Purchasing a Mobile in Shanghai

We have been talking about getting me a new Motorola for a while because my old Moto often turned itself off when someone rang me - it's getting too shy.

I'm an easy person when it comes to mobiles - as long as it possesses all the functions a mobile should have and performs well and presents a style that suits me. I don't need a  built-in camera with high resolution or MP3 and MP4 player - they are too distracting and I've got separate devices of them anyway.

So after a  glimpse of what is available in the market, I quickly decided that a Motorola V3 - the RAZAR will be my choice.

So after the decision was made, I moved on to the second stage - find a Motorola dealer. To be honest I felt a bit nervous to purchase a mobile in Shanghai because I've read and heard many stories of fake phones and buying problems online and in person. In addition, there are pirated phones and the prices differ greatly from one dealer to another which make me quite confused.

I read online that it is always safer to go to big electronic stores such as Guomei or Yongle. It just so happens that there is a Guomei downstairs from our apartment. So I went there and foundthey only had black V3 left - the price is about RMB1600 with one phone, one original battery and one charger. But I preferred a silver one which was out of the stock in that store. The shop assistant told me that black is better because scratches are less obvious on them. I didn't listen to this hook and moved on to the next shop - the downstairs electronic section of the Pacific Shopping Centre on Huaihai Rd.

I was told  the best price they can do there was RMB1750 for V3, but again they only have black colour left. Again the shop assistant tried to convinced me saying that the black colour is better - they used to sell RMB200 more than the silver one. But I was determined to get a silver one and left for the Cyber Electronic market in Hong Kong plaza on Huaihai road.

I had deliberately avoided Cyber because I really hate those vendors to harass me - no better than the old Xiangyang market. But it looked like this is the last place to go - at lease in my area.  There the first vendor we went to see had both silver and black colour V3 - the black one was only RMB1550 and the silver one was RMB1750.  I was confused - that last shop assistant in Pacific just told me that black was more expensive - so I asked the middle-aged female shop assistant why the silver was RMB200 more. She looked me and said 'because the silver is better'. "Which part is better?" I asked, but she turned around and started to talk to a male customer sitting down in loud Shanghai dialect totally ignoring me. My understanding is she was either waiting for me to buy the phone without DARING to ask any further questions or was scared to talk to me anymore because she knew I soon would take no more of her bullshitting sales pitch.

I walked away and cries of  "Xiaojie (Miss), come here" following along my way. I walked to a vendor where the cry sounded lower and found a silver V3 in addition to a pink satin one which the shop assistant strongly recommended: 'the colour is brand new in the market and not many people have it - no one has the colour but Moto dealers.'

I have to admit the pink satin looked very feminine and cute - as soon as I saw it, my determination on the silver colour faded. So a quick decision was made - I want the pink one. The best price was RMB1750 with the phone, an original battery, a charger and PLUS a Chinese-made battery charger for FREE (part of the weekend promotion)! I asked if it is OK if I pay RMB1700 in cash, she agreed immediately.  A done deal.

So next we moved on to the third stage - checking the genuiness and quality of the phone.

You need to check

• if there is a network license stuck on the back of the phone where the battery goes - it is a blue sticker with bar code.
• if the series number they put on the warranty card is the same as the series number on the back.
• compare another bar code that is in the packaging box with the second bar code sticker on the back of the phone.
• if the battery code they put down on the warranty card is the same as the code on the battery
• turn on the phone and test it out including ringing a mobile and a landline

We went through everything. The first phone we tested had an audio problem where the volume was strangely low, even though the shop assistant pretended that nothing was wrong with it after I showed her the problem, I insisted on getting another one. The second was the lucky one.

So I completed the process of purchasing a new phone in Shanghai - phew... relaxed. I really love my new cute pink V3.

Brad and I always talk about services of the businesses in Shanghai - there is such a big demand for reliable and trust-worthy businesses who can provide a pleasant service.

Prices do not rule, service rules.

Comments

[fei]

Hi Sabrina, congrats with your new mobile! if i do not remember wrongly, this pink model was actually THE FASHION ITEM to be seen with when it was first introduced. somewhere in my head tells me stars (like Paris Hilton) were all excited abt showing off their pink Razars.

i think the blue colour is pretty nice too :)
http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/08/motorola-announces-pink-and-blue-razrs/

[Sabrina]

Hi Fei - thanks for the link and kind words.

I love the pink - but it is actually a different pink from the one in your link. I had seen the `hot' pink Moto before but wasn't too keen on it. This is the new pink (they call it `Satin Pink') and its a bit more subdued than the hot pink (suits me a bit better - I'm not as fashionable as Paris :)lol

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