of course not - I left. And I m writing the storry here for future victims. This People are not buyers, not sellers. they are bringing you to think they do buy, sign contracts - and are only looking to get a "Registration fee" or similar. Thats it.

This throwing around cig thing culture is just as common in Asia as smelly feet, and instant noodles on a Chinese train. Yea, in real businesses they real guys throw the cigs over foreigners. You just finnish one and another is stuck between the lips You are taken care of to the point where you are fed with a silver spoon.

When you been around a while you start buying back to friends and alike. Still not easy, and someone has usually settled the bill when you go and pick it up too. These days, well I make sure to be there first to catch the bill by going there when meal is only halfway.

Who cares anyway. I just wanted to point out that this thing throwing around expensive cigs is so common that "over here" we dont even register a few cartons of nice cigs as gifts. It goes unnoticed. Its same as these bricks of Puer tea, its like an electric scooter rushing by or so someone puking up mixian a friday night around Kundu.

Back to the point, of course they were scammers, but they didnt succeed. If the only thing the two cases here lost were about a few cartons of cigs, and some additional costs and sweat, the scam blew off at step 1. They could even be proud they realized to back off, rather than point out this common ciggie thing.

@peter99
@incomm's point is not the scam for the small change in cigarettes - thieves work this way - they will try to grab whatever their hands can touch.

The major issue is @incomm's groups investment in time, resources, labor, and out of pocket expenses. Typically, professionally vetting an opportunity and then allocating the resources can cost up around USD 30k or more.

A typical example of four people allocated full time for 3 months - the labor costs at USD 10k per head (including salaries, benefits, perks, overhead, taxes, etc) would easily hit USD 120k in misallocated resources. And that doesn't include sending a management team to negotiate the non-existent contract, legal and accounting expenses to review. A few cartons of cigarettes is a pittance in loss compared to the wasted management resources that would have been better allocated to a legitimate lead.

This is a management issue, not an irritation or bruised ego at being defrauded out of a few hundred euros.

No, I dont buy that, but its cool. I will not stir in this anymore.

I think the architect wrote in another thread that their architect company lost totally around 3500 EUR, or something like that, and it was including plane ticket. Thats what the average backpacker gets scammed in Asia - architects can make a point about the scam for sure, but should not whine about this small money, or cigs. :)

Just sayin that If they were saying they left with a scar in the back, without a kidney and lost 20.000 bucks, then it may be something. This was nothing and they were lucky.

But enough from here. Not going to throw more salt in wounds, if ever did.

For anyone who is offered such a deal and suspects it may be a scam: please contact the police first. They can send cops undercover as 'your associates'. Last time I heard about such a scam in the making, I warned the guy and they did exactly that. The scammers were taken away by the police immediately after the meeting they had set up.

You're doing everyone a favour.

Well, just asking my self a question regards " of four people allocated full time for 3 months " . Is that what they were doing all 3 months? Negotiating 3 months with scammers who just wanted get few boxes of cigis and some pocket change? If somebody in my company waste so much time and bring me to the bunch of thiefs after, I would fire him. Forgive me for my criticism, but if somebody buy an expensive flight ticket based on poor research ( I mean poor, coz this type of scam is well know in China, as u can read posts here, and thats just KM people posting ), how can u seriously run a company on international trade level? I mean...common.
There is standard procedure how to check validity of company, people etc. U need to get a Chinese speaker in your home country or hire one over the net to do the proper research in Chinese net ( official gov. sites etc. ). For examp. we have Czech Trade comp. in Chengdu and they do everything u need from research to the law stuff. They are plenty others in BJ, SH,SZ etc. Overall it comes cheaper to pay them rather then send some management team who brings cartons of luxury cigarettes.
I mean if u do stuff like "for 20 000MT monthly " how can u fall into some scam like that? How can u just rely on some random people sending u an email, Hi we r some company who can help u. I dont get it. I mean, all contact details are different ( ph. email ) on website then the one on e-mail. If u put Kunming steel company in baidu u get lots of sites. So an expensive ticket is not a waste if u visit more companies for the future cooperation. They cant be all scammers, right?

'They cant be all scammers, right?'

Not willing to bet my money on that lol, a rhetorical question that sums up well ;)

@Alexez: I agree $120K USD, or even $30K USD is way over the top. If that is the real cost, there wouldn't be much vetting going on. I would vet USA customers by getting a D&B report ($100) and checking business license or state registration a few phone calls or a letter with a small check. under $50.

Checking Chinese companies is a little trickier. I was paid to travel to factories to inspect and assess capabilities. As you say, the Chinese companies picked up the tab for most meals and hotels. Often, very attractive and very very friendly young ladies were in the reception group.

The idea that a scammer is interested in cigarettes or a few meals is nonsense. The scammer want big bucks and wants it up front so negotiations are easy. You just send the money and they, you new friends, will ship everything post haste.

One my China based clients bought 100,000 padlocks to sell by their US office in the US from another Chinese company. A good price it was except they came without the shackles, you know, the U shaped part.

exactly, thats why u dont bet your money, do the research and part of it is to visit them in person or send somebody who is more legit then 'nobody' who send u " we can help" email.

'They cant be all scammers, right?' refers to the fact, that u would have to be very unlucky if all researched companies would turn out be fake ( no need 2 exaggerate here, not all China is bad ) .

Then u probably dont do biz with China at all. Leave it to some other company back in your country. LoL;-)

Gazzer : sad story with the padlocks. As u probably know, this is very common in Chinese factories ( f'ck ups ). Like in SZ or GZ this is the daily based issue of every exporter. Sometimes its lots of stress coz deposit has ben already paid. Like my friend ordered chairs and after assembling them found out they r all skewed ( coz bad cuts of parts ). Boss sat down on the chair and sad :" Yeah, its skewed a bit, but u can still sit on it, right? "