Drones.

[wildebus]

Perhaps do some research before using Temu? I won't use them, but please make up your own mind. Here's a search I just did:

Brave Search

Search the web privately ...

search.brave.com

Temu could give the stuff away and I still wouldn't go there.

 

[GMJ]

Can I ask why?

 

[GeoffL]

Can I ask why?

Politics are involved, so we can't be too explicit on this forum. That said, it seems that certain countries make use of subsidies where the 'developed world' pays postage costs for 'emerging nations' -- and certain governments have sufficient influence to ensure that they remain classified as 'emerging'. Hence their state-sponsored businesses get to massively undercut our own businesses because, in addition to alleged dodgy human rights, they get to ship to UK, USA, EU, Australia, etc. for next to nothing while our domestic businesses have to pay disproportionately high shipping charges -- ironically, charges that help subsidise shipping for their competition from the 'emerging world'. Then, since you cannot make use of subsidised shipping, it's likely to cost you more to return defective/unacceptable goods than you'll get back even assuming the vendor will actually reimburse you (hint: I got burned a few years ago over some camping chairs) -- and it's unlikely that Paypal or your credit card provider will help. There are also allegations that certain apps contain spyware/malware and that flooding UK, USA, EU, etc. with dirt cheap and state-subsidised product is a de-facto attack on our financial stability. However, as I wrote in post #40, please do your own research and act according to your own conscience...

UK retailers angry as Chinese firms use loophole to ship cheap goods

British sellers say that subsidised postal rates and as well as a 20 per cent VAT exemption have fuelled the boom in Chinese online selling that is driving them out of business.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[wildebus]

Politics are involved, so we can't be too explicit on this forum. That said, it seems that certain countries make use of subsidies where the 'developed world' pays postage costs for 'emerging nations' -- and certain governments have sufficient influence to ensure that they remain classified as 'emerging'. Hence their state-sponsored businesses get to massively undercut our own businesses because, in addition to alleged dodgy human rights, they get to ship to UK, USA, EU, Australia, etc. for next to nothing while our domestic businesses have to pay disproportionately high shipping charges -- ironically, charges that help subsidise shipping for their competition from the 'emerging world'. Then, since you cannot make use of subsidised shipping, it's likely to cost you more to return defective/unacceptable goods than you'll get back even assuming the vendor will actually reimburse you (hint: I got burned a few years ago over some camping chairs) -- and it's unlikely that Paypal or your credit card provider will help. There are also allegations that certain apps contain spyware/malware and that flooding UK, USA, EU, etc. with dirt cheap and state-subsidised product is a de-facto attack on our financial stability. However, as I wrote in post #40, please do your own research and act according to your own conscience...

UK retailers angry as Chinese firms use loophole to ship cheap goods

British sellers say that subsidised postal rates and as well as a 20 per cent VAT exemption have fuelled the boom in Chinese online selling that is driving them out of business.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The info on that Daily Mail link is out of date BTW. VAT now gets charged in on-line market places such as AliExpress and the like; and the self-declared "developing country" that China used for the postage has now been mostly nullified. It was previously totally rediculous. Now it is only partly rediculous.

Also, if something is faulty, it is not the responsibility of the buyer to pay for shipping to return it, it is the seller. So what happens in effect usually is the seller will refund the payment and tell you do keep the item or throw it away. Last instance of that was a pair of shoes ... I was offered 15% off, then 25% off, etc. In the end they gave me full refund and to give away the shoes or throw them away. Similiarly with the AllPowers Power Station.... Full Refund, no return required.

But as far as Temu goes .... very bad company in terms of human rights.

 

[GeoffL]

Also, if something is faulty, it is not the responsibility of the buyer to pay for shipping to return it, it is the seller. So what happens in effect usually is the seller will refund the payment and tell you do keep the item or throw it away.

Not in my experience, although it might be the case under the Sale of Goods Act 205 for UK companies or where a company has a UK subsidiary. It doesn't appear to be the case when the seller doesn't 'belong' in the UK and hence is not under UK jurisdiction. For that, when I got burned, Paypal sided with the sellers in insisting that I had to return what I'd received (some bags and not the camping chairs I'd ordered [it was a bait and switch scam]) to China at my expense (even if I did that, I had little doubt that they'd have photographs of a trashed version to claim they were received damaged and thus I wasn't going to get reimbursed). Worse, my credit card company said that I had received what I paid for with my credit card: viz. Paypal's services. Thus I lost over thirty quid and Paypal lost my custom...

 

[wildebus]

Dunno,
For some reason I have the eBay Concierge service on both my accounts so I don't have to pay to send anything back (or more exactly, I do, but eBay reimburse me). But I have not had your problems on any faulty/misdescribed stuff from China be it eBay or Amazon.

First time I had to use the Concierge service, they just dealt with the bad Chinese seller of in that case a Diesel Heater.

 

[nabsim]

I had the same thought about getting a cheap drone in case I didn't like it but that turned out a bad idea. I couldn't fly the thing, it was a decent bit of kit for the money and if you knew what you were doing it may have been good. Problem was you did everything. No auto takeoff, auto land, auto return or anything. Buying a cheap one may put you off because it is harder.

Of course, its a few years ago since I did it so the newer cheap ones may be a lot more manageable

 

[GMJ]

The ones I've been looking at around the 30-40 quid mark have auto take off and auto landing plus one touch 'return to base' too. The only problem is trying to find out the weight of them as the sellers seem reluctant to say and I'd want one under 250gms.

 

[nabsim]

The ones I've been looking at around the 30-40 quid mark have auto take off and auto landing plus one touch 'return to base' too. The only problem is trying to find out the weight of them as the sellers seem reluctant to say and I'd want one under 250gms.

They have definitely improved since I got mine then lol

 

[2cv]

I had the same thought about getting a cheap drone in case I didn't like it but that turned out a bad idea. I couldn't fly the thing, it was a decent bit of kit for the money and if you knew what you were doing it may have been good. Problem was you did everything. No auto takeoff, auto land, auto return or anything. Buying a cheap one may put you off because it is harder.

Of course, its a few years ago since I did it so the newer cheap ones may be a lot more manageable

I got one like that a few years ago and couldn't really fly it either, and I used to be a helicopter pilot! I did get a video with it as I crashed it into my van.

 

[GMJ]

Temu could give the stuff away and I still wouldn't go there.

The info on that Daily Mail link is out of date BTW. VAT now gets charged in on-line market places such as AliExpress and the like; and the self-declared "developing country" that China used for the postage has now been mostly nullified. It was previously totally rediculous. Now it is only partly rediculous.

Also, if something is faulty, it is not the responsibility of the buyer to pay for shipping to return it, it is the seller. So what happens in effect usually is the seller will refund the payment and tell you do keep the item or throw it away. Last instance of that was a pair of shoes ... I was offered 15% off, then 25% off, etc. In the end they gave me full refund and to give away the shoes or throw them away. Similiarly with the AllPowers Power Station.... Full Refund, no return required.

But as far as Temu goes .... very bad company in terms of human rights.

Interesting article on the Beeb today about Temu...

Questions raised over Temu cash 'giveaway' offer

Participants can get £50 - but must permanently consent to the retailer using their personal data.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[wildebus]

Interesting article on the Beeb today about Temu...

Questions raised over Temu cash 'giveaway' offer

Participants can get £50 - but must permanently consent to the retailer using their personal data.

www.bbc.co.uk

In one way I do something similar with AMAZON, but it is really very inconsequential....
You can in an Amazon 'shopper panel' App scan in 10 receipts from non-amazon sources for a £5 gift card. And you can do this every month.
Yes, you are "revealing" what you have bought and where, but who really cares about making public you bought some milk at LIDL or Potatoes in Sainsbury's?

 

[Geek]

Cheap drones are not difficult to fly. They are impossible to fly.

The problem is that their idea of standing still is actually drifting with the wind. Believe me, there is always enough wind to blow a drone away.

A better drone with gps costs a fair bit more, but that will actually have a reference that allows it to stay still relative to the ground, not the air.

Buting a drone without gps only makes sense if you only plan to fly it indoors.