Business

Kim Store’s Official Statement: Under Renovation & System Upgrade

Abe Olandres February 2, 2017 · 1 min read

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In the aftermath of the reports that a certain online store, Kim Store, has been raided by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) due to alleged illegal importation of gadgets, we reached out to KimStore for any comments on the matter. As expected, we did not get any response from official channels.

While most of the initial inquiries that very same day via their official fan page were ignored (with some people claiming to have their posts deleted and blocked from the page), we took a step further and inquired via text message. And here’s what we got:

As per their messages, the store is “currently under renovation and system upgrade“. They “might” be operational again next week but there’s no definite date.

We’re talking to several sources familiar with the case and building a more comprehensive story regarding this incident.

React to this article:

kim store boc kim store customs kim store raid

Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

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48 Comments

kuting · 9 years ago

tama lang na naraid sila… bad experience ako sa kimstore na yan!

maurine · 9 years ago

Don din yon nakatira pamilya niya sa taas LNG ng warehouse na ni raid sa knila Yong building na yon.

maurine · 9 years ago

Madami n physical store yan technopop sa ortigas bluebay at makati. Don nag me meet up pag kinukuha ang mga gadgets walang resibo.bnbgay. dapat yon ipasara din.ang dami n nabiktima niyang kimstore n yan.

Lex · 9 years ago

I was a regular customer since their multiply days but I stopped buying from them 2 years ago. After sales sucks. My camera I sent for repair did not come back to me. I called for every 2 weeks for almost 8 months and all I heard were alibis. I just bought a new one from a physical store.

maurine · 9 years ago

San ka po lugar Yong meet up mo?

jepoy · 9 years ago

Maybe it was incorrectly heard or spelled, it’s not “Francis” but Frances.
Full name of Kim is Kim Frances Yao Lato. (As indicated in her bank account)

el gato · 9 years ago

akala ko Kim Domingo. kung siya ang may-ari, iba na lang ang i-raid. ;)

widget_cmk · 9 years ago

I don’t think “technical smuggling” is unique to kimstore, just as others pointed out. I bet all online stores that sell gray units are guilty, not as big as kimstore is but guilty nonetheless.

at ngayon nangyari to, ginagawan na nila ng paraan hindi mabuko

Des · 9 years ago

one advantage of online shopping is evading taxes, unlike physical stores they need to have a proof from different agencies in order to operate.. this is why online shopping becomes cheaper that with physical store… pero ung sinasabing smuggled malabo yun mangyari sa pinas, ang tatalas ng pang amoy ng mga custom at di mo yan sila maloloko sa presyo, kung matagal na yan nakakalusot malamang nag ka problema lang ngaun sa pampadulas kaya nag ka ganyan..

customs_corrupt · 9 years ago

Korek. Sa siba ng mga taga Customs sa pera. Pati amoy ng mga hininga niyan, amoy pera.

Jane Chua · 9 years ago

Saw some conspiracy theories regarding Kim of Kimstore worth reading:
http://bryanveloso.com/2017/02/03/kimstore-raid-conspiracy-theories/

Widget · 9 years ago

Tingin nyo si widget city legally imported mga items nila? May ntc ba lahat ng telco gadgets nila? Can u ask them Abe since you are an affiliated advertiser ng WC

jobert sucaldito · 9 years ago

Nakakahiya, nagpalusot pa. the damage has already been done. the best thing for their pr people to do is take accountability. baka matulad kayo sa chic-boy.

Mark Garcia · 9 years ago

ano ba nangyari sa chic-boy? na kinokompara mo sa KimStore..

Nitizen BOC · 9 years ago

ang nag-file ng reklamo, kuno, ay nitizen (?) sabi ng BOC… lol … kalaban sa on-line business ang may pakana. sure yan.

Anonymous · 9 years ago

Everyone is doing technical smuggling and this is normal in Philippines. This should be resolved in few days either the abandon the seized items or they pay a big sum of money to BOC leggally and creatively.

Anon ina ka · 9 years ago

Pwede rin naman mag tagalog

Sinio · 9 years ago

Hindi makaintindi ng English si Anon ina ka LOL.

Maharlika · 9 years ago

hindi dahil sa hindi makaintindi si Anon. dahil kakaiba ang syntax ng sentences nya kaya napaghahalataan na nagpupumilit syang mag english. ikaw ang LOL

Indispensable ian · 9 years ago

Last 2014 nag work ako sa kim store. BOC didn’t know that in the 4th and 5th floor of the building dun dn nakatira ang family ng owner. There is 3 gates in the building. I think its bad karma narin yan sa ginagawa nila sa mga customers. Nagbebenta sila ng lemon units. Yung mga deffective na units inaayos ng tech then bnebenta ulit as brandnew. Kumpleto sila sa gmit at pti sa rebranding. Meron nagsasabi na legit sila at wla silang bad experience sa kim store pero paano nman yung mga napag bentahan ng deffective units? Kase hndi natapat sa iba ang lemon units kaya nasasabi nila na maganda bumili s kimstore. Tpos pahirapan pa sa after sales. Hndi francis ang name ng owner. And fyi may physical store sila na ang name is technopop! May branch sa bluebay and sa centris

GNazi · 9 years ago

*defective

Kim-nungaling · 9 years ago

This is just plain and simple proof na meron talaga katiwalian sa kimstore. If legal naman talaga ang business, the most simple way is to go ahead and publish supporting docs ASAP. it’s just my personal opinion but i strongly believe my thoughts are correct in this case.

Crimson · 9 years ago

Nice name LOL. Anyway, was already well known even with their usual buyers na meron talagang unofficial “gray” units na binebenta ang Kimstore. But we never expected na may non-documented/smuggled pala.

archie · 9 years ago

Snowball effect na ito. After customs, bir naman ang titingin sa kanila. Sana lumaban ng patas ang online stores sa pagbabayad ng buwis at pagbibigay ng tamang quality at warranty. Para naman sa government, convenient at affordable ang online buying para sa mga tao. Hassle din ang matraffic para lang mag-sm kaya wag nyo namang isipin na anti-competitive at itulad nila ang online pricing sa mga may physical booths. Anlaki ng patong sa mga mall at hassle matraffic para lang sa isang gadget. Dapat parehong mag-adjust ang private at govt sectors. Kung puro mall lang ang ituturing na legit sellers centralized monopoly of profit na lang ang mangyayari. Wag sanang masira ang internet commerce dahil lang dito.