Consumer experience thailand

[bowerboy]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:28 PM, robblok said:

Its great shopping in Thailand, unlike your experience.

 

Just now on a Sunday ordered a new gym machine. Contacted the owner on line asked about dimensions .. guy got back in 15 minutes with the dimensions. I asked if white was the only color, was told could have black and some other colors too. I said black. Got a price quote was told it took between 20 and 30 days to make and paid the guy and done.

 

All that on a Sunday and without much hassle. I guess it depends who you contact and how you behave yourself. (not saying that the OP did anything wrong)

 

There is good and bad everywhere. 

 

Post again in 2 months and tell us if it’s still working

[bowerboy]

On 7/15/2019 at 9:09 AM, 30la said:

We are in Thailand, saying "I don't know" is a loss of face, it's easier to say "we don't have it"!

 

Completely disagree...this is like newbie mistake 101....applying western logic to try and find reason in the things that happen here due to pure laziness and stupidity of a breed that is impossible for our western minds to comprehend....

 

Sorry to burst you bubble but it’s no mystical “face” reason just pure and simple laziness, stupidity and incompetence (to a degree that is in fairness to you almost impossible to comprenehend in a western context).

[losworld]

what's probably happened is other brands have better commissions and often these promo items are called "loss leaders" and sold just above cost but more likely the buyer is pushed or pulled into another model by saying things like no good, out of stock...

 

Can't really blame the sales guys too much as they may only be making a few baht on a sale like that and they are encouraged by management to sell the other more profitable models.

 

As per lazada there are deals but also many online that are deceiving.

[bowerboy]

Another nonsense “mythical face” mistakes here is to “never lose your cool or shout as it will not help”.

 

Utter rubbish. I have lived and worked here for 15 years in Management positions and many times the ONLY way to get things done is to shout and if warranted then go completely berserk....especially in retail situations as the OP described.

 

Many times I have frogmarched the sales assistant off to the Manager and then got what I wanted and forced everyone to do as I please (not every time of course but definitely when it is warrented).

 

And I can ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE you that is exactly what the hi-so Thai Chinese do when they cannot get there way.

 

 

[bowerboy]

Just now, bowerboy said:

Another nonsense “mythical face” mistakes here is to “never lose your cool or shout as it will not help”.

 

Utter rubbish. I have lived and worked here for 15 years in Management positions and many times the ONLY way to get things done is to shout and if warranted then go completely berserk....especially in retail situations as the OP described.

 

Many times I have frogmarched the sales assistant off to the Manager and then got what I wanted and forced everyone to do as I please (not every time of course but definitely when it is warrented).

 

And I can ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE you that is exactly what the hi-so Thai Chinese do when they cannot get there way.

 

 

 

Obviously I only do this when I know for sure I am being messed around due to laziness, stupidity or incompetence of the kind that is hard to comprehend for the western mind.

 

i don’t do it every time I buy a pint of milk from 7/11.

[BestB]

On 7/26/2019 at 10:42 AM, robblok said:

You said you had the same machine, you don't.  That was why i thought the 150 kg was loading it. I just can't imagine a chin up bar bending. That was why I never thought of it.

 

I don't see the counter weight at all. 

 

I am like you 90-95 kg but have always been weak at chin ups. Can do them them but the form and speed are not perfect. That is why i wanted this to improve. I only once had problems with gym equipment that was when like you i bought mass produced stuff. I bought one of those peck deck push and legs machine in one. Crap. 

 

After that i just bought them from places like Gymware and a German guy. All made by people who care and I never had any problems again. I would say you get what you pay for. I paid 12.000 for this machine that is probably more then you paid for yours. 

Why you keep arguing is beyond me. You do not see counterweight is because machine is folded and I paid little more than 12000 for it. Also made by the “professionals” but that does not change the fact they using cheap metal which is not strong enough to hold the weight.

 

Being German makes little difference in Thailand , there is German sausage making company , quite large name as well, yet for some unknown reason every new batch tastes different. You would think and expect to be getting same product each and every time , but all you get is something that looks the same but has a different taste each and every time..

 

May be you got lucky and this is a good company   Which is great but it does not mean majority are , it’s rather rare to get exactly what you expected or what was shown or advertised in a timely manner. 

 

Even buying sofa from the factory can be turned into a headache. They show you one, but make something different, they tell you 7 days but 30 days later you still waiting and getting fed some excuses why it’s not ready then try to get refund on your deposit for their breach of contract , good luck with that ????

[elephant45]

most staff at large stores only know where the toilet is and where to eat.

[losworld]

2 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

most staff at large stores only know where the toilet is and where to eat.

never forget the Russian expression from the days communism "you pretend to pay us and we pretend to work" let's see how motivated you guys are at 300 baht per day lol

[elephant45]

losworld...right on

 

[robblok]

7 minutes ago, BestB said:

Why you keep arguing is beyond me. You do not see counterweight is because machine is folded and I paid little more than 12000 for it. Also made by the “professionals” but that does not change the fact they using cheap metal which is not strong enough to hold the weight.

 

Being German makes little difference in Thailand , there is German sausage making company , quite large name as well, yet for some unknown reason every new batch tastes different. You would think and expect to be getting same product each and every time , but all you get is something that looks the same but has a different taste each and every time..

 

May be you got lucky and this is a good company   Which is great but it does not mean majority are , it’s rather rare to get exactly what you expected or what was shown or advertised in a timely manner. 

 

Even buying sofa from the factory can be turned into a headache. They show you one, but make something different, they tell you 7 days but 30 days later you still waiting and getting fed some excuses why it’s not ready then try to get refund on your deposit for their breach of contract , good luck with that ????

Lets put it this way you got screwed over. Your machine is obviously not of the same quality mine is. This is the first time I ever heard of a machine that badly made i just could not imagine it. 

 

German is in general quality far better then normal stuff, and this guy did deliver quality at a price of course. I just said German guy as I forgot the name of his company and he stopped with it at some point. So he is out of the game.

 

Gymware is quality and the guy is good at service too. Its strange that you encounter so many problems while I encounter few. Maybe just the luck of the Dutch ( i know its Irish) because we have totally different experiences. 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

8 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

most staff at large stores only know where the toilet is and where to eat.

Home pro staff are very helpful and escort you around till you find what you need or hand you off to a person in that department.  They have so many people because many are paid by the company that is selling a particular item and not home pro the same is true in department stores for many items like cosmetics.  Chanel pays the clerks at the Chanel counter and not Central or Robertsons.  

[robblok]

26 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

 

Post again in 2 months and tell us if it’s still working

Hahaha funny machines like this don't break obviously I still got a power rack in my gym from 10 years ago believe my lat pull down is 7 years or so. Not to mention all the other stuff in my gym. Maybe I am just someone that knows where to buy quality.

 

All these machines in my gym get used multiple times a week for years. So they have proven themselves. 

[marcusarelus]

16 hours ago, CLW said:

Gave up website forms and email long time ago for contacting companies in Thailand.
Calling the only way. And plenty of that to follow up your request.

Invadeit answers very complicated questions by email no problem. 

 

Lazada answers all of my questions - sometimes I have no idea what they are saying - I think translator but once got a 200 baht credit for my persistence and their lack of English. 

 

I'm having a dining room table custom built now and the email communication has been very good.   

 

Same with Italian leather furniture in my living room.  Custom and very good communication.  

[Orton Rd]

12 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

most staff at large stores only know where the toilet is and where to eat.

Somebody I knew here went to buy a new phone in MBK and was looking at 2 Nokia models, one was about twice the price of the other. When he asked what the difference in them was the assistant told him- one is black the other one red! I never understand the need for sales people to be employed in the wine and spirit section. does anyone really need help selecting a bottle of booze?

[BestB]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

Lets put it this way you got screwed over. Your machine is obviously not of the same quality mine is. This is the first time I ever heard of a machine that badly made i just could not imagine it. 

 

German is in general quality far better then normal stuff, and this guy did deliver quality at a price of course. I just said German guy as I forgot the name of his company and he stopped with it at some point. So he is out of the game.

 

Gymware is quality and the guy is good at service too. Its strange that you encounter so many problems while I encounter few. Maybe just the luck of the Dutch ( i know its Irish) because we have totally different experiences. 

 

 

Once again you misreading. It is not poorly made but misrepresented.

 

it suppose to hold weight up to 150 kg but it does not, because metal is not strong or thick enough .

 

it should have been up to 85kg and if I was under 80kg, machine would be just fine.

 

maybe I get less lucky because I buy more than you? Or maybe we have different expectations 

 

and you do not want to know about my experience buying used car from a dealer in Bkk, you will

most likely not believe it 

[BestB]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Invadeit answers very complicated questions by email no problem. 

 

Lazada answers all of my questions - sometimes I have no idea what they are saying - I think translator but once got a 200 baht credit for my persistence and their lack of English. 

 

I'm having a dining room table custom built now and the email communication has been very good.   

 

Same with Italian leather furniture in my living room.  Custom and very good communication.  

Really ? They making it custom for you in Italy and shipping it over?

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, BestB said:

Once again you misreading. It is not poorly made but misrepresented.

 

it suppose to hold weight up to 150 kg but it does not, because metal is not strong or thick enough .

 

it should have been up to 85kg and if I was under 80kg, machine would be just fine.

 

maybe I get less lucky because I buy more than you? Or maybe we have different expectations 

 

and you do not want to know about my experience buying used car from a dealer in Bkk, you will

most likely not believe it 

I would say poorly made if it cannot hold 150 kg. Difference in opinion I guess. Seriously normal equipment should easily handle that weight. Its not that hard to use good materials.

 

I buy loads of stuff been here many years now and I have high expectations (depending on what I buy of course a 200 bt phone cover not much expectations a 12.000 bt gym machine high expectations).

 

As for used car dealers.. yea i would believe you they are bad even in my country so they will be worse here. 

[BestB]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

I would say poorly made if it cannot hold 150 kg. Difference in opinion I guess. Seriously normal equipment should easily handle that weight. Its not that hard to use good materials.

 

I buy loads of stuff been here many years now and I have high expectations (depending on what I buy of course a 200 bt phone cover not much expectations a 12.000 bt gym machine high expectations).

 

As for used car dealers.. yea i would believe you they are bad even in my country so they will be worse here. 

See there you go. You do not have much expectation for 200 baht phone cover and I do.

 

i would expect for 200 baht to get top quality when there are plenty for sale at 50-100baht????????????

[bluesofa]

20 minutes ago, losworld said:

never forget the Russian expression from the days communism "you pretend to pay us and we pretend to work" let's see how motivated you guys are at 300 baht per day lol

We're not Thais living Thai standards, so it's like comparing apples and mobile phones.

 

I suppose if they were sacked for not working and didn't have the 300 Baht, it would be someone else's fault and not their own, for complaining about their complacency.

No one is forcing them to work. I always thought they were there for the salary, they know before they start how much it is.

[robblok]

1 minute ago, BestB said:

See there you go. You do not have much expectation for 200 baht phone cover and I do.

 

i would expect for 200 baht to get top quality when there are plenty for sale at 50-100baht????????????

Depends a bit i had a 1000 bt one for my S8+ that lets the screen projected and stuff like that. Lasted for years but broke, so i bought a replacement 200 bt.. few months later is almost broken. So it kinda depends what kind.

[beau thai]

I hope I am not being repetitive. Again. But I havent waded through all 8 pages of posts.

I do agree that customer service here can be almost as bad as what passes for marketing but, for me at least, there are major exceptions and the best example of great service I have experienced is in Homepro.

Back home, even finding a staff member in a diy shed counts as a result, whereas in Homepro, one of the many staff will invariably approach me, even as a farang, and OFFER help.  And after a 'conversation', with hand signals, or 'show and tell' due to my poor thai and their small english, I am usually taken to the specialist for that area who will spend as much time as it takes to ensure I have what I wanted. (or mai mee!!).

Example was buying a shower head designed for low pressure systems. Showed many models which were then also attached to the mains, and demonstrated. A lot of effort for a small purchase which was much appreciated by me.  And this is just an example of, for me at least, normal customer service in Homepro.

I could retell bad experiences  elsewhere, not only in Thailand, but I prefer to forget about them.

 

 

 

[bowerboy]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Why you keep arguing is beyond me. You do not see counterweight is because machine is folded and I paid little more than 12000 for it. Also made by the “professionals” but that does not change the fact they using cheap metal which is not strong enough to hold the weight.

 

Being German makes little difference in Thailand , there is German sausage making company , quite large name as well, yet for some unknown reason every new batch tastes different. You would think and expect to be getting same product each and every time , but all you get is something that looks the same but has a different taste each and every time..

 

May be you got lucky and this is a good company   Which is great but it does not mean majority are , it’s rather rare to get exactly what you expected or what was shown or advertised in a timely manner. 

 

Even buying sofa from the factory can be turned into a headache. They show you one, but make something different, they tell you 7 days but 30 days later you still waiting and getting fed some excuses why it’s not ready then try to get refund on your deposit for their breach of contract , good luck with that ????

 

We bought a Sofa here and within 3 weeks all the stitching started coming apart. We called them and sent it back under the warranty.

 

The sofa was a black leather sofa. It took 3 months to repair it. When they returned it they had used white cloth to reupholster it.

 

Thai wife and friends saw no major issue in buying a black leather sofa and then having no sofa at all for 3 months sandbags then getting a white cloth one in return.

 

How can that in any way be considered acceptable? Anyone here who thinks customer service is anywhere near approaching acceptable is living in a very different Thailand to me.

 

And that Ian not to mention when they fixed my wife’s car for some simple scratches and told her it would take 17 days (ie: Leave it at the garage and they will do it at some point within the next 17 days after which you can pick it up). Nobody saw anything wrong with that.

 

if you take that kind of nonsense (or can’t at least recongnise it as such ) then you are a fool. 

[moontang]

3 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Somebody I knew here went to buy a new phone in MBK and was looking at 2 Nokia models, one was about twice the price of the other. When he asked what the difference in them was the assistant told him- one is black the other one red! I never understand the need for sales people to be employed in the wine and spirit section. does anyone really need help selecting a bottle of booze?

I went through the Nokia horror several weeks ago.  I paid and was on my way, and said, so I just take it to Nokia Service if I have a problem, knowing it is a reputable company.  NOPE, it is a copy..right smack in the middle of Market Village, HH.  Got a refund.

 

I also disagree about HomePro, or Gnome Throw.  Got steered to a drill, whose handle broke the second time I used it..Korean brand, made in China, sold in Thailand..the worst of all worlds.  And just the other day, replacing a fill valve on an old toilet, they were pushing Fluidmaster, US brand, taxed like imported wine..but I they had the Moya brand kits for 1/4 the price.  But, these do not adjust in height, said the lady, took five of them to show me how it could indeed be lowered or extended, I wasnt sure, but saw the clip, but didnt want to break it.  And this is at the Gnome Throw at the corporate HQ..so there is a culture of doing all the dirty  tricks mentioned here. There are a few good ones, but they are rare birds.  99% of the toilets they sell are for 12 inch or 306 mm distance to the center of the hole...problem is, less than half of the holes are that far from the wall...and start talking 3 wire..you got a better chance of getting steak sauce at MCD.   

Edited July 29, 2019 by moontang

[Peterphuket]

23 hours ago, moontang said:

I went through the Nokia horror several weeks ago.  I paid and was on my way, and said, so I just take it to Nokia Service if I have a problem, knowing it is a reputable company.  NOPE, it is a copy..right smack in the middle of Market Village, HH.  Got a refund.

 

I also disagree about HomePro, or Gnome Throw.  Got steered to a drill, whose handle broke the second time I used it..Korean brand, made in China, sold in Thailand..the worst of all worlds.  And just the other day, replacing a fill valve on an old toilet, they were pushing Fluidmaster, US brand, taxed like imported wine..but I they had the Moya brand kits for 1/4 the price.  But, these do not adjust in height, said the lady, took five of them to show me how it could indeed be lowered or extended, I wasnt sure, but saw the clip, but didnt want to break it.  And this is at the Gnome Throw at the corporate HQ..so there is a culture of doing all the dirty  tricks mentioned here. There are a few good ones, but they are rare birds.  99% of the toilets they sell are for 12 inch or 306 mm distance to the center of the hole...problem is, less than half of the holes are that far from the wall...and start talking 3 wire..you got a better chance of getting steak sauce at MCD.   

I agree with you, last week I order an monitor at Lazada, out of the box, not working, now I wait more then 5 days before they take any action. Ridiculous, You don't get your money back, and have something with a value of 30,000thb not working.

This morning I was chatting with somebody at Lazada, for more then 1 hour, but about your questions, no answer, it looks like you have an conversation with a computer. For me never again Lazada.

And funny, Lazada is owned by Alibaba, (aliexpress) there is the service much better.

[gunderhill]

On 7/14/2019 at 3:55 AM, Puchaiyank said:

"Ditto"...your experience has been also mine...not all sales clerks but I have learned if they immediately say "no have"...I say thank you and continue looking for the item I need...most of the time it may take a few moments to locate the item...then carry to sales clerk and say, "see, have"...they usually roll their eyes and walk away...lol

Boonthavorn TILES , took an old  tile and the box  with  identity numbers on it and showed them......5  minutes on the computer, no stock in entire Boonthavorn co. , its  old about 4  years.

Leave the shop, next day go back in to  look for something similar and spot the exact tile, ask them how much stock they have.........46  boxes ie 250 tiles..............cretins .

PAT doors  Bangkok (garage  doors) will not accept any order unless payment is made in FULL including fitting of said  door BEFORE any work will be started...........so if they do a crap  job  I doubt  youll get any satisfaction as they have the money already.