mardi 24 septembre 2013

Real Estate Agencies Malpractice in China



Real Estate Agencies Malpractice in China



In the past decades, Chinese growth has been for a large part sustained by the real estate sector, the general mood for real estate agents has been frenzy, and this is reflected in commercial behaviour. Regulations do exist, but they are less developed than in western developed countries and few of the rules are actually implemented.

Fake classifieds


If you are looking for an apartment to rent, the major issue you'll face is the fake classifieds. Many agencies try to hook customers with attractive ads, precise description of apartments that will appeal to you, be aware that many of these ads do not correspond to anything. The apartment in the classified will already be rented when you call the agent, and then you will be drawn into the agency network, trying to make you rent any other apartment they actually have in their portofolio. In Europe and USA, it is strictly forbidden to put real estate classifieds on a website when the property is already rented (and it is all the more prohibited to advert apartments that do nor exist...), in China nothing is properly checked. So be cautious about the classifieds and websites.





Wrong landords

Another problem can be the sub-rental of apartments without the landlord knowing it. In this eventuality, some people try to make money while scamming the actual landlord. There is as well cases about wrong landlords identities caused by the current limitations of ownership. The Chinese authorities try to limit the number of apartment per landlord in order to calm down the speculation and try to avoid a property bubble in China. The consequence is that many apartments are registered under a fake name. Stange occurrences can happen, apartments registerd under the name of the driver, the maid, or even dead people. For the tenant, there are risks, the most basic one is difficulties of registration with the authorities when you cannot contact the real landord.

 

Fees issues


There can be translation issues in the contracts, especially if you are a foreigner. Things can be omitted in the english version, for example anything relative to heating and air conditionning fees. Things can be told orally but the opposite is written in the contract. The most usual problem is agents that will tell you that heating fees are comprised with the rent when actually you'll have t pay for it separately. Be careful. A way to avoid this type of issues might be to have an agent specialized in expatriate rentals that will give you specific advice about these questions.

Agents that take commission from both the landlord and the tenant


Agents try to maximise their commission, by all means, and this can include taking commissions from both the tenant and the landlord. This is nor stricly forbidden but can have consequences regarding the apartments you will be shown : do not expect some agents to show you the apartments that correspond most to what you are looking for but the apartments for which their commsission is the highest. One way to limit this issue is to insist in visitinbg many apartments.

Sources : 




samedi 21 septembre 2013

Mystery investigation launched again pharmaceutical companies

Mystery investigation launched again pharmaceutical companies


 The series of investigations launched this summer by the Chinese authorities against suspected of corruption , primarily pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline , has affected their local sales , especially because many doctors are now afraid to receive sales representatives , according to several executives and medical sources .
Internal sector sources expect that the increase in sales of Chinese Affairs GSK accused by Chinese police have coordinated a system of pots of wine through travel agencies for six years, slow or even reversed between July and September , after rising 14 % yoy in the second quarter.

Corruption ? 


 Novartis

The British group is however not only be certified and several competitors expect a slowdown in sales in the second half after the opening of investigations into foreign laboratories as Novartis , Sanofi and Bayer , as Chinese or Sino Biopharmaceutical , and manufacturers of milk powder as Danone.

French Sanofi 

Commercial departments laboratories emphasize that many doctors now refusing to meet with their representatives , for fear of being suspected of receiving bribes, kickbacks , particularly because of the low salaries received by the medical staff of 13,500 Chinese hospitals .
"There was a drop in sales , that's for sure ," said a sales executive of GSK in Shanghai, on condition of anonymity . " Because of the current situation and rumors about our brothers arrested by the authorities , we will less in hospitals. We are afraid that the same thing happens to us. "


Distributors 

Distributor of drugs in connection with foreign laboratories in China confirms that beyond the particularly high sales decline GSK , higher sales across the sector slowed to 8-10% against 20% in 2012 . Faced with the new reluctance of doctors , some of whom occasionally experienced a dozen representatives per day according to a former executive of the industry, laboratories have also shown much more cautious and increased monitoring of different levels of their distribution network.
" They are nervous and want to ensure compliance ," reported the leader of one of the distributors of anonymity .
Some observers , however, doubt that the series of investigations and prosecution of corruption can put an end to such practices, while spending Chinese health should almost triple to 750 billion by 2020, according to a report of McKinsey .
" The pharmaceutical companies will simply find other methods," said an executive of a foreign laboratory , based in China. " Some of them were caught because they only uses one or three travel agencies, so they will simply use a larger number of them , or find other ways of getting money. " "As long as doctors accept bribes, kickbacks , nothing will change ," he adds

by Patty sanderson

samedi 14 septembre 2013

Chinese tourists and Shopping !

Chinese tourists and Shopping ! 

  Chinese travelers informations:
  • Ages: 64 percent are 25 to 44 
  • Education: 70 percent have bachelor's degrees 
  • Gender: male 53 percent , 47 percent of women 
  • Monthly income: 73 percent earn between 5,000 and 10,000 yuan (about $ 816 to $ 1,633 )

They came up empty-handed , but they left clutching bags loaded.
A crowd of Chinese tourists have invaded the Vacaville Premium Outlets recent weekend, collecting luxury handbags , sunglasses and jeans U.S. . With prices that are often 50 percent cheaper than the products at home , the Chinese do not hesitate to open their wallets .

Chinese visitors 

"Chinese visitors are the darlings of the industry ," said the vice president of marketing for Premium Outlets, which is owned by Simon Property Group of Indianapolis.

 The Chinese have long shopped in New York and Los Angeles, but many of them are now turning to suburban malls where they can get more for their money . "Of course , things are cheaper here than in China ," Beijing resident Rainy Zhang said in Mandarin, while sitting on a bench outside the Burberry store in Vacaville . As Zhang spoke with a thick Beijing accent , his friend Hill Ai looked a long reception of Calvin Klein, count the number of discounts.

Chinese New shoppers

The Chinese middle class , now 400 million strong , growing at an explosive rate . Newly rich Chinese are flocking abroad and spend a lot of money.





California is a particularly attractive destination . A tourist mecca that is only 12 -hour flight , the state offers a bit of everything . More than 700,000 Chinese visited the Golden State in 2012 , from a total of $ 2.1 billion , according to Visit California. These figures are expected to rise sharply, with 1.1 million visitors expected by 2015.

example

On a recent Saturday, a group of 20 teachers in the province of Shaanxi Remote scrambled to buy wallets, leather jackets and other high -end products. They left five hours later , juggling oversized bags bearing the names appearing Coach , Juicy Couture and Ralph Lauren.
Buyers refused to be interviewed because they were visiting the United States through a government exchange program. Their guide , Henry Lee , noted that the official visits are carefully considered by the Communist Party .
Chinese visitor spends an average of $ 3,000 in luxury goods, according to an analysis by TaxFree Shopping, a company that processes tax refunds for foreign travelers . This expenditure has attracted the attention of U.S. retailers and operators of shopping centers. " The Chinese want designer brands , and they want a good deal. This is why they come Premium Outlets for our high-end stores ," said Eggan . With 120 shops, the Vacaville property offers 447,000 square feet of shops just an hour from San Francisco. A parade of tour buses decreases every week, according to management, many make the stop on the way to Lake Tahoe or Napa .
Simon Property Group , owner of 11 up and down the California malls , has aggressively courted Chinese consumers since 2005. Eggan often visits China , meets both officials and tour operators. She was one of 80 business leaders who accompanied Gov. Jerry Brown on a trade mission a week to the Asian giant in April .

History 

With the liberalization of their economies in the 1990s , the Chinese have become accustomed to see Western styles and luxury brands. However, high prices make extremely expensive foreign imports , even though many of them are made in China .
In some cases, Chinese tourists say , discounts on merchandise in the United States cover the cost of their trip. Tumi , the luggage maker New Jersey, is an American retailer that has reaped the benefits of the new prosperity of China . Large bags - priced at $ 799 each - are popular with Chinese visitors , said Ariana Ford, store manager Tumi Vacaville . "It is extensible, so that they can take the goods ," she said. Stores with a particularly high tourist traffic are hiring Mandarin-speaking sales and accept credit cards issued Chinese.

Focus on Chinese Group Tourists


Simon Property made ​​an extra effort , decorating his office red for Chinese New Year and the hiring team to put on the traditional lion dance .
 

Shopping mall history ! 


Shopping at malls has become something of a ritual for Chinese visiting California , if it is not a national obsession. Blogs and forums are full devoted to discussions on the bargains to be had . Those unable to attend will recruit friends and family to bring gifts.
Cora Ip , a recent UC Davis graduate , said his parents - who live in Sacramento - spend hundreds of dollars to buy gifts for parents at home in Hong Kong. "When you buy things here, there is a quality control ," said Ip , sweeping aisles at Columbia Sportswear .


Desert Hills Premium Outlets near Palm Springs, a perennial favorite of Chinese buyers visiting Southern California , is experiencing a boom that could bring its store count to 190 in early 2014 to become the largest shopping center in the state .
Chinese visitors have also proved a boon for operators as SH Tours in San Francisco. The company hosts 600 visits annually for Chinese citizens , against 300 in 2009.

" We always bring in the catch ," said Silvia Chuang, CEO of SH Tours. For Zhang, the buyer of Beijing, the choice of buying here is an easy task . 

"Coach is 50 percent off . Why do not you buy ?" She asked .

sources :
  1.  Chinese tourists Shopping !
  2. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323664204578609452047467788.html
  3. http://www.eturbonews.com/37902/chinese-tourists-are-spending-less
  4. http://touristchinese.wordpress.com/
  5. http://marketingtochina.com/category/chinese-tourist/
  6. http://internet-chine.blogspot.fr/2012/12/chinese-tourists.html
  7. http://china-market-research.blogspot.fr/2013/03/chinese-tourist-market.html
  8. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_China