GRAPPA FOR CHINA

A few weeks ago a friend emailed me that some friend of him from Italy will maybe contact me because they are having a big deal under going in China and somehow they are "stuck" and maybe need some advice..........Ten minutes later receiving already a phone call from Hubei Province - here is the story:
Two guys from Italy, 1 selling Grappa, his friend has a vineyard in Italy - selling wine. The Grappa guy already sold "small amounts" of his product to some distributor in Canton province. Surely Grappa is not that super easy to sell in China.
He got contacted by a huge IE corporation - they want to buy a really big qty of Grappa from him, as we was interested he also intoduced his friend with the vineyard. Yes the big IE also interested in buying huge amounts of wine from his friend.

Both of them going to Shijiazhong to meet the "managers" of this big IE (anybody want to have the name of this I/E - just contact me. It is one of the biggest I/E corporations there). Good business proposal there from the "managers":
1) 3 Containers of Grappa !
2) 20 Containers of Wine
Payment from the I/E: 30% deposit - balance against documents (never heard an IE will pay deposit..).
But as the "managers" proposed that they want to register the Grappa & Wine trademark each of the Italy guys should hand over RMB 40,000 in cash to them for the "registration".
The negotiations for the general contract took several days and in any suitable moment the "managers" of this IE reminded the 2 guys from Italy not to forget the RMB 40,000 (cash) for "registering the brand".
The last evening when they had a dinner (paid by the Italiens) - the Italy guys wanted to make some photos together with the "managers" - but this "managers" very STRICTLY refused to get pictured.
They said they are afraid that they get trouble seen on a photo in such an expensive restaurant ...(how expensive the most expensive restaurant in this place can be and why should anybody in the I/E see the photos made by the Italy guys ?)
Surely they reminded them once again to bring the RMB 40,000 in cash for the so-called "registration of the brand" the next day.
So the Italy guys never doubted about this "trade-mark registration" at all, done by the I/E, but they suggested to deduct this RMB 40,000 simply from the coming deposit. This is not "workable" because of the accounting system.
So now the Italy guys were a "little bit worried that something is maybe wrong".

My advice was:
1) Find a good excuse to get rid of this "managers" - tell them your "big, big boss" himself want to come China the next week to sign the "contract" himself.
2) Fax a copy of their "name-cards" to your Italy office.
3) Do not let them drive you back to the train station anymore for the train back to Beijing.

It is very easy:
The I/E corporation is that BIG - 15 floors or more.
You have a friend there ?
Come on - can we come visit you with some "laowei" and use 2 or 3 times one of the meeting rooms ? We will pay you something for this...........
Surely no problem. Nobody will find out - just copy the name cards with whatever "manager title" and fake names on it.......And then try to cash in the fee for the "registration" - RMB 80,000 - not too bad for just 2 or 3 days "business talks".

And then after that ?
The business for the containers of Grappa & Wine is anyhow not existing.
And the 2 guys from Italy want to call there then and get contact with this "managers" in order to settle this "big business" ? Because this "managers" never have worked there, they just wanted to "cheat out" the RMB 40,000 for the "registration".

Sorry China - sorry for this kind of people !

CHEERS !