Complaint Review: Gangtaiyuan Group Co.Ltd.ShenzhenGuangdong

Email approaches reads: 

Gangtaiyuan Group Co.Ltd.,Shenzhen,GuangdongDear sir,We are Guangdong Gangtaiyuan CO.LTD.It is located in Shenzhen,China ,which is not far away from HongKong.It takes you about 40 minutes from HongKong to here.We would like to give you all the authority to take a photograph for us , but should in accordance with our request.There altogether number 30 episodes.The broadcasting time of each episodes should last 20minutes.The content should mainly include all the main cities,traffic conditions ,the roads , air ports ,flags,customs,culture, religious ,star hotels for accomodation , place of interests ,bulidingsin your area and so on..If you could do this,please let us know and we will show you our plan’s details.Then you could quote us your most favourable and competitive price.In order that we will have a good beginning  for our mutual cooperation.Looking forward to entering into friendly and mutual beneficial cooperation between us.Your prompt attention on this matter will be appreciated.

My email is  shenzhengangtai2009@yahoo.cn
Tel:0086-13590124505
Mr Lei

Then after you waste time - you end up getting this response:

Thanks for your so detailed quotation. We quote agree with you. We hope you have made a very attractive price for us. So we are very happy to cooperate with you. We hope our cooperation will be a pleasant one. For more information, we hope you can come to our company in Shenzhen, China asap. So that we can have a detailed talk and sign a formal contract. And then we pay for you the deposit and you can start the shooting early. We look forward to your early reply and coming. 
Sincerely,
Mr Lei

Then you go ahead and work out when to meet them - nook your flights and head for China.  

Thanks for your answer. And we are very happy that you can come to Shenzhen on 13th to meet with us and talk about our cooperation.We have no problem with your schedule refered. Please go ahead. If it is convenient, you of course can bring your computer and samples with you. We will arrange for you the hotel and inform you the detailed information on 12th. During the following days, we hope you can draft the contract and bring with you when you come. We look forward to your early reply. 

Sincerely,
Mr Lei 

The airticket is paid - you pay and then the mail - you request they reimburse the ticket and costs.
 
Thanks for your email. We think your request is reasonable and detailed.And we think your contract is ok. We have no other items to change. We are very happy to cooperate with you and believe we will become good friends through this cooperation.I will be waiting for you at the the exit of the Shenzhen Airport in the evening of 13th. We also will arrange the hotel for you. Please don't worry. We welcome you to Shenzhen, and hope we will have an excellent cooperation. Best wishes for you and our business. 
Sincerely,
Mr Lei

Thanks for your email. We think your request is reasonable and detailed.And we think your contract is ok. We have no other items to change. We are very happy to cooperate with you and believe we will become good friends through this cooperation.I will be waiting for you at the the exit of the Shenzhen Airport in the evening of 13th. We also will arrange the hotel for you. Please don't worry. We welcome you to Shenzhen, and hope we will have an excellent cooperation. Best wishes for you and our business. 
Sincerely,
Mr Lei

Then on arrival the con starts.  They have accepted your contracts, budgets and quotes, you fly in - they meet you at the airport and you head to a hotel they have arranged but tell you they did not have time to pay - please put on your credit card (first alarm bells go off) and they will reimburse when they pay the deposit at the office.

Next morning they pick you up and take you down town to a glass fronted office with no name on the door!  You are whisked into a boardroom - no pictures, large room and given Chinese Tea.  Then the second con comes in and says - did you bring a present?  This is how we do business in China?  By that time I have already handed silks and other presents (as I know how to do business in China) but now it is cash.  They want me to handover USD5,000 in cash saying it is for the 'party' and signing ceremony.

Well of course - that ain't going to happen.

They keep at it - "well you have to buy the boss a substantial present - gold or some such".  They are persistent.  They have two girls doing the interpretation who are ow quite embarrassed as they know what is going down!

They hustle you downstairs and to a nearby department store - they keep at you saying you need to hand over USD5,000 for 'the party' as a sign of good faith - to which my reply at this time had been - why not tell me in advance and I could have made arrangements?  and so the game continues...

And then you get to meet 'the man' Mr Lin Guo dong(CEO)

You are now is some crazy place about the size of one round table - they bring out the Chinese Whisky which of course is garbage.  They then insist you drink with them - and in shot glasses - well that was their next mistake.  Two bottles of this crap later and they were all s**t faced, they had not got the $5k but they did get a gold ring in good faith from me and then back to the hotel where they said they would pay the 'deposit' in the next few days but I needed to pay them their fee (now the story had changed) for doing the deal.  The deal was signed and never consummated - no deposit was paid by me and none by them - a threat to inform the Chinese Embassy of this con was met with - we still wish to go ahead with the deal but we have met some delays.

But the emails keep coming...



Greetings from Shenzhen, China. Hope you everything goes well. I 'm Mr Lei 's CEO. I have heard all details about our cooperation. And I think our cooperation is a pleasant one. Also it is true and relable. About the deposit, we will do it well before the end of this month. When I heard what Mr Lei requested  you, I had blamed him a lot. I think his action is not polite. Hope you can understand it. We hope we can go on this cooperation as per our contract. If you don't agree with me, please send us your personal account, we will pay back your gift. I 'm so sorry for Mr Lei 's fault. Sincerely apologise for it. Best wishes for you and hope we can go on our cooperation. Waiting for your reply. 
Sincerely,
Mr Lin Guo dong

The Chinese Embassy has now been informed and all else - take note - there is no deal and this is a con.