Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am going to look into this further next week, but what do you think of this email I recently received? I wonder (if it’s legitimate) if it’s legal. So they want to traffic funds through me and my business. And I get 10%. I must read this again before I start digging around. So here it is…

<i>This is shanghai import and export company
We are one of the leading Chiness company that deals on import and export of various global trading products, equipments, spare parts, mechanical and electrical products, like oil minerals, stones, Electronics, Jewelry, Apparel & Accessories, real estate, rubber, textile, Art and craft, Consulting it, construction, Electronics, Jewelry, Apparel & Accessories, Health & Nutrition, Sporting Goods, Home & Garden, Toys, Tools/Automotive, Clearance, Baby / Infant, Cutlery, Gifts, Kitchenware, Luggage & Business, as well as metallurgical technology into the World in general.

We are searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium of getting to our costumers in all over the world as well as making payments through you to us.

Your duty as our company`s representative in your domain is to help our company develop it exporting market in your region and contact our customers who purchased goods from our company on credit bases that are willing to make payment and negotiate with them their modes of payment as some may want to make an installmental payment and some may also wants to make full payment.

Agent Reward As being our representative:

For each payment a debtor makes to you, you are entitle to 10% of the total funds while the balance 90% an instruction will be given to you by our company on how to send the funds to our company in Asia.</i>

They then ask for my contact information and supply their China based contact information.

What do you all think?


-------------------------

Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

It`s often hard to tell because so many Chinese firms don`t hire good translators and often just mangle translations.  Other times, it can be any number of Chinese scammers.  The line is so blurred right now due to lack of regulation that it`s hard to tell.

It`s safer to assume they`re scammers.  If you`re serious about expanding your business overseas, there are plenty of import/export channels you can tap that do not send spam e-mails.  Responding even to unsolicited e-mail from a legitamate business only validates their method of spamming businesses, something I`m sure most managers, employees, and entrepreneurs can do without.


-------------------------

"Forget inspirational quotes to keep you going. If by doing what you do, you get an hour every day to relax, be with the ones you love in comfort without doing wrong, then it is all worth it." -Anon.

I probably get about 10 such emails a week - all from different companies in different countries.  As David points out, a legitimate company is most likely not going to use spam to find international agents. 

Most of these emails are examples of "phishing"  - attempts to get your personal banking or financial information.  Unfortunately, such actions are often taken by criminals using the names of legitimate companies and hijacking email responses to a fake email address.  A recent local news report told of a man responding to such an offer, providing his banking information so the company could pay him his commisions electronically, and his bank account was cyberly cleaned out.  When he researched and contacted the actual company he learned he had been had big time - and he was far from the only victim.

I usually take the time to report such emails to the U.S. goverment authorities.  You will find information about how do so on the site of the Federal Trade Commission.

- J.




-------------------------

Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!

Hi Vincent,

   While I can`t speak for the legality of what they`re proposing, I do know that there are heaps and heaps of companies in China who are desperate for western `reps`, as you will add an air of authenticity/quality/(appropriate positive adjective) to their services.

I am currently living in China (almost four and a half years now), and I`ve met people who send faxes and e-mails like this for a living, as well as westerners who are trying to making a living as `the (wo)man on the ground in china`.

   If they are a reasonably connected company, it would be no sweat for them to find manufacturers for almost anything you can imagine-- certainly not limited to the list that they included.  This is not my line of business, but I`ve had several people here ask me to help them find buyers overseas---"do you have friends who need something made cheaply"?  (or cheaply made) :)

More than likely, a setup like this is aimed at customers (not you, but the people you will reach out to) who don`t have much experience of dealing with China-- in which case, the final price will be far far far from the lowest it could be--- it will still be a marked saving to manufacturing in the states, but they will certainly make much more than your %10 of the orders.

   I miiiighht get involved in a project like this if I could oversee personally (I looked into calendar printing for a family friend-- we found a good printer who understood exactly what they were looking for, was willing to make some samples...etc.etc but, in the end they decided to stick with "Made in Canada").

  The biggest concern that I would have of getting involved in a setup like the one that your e-mail describes is that the payment will go through you, so you will be the first person that their prospective `client` would come to if there were any problems with quality.

just know that companies like this are really common here--- what sets the good ones apart is a good reputation for keeping their customers happy with low cost products, and also making sure that products are packaged well, and quality levels are maintained. 

So....the only advice I would give you would be to try to track down satisfied customers of this company--- the nature of this business is that they will never let you deal with the manufacturers directly as they know very well that the next order would go directly to manufacturer.

   If you want me to phone them directly to have a chat about nothing in particular (just to satisfy your curiosity?), or to pass the idea through an American I know doing this, I`d be glad to----   I`m going to Dalian in the morning for a business trip, but I`ll be back by the end of the weekend.

I work for a export/import company owned
by China based owners. Ask for a catalog
or listing of merchandise, and they should
easily tell you about agents.

Hide/Seek - forget it! Someone
must call you and talk about the
business opportunity. Remember,
if you do any biz with entities outside
your state - your asking for legal hassles
(i keep warning people on Nationstartup
about this!!) You do not want to get
sued across international lines. Take-care.

-------------------------

I am no longer posting on this forum. A fellow citizen here suggested that I should Think before I add commitary to my postings. I thought he was wrong, but I am mistaked(not everyone digs Mr.Wicks) E

I can`t believe for a minute that it could be for real.  I agree I do not think that a REAL business would spam the internet to have 90% of their money go to someone that they don`t know.  Further more I would guess they want you to send them some good faith money to get the ball rollin.

Have a great one!

 

-------------------------

Our success is measured not only from the money earned or advancements achieved but from lives enhanced, rivers not polluted, kids not poisoned, illnesses prevented and lives financially tranformed

Ever wonder what would happen if you scammed the scammer?

Good for a few laughs...

http://bustedupcowgirl.com/scampage.html

-------------------------

CustomerTrend Inc. / Albert Barneto
Video and Telephone Mystery Shopping
Customer FeedBack Solutions
Call us Toll Free: 1-(866)-509-9888
CustomerTrend.com

Vincent-

 I just wanted to second the remarks made by Canadiasian - I am a big fan of "relationship marketing" - the key to new customers is making sure that existing clients experience a professional, positive, "better than expected" relationship with me so it is easier for them to make referrals - being in the position of money conduit only - even if it is trying to be a legitimate operation - you have no capacity to address, much less solve a problem for a customer, and it IS your name and company that gets connected to that... on that basis alone, I would let this "opportunity" pass-

Hope that helps!

 

-------------------------

Brian McLaughlin
Information Services & Research
Syracuse, NY
*Market scanning for business opportunities *

I never followed up with everyone`s comments, but yes. I didn`t do anything with this email except write about it hear and see what everyone had to say. I fell as you all do. This is my name and my business I am trying to keep going. I have had my fingers in all aspects of my business because I do not want to be misrepresented or allow my name to be volurable to scams. True or untrue (the email), I don`t know anything about them and I was not presented contact that measured up to my standards.

I know it sounds bad to say, "You must measure up to my standards," but really you (anyone wanting to do business together) do. I have to be sure that you are a business person with like views. After all, my customers and contacts will become yours. And Visa Versa. So each party must be on the same level or direction.

Does that make sense or am I rambling... Sorry... little side tracked here at the moment.


-------------------------

Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Hi Vincent,

Don`t walk from this "great deal"... RUN!

Since we are part of the financial community, we get such and similar requests on a regular basis. ALL of them are scams in some form or another. This one you`re looking at could range from phishing (trying to get your account info and details to clean you out) to money laundering. Best case scenario - and that`s with a lot of goodwill - they`re looking for someone to collect on their bad debt for 10%, while regular collection agencies would charge anywhere between 25% - 35% of collected funds. Think about it! Why would you be "negotiating payment terms" with someone who had already purchased products from these people? Payment terms are negotiated BEFORE the transaction takes place, not afterwards. Unless you`re dealing with the "won`t pay" customers.

Anyway, don`t waste your time with this! It`s always better to focus on YOUR business and not get sidetracked by such "great offers".

Best,

Ralf

-------------------------

Ralf Bieler
Principal & Chief Executive Officer
Multiple Funding Solutions, Inc.
Office:(561) 746-1954
www.MultipleFundingSolutions.com
The Smarter Way To Better Business Financing