How long is a string..?

**rotor** · 06-21-2011, 11:02 AM

HI Guys, a little bit about me, meet this wonderful Chinese lady,married her and took her to the west to enjoy life, unfortunately transplantinga tree sometimes doesn’t work , she missed the land that saw her born and notwanting loose the lady, moved my operations to China. Starting a new businessin China is no panacea, registering a business in the west it takes 1hr, inChina takes months and a huge amount of money, with that behind, getting the machineries is not easy either, buy the container load no problems, out comes the gunxi and thinks get a bit easier. Well, now have an excellent premises,all the machineries in place but needed the small stuff like, nuts and bolts,gases, special cutters, specialized alloys and steel, all available in China,again, easy by the container load, Chinese are not ready for the small outfits.Since we are into aircrafts engines on their reduction boxes, finding amanufacturer making small amounts of gears proved to be incredible difficult. Got cooked couple oftimes, with the usual, yes-we-can-do-it, money paid and, no- can-use-it.

Eventually, we have sorted out the castings and gears making, the importation of the new engines goes smoothly and now able todeliver on time to our unique Chinese customers the aircrafts engines. Two years ago, I was approached by our unique customer and asked if we could implement a BMW motor cycle engine with one of our smaller gearboxes for some smaller aircraft they were experimenting with. No problems we said, and looked at the Chines made BMW engine, bad news, we said, no real HP and too risky to be implemented to an aircraft. There was Germany guy working in town and he had a Chinese BMW with a sidecar, instead to importing a new engine from Germany and all the associates’customs problems, and since we initially dint need a new engine, he suggestedto contract a guy in Beijing.

It turns one the guy in Beijing gets his used engines fromthe US and modifies the Chinese BMW bikes with genuine German engines, very interesting work, unfortunately he only imports aircooled engines and we needed an oil head BMW engine. No problems he said, I havea shipment with engines coming from the USA and I can get you the engine with the same shipment arriving in 30 days. Dint want to get cooked aging andsaid to him, great, please get me the engine and on arrival would pay for it. No can do, he said, you pay me first and once it gets here I deliver. Cash please.

Send my wife to Beijing and arranged a rendezvous at the airport and payment (10.000 RMB) for engine was made, he assured my wife the engine would arrive in 30 days and we left it at that. This happened TWO YEARS AGO, I had from this guy the most incredible stories, the apparent container with the engines has been all over the ports China and HK unable to get it to Beijing, according to him he has paid untold agents to handle the container, last conversation I has this guy , specifically told me, he just paid another agent and this time he assuredme in two weeks I would get the engine. Well, two weeks are gone and no engine.Moreover, repeatedly asked to return the moneys paid , his response to this is,he has not any money to pay back and, suggest to buy a an oil head engine fromone of his customers, his bike been involved in a fire but the engine survived.

My wife drives a Beijing registered car and she had to go for the annual inspection, went to see this guy twice at his shop and same load of BS, no money must wait he gets is container, and other unbelievable stories to it. What do you think guys, how long is the BS string? Bear in mind, I am not to screw up his businesses, but should I inform the authorities about his importations? Should I inform the very important guys buying my aircraft engines of him? Should Ipay him a visit with some mean looking guys?

You know, it is very sad been lied by one of your own in a foreigncountry, at home, this guy’s BS would be cut in no time.

Thanks for your time and understandings

Rotor

**corporal_clegg** · 06-21-2011, 01:25 PM

I have a few friends in business here and this is what it's like, daily dealing with this kind of BS. If you think the law will even help you I can't see any reason to keep waiting, there is no reason for you to not have your engine by now. Ship isn't the only available form of transport here. It could easily be put on any train that goes directly to Beijing,even if there are complications there is always a way around it here. Give him a reasonable deadline, have him sign to acknowledge and consult a lawyer. Thats my 5 jiao's worth

**MJH** · 06-21-2011, 01:56 PM

Did you know that the a spinning propeller was the inspiration for the BMW emblem?

**slabo** · 06-21-2011, 02:25 PM

.........

**rotor** · 06-21-2011, 04:03 PM

I was asked by the above to delete his comments and my replay. I was not aware of this person using this board to further his business. This forum supposed to be place where wecan talk about bikes and been honest to each other, warning to others getting screwedby this guy helps and will enhance the integrity of this board. No one deserves to be consistently lied, especially if this guy actually frequents this forum.Dint wake up last night and dreamed it all, those are the facts, and if someone wants to know our legally registered business name, real manes and contact numbers,I am prepared to disclose it.

Thanks

Rotor

**moilami** · 06-21-2011, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by MJH

Did you know that the a spinning propeller was the inspiration for the BMW emblem?

Wow, I did not know that! Makes sense!

**rotor** · 06-21-2011, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by MJH

Did you know that the a spinning propeller was the inspiration for the BMW emblem?

Yes I knew it, manyyears ago, served my apprenticeship with BMW in Bayern, and at the time thefactory used to make the BMW LS had a 600cc bike engine in it, I had one of those cars but it was useless.

Thanks
Rotor

**motorama** · 06-21-2011, 11:02 PM

Rotor, you are correct about the business standards in China, and you are correct about these business people not standing a chance back home. But it isn't just the BMW engine guy. Lots of cafes, hotels and shops that are owned by Americans & Europeans would never survive back home. They can operate in China because the standards are so much lower, and the American & European customers living in China have resigned themselves to accept second-rate service.

Waiting 2 years, and getting one phony story after another, means you have incredible patience. And yes, these forums should be a place to discuss our experiences. Here is ours.

My husband looked into buying one of those BMW sidecars from that guy in Beijing. But my husband discovered that the bikes he uses are actually scrap that can no longer be licensed in China. And the used BMW engines appear not to be legally imported into China. When my husband asked if he could get the sidecar inspected and licensed, he was told that "arrangements" could be done to put some kind of "other" plate on the sidecar. He was told not to worry with this plate, unless he drives into Beijing. We wondered if this was even a legal business in Beijing if the sidecars can't be legally driven in Beijing.

When my husband asked if we could import the sidecar into the USA, the BMW guy said that "paperwork can be arranged" to get it through USA customs. His words were "we supply whatever paperwork is needed for any country. If needed, we will show that the date it was built makes it qualify as an antique motorcycle". We were left with a similar feeling as you. This could never happen back home. We never bought the sidecar.

Good luck getting your money back, although I doubt you will see any.

**slabo** · 06-22-2011, 03:26 AM

China is a different planet. You'll have a hard time living here if you want to keep looking down on Chinese business ways. Not defending anyone, but just saying it's a lesson to learn. Pickup any of the 100's of China books and you'll see such identical stories. I'm just saying that if you want to do business here, you'd better change your attitude and find ways to deal with problems. Learn the Chinese way, because trust me, China is not changing anytime soon for you. May I ask if a contract was signed? Or was everything just verbally agreed open?

motorama.. you're forced to bend the law in many ways. 'Legal' is a grey word in China. Welcome and enjoy your stay. Find a way to enjoy, find a way to bend your vision, because China is not changing anytime soon.

**rotor** · 06-22-2011, 04:21 AM

Originally Posted by slabo

China is a different planet. You'll have a hard time living here if you want to keep looking down on Chinese business ways. Not defending anyone, but just saying it's a lesson to learn. Pickup any of the 100's of China books and you'll see such identical stories. I'm just saying that if you want to do business here, you'd better change your attitude and find ways to deal with problems. Learn the Chinese way, because trust me, China is not changing anytime soon for you. May I ask if a contract was signed? Or was everything just verbally agreed open?

motorama.. you're forced to bend the law in many ways. 'Legal' is a grey word in China. Welcome and enjoy your stay. Find a way to enjoy, find a way to bend your vision, because China is not changing anytime soon.

You Sir, are a hypocrite, naming the guy in question andthen asking to delete your response and now berating me how to do business in China. I wasn’t doing business with a Chinese, the guy is a westerner and the lesson to learn beware of westerners in China, and like motorama eluded, this guy’s wound not survive back home with his corrupt business practices. One does contract with the Chines business man and usually to save face they honored it, dint think for a moment I would need a contact in China with a westerner, and yes,that is a lesson to learn. I don’t have to change my attitude to deal with the Chines, i never had to pay guanxi but I have used the connection with the authorities to get the paper work done legally. Ultimately, this is not about China, is about people like American guy taking money and not delivering and, people like you giving a bad example to the western community that is acceptable to be corrupt in China.

Thanks
Rotor