Mirrors from China, how do they do it?

M

Moflow

Member
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I just received some mirrors I ordered from China for my Triumph Scrambler and I have to say that I'm very happy with them. I got them in about 2 weeks and they fit the bike great and came with adaptors for different size holders. I had compared to others in available in the US and they were half the price. The CDN dollar is weak against the USD, but I guess still strong compared to the Chines Yuan. What I don't understand is how they can ship so cheaply. If I order parts from the US they want to ship UPS which charges "custom fees" and with exchange comes out to way more than China. For $5.99 I can't even send a book from Kingston to Montreal via Canada Post.

For anybody looking to buy parts on Amazon or Ebay, look for Chinese sellers, they are by far the cheapest and sometimes the shipping is included. How do they do it?
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[TD]aced on Tuesday, January 12, 2016[/TD]
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[TD="class: yiv4041478540name"]Universal Motorcycle Cruiser Scooter Moped ATV Mirrors Black + Bolt Adapters Fits Most Harley Davidsons, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki Cruisers, Touring Bikes, Sport Bike, Cafe Racers, Electric Scooters side rear view mirrors motorcycle - Free Adapters
Sold by Y&N
Condition: New
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[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]CDN$ 11.84 [/TD]
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[TD="align: right"]Item Subtotal:[/TD]
[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]CDN$ 11.84[/TD]
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[TD="align: right"]Shipping & Handling:[/TD]
[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]CDN$ 5.99[/TD]
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[TD="align: right"]Estimated Tax (GST/HST):[/TD]
[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]CDN$ 0.00[/TD]
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[TD="align: right"]Estimated Tax (PST/QST):[/TD]
[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]CDN$ 0.00[/TD]
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[TD="align: right"]Gift Card:[/TD]
[TD="class: yiv4041478540price, align: right"]-CDN$ 17.83[/TD]
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[TD="class: yiv4041478540total, align: right"]Order Total:[/TD]
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Having lived in China for a couple of years, I recommend using your mirrors for a year and then telling us how they did. Product quality may not be as good as others, and you won't know this until you begin using them. Will they rust or tarnish? Is the glass as thick and robust as others? Often Chinese products are shipped by sea, but this takes a long time to get here. In general my rule is you get what you pay for, and with Chinese products I'd rather not take the chance.

And if you think the quality of Chinese is inferior, you should the quality available to domestic Chinese. They get the rejects of all exports.
 
TorontoBoy said:
Having lived in China for a couple of years, I recommend using your mirrors for a year and then telling us how they did. Product quality may not be as good as others, and you won't know this until you begin using them. Will they rust or tarnish? Is the glass as thick and robust as others? Often Chinese products are shipped by sea, but this takes a long time to get here. In general my rule is you get what you pay for, and with Chinese products I'd rather not take the chance.

And if you think the quality of Chinese is inferior, you should the quality available to domestic Chinese. They get the rejects of all exports.
Click to expand...

lol I have one legit japanese mirror and one china knockoff and they're both doing well. The knockoff isn't convex though so you get what you pay for.
 
I bought cheap mirrors from China too and they are garbage. They lose colour (the black) near the bolt area after a period of time. And the worst part is they vibrate like hell. I can't even tell what car is behind me with all the vibration.
 
I bought a replacement turn signal for my HD Sportster from the dealer and it was labeled "Made in Korea".

My daughter just got a diary from Hong Kong and it cost $2.79 including shipping. Re the subsidies, does Canada post get screwed on this? I'm not sure how reciprocation works or if it exists on postage.
 
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I'm building a lowboy motorcycle trailer right now and ordered all the LED lights (13 in total) on eBay for a grand total of $19 with free shipping. Here, even at Princess Auto where lights are cheapest...I couldn't get one tail/stop light for that kinda money, much less all 13 I needed.

Yes, I won't get them for a month, but that's OK...I'm not even going to start construction of the trailer until probably late March anyways.
 
They are in Pickering, stopped by there before, I think their stuff is the same stuff you see on eBay shipping free from China. That being said I am a customer, bought stands from them via Amazon.
 
I bought chinese replacement mirrors for a bike I had that an OEM mirror that had a crack. Within 2 months of riding, the mirror LITERALLY fell out on the 401. One moment, I was checking my blind spot, a few minutes later I was checking it again and there was no mirror just the shell bolted to the bike.
 
Be cautious, very cautious

Slono said:
It's all about the quality control.
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Agree quality is an issue, wait a year and see, then you will know. I've used Aliexpress.com for a few cheap items and was burned a few times on stated quality or type (eg. said 'leather' when it was really faux-leather). My experience is that anything plastic or rubber smells unusually strong and tells me about quality or even health issues. Any big-ticket items, I would never buy from China due to warranty/quality/return issues.

Extreme caution is now required on cars since export of Chinese built cars to the West has now begun. The 2016 Volvo S90 and one of the 2016 Buick models (forget which one) is built in China and exported to North America. Good luck with that!
 
Re: Be cautious, very cautious

bought my mirrors from ebay via china no problems after 2 years. if they fall off its probably you not installing it correctly
 
Re: Be cautious, very cautious

To ensure quality it is not enough to say that they are "Made in China" or any other country for that matter. I need a brand name that will stand behind their product, a reputable seller as well as previous buyers who have had good experience with the fit and quality. Even then China's copyright laws are so weak that you can still get burned, as Chinese competitors copy popular products and their exact packaging. Descriptions are not as they are described, there are substitutions for materials used, paint used is toxic, smells, peels.

Frankly there is really no way of guaranteeing a level of quality without a brand name, a specific seller, and buyer recommendations that attest to the quality of the item. Simple product descriptions and photos help, but are insufficient.
 
I've had these on my Thruxton for three or four years. Twenty bucks, free shipping on the slow boat from China. They were originally black, but quickly faded to a funky brown/green shade, which I actually don't find unattractive. Would happily buy again.

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via Tapatalk
 
Jayell said:
I've had these on my Thruxton for three or four years. Twenty bucks, free shipping on the slow boat from China. They were originally black, but quickly faded to a funky brown/green shade, which I actually don't find unattractive. Would happily buy again.

fe85f4b92d4666d034931ae1e9925576.jpg


via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I think I may like that better than the black.

Sent from a Samsung Galaxy far, far away using Tapatalk
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