Since we got our information from several sources, we’re going to write this in a Q&A format to be more concise and have better clarity (we’re not including inconsistent accounts from different sources).
Update: The Bureau of Customs contacted us and shared their mission report. Read it here 47.
#1. Is it really the Kim of Kim Store that we know?
Yes, we can now confirm that it’s the same multi-awarded (PLDT #BeTheBoss Awardee, Go Negosyo Awardee) Kim of Kim Store whose building has been raided by the Bureau of Customs last Monday.
#2. So who is Francis which the BOC alleges as the owner of Kim Store?
Francis is the operations manager (incidentally, Kim’s second name is also Frances, hence the prior confusion). Francis is the right-hand man who’s been with the company for a very long time. He is said to have started out as a messenger, then promoted to sales and then operations manager after many years of loyal service.
#3. What’s that warehouse that was raided?
Kim built a 5-storey building in the Tondo area to serve as her store/warehouse as well as residence (1st floor: garage, 2nd floor: reception, 3rd floor: warehouse, 4th, and 5th floor: residence). This made it easier to monitor the activities since everything is just in one place. This is based on original news reported by GMA.
#4. What was the raid about?
Alleged illegal importation. Kim Store has been consistently publicly stating on their Facebook page that they’re importing gadgets. That opens the possibility that some of these gadgets never went thru proper customs procedure and might not have NTC stickers in them.
By the fact that the BOC managed to secure the area, padlocked it and placed guards meant the raid yielded something.
#5. How did it happen?
According to a source, a BOC agent allegedly came in on a Monday morning (around 8am) and pretended to be a customer and was buying around 5 gadgets. After being shown the units, the agent inspected and saw there were no NTC stickers in them.
This part of the story is consistent with the reports in GMA News: “The staff manning Kim Store’s depot failed to present documents for the imported items, the bureau noted.”
This is when the buyer identified himself as a BOC agent and demanded to talk to the manager/owner. The operations manager, Francis, negotiated with the BOC agent who allegedly demanded some payment to settle the issue right there and then. This incident was escalated to Kim who instructed that they should get their lawyer first. When Kim lawyered up, the BOC agent was forced to call in the cavalry and by 12 noon of the same day, more agents came and raided the place.
This is consistent with the news report that the BOC could not identify the real owner (because if they planned this raid thoroughly, the only needed a little research to figure it out).
The reception and warehouse were all closed down and padlocked. An estimated Php20 to Php30 million worth of gadgets were found in the warehouse. Their stores in Eton and BlueBay were not affected, though (another indication that this was a rushed job).
There are still people manning the SMS line and Facebook Page that sends out canned responses to customer inquiries {we got a sample response here earlier}.
#6. So what’s next?
We don’t know, really, but it could be any one of possible scenarios — (1) Charges would be filed for illegal importation and all affected seized units will be hauled out by the BOC from the warehouse or (2) Kim would settle the problem the old-fashioned way. Who knows, this could be just a misunderstanding. That’s just our theory but there’s also that matter about alleged extortion that should be looked into (KimStore could really be the victim here).
KimStore has not made any public statement admitting nor denying this allegation (except for the “we’re under renovation and system maintenance” messages) so we really don’t know their real position at the moment. Perhaps, they were hoping that this could still be ironed out peacefully/quietly and return to normal as if it never happened.
We will know when KimStore will become operational next week (hopefully). Do let us know when this happens.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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kenobi says:
bakit kc walang NTC sticker in the first place? Meron malamang business permit cla, sa DTI malamang meron, brgy permit kasama nadin cguro, bkit sa huli tsaka palang pagsisisihan? Sa TV interview ba naitanong kung legit and products?
Albert says:
Paid article by KimStore?
kimkong says:
this is just pure competition.. of course, ikaw na may ari ng legit business, papayag ka bang malamangan ng non-legit business? syempre hindi.. pumaparehas ka so dapat pumaparehas din sila… plain and simple.. kung talagang smuggled, sampahan ng kaso at pagbayarin ng dapat bayaran.. ganyan talaga nature ng pagnenegosyo.. kung malakas ka makabenta asahan mo na maraming gugustuhing bumagsak ka.. kaya it pays to be legit.. wag nyo na ipagtanggol pa porke nakikinabang kayo sa murang products nila.. you are just helping the smugglers thrive..
medyo related pero similar din ito sa nangyari between X-Play and Datablitz noon (http://www.yugatech.com/pc-gaming/lessons-we-can-learn-from-the-datablitz-vs-xplay-fiasco/).. malas lang ni X-Play kasi legit naman talaga si Datablitz.. so walang nangyari sa case nila..
Kimstore says:
Kimstore and other online-based stored (with minor retail presence) are notorious for selling below market price gadgets because they do not pay the government any taxes. Customers are happy with the discounted price, simple as that.
If you want official receipt, expect to get extra charge and final price similar to market price.
Basta Bisaya says:
The story of Kimstore is not more about if they’re selling legit gadgets but if they’re following the rules of the Philippines. If not, then they should stop selling because it is illegal and unfair.
Jiovanni jalolino says:
” Who knows, this could be just a misunderstanding. That’s just our theory but there’s also that matter about alleged extortion that should be looked into (KimStore could really be the victim here).
KimStore has not made any public statement admitting nor denying this allegation (except for the “we’re under renovation and system maintenance” messages) so we really don’t know their real position at the moment. Perhaps, they were hoping that this could still be ironed out peacefully/quietly and return to normal as if it never happened.”
Man, you’re trying to reverse the situation and pointing it out instead to the authorities. Let’s check the facts first. They are smuggled goods, enough to build a case.
Con says:
Halos lahat naman ng online gadget sellers na tinatawag natin na grey market walang NTC kaya nga store warranty lang madalas. Kahit sa Greenhills may mga ganyan. Tatanungin ka if you want may NTC kasi mas mahal. raid nyo rin Widget City, DB gadgets, Hot Gadgets etc bakit Kimstore lang?
Ezekiel says:
“THE STORY BEHIND THE KIMSTORE RAID” ang title ng article na to. bilang reader, i-prinepresume ko na ito ang story dahil sa title mo. e hindi naman ito ang nangyari, diba?
haka-haka lang pala pinagsusulat mo, pero sa phrasing mo, based on “sources” and “facts” na pinagsasasabi mo. dont you dare escape the liabilities you created by doing this, yugatech…
Ezekiel says:
“THE STORY BEHIND THE KIMSTORE RAID” ang title ng article na to. bilang reader, i-prinepresume ko na ito ang story dahil sa title mo. e hindi naman ito ang nangyari, diba?
haka-haka lang pala pinagsusulat mo, pero sa phrasing mo, based on “sources” and “facts” na pinagsasasabi mo. dont you dare escape the liabilities you created by doing this, yugatech.
Alvin says:
Mahal na benta niya pag nagbayad siya ng tax.
RR says:
This is not related with kimstore but with online clothing shop named “Inkognito”. Last January 30, 2016, we ordered shirts and hoodies amounting to 20, 00 Php, but as of now they still inform us that the order is still on process. It’s been a year. Many netizen reacted in my post that same case happened to them. Sa mga nabiktima ng Inkognito please speak up. ang daming estudyante na kasi ang nabiktima nila. Salamat
ULOL KAYO says:
Halatang halata na mali yung mga info bes! You should be ashame of yourself kung sino ka mang gumawa nito. Unang una sa lahat hindi 8am ang bukas ni KS. GG ka! Mas maaga ka pa sa may ari. Nagbubukas sila ng 9am since naging customer na nila ako. Dumating pa nga ako ng 7:30 am nun eh pero accdg kay guard 9am pa. So saang KS ka nagpunta? Halatang halata na gumagawa kayo ng kwento YUGATECH. Ganyan ba kayo kadesperada? Ganito ginagawa niyo to promot your stuffs? Ang manira ng iba? Nakakaawa naman kayo! Dapat rin idemanda kayo eh. Hintayin niyo lang mare-raid din yang WIDGET CITY niyo! HAHAHAHHAHA
DUWAG AT ULOL KASI SI ULOL KAYO says:
^ Triggered
Huli ka says:
smuggler and tax evader simple as that…ayaw lumaban ng parehas ….nakapagpatayo na nga ng building..hindi pa inayos ang business…laki na ng kinita ng kimstore simula pa noon….ano ba naman yung magbayad na sya ng proper taxes…ang laki na ng business…ganun pa din style ….
Carl says:
Kim Store, Kim Store, ang online store na mahilig mag rebrand ng mga gadgets na bano from China. Hahaha. Daming pekeng items sa store na yan. Buti nga nasarado na. Hahaha. Kung nakabili kayo jan good luck nlang sana authentic nabili nyo. Bwahahaha.
Leo says:
ilang libong gadgets nabili at na inspect mo para masabing “daming pekeng items” sa store na yan? elaborate mo para maniwala kami sayo.
supremoteo says:
Ay sos ginoo, kadami sa divisoria at greenhills ng mga smuggled electronics ai. Baka manawa sila dun ai…
Jon says:
Good article. Still very fish that there hasnt been any official statement from Kimstore. In denial pa rin ba sila? Damage control? Multiple sources have confirmed that they have been raided, yet they give that dumb boilerplate response of a “system upgrade”.
Eba Serdnalo says:
Sana i raid din ng BOC yun WIDGET CITY HUB. Please share and post or email on the BOC website. At lahat ng online reseller para fair.
ALAMID says:
Maraming pera si Kim, tsaka mura lang hired killer dito pinas.. alamis na..
kimchiustore says:
Well done BOC! Now please crack down on other smugglers like luxury/imported car dealers etc. Mostly singkit yan, so hindi ganun kahirap hanapin. Smuggling and fixing income tax returns should be dealt with harshly. Besides corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen are also to blame. I hope to see more raids like this, instead of dead squatter junkies lying in the streets.
K says:
Dear Yugatech,
With all due respect, you should always proofread your posts. I noticed that they have a lot of grammar issues. I can’t help but tell you this. I’m one of your many visitors and avid readers and I also want what’s best for this site. Thanks.
-K
123456 says:
I second the mention. Been mentioning their grammar issues whenever I saw them.
Taniya says:
Quick question. Sila ba talaga nag iimport or may supplier rin sila gaya ng ibang mga nagbebenta ng gray units?
grahf says:
Quick question. Sila ba talaga nag iimport or may supplier rin sila gaya ng ibang mga nagbebenta ng gray units.
grahf says:
Kailan isusunod Widget City? Or yung mga nag import ng Nokia 6?
Gireno says:
Gusto ng boc na sampolan ang mga businesses. Lam nila na pag pumutok ito, marami ang titino. I do not think government will do this intentionally knowing this is a PR CRISIS if public learns wala pala sala si kimstore. But boc continued padlock which means they have strong evidence against the kimstore business.
Second, ms kim. Bad example and influence ka. Bad image ka rin sa mga chinese at other business people. If i know ikaw ang naglaganap ng mga pro kim store comments. Insulto yang circumventing the law. Pay your taxes correctly!
Batman says:
Regardless if there is an extortion, fact is no ntc sticker, no import tax
Pay the fines, follow the law..simple as that..kasuhan nyo kung may extortion..maybe a victim pa..lol
Issue is now public, gusto nyo pa close door usapan ng boc at kimstore “peacefully/quitely”..promoting corruption..
Will says:
I concur. At the end of the day, if a law has been broken, there ought to be legal consequences. Hindi yung puro pa-special treatment dahil ganito ganyan o mag under-the-table nalang.
Justice is blind.
ex flarex user says:
yung mga PRO-kimstore. remember yung issue na may ni leak silang info na misleading naging trending ata alam ko dawit din yung gma news online. syet nakalimutan ko na .
ABEBIBOBU says:
Abe, Saan galing yung mga chismax mo? Sa mga comments section lang ba?
dzandueta says:
Mukhang may hindi marunong magbasa rito, lalong magintindi. Tsk tsk.
archie says:
“We’ll be waiting for your downfall… won’t be long.” I smell grave threat from this statement. Mr. Abe of yugatech, I advise you to give this asshole’s ip address to the nbi tech department. Sue him, first case is for grave threat, second is for being an idiot not to understand the whole article.
Archimedes says:
Kuya, simple vocabulary lang po ang word na “downfall”. Paki-hanap sa dictionary or Google kung anong ibig sabihin.
Wala pong grave threat sa statement na yun.
The Emancipation of Elusive Chanteuse says:
Hala?! 1 week pa lang Emblem earphone ko at nasira na agad. Balak ko pa namang pareplace tapos nangyari to?! Paano na Emblem ko?! T___T
Joe says:
How can I trust a company that refuses to make a statement, or at least a true statement about the incident. If they continue to lie that it is just a system upgrade, etc, who knows about the other lies they might conceive
Ryan says:
Letter B
popo says:
(Kimstore might be the victim here) – abe
to the guy saying that this article is irresponsible.
just stating raw news
Marlon G says:
Lahat units/gadgets pag hindi dumaan sa NTC at walang sticker nila alam na yan na illegally imported. Alam nyo na yan yugatech ang tagal nyo na sa business. Yung extortion issue ibang story na yun. Kaya mura yung mga gadgets kay kimstore kasi walang mga NTC, walang taxes karamihan. Parang Greenhills lang. Kayo naman pinapaikot nyo pa readers eh.
archie says:
Koya paanong paekot senasabe mo? Reporting lang ang ginawa ng yugatech summary prom deperent sources. Naentendehan mo po ba yong boong artikel? Pwede pong mageng tanga wag lang pong epapahalata.
Pio victor says:
no hard feelings but there are other plenty stores out there selling gadgets without NTC stickers.. I do not know if these items were legally imported or not. for consumers, better be safe than regret in the future.. always buy stuff from recommended stores with NTC stickers on them.. this will ensure that the items we got are legally imported and taxes were paid. It will also help us if our gadgets do have problem if it had a NTC stickers, meaning the warranty is locally accepted.
Peter says:
“legally imported or not?” You can import all gadgets you like by DHL, Fedex, etc… without permit (BOC Accreditation)
Majority of buyers are looking for low price gadgets.
Tarzan says:
You mentioned “a lot of stuff here are false”. For the sake of “responsible journalism”, Kindly enumerate them and state what’s the correct stuff.
Lolipopcorny says:
I don’t see this as irresponsible. I see Abe just writing what was told of him or what he was informed of so he is just giving us the information where we as readers will then give our own interpretation towards the situation. Kim is a business woman maybe it is not her who had the plan to import illegally or to not pay the taxes. Maybe to save money she heard of this style so she did just that. We are not certain at all. But as those prices are so low, a possibility of illegal importation does hold water on this incident. Anyway Abe, if you are reading this you’re doing a good job mate. That’s all.
archie says:
And I think if the report of misdeclaration is real, Kim should learn not to do it again. But since she’s in the business for years, I doubt na hindi niya alam ang customs policy on importing gadgets. I remember Pacquiao, bumili ng sports car pero nakalimutan magbayad ng importation tax which is unintentional naman siguro that time dahil wala pang solid legal team si Manny.
Ivy says:
Sobrang bitter mo naman Yugatech, wag masyadong halata… pang-ilang article mo na to tungkol jan? Hater na hater ka rin no?
alam mo bang mas malala yang WidgetCity na pinapanigan mo in 99% of your articles? hahaha siguro wala kang mahuthot kay Kim
dzandueta says:
Mukhang affected ka sa article ni Mr. Olandres, para sabihan mo sya ng anuman na walang ginawa sa iyo.
lepledoo says:
isang account lang ito. Hahaha hater agad hinimay himay lang nila yung news from GMA saka hello nanghihingi sila ng official statement wala naman nilalabas si Kim. So ano na?
Abe Olandres says:
I don’t understand why you would think we are out to get KimStore. We promoted their website and products in many of our articles. We also buy products from them before. We also recommend KimStore to a lot of our readers who emailed or ask our advise. Is that an act of a so-called “hater”?
Abe Olandres says:
We are looking into the extortion angle by the BOC. If that makes us a hater of the BOC, then we concede.
Karma Is A Bitch, Abe says:
This right here is a prime example of IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM, especially from the editor-in-chief. Kim’s a long-time friend from my elementary days and I can confirm a lot of the stuff here are false. Bumababa na nga readership mo, iba-bundle mo pa with irresponsible journalism?
Go spread more rumors, fading, irrelevant Yuga-ssip boy.
Remember Abe: what goes around, comes around. We’ll be waiting for your downfall… won’t be long.
Patrick Padz says:
Baka nagsponsor ang KIM Store ng smartphone units or gadgets for the review by YugTech?
Hinala ko merchant din ang Kim Store ng ng mga e-commerce sa Pinas like Lazada and Facebook Shop.
PseudoFriendniKim says:
“Karma Is A Bitch, Abe” is equal to Kim Lato. Ayaw nya kasi pagusapan siya. Madam kung gagawa ka ng illegal dapat ready ka sa consiquences nito. Kung hinde naman illegal ginagawa ninyo hinde nyo po kailangan magreact ng ganyan kay Yugatech,Abe.
I Kiss Kimstore's Ass says:
Also, tell your friend to tell the truth to her customers and public about the real reason her store halted operations and not just a simple “System Upgrade”.
I Kiss Kimstore's Ass says:
Bias much?
Being a simple and responsible Filipino citizen, I pay my taxes by means of monthly salary deduction. I hope your friend does too…
archie says:
“We’ll be waiting for your downfall.” Mr. Genius, aware ka ba na pwedeng iconsider na grave threat ang sinabi mo at pwede kang gawing suspect pag may nangyari sa staff ng yugatech? And kung medyo matalino ka alam mong may ip registry ang comments mo kahit anonymous ka? At alam mo bay, kahit elementary friend mo si kim hindi ka garantisado na wala siyang violation dahil magkaibigan lang kayo. Hindi ko sinasabi na guilty siya pero hangga’t walang final investigation at statement ang customs at kimstore, walang bearing ang emotional opinion mo about friendship.
keps says:
Hala pinagsama sama lang po nila yung news. Hindi irresponsible journalism ito. Pinagsasabi nitong commenter na ito magbasa ka din po ng news ate/kuya sino ka man. Yan yung binalita sa TV inisa-isa lang ni Abe. Kung lahat yan false e di maglabas si Kim ng official statement. Simple lang diba hindi pati kayo nakiki gawa ng empty threats. Not that kinakampihan ko si Abe but you are out of context. Ibabalik ko sayo, what goes around, comes aropund :D :D :D smh
John Samson says:
Can you please elaborate kung ano yung sinabi nila na false? Just stating na false ang claims ng Yugatech is easy. Backing it up with just a few things like: Ano yung mga sinabi ni Yugatech na false? Anong numbers? You can confirm since you’re a long time friend, so can you confirm it? And also, why wait for someone else’s downfall? you have nothing better to do? You have no talent? Aren’t you being irrelevant here because you can’t even state your own name?
Abe Olandres says:
I don’t understand why you would think we are out to get KimStore. We promoted their website and products in many of our articles. We also buy products from them before. We also recommend KimStore to a lot of our readers who emailed or ask our advise.
Abe Olandres says:
We are looking into the extortion angle by the BOC. If that makes us a hater of the BOC, then we concede.
24/7 says:
Hahaha masakit ba, Abe? sobrang stupid ng article na to, sige rumors pa!
Abe Olandres says:
We are looking into the extortion angle by the BOC. If that makes us a hater of the BOC, then we concede.
Bob says:
I pay my taxes properly, I hope these big businesses too.