pay an additional almost $2K for the shipping cost.

I was so upset and even argued with them as I have proof of their quotation. But they do not want to honour this quotation saying that the person who wrote up this quotation has already resigned. Really unprofessional.

No choice, cos i already forked out the money to buy these cameras, and don't want to waste it. I paid for the additional shipping cost, only to find out later that the product that I imported, 99% of them are faulty. I only got to know this from my customer. Ended up having to pay my customers money back, as it was really embarrassing to sell a defective product.

What should I do now? I emailed the company, and called them, but they do not admit it's faulty and as usual shy away from any responsibility. It's really horrible to do business with China and this has really traumatized me.

Now, I really don't know what to do with the product?? Can anyone suggest anything or help in any way with ideas?

[ethansmith]

Other than dispose of them, I am not sure I have any better advice. Sadly, this may have to just be one of those "live-and-learn" moments.

[BizGuy]

Anmaria,

First off, let me start by saying that I am saddened to hear about your unfortunate experience with this Vinjas Co. from China.

Yes, as Ethan mentioned in the above post this will surely be a 'live-and-learn' experience but I would definitely try and pursue other avenues to try and get your money back or at minimum exchange the faulty cameras with ones that function properly.

Have you tested many of the cameras to confirm that they are definitely not functioning? I would obviously take cameras from several different boxes in the hopes that it was just one box that was faulty (I presume you already did this but it doesn't hurt to mention).

Based on the information below that I found on this Vinjas Co., they seem to be a large company that I'm sure values their reputation along with their ISO Certifications and various online sites like Alibaba.com etc.
If explained via written letter (certified) along with applicable documentation of the signed quotation, shipping estimates etc. and sent to them along with documentation from another 3rd party that can verify that your cameras that were shipped from Vinjas Co. are all faulty (wouldn't hurt to notarize them as well) I would like to think that the Vinjas Co. would rather keep a client happy to ensure a repeat customer rather than burn a bridge and leave a client with a bitter taste which usually has long term negative effects on the company supplying the defective products. Based on the profile that I found on them the state that they have supplied such companies as "Wal-Mart", "Coca-Cola", "Heineken" etc. and I'm sure the last thing they want is to start building up a reputation of faulty products. I am also noting below the Vinjas Companies legal representation which you should probably send a copy of the letter to his attention as well as the CEO of the company.
In further investigating this company, I found on their website that they also include a 2 year warranty on all their products sold:

Quoted via: Vinjas Co., Ltd. - Hong Kong - Manufacturer
"************Warranty************
Everything we ship is strictly inspected by us in-house, in addition to the normal factory QC. This means you have peace of mind about the quality of products you're buying. All products we sell come with a minimum two-year warranty."

It seems as though they have locations in both China (http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/manu...o_Limited.html) and Hong Kong (http://www.vinjas.net.cn/contactinfo.html):

Company Name: Vinjas Co.,Limited
Country/Region:
Guang Dong - China
Company Address: ANJUYUAN INDUSTRIAL PARK ,DAIKAN , XILI,NANSHAN DISTRICT, SHENZHEN,P.R.CHINA
Zip/Postal code: 518112
Phone: 86-755-33600025
Fax: 86-755-33600029
Contact Person: vincent chen (Manager)
Mobile: 134 1188 7597
Industry:
Toys
Business Nature: Manufacturer
Founded Year: 2002
Number of Employees: 100 ~ 500

About the Company:

Company Name: Vinjas Co., Ltd.
Street Address: 17J,Ai Qin Building, Shen Hui Road,Long Gang District
Country/Region: Hong Kong
Zip: 518000
Telephone: 86-755-33600025

VINJAS CO., LIMITED is one of the leading manufactures in producing digital electronics products. We have been specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of LED Message Fan/Pen, Disposable Camera, Waterproof Camera, and other electronic items since 2002. Fully integrated with capabilities of Invention, Design, Tooling, Production and Quality assurance/control, our factory has been the supplier for Wal-Mart, Coca-cola, Heineken beer and many other well-known companies for years. With such strong technical strength, reliable quality with competitive price and on-time delivery, we will surely be able to offer you the best quality products and most valuable services.

We pursue knowledge property right protection, some of our products have home and abroad patents, and the material of our product is no pollution to the environment. Most of the products are approved ROHS and compliance.

Company Information:

Company Name: Vinjas Co.,Limited
Business Type: Manufacturer
Product/Service: Led Message Fan,Programmable Fan,Disposable Camera,Underwater Camera
Number of Employees: Above 1000 People
Year Established: 2002
Registered Capital: US$5 Million - US$10 Million
Legal Representative: Simon Wang
Ownership Type: Corporation/Limited Liability Company
Trade & Market
Main Markets: North America,South America,Eastern Europe,Southeast Asia,Africa,Oceania,Mid East,Eastern Asia,Western Europe
Total Annual Sales Volume: US$5 Million - US$10 Million
Export Percentage: 91% - 100%
Factory Information
Factory Size (Sq.meters): 3,000-5,000 square meters
QA/QC: In House
Number of Production Lines: Above 10
Number of R&D Staff: 11 - 20 People
Number of QC Staff: 11 - 20 People
Management Certification : ISO 9000/9001/9004/19011: 2000,ISO 14000/14001,TL9000
Contract Manufacturing : OEM Service Offered



Please keep this thread updated with any of your progress with this company as I'm sure many of our members would like to hear how you make out with this situation. Good luck!

Please note:
I am not a lawyer or an accountant. Any legal or financial advice I give is just my opinion and based on my experiences. I recommend that you always seek the advice of a professional before acting on something that I write.

[ChinaEric]

it is better to find a agent do job for you later.

[anmaria]

thank you so much for your advise. the contact person they listed below "Vincent Chen", the manager..is the person i have keep in touched initially. He was very responsive and easy to deal with. Then later when i had shipping problem with additional charge for me, and call them. They told me that they have fired Vincent and do not want to honour the quotation that Vincent has quote to me. The way they handle my problem is super unprofessional. We called them numerous times and they seems do not care. I choose this company because I though they are reputable too.

I am not sure who to complain regarding my faulty product.
But yeah..will try again to call them.
I haven't open all the boxes yet, only open 7-8 boxes and found all of them deffect. i imported around 2000 pcs of product from them.
if i try all of them, it means the product can not be sold anymore after i try.

[freechris2000]

It is an embarrass thing.
General speaking, Regarding your words you might lost funds unless they feel shame. you have to show your certificates such as "quotation""contract"... to relevant organization or people. In a word,
show all procedures which you went. Meantime, you also have to press them to solve your problems.

[erolerten]

it really is embarassing
for the future, using an agent is a good way.
from what I have read, written by Bizguy, they seem to be registered in Hong Kong... If your contract is with the Hong Kong company, you might have a chance. China is very tricky, the application of many laws have not a standard as we know from the west...

[alcglobalpartners]

I am also really saddened to hear about your experience. I run a sourcing consultancy in China and when I choose factories for my clients I have to be incredibly careful because if something goes wrong there isn't much chance of getting your money back. Next time please use a sourcing agent who has monitoring and QC capabilities in China to help you with production. It is worth it for the peace of mind.

As for your problem right now, unfortunately, there isn't much you can do without spending a lot of money. In Chinese eyes, the deal is already done. As for the shipping charges, it is important to hire your own US shipping agent (they are called freight forwarders) so that the Chinese factory cannot con you into paying more money for inferior service. In trade terms, this means that you should always buy your good FOB or EXW and pay for shipping from a separate (usually US) company. Also, you should always pay for 3rd party quality control on electronic items. It typically adds about 5% to your costs, but is worth it because you will not receive defective products.

You also might try offering to send one of the cameras back to the factory so that they can diagnose the exact problem. I know it is hard, but try to be nice about it as they have all your money now and don't have to help you.

As a last resort, you might try hiring a translator/interpreter and calling the mayor of the city where your factory was located (this might not be HK because they might have assigned your production to a smaller factory without your knowledge). The Chinese government is eager to retain their relationships with the West and this might be willing to talk to the factory on your behalf. In addition, depending on if there was any sort of return or compensation policy for defective goods in your contract, you might be able to hire a local Chinese lawyer or ask their advice if anything can be done.

[alcglobalpartners]

Also, if the company you used is proven to be registered in HK, there is a chance you could take some legal action. I would try contacting Legal Language Services. They have done amazing work for my clients in difficult situations in the past.

[freechris2000]

Hi Andrea Snavely,
What is going on this case? i'm interest in this special case. i guess everything over as nothing happened.

[Nicola]

Good day,

May I ask what happened in this case?

I almost ordered 5000 camera's from this company, but when I googled this post came up and Vincent (from Vinjas) won't discuss this case with me.