This time spotted in Yangshuo (陽朔), except these owners write in big letters 香港珠宝 – or “Hong Kong Jewelry”. The shop name, zhou liu fu (周六福) is a play on two major Hong Kong jewelry brands Chow Tai Fook (周大福) and Luk Fuk (六福).
Are people still being fooled?
Here’s another solution for Apple Mac users who are frustrated with Chinese online banking. Payment provider Lakala have come up with a card swipe machine for home use. Requiring a phone line connection, this operates independent of the computer and allows you pay bills (phone, gas, electricity etc.) as well as mobile phone top-up and TaoBao payments. All from the convenience of your own home. By doing a physical swipe, you can bypass the online banking restrictions and will benefit generally from more generous transaction limits.
Only cards with the UnionPay logo are accepted. When I tested, only debit card could be used for mobile phone repayment, but UnionPay credit card was accepted for mobile top-up and TaoBao payments. What’s more, non-Mainland issued UnionPay cards (in my case, from Hong Kong) do work – whereas they aren’t accepted by most online platforms. So far so good.
Taobao Payment
Taobao payments are easy. At the payment method selection screen, choose the Lakala logo under the ‘cash or swipe’ tab (现金或刷卡). If you do not see this option, check that you are logged into Alipay first.
(The Taobao/Alipay plugin does work, but sometimes doesn’t load properly in certain login scenarios. If you have problems, open a new window to alipay.com and login separately. Your cookie should carry over to the original window).
On the next page the transaction ID will be clearly displayed along with a confirmation of amount. You will need to enter these numbers into the card swipe machine. If you don’t have a pen handy you may request this be sent to your phone via SMS by clicking 点此发送至手机.
Now, on the swipe machine, navigate to: “3. 淘宝支付宝充值付款” then “1. 为支付宝交易号付款”. Some Chinese proficiency is recommended. At the following screen (“输入支付宝交易号即可刷卡付款”) – just press the 确认 key to continue.
You will now need to enter the transaction ID, followed by price, and finally your mobile number. (The Lakala machine uses your mobile number as a user identifier).
A few more screens later, you will be asked to swipe your UnionPay card, followed by a PIN prompt. Finally, you are given the transaction response: if you see this, your payment has been accepted. Back at your browser, it is not necessary to take any action as the payment result would have gone through automatically. Easy.
Note: Lakala takes 1% of your transaction price for Taobao purchases, with a ¥2 minimum and a ¥50 maximum.
The Lakala machine can be purchased for ¥399 direct from Lakala. After activation and first use, you must register the device using the form and envelope provided; a photo copy of your ID / passport will be required.
In another example of excellence by the Beijing Municipal Government, or more specifically those guys who run the subway, I have for many months chuckled at myself for seemingly being the only person aware of the existence of a lift at Dongzhimen station (东直门机场快线站).
Let’s start with this map. Never mind that nobody looks at it – but if you do, your eyes will be drawn to the red path that leads you up a staircase. That’s right: it never occurred to officials that passengers traveling to/from an airport would have bags with them; how dare they travel will luggage. To be fair the map does label the elevator, but I must say I only just noticed this myself – not when in the station. Ones eyes are still drawn to the red lines.
The bottom line is, passengers are not led to nor encouraged to use the elevator. They make no effort to advertise it as a convenience tool for those with luggage. The station is like this: get out the train (B4 level) and head for the escalator. You would not likely see the lift at the very end of the platform. Now at B2 level (B3 is closed access), you must exit the ticket barriers and enter the station concourse. Or so you think: I have stood time and time again watching; every time all passengers would do the 180° turn and head straight for the barriers. And of course once a few people do it, everyone else will follow. Those with heavy suitcases will at that point realise they are screwed, since only a single staircase is now available to B1 level. Even if they spot the elevator at this point, it would mean another ¥25RMB to enter the ticket barriers again.
The point where I stand watching all this – by the elevator. You see, if you look at that map, coming up from the platform, the lift is right in front of you. The problem is it’s before the ticket barrier. At that point people’s instincts are merely to get out of the paid area – it’s afterwards that we relax, look at maps, plot our next moves etc. For those who bother to look at the elevator however (I counted none), there is further confusion.
Consider this label stuck beside the lifts: it shows you on B2, and the platform on B4. Where is B1? Indeed, if you went from this, you would think it doesn’t go any higher. But it does.
Fact is, you must take this lift to B1, then exit the ticket barrier. A final escalator leg is still necessary at that point, but at least you’ve avoided the stairs.
Why is it so difficult to understand that passengers arriving from China’s busiest airport will likely have luggage, and that it is not acceptable to channel everyone through a staircase? Why has nobody noticed the elevator goes unused whilst people struggle to haul their 20kg bags against gravity? Public health campaign perhaps? I think not. Why indeed… but this is just one in a million examples of how people don’t think, don’t speak up, and the resulting lack of attention to detail that riddles so many things in this country: however nice they may look from the outside.
Is it just me, or are google maps getting worse lately? Many a time have I, in recent months, tried to search for a location – been advised of a name through AutoComplete and yet, even though suggested in the first place by google, will turn up a blank search. Why suggest a nonexistent keyword?
This experience (left) serves another example. I search for “Queen’s Road Central”, but am returned result for “Queen’s Road East”. Below that: Did you mean “Queen’s Road Central”?. Argh!! That’s what I bloody typed in the first place.
Ever dialed the wrong number because some shop or restaurant listed is total and utter crap? Those poor guys at home who keep getting phone calls from strangers wanting to book a table.
Surely, one of the most powerful web companies in the world can do better?
I previously wrote of GAP’s pending arrival to China. In November they opened their doors, along with the online store – and yesterday I finally checked them out. Contrary to my prediction GAP China appears to have been localised. Prices are less than their UK and US counterparts with sizes adjusted for local proportions. In-store and online pricing is the same, with free shipping nationwide for the latter. Currently there are four stores on the Mainland:
– Beijing Wangfujing Xin Dong’An (北京王府井步行街)
– Beijing Chaoyang Joy City (北京朝阳大悦城)
– Shanghai Nanjing West Rd (上海南京西路中创大厦)
– Shanghai’s Hong Kong Plaza (上海淮海中路香港广场).
Despite the lower price tag, i’ve heard of several people complaining about its quality here. GAP quality was never anything to write home about, but compared with those sold abroad, apparel sold in China is reportedly worse (note: some of it is not made locally) . That said, it’s still proving highly popular with the locals.
In other matters, Mövenpick have now launched in Beijing with a store in Chaoyang Joy City (朝阳大悦城). Priced similar to Häagen-Dazs® (well established in China already), though with a more limited offering, this signifies an expansion beyond Mövenpick cartons already available in many hotels and specialist shops.
It’s now also my new ice-cream hangout of choice.
Me:
“I don’t need this service, thank you”.
Telemarketer in a clingy (嗲) voice:
“I understand, but I just need to meet my quota, only a tiny bit away.”
Me:
“Perhaps, but i’m not going to buy something I don’t want just to meet your quota. I have to WANT the thing.”
By this point extremely annoying telemarketer:
“I understand, but perhaps you can help me? Just buy it anyways.”
Me:
“If you understand then why are you asking me to buy? I told you I don’t need it.”
Excruciatingly annoying telemarketer:
“We can be friends. Here’s my number [#], all you need is just pay $xx…”
- I tried to be nice; at that point I hung up. This lady was trying to sell me prepaid IDD calling card services. I told her I have cheaper suppliers, and I don’t like prepaid. She tried to pull a clingy girlie voice on me, assuming guys would fall for that. Even though I don’t need what she’s selling.
Is this how people sell in Hong Kong now? More disturbingly, is this how companies are training their salespeople?
Since late 2007 the unsolicited electronic messages ordinance (CAP 593) came into effect. Unfortunately this OFTA ordinance governs electronic communication only – that being SMS, fax, or recorded voice messages. It does not prevent telemarketers from cold-calling. What’s more one has to opt-in to the Do-not-call register by calling 1835000 from that number.
It’s a starter, but much more needs to be done. I don’t agree with then director-general Marion Lai Chan Chi-kuen who suggested that barring personal interactive calling “could hurt small and medium-sized businesses“. How about hurting privacy, adding to illegitimate phone charges (overseas roaming – I won’t even go there), and wasting people’s time? Welcome to Hong Kong: where the pro-business government cares little about individuals.
There has been little debate since. The government run Anti Spam Website gives advice on cutting down unsolicited contact, whilst a voluntary code of practice has been put into place by many institutions, including the HKDMA (Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association). But voluntary self-regulation is not enough – and surely i’m not the only one fed up of sales calls by now.
When will this practice finally be banned? Or, at the very least, extend the DNC register to cover personal marketing calls too. It’s about time.
I couldn’t agree more with John Simpson, who recently posted on BBC News his views of China’s recent Nobel Peace Prize PR disaster. Whatever one’s views of Liu, or what he stands for, the Chinese government have shown yet again how a few defensive decisions can just lead to ridicule.
Far from putting a blanket over the incident the peace prize has only just become more controversial, more publicised. Never mind that Liu wasn’t present: the symbolism of an empty chair is now virally spreading around China, arguably more powerful than his attendance would have been. An incident they could have spun in their favour has simply backfired. After all these years, the government have learned little; PR skills seemingly having gone nowhere.
Spokesman Jiang Yu was recently quoted to say (I paraphrase from Chinese): “the actions in Norway do not change the fact that of whether Liu has committed a crime”.
Indeed. As I previously commented – nobody ever claimed that obtaining a prize changes the fact of whether a crime is committed. The question is: did Liu really commit a crime or are his charges politically motivated?
Regardless… it’s about time the politburo hired a good PR firm.
