As you are probably Chinese, please understand that most foreigners expect, (through previous experience), that local people will try to take advantage: (con, cheat, scam etc.) of us at any and every opportunity.

Granted there is no excuse for bad manners and discourtesy, but when you have been cheated at every turn - shop owners will charge us double price if and when they can - there is a breaking point.

Not being able to see the photo's you are referring to,  being asked to pay 7000 RMB for a poorly maintained apartment was probably his breaking point.

Thank your fellow countrymen for our level of suspicion.

Let me ask you a question: is what you showed him what he had asked for? Another question: do you understand the cultural differences, when looking or an apartment, between foreigners and Chinese?

I want to live in the area where I choose. I want the place to be spotless when I move in. I want the furniture and appliances to be relatively new and in useable condition.

A lot of Chinese move their antiquated furniture and 12" TVs into apartments. Really. I've seen apartments that are furnished like an outdoor patio back home.

Just because a landlord wants 7000/mo doesn't mean that the place is worth anything even near that.

See also this thread: http://answers.echinacities.com/question/what-comes-first-when-renting-a...

It's frustrating when you're clear on what you want/expect but the agent simply imposes their own standards on what meets those criteria.

I think you need to learn the basics of customer service - which is not, "Take it or leave it!"

Yeah, stupid foreigners. Wanting a nice clean apartment for 7000 rmb? Who do they think they are?

One of my ex-employers (who paid well but offered no free accommodation) showed my 3 apartments offered by agents on photos before I arrived, all of them were looking nice and I picked the one I liked most. When I arrived they drove me to the apartment I picked.

First the residence was not was I was told, it was dirty, filthy, at least 10 years old, no green spaces unlike what I was promised, no gate security, no nearby parks but only concrete as far as the eye can see, and so on.

I was like "whatever, if the apartment is nice it will be alright".

We been to the apartment, we took the elevator, it was smelling like piss in it, the corridors in the building were dirty, pure concrete grayish disgusting looking. I didn't tell anything until I saw the apartment itself.

The apartment was not at all the one I was showed on the photos, it was not even half worth of the one I have seen, I was promised a new modern duplex, with separated toilets (not in the bathroom), a bathtub, 1 bedroom, a large living room with a  panoramic window on one side that's looking east (for the sunrise), well furnished, well decorated, 120sqm, 5000/month.

The current apartment was dirty, small bedroom, small living room looking north (no sunshine, ever), toilets in the bathroom, shower next to the toilets almost above it, grayish concrete walls, half broken furniture, and so on. Maybe 60sqm for 5000 also.

Of course I refused, headed straight to an hotel and contacted agents though soufun and other websites to find a place that's worth my money. On the next day i found a nice apartment not too far from my workplace (not hard considering the number of empty apartments in the city where I lived at that time).

Now you know why foreigners are angry, locals always try to scam us, to give us the worst shit they can at premium price, some will accept by despair, often newcomers who don't know what to do, most won't.

You really can't see what was wrong? 

The comments that your client made were right, are you stupid?

I know customer service is a dirty word here but, come on! You have either never worked with foreign customers or you think that they should be happy living in the same filth as you.

Your client is an asshole, there are no justification for being rude like that. But like everyone said, yeah you locals tried to scam us way too much. So regardless what is your intention keep in mind that the foreigner think you are trying to screw him, to avoid this when a foreigner ask something just give what he want.

A bit of advice when you deal with most foreigners, Don't give them what "YOU" want or feel better, for example in this case if he ask for your advice like "this seems nice, got something close to this and better" ?" you show him the 7k. If he doesn't say shit, just give him the one he requested. If you don't have one just say we don't have it sorry, would you like to see another one. Don't just shove some random stuff to our throat.

Idk what you guys are thinking perhaps you are trying to being polite or something but we just don't really care, we come to buy stuff and get out. That simple, oh and when we're walking around malls and some ppl aggresively asking "what do you want to buy" that pissed most of us either and not going to help with your sales.

If it occurred in the manner you have said, your client seems to be a bit unreasonable. However, I have had experience with housing agents in nearly 6 years I have lived in China. It usually goes something like this:

I outline my requirements and budget, the agent finds half a dozen places that do not meet the requirements and takes me from place to place taking most of the day. I become frustrated, the agent says maybe it isn't possible. Then after another day or two has some more, better places to look at.

When I decided I wanted a bigger home I found several properties on the internet. I scheduled to see the house with the agent listing them. I scheduled 6 on one Saturday, 90 minutes between each one. When I arrived I gave my card to the agent and home owner. One of the houses prices went from being advertised at 6,000 RMB a month to 10,000 RMB a month. I declined, but the home owner called me the next day and offered it much lower, told me the agent advised him to raise it and they could split the difference. This was the agent trying to cheat me. I didn't show anger to him, but he doesn't get another chance to cheat me.

Another was listed at 9,000 RMB, I liked it (actually the reason I didn't take this place was the furniture was too nice, I was afraid if my dog scratched anything the owner would freak out) they called me a day later reducing the price saying they would rather rent to a foreigner.

Several showed me properties that looked nothing like the photos (stated the photos on their website were similar to the property. Yeah it was a villa.)

The home I took was in a exclusive private compound with 7 other villas, 400 SQ meters, 3 car garage, 6 bedrooms, 5 bath, 24 hour security, private yard with fruit trees, landscaped and well maintained, for 7,000 RMB a month. 

Your client is your customer, if they make it clear that what you are showing them isn't acceptable, don't show them more of the same. If what they want isn't possible, tell them that. I had many agents tell me what I wanted wasn't possible at the price I wanted. It took me less than 2 days on the internet and 1 day looking to find this home. If a foreigner who can not read Chinese ( but can use google chrome) can do it. Why can't a house agent do it?

Foreigners in China really hurt Chinese people feelings all the time....... shame on us!

I was just charged double price for a couple of bottles of water today.... rather than handing the guy money, I forcefully put down the bottles and went to the shop next to it. I don't bother saying "excuse me, I think this bottle is 1,5RMB, not 3" It is so often this happens you would not believe it. The shops are conviniently close, so the other guy didn't bother the special Laowei price, he'd rather make his 3RMB than fail to make 6. That is a smart man, what does that make the other guy? 

Back home, people LOVE going on vacation to places like Turkey and Greece. Both nice countries, and in both places people will go to markets and find some "authentic" crap to bring home as souvenirs. Greece and Turkey share something with China. In both places you will get robbed by the street-vendors. The difference is, they are perfectly open about it. You are not in doubt you are going to be asked a very high price at first, they expect you to talk down the price, they do the same to their countrymen.... China, this is a Laowei only thing. 

I was able to bargain for a 5 year lease on a new apartment with an extraordinary low rent, providing that I decorate the house (which is exactly what I wanted).  The landlord hasn't ceased bitching about it.  Apparently he feels he got a raw deal.  He is constantly threatening to raise the rent or kick me out.  I have yet to meet a Chinese business who was willing to deal honestly.  There is always some trouble or bullying involved.  They never want to stick to the original agreement.  I can't imagine how foreign businesses make it here.

So, you really aren't trying to screw him?  I mean, you show him an apartment that's over budget and filthy and nothing like the pictures but believe he is the rude one?  Maybe you're the rude one for wasting somebody's time.  Let me ask you, how much is your apartment?  Would you pay Y7000 for the one you showed him? 

PS  I had a Chinese guy call me last week, who I hadn't seen in two years.  He asked me if I knew any foreigner who was looking to rent an apt.  He only wanted to rent to foreigners.  That says something.

I am sorry but I do not trust you. Don't take it personally, I don't really trust anyone but I ESPECIALLY wouldn't trust YOU. Why? 

Because you are Chinese and you are a real estate agent. Since China has opened up alot more more in the past 10 years, more Chinese have been abroad and more tourists have been to China than ever before. 

The result:

- More foreigners are learning that in China... is okay to:

- Lie, as long as you don't get caught

- If you get caught, deny everything or play dumb

- Try to scam others, especially foreigners

- Stare at foreigners or whisper rude comments

- Ask direct, crude questions or use foreigners for personal gain

"why foreigners can easily get sensitive ..."

It's not just foreigners, nobody likes to be cheated or scammed. It is just that CHINESE are much more used to it because it is part of your "culture". Chinese always act like a foreigner is going to leave so it is okay to do these things to a foreigner rather than a local. But I have ALWAYS warned the Chinese for the 8 years I have been here that bad repuatations spread like wildfire and all of Chinese will pay the price for acting this way towards foreigners. Looks like things are starting to take hold as a recent survey says 50% of the world likes China (which coincidentally is developing countries that rely on aid from China) and 50% of the world doesn't really like China (which is the developed side that has actually travelled to China and move past the facade). Sorry, but that's pretty much why...but you will probably ignore all this and just think that you are the victim and foreigners are being mean... that's usually what happens.

Your fault. You showed him a filthy apartment that was over his budget. I like the guy. He didn't bend over and take it. You clearly were trying to screw him over. You probably showed him a 1500 apartment thinking you can pull one over on him . Don't accept foreigners as clients because you are incapable of being honest. And you can't accept being called out for it. Also you can't see people as people.

 I was shown disgusting apartments that were overpriced too. Finally I found a good agent that spoke some English. I can speak Chinese but some words I just didn't understand. After seeing disgusting places in filthy buildings I only wanted to look at reasonably new buildings.  That agent showed me great places in my price range . As it was winter and the agent was from Guangdong , I taught her how to walk on ice so she wouldn't fall. She had told me she had taken a nasty spill one day. 

Yes, you Chinese think it is some kind of given right that you can rip foreign nationals off at a whim. You hate it when it is turned back in your face. The guy had no obligation whatsoever to rent the apartment and didn't like it. So he moved on. It is up to you to offer a better service and better options. Don't complain at this guy for what he did.

I can't delete my comment?

"But the thing i can't really bear is he said i was taking him as stupid ! "

Even better, you sent me a private message offering me "relocation help," with a bunch of spam and scam links, phone numbers, etc. What kind of an idiot do you think we foreigners are? You think you can scam us every second like you do your own countrymen? We aren't that stupid. You, on the other hand, are a complete fucking idiot.

Maybe when the admin shows up again, you'll be banned.

"Also, he was acting like giving me order to find some others or  he can go find somebody else!"

It is a fucking order. This is your fucking job. If you showed me a dirty, shitty apartment for 7000 RMB, I'd fucking defenestrate you and assume your identity. Then I would sell apartments for what they're actually worth. 

EDIT: The person who posted this thread is a scam and spam artist. Here's the information of their company: name, Ivy Relocation; email, gaofei0521@yahoo.com; phone, +86 136-2527-4039. Blacklist them.

Why can foreigners get sensitive?

…Because fuck you, that's why.

You didn't mention the cockroaches.

7000RMB for a dirty, crappy apartment??? Man, you really must have thought that guy was stupid...

The thing is, everything is just so shoddy in this country.  So grubby.  So 1925.  Except I have a sneaking suspicion the people back in 1925 had more pride in their environment than this mob does.

Can anybody confirm this?

Well when he has said what he wants as an apartment and you show him something completely different at the same price you are taking him for an idiot. how does it make you feel when people treat you that way. Chinese people are so apathetic when it comes to getting what they want. A friend of mine is in the process of having windows fitted to his balcony. the company doing the work has made a really crappy job of it. His wife and mine have both said don't make trouble, this is China what can you do. Chinese people have very little sense of getting what you pay for. Westerners are far more aware and so when he tells you what he wants and you show him something clearly sub-standard of course he feels you are taking him for an idiot.

Let's see:

6.5 years of being stared at, having my air hair pulled out of my arm. . .the scam artists over charging me, refusing to bargain or trying to sell me either broken or fake goods.

People telling me what Chinese people like and don't like, then when I adapt, being told I am wrong and that Chinese people like an don't like the opposite.  The classless behavior, the shameless attitude, the laziness.  The ignorance about everything, followed by the hubris that I don't know what I'm talking about even if

A:  It's my job.

B:  It's what I earned my college degrees in

C:  It's what I study

D:  Because it's common knowledge.

I got the same treatment from agents as your client, and then they screamed I was unreasonable and "This is China.  You must accept us and our culture."

Foreigners are sensitive because of the Give-And-Take attitude people here have.  We give, you take and then complain what we give isn't enough.  Sorry, I support your client.  Be thankful it wasn't me. . .I would have turned you inside out.  Anything other than doing your job the way I (the client) wants it done is unacceptable.

Maybe it is because foreigners generally have higher expectations until they have been here for at least six months.