Korean Job Discussion Forums

[brento1138]

Well, today I just got back from a camera-buying "adventure" from Yongsan. Lucky enough, I am a very calm and patient person, easygoing when someone gets up in my face. And I also know the consequences of hitting a Korean, ie, getting deported. But man can I see how someone could get pissed off enough at those camera salesmen to actually hit them.

So, here goes my wonderful story, fit for general forum, but I decided the technology forum needs a good story or two.

So, today I went camera shopping for a new DSLR. I brought along a computer printout of the price I found for the camera model I wanted. The first guy I talked to invited me into his sales booth and we started talking about the camera. His English wasn't the best, but he was able to communicate clearly enough. He seemed to understand everything I said. I wanted to buy a new DSLR, not a used one, I told him. And I'd like to buy it today. He gave me a price, I said it's good, but never gave him a clear indication that I wanted it yet. He said to wait, and I sat down... he came back with a box and took everything out of the box. There was also a display model there too. I was considering the price he offered, and he asked if I would like to try the camera out. I said "sure" and he took out the new lens, screwed it onto the body of the new camera, and took a picture of me. Then he handed it over to me, and when I tried to take a photo with it, it didn't work. I handed it back to him, and he said it has a low battery now... so we cannot take any more pictures with it. Satisfied enough with his price, I figured alright, I may buy it from him, but before that, I'd like to look around a bit more.

Oh, well he was NOT impressed! Not at all!

At first, he just said "No..." and I said "I'm just going to leave for a moment, and then come back." We had that exact same conversation approximately 5 times. But he kept saying that I couldn't leave, and in broken English I believe that he told me he was angry because he had taken the new lens out and had screwed it onto the new body, which leaves scratches, so I must buy it now. I said I wasn't sure, and said I don't like it when people try to pressure me into buying things. So I'm about to go, and he's very upset, calling me "gayseki" and grabs my arm. At this point, I looked at my arm, and his hand on it, and calmly said "Please don't touch me." After that he wouldn't let go, so I freed it myself and said "That's not cool man, don't touch me." He grabbed me again very forcefully (nothing I can't take, I'm a man, hehe) digging his nails into my arm. And then he said he'll call the police on me. I then reply saying that the police are not going to force me to buy the camera from him!! Are you crazy, I said? I free myself and walk out of his little area, pretty pissed off. I've had people grab my arm before, no big deal, but he was actually quite forceful and was making my day rather unpleasant!

So he's saying a mixture of stuff in Korean and English and insulting my nationality. He really looks agitated. All of his co-workers are worriedly looking at him and myself. They are absolutely not backing him up at all. So I tell him "look, there is absolutely no way I'm buying the camera from you." At one point it looked like he wanted to hit me in the face. But he noticed my cool, I just stand there, unprovoked, and tell him I really disapprove of his tactics, and that he is very rude.

So, I walk away. I browse some other vendors and pull up my sleeve to look at my arm. There's a nail mark and some blood. I don't really care at all, but notice up my arm further, that my bruise from 4 days ago was still there (I had a huge bruise from going to the hospital to get blood drawn from me.. it was unusually a large bruise this time). So I kind of smiled, kind of laughing how my arm looked way worse than it actually was, and decided to head back about 5 minutes later to that vendor. He appeared to have cooled down. So I show his two mouse-like co-workers my arm, the bruise, and the drawn blood. I said to them "Look at that. I should be the one calling the police" and then said "Gyung Chol" in Korean for them... and they were begging me to come talk to them more. I refused, and asked if I could take a photo of their store with my camera phone. They kind of looked at the floor, and didn't say "no" so I took out my camera phone, took a photo of their shop number, and haha, you should have seen their faces. They actually looked really worried, as if I was actually going to do something. Could I actually do something? I dunno, I doubt a police man would ever care I got mildly harassed. Maybe a woman could do something about it. But I even doubt that. But still... they looked worried enough.

I'm not going to post the information about the place because that's against the law in Korea (defamation) but I will say it was one of the shops closer to the escalator... on the 3rd floor of course, just inside the electronics / camera section. I just wonder how often he pulls this tactic of "oh, it's new, so you have to buy it NOW because it's ruined from me screwing the lens onto the body" bullshit. Don't ever fall for that crap. Glad I didn't.

So yeah, not such a cool experience. Had a similar thing happen in China when I was a tourist there, but this is a first for me in Korea after years of living here! Generally Koreans (even salesmen) are never this rude, pushy, threatening, and annoying, but this one guy sure does make Yongsan look bad!

[eamo]

This is one reason why, despite being totally into my electronics, especially computers, that I've been to Yongsan like, twice in the last 5 years. The salesmen there are often a**holes. They're often totally clueless too. Many are actually both........... Clueless a**holes.

As well as there being just exactly the same stuff in each unit.

As well as not being able to find anything high-end or newly released (if you do it's stupid expensive).

Returning broken stuff under warranty to a Yongsan vendor?? Good luck!!

Key advice, avoid any electronics store which doesn't put any prices on the goods. Those are the sharks who spend all day waiting for a sucker who hasn't done their research and doesn't know the real value of whatever.

Basically, avoid Yongsan.............it developed over the years into the totally unpleasant shopping experience it is now.

I do my electronics shopping online only. Through one of the larger online malls like Enuri, Gmarket, CJ Mall, etc.....you might pay a tiny bit more but at least you can see a price!! And they will take returns.

If I couldn't shop online for whatever reason then I'd just go to Costco, Hi-Mart or a supermarket.

Never Yongsan.

[vDroop]

Interesting story, props to you for holding back. When someone aggressively grabs my arm, they've crossed the line.

Agree with eamo, Yongsan is terrible. I don't understand why people keep recommending it. The stuff is old, the vendors are dicks. If I need to supply an office with 40 PCs from 2002 then I might consider it.

[Meow?]

Dear Diary,

Years ago, my father and I went to Yongsan for a day-long stroll and ended up with me looking for something... anything to buy. Since there are no prices, and I never researched for anything specific to buy (impulse, what can I say?) we just tried to stare at some products I might consider buying. And since I'm not really sure I want to buy any, I tried not to have one brought up for me to check out. Despite of that, one the vendors of the earlier booths we checked out, immediately shooed us off. Upset, my father and I went downstairs and got a me an MD for a bit lower price than the other ones upstairs... same model. I went back to the vendor who shooed us just to show him, I was a buying customer. I will never forget his reaction when he saw me. But I assumed, he regret what he did to us.

That gave me a very bad impression of Yongsan. Now, I was stuck living in Musan, and never had any reason to travel as far as Seoul for many years. So when I finally happen to take a look at Yongsan (not planned, just happened to be there for some reason), I followed the same route my father and I did the best way I can. I was readying myself for those staring, shooing, and whatever bad experience I had. Yongsan has changed a lot. I finally arrived at the electronics section (assuming it was the E-Market... I was wrong. Much much later on, I found out it was I'Park's electronic section) and boy I almost got scared of the overwhelming, "Anyeong hasseryo! Mwo deurilkkayo? Murabayo!" I had mixed feeling with the change (too much extreme change from my past experience to that time) but most of them are relief. I can walk in and start window shopping or indulge on my impulse again.

Again, some years after, I intended to go back and get myself a GPS. About 4-5 inch screen would do for me. Good for my motorcycle and good for hand carry. It was tough looking for one since either they have 7 inch ones, or if they have smaller ones (most are a little too small), it doesn't have an English map. A nice vendor in I'Park told me to look for one with Mappy. I went to customer center to ask if there are any other vendors selling a unit with the size I prefer. That's when I was told that I was only in I'Park and there's a huge world of more electronics store outside. I went out to check it and guess what? The reactions I got from vendors way back when first came to Yongsan? It was still there. First 3 hours entertained me thingking, "Now this is the familiar atmosphere I've been missing". Yeah, I got sick of it after that.

So I went back to I'Park surrendering and thinking, "Maybe I could live with a non-English map as long as it's handy". The nice vendor was very busy packing their things (it was 8 o'clock pm already) so I moved on to another booth. With that other booth, one young vendor received me and showed me the perfect unit I've been looking for. It was has a mappy map, and it was the perfect size. With all the tiring and frustrating events that happened that day, I didn't care about the price anymore... until I got home.

It had an option for an English map. But the rest is Korean (including the manual). Thought maybe there's an English manual somewhere online. That's when I stumbled on checking the price from GMarket and ruined my already tiring day. I was charged more than double the price.

Day after, I called I'Park. A lot of talk and 3 days after, the vendor finally admit that he did overcharge me. Refunding me half of the price I payed.

I learned my lesson.

[pkang0202]

Gmarket is everyone's friend.

[Gideon]