Pulling teeth is much easier, less painful, and possibly less bloody than trying to get cash back from a Chinese merchant.
Try for the 2nd repair. Albeit, they will try to charge you another 200 to 300 rmb for yet another screen/visualizer part. Here you will have to be very demanding and willing to make a scene. Bringing a friend(s) along wouldn't hurt.
If you went to the shop the next day after your faulty repair, you should have a good chance at obtaining a 2nd repair for free. If the problem didn't fully manifest itself till several days later or you waited to complain, then this is much more problematic. Essentially, this now becomes a tug-of-war between how willing you are to make a scene and the Chinese shop owner's obstinacy.
In Shenzhen, the repair shop I frequent for my iPhone would most likely take a 2nd look at it for free. They would repair it without charging me for another expensive part if I start and continue to badger/scream at them they used a crap/wrong part to start with. However, I speak fluent Chinese and have used this shop more than once.
As a practice, I wouldn't have my smartphone or Apple products repaired in Kunming except at an authorized repair shop or the big chains mentioned above. Of course those places all charge considerably more.
Snapshot: Grand Canyon of the East
Posted byI think you guys went back for the food! Man that last picture is making me hungry.
Getting Away: Vang Vieng
Posted byRegarding the roads, my impression was the opposite. I left Vientiane for VV via bus and found the road ok. From VV to Luang Prabang the road was quite miserable.
Nothing better than floating down the river with some of your friends; however, avoid the bar with the giant concrete slide. A Swiss guy drowned last year after using the slide, and it's cause innumerable other injuries to party-goers. Also, the tube doesn't make up for not being a good swimmer.
Safety concerns plague national school lunch program
Posted byVery happy that poor kids are getting a free meal at school...Very sad they are forced to eat spoiled food at times.
I think the children should be given 3rmb food vouchers to be spent with the local chefs and vendors outside the school. No more troubles for the schools to operate a kitchen, and the children can decide with their pocketbook (aka vouchers) which vendors food tastes best. If no food vendors can make decent food for 3rmb per child, then the gov't knows why the schools are forced to use rotten stuff at times.
First-hand account: Setting up a guesthouse in Xishuangbanna
Posted byHas The Balcony Guesthouse opened for business? Would be very curious if there was an update to the article, which was excellent reading.