How I assess the value and reliability of the bargains I share in the group

• Used iPhone 13 Mini purchased for 8,360,000 VND at TGDD – market price at that time for a similar device was around 11.5-12 million VND, detailed review available here
• Zagg Gear 4 Crystal Palace Case priced at 10,000 VND on TGDD – yes, you read it right, 10k VND, market price is around 400,000-500,000 VND
• Aukey 32W charger with one USB-C PD 20W port and one USB-A 12W port priced at 174,000 VND – market price around 400,000 VND
• Aukey 2-port USB-C PD 20W charger priced at 118,000 VND – market price around 300,000 VND

Issue and Resolution

• Production costs: raw materials, labor, research and development, equipment depreciation, taxes, fees...
• Brand value
• Distribution costs: including expenses such as transportation, insurance, customs...

• Capital costs: similar to production costs of manufacturers, except that raw material costs become the primary cost of goods purchased
• Brand value
• Advertising costs: marketing, advertising, promotions, discounts...

• Production costs: mostly directly impact product quality. Products with low production costs may compromise on product quality or the quality of the components making up the product. And usually, we cannot accurately know this cost and cannot directly compare between different products from different brands
• Brand value: this is the trade-off because manufacturers or retailers that are less well-known or new to the market will have lower credibility than those who are already famous and have established product quality

• When it comes to distribution expenses, if the distribution chain is short and there aren't many parties involved, costs will decrease, and prices will drop. Therefore, if the seller isn't faced with much demand and only profits at a fixed rate, fewer demands certainly lead to better outcomes. However, this aspect doesn't significantly affect the selling price, perhaps only differing by 5-10% based on my observation
• As for advertising costs, this is where the real deals come in. Because to advertise, retailers will have very attractive promotional programs, even accepting losses on some products to gain other values (such as increasing brand value) in order to sell other products at higher prices for more profit. And my job is to find the heavily discounted products like that and share them with you all in the group

Credibility Evaluation Criteria

Reputable Brands (3 points)

• Level 1 (3 points): Brands with a solid reputation both domestically and internationally. These are the brands that everyone knows by name
• Level 2 (2 points): Brands that have emerged in recent years but are highly regarded by consumers
• Level 3 (1 point): New brands with less recognition. For these brands, I'll only introduce products that I've personally used and evaluated positively
• Level 4 (0 points): Non-branded items, counterfeit brands. If shared, it's to warn others to avoid them

Retailers of Products (4 points)

• Level 1 (4 points): Store chains only sell genuine products, importing directly. These stores almost always have confidence in the origin and source of the products. Additionally, at this level, there are official brand stores on e-commerce platforms
• Level 2 (3 points): Store chains sell both genuine and parallel imported products, meaning they sell both genuine products and products imported from neighboring countries. Or store chains only sell genuine products like level 1 but haven't established their brand firmly in the market yet. For such stores, I almost exclusively recommend genuine products if they have better prices than the general market.
• Level 3 (2 points): Small distributors, warehouses, wholesale sellers selling genuine products… For such stores, I only recommend stores and products that I have directly purchased from and found the sellers to be reputable
• Level 4 (1 point): Small distributors selling parallel imported products. For such stores, I only recommend stores and products that I have directly purchased when the price difference between the product and genuine products is significant but still ensure they are standard, not counterfeit
• Level 5 (0 points): Stores selling counterfeit products. If I ever post about them, it's only to advise everyone to avoid them

Reliable Product Sources (3 points)

• Level 1 (3 points): Products distributed officially in Vietnam, imported directly, with distributor's stickers, and eligible for VAT invoices. For used products, I apply equivalent principles and only share if the origin can be clearly traced
• Level 2 (2 points): Genuine products but distributed versions from other markets, possibly imported directly or parallel. Usually, I'll only share these products if confirmed genuine and the price is significantly better than locally distributed ones. Or the product hasn't been officially distributed in Vietnam
• Level 3 (1 point): Genuine products but minor imports from other countries. Mostly these are products not imported properly, so I almost never share because I don't encourage this practice, which indirectly affects the domestic market and legitimate sellers significantly. Only exceptions are clearly confirmed origins, standard genuine products, not available in VN, great prices, and direct purchases
• Level 4 (0 points): Products with unknown sources, counterfeit items. If I ever post about them, it's only to advise everyone to avoid them