Thoughts on using a Chinese company for Protoyping?

[MagosDomina]

I recently contacted the following company: https://www.3erp.com/

I have an idea for a simple project which would require milling a 3/16 inch piece of aluminum into something about the size of a gaming mousepad. This looks like a legitimate company but you would be amazed how professional these scam artists can be.

Years ago I promised myself I would never use a Chinese company again for anything. As I made a very costly mistake regarding manufacturing that I vowed to never repeat. To make a long story short I ended up with a broken machine, no documentation, and no support structure to fix my now very heavy paperweight.

What your guys thoughts? I do know from experience to never agree to escrow services that they offer. Instead provide your own escrows service with your terms and get them to commit. This will weed out 99% of scammers and protect you and your funds.

[blinkok]

If you use a chinese company the quality will be sub par. I've done this two or three times. Two out of the three i could live with.
So the bottom line is if it requires any level of accuracy then forget about it. if you can live with the flaws then full steam ahead

[RemiD]

I regularly outsource circuit design + list of components / parts + instructions to assemble the device, on freelancer (and in the past on elance), and you can create great unique products, but indeed it can be difficult to find a skilled, applied, reliable, freelancer.

A few advices :
->don't tell exactly what the device is for, just tell the functionalities that you want
->split the project (and the payment) in steps, with essential functionalities first, then maybe some mods / addons
->describe your project in 2 ways : the specs of the device / product, and the organization of the work / communication / required states / files
->don't choose the cheapest freelancer, choose the one who seems to care the most (the one who answers to your project description, not necessarily the one who shows off his degrees / titles blahblahblah)
->don't be too hard / rigid on the time or the budget it takes to complete the work, stay flexible, but at the same time ask for regular news / videos / photos / schematics / codes...

That's what i have learned over the years...

[Kryzon]

@RemiD what do you use it for, if you don't mind telling?

[RemiD]

outsource circuit design + list of components / parts + instructions to assemble the device

mainly to outsource the complicated / boring work, for devices i want to create.

some devices for personal experiments (electric / magnetic therapies), some devices to create products which have better / more useful functionalities than existing products, for people who want such things... ( precise and vague at the same time ahah )

[Kryzon]

Sounds mysterious! x)

No, thanks, that's what I wanted to know. You use it commercially.

[RemiD]

->don't choose the cheapest freelancer, choose the one who seems to care the most (the one who answers to your project description, not necessarily the one who shows off his degrees / titles blahblahblah)
->don't be too hard / rigid on the time or the budget it takes to complete the work, stay flexible, but at the same time ask for regular news / videos / photos / schematics / codes...

quick example to show how it can be difficult to find somebody skilled, honest, reliable, available, who actually delivers what he says :
3 weeks ago, i post a project on freelancer, (circuit design)
a few guys tell me about how they have degrees, work experiences, experiences with similar projects, blahblahblah, i discard them...
3 guys took the time to read the project description and to write a proposal related to my project.
i chose one guy, considering proposal, style of writing, price, availability
the guy seems skilled and applied to the task (at the beginning), good, we discuss a little about what is possible or not, i give instructions on what to do first, and he starts the work on his side, good.
3 weeks in... nothing but excuses...
1 week more like that and i end the project and find another freelancer...
if i would have sent the money directly via Paypal i would have been screwed...


Now, another example, a few days ago i start another project with another freelancer (circuit design), and i chose a guy, considering proposal , style of writing, price, availability
2 days in... the first step is already complete, great !
i continue with him, nice encounter 


so the moral of the story is that when you work with an unknow person, divide the project in small steps (essential functionalities first, then add mods / upgrades), and work one step at a time, so that you can evaluate if it is worth to continue working with this person, or not.

[Amanda Dearheart]

Perhaps you're up to date on what is happening with the Soulja boy game console, but when you're working with Chinese game companies, keep that fiasco in the back of your mind!

[RemiD]

i worked with many freelancers, none of them was chinese