2022 Buying on Alibaba Guide: How to Get Low Prices & Easy ...

Related reading: How to do a Quality Inspection and Why You Need One ... Supplier on Alibaba does not mean that this supplier has good quality products. AlibabaistheplacetogowhenlookingforsuppliersofprivatelabelproductsinChina.Onthesurface,usingAlibabaseemsrelativelystraightforward.Buthowdoyoufindreliablesuppliers,negotiatewiththem,andgetyourproductsshipped?Inthisarticle,we’llcoverallofthesethings. TopicsCovered WhatisAlibaba? IsAlibabaSafe? WhatTypesofProductsareBesttoBuyonAlibaba? WhatareAlibabaGoldSuppliers? TradingCompaniesvsFactoriesonAlibaba HowtoFindGreatSuppliersonAlibaba HowtoContactSuppliersandGetRespondedTo HowtoNegotiateRockBottomPriceswithAlibabaSuppliers HowtoNegotiateLowMOQs HowtoOrderfromAlibabaandMakePayment HowtoShipYourProductsfromChina HowtoReviewYourShipmentsforAnyProblems AlternativestoAlibaba WhatisAlibaba? Alibabaisthelargestecommercecompanyintheworld–yes,evenbiggerthanAmazon.ThisismostlybecauseofanecommercesiteinChinathatAlibabaownscalledTaobao.However,AlibabaalsoownsAlibaba.comwhichisasupplierdirectoryoffactories,mostlylocatedinChina.Alibabaisthenumberonewebsitethatmostimportersusetostartlookingforproducts(includingmyself!)     Alibaba AliExpress TaoBao Whoisitfor? Forbuyinglotsofproductsforyourbusiness.Lowprices,expensiveshipping,highminimumorderquantitiesrequired. Forbuyingoneortwoproductsforyourownpersonaluse.Highprices,free/cheapshipping. ForChineseconsumersonly. AlibabaalsoownsAliexpress.comwhichallowsforeignerstobuycheapindividualproductsfromChina.That'sthekeydifferencebetweenAlibabaandAliexpress–Alibabaisforbuyingmanyproductsforyourbusiness,Aliexpressisforbuyingoneortwoproductsforyourpersonaluse. CanYouDropShipfromAlibaba? MostsuppliersonAlibabawantyoutopurchaseaMinimumOrderQuantity(MOQ)ofatleast$500ormore.Therefore,Alibabaisnotverygoodfordropshippers. Ifyouwanttodropship,it'sbettertouseAlibaba'ssistersite,AliExpress. YoucanalsocheckoutourarticleonhowweuseAliExpresstovalidateproductsbeforelaunchingthemonAmazon. IsAlibabaSafe? ThequestionIprobablyhearthemostaboutAlibabais,“Isitsafetouse?” Alibabaisincrediblysafeifyoufollowsomebasicprecautions(seebelow).Thebiggestissueyouwillrunintoispoorqualityproducts,whichI'lladdressbelow. ThesearesomeofthebasicprecautionstofollowwhenbuyingonAlibaba: VerifytheirexporthistoryusingatoollikeJungleScout'sSupplierDatabase. OrderfromChinesecompaniesonly. BuyfromGoldSuppliersonly. PayviaTradeAssuranceorPayPalwhenyoucan.Makingpaymentviawiretransfersforlargerordersisnormal,butalwaysmakesurethebeneficiarynamematchesthecompanyname. Ordersmallatfirstandgraduallyincreaseyourordersize. BeforeIsendanymoneytoasupplierinChina,Ialwaysverifythatsupplier'sexporthistoryusingJungleScout'sSupplierDatabase.ThisisanaffiliatelinkbutJungleScoutisbyfarthecheapestandmostcompleteoptionforviewingsupplierimportrecords.YoucanseeallofshipmentsthatsupplierhasexportedtoAmerica.Youcanevenseewhatfactoriesyourcompetitorsarebuyingfrom.Ifyoucanseethatasupplierismakingcontinuousexportstoothercompanies,thechancesarefairlycertaintheyarealegitimatesupplier. JungleScoutallowsyoutoseetherealexporthistoryofnearlyanyChineseSupplier. Youwanttomakesurethecompanyyou'resendingtomatchestheirAlibabatradenameandJungleScoutsupplierdatabasename–ifa ChinesesupplierallofasuddenasksyoutosendpaymenttoanindividualinNigeria,thisshouldbearedflag! ExclusiveOffer!Get70%OffToday Nocouponcodeneeded.Discountautomaticallyapplied. Get70%Off IfyouorderfromAlibaba,aslongasyoufollowsomenormalprecautions,youwillalmostcertainlyalwaysreceiveyourproducts.InnearlytenyearsofusingAlibaba,Ihaveorderedmillionsofdollarsworthofproductsfromdozensofsuppliers,andI'veneverbeenscammed. Now,thecaveatImentionedregardingquality.ReceivinginferiorqualityproductsinChinaisaverybigconcernwhenorderingonAlibaba.Stereotypesaresometimestrue,andthecrappy“MadeInChina”productsstereotypewillbetrueforyouifyoudonotfollowsomefairlyeasybestpractices.Whenyou'rereadingtoorderproducts,reviewourarticlebelowonensuringqualityproducts. Relatedreading:HowtodoaQualityInspectionandWhyYouNeedOne WhatTypesofProductsAreBesttoBuyonAlibaba? You'reprobablylookingtosourceonAlibababecauseyouwanttofindproductstosellviaAmazonoryourownwebsite. TherearefactoriesinChinasellingnearlyeveryproductimaginableandyou'llfindthemallonAlibaba.Thisdoesn'tmeanthatyoushouldimporteverysingletypeofproduct. Ipersonallyfocusonlargeandheavyitemsandoftenwithfairlylowdemand.IcallthismethodtheCockroachMethod(fullblogarticle).It'snottheonlywaytosourceproductsbutitworksforme. Asageneralrule,thesimplertheproductthelessqualityissuesyou'regoingtoruninto.Forinstance,atableisverysimple.Ahoverboardisverycomplicated.Ifyoucan'tunderstandexactlyhowaproductworks,youincreasetheprobabilitythatyou'llrunintoproblems. Thereareafewproductcategoriesyouwanttoavoid,specificallyasanewimporter.Thesearebabyproducts,consumableproducts,electronics,andelectricalitems.Allofthesehavealotofimportrestrictionsand/ordangersassociatedwiththem. GoldSuppliersvsnon-GoldSuppliersonAlibaba OnAlibaba,therearetwotypesofsuppliers:GoldSuppliersandnon-Goldsuppliers. ThistableaboveshowstheadvantagesthatbeingaGoldSupplieronAlibabahasforthesuppliers. AGoldsupplierpaysapremiumforincreasedranking,marketingservices,etc.,andAlibabadoessomelimitedidentityverificationofthesesuppliers.However,takenotethatjustbecauseasupplierisaGoldSupplieronAlibabadoesnotmeanthatthissupplierhasgoodqualityproducts.Itdoes,however,givesomeindicationthatthissupplierisalegitimateandinvestedone. IpersonallytrytoworkonlywithGoldSupplierssimplyasafiltermechanism,butagain,rememberthataGoldSupplierdoesnotmeantheyareanexcellentsupplier.  IfyoufindasupplieronAlibabathatisnotGoldbuthastheexactproductyouwantandotherwiselooksgood,youshouldn'tdismissthementirely.Instead,justscrutinizethemalittlebitmorei.e.reviewtheirimportrecords,makesuretheircompanynamematchesthepaymentname,etc.. FactoriesvsTradingCompaniesonAlibaba SuppliersonAlibabaalsocomeintheformoftradingcompaniesandfactories.  Atradingcompanydoesnotmanufacturetheproductstheyproduceandgenerallyhaveslightlyhigherpricesbutalsoslightlymoreconsistentqualityandalargerproductselection.Factorieshaveslightlylowerpricesandmorelimitedselectionandmoreunpredictablequality. Neitherisgoodnorbadinherently,butknowthedifferencesbetweenthesetypesofsuppliers. HowtoFindGreatSuppliersonAlibaba BeforeevenworryingaboutMOQandfreightcosts,youneedtofindtherightsupplierfirst.InordertolookforsuppliersonAlibaba,youfirstneedtocreateanaccount.Ifyoudon’thavearegisteredcompany,don’tworry.Youcanputinwhateveryouwantasthecompanyname. Withyouraccountsetup,thenextthingtofigureoutiswhatproductyouwanttosearchfor.Onceyouknowwhatitis,goaheadandsearchforitonAlibaba.Yourultimategoalwhenlookingforsuppliersshouldbetofind3to5potentialsuppliers,contactthem,andgetpricequotesforyourproduct. ThefirstthingIdowhenstartingasearchistohavemyresultssortedbysupplier,notbyproduct(whichAlibabawilldobydefault).Otherwise,thetopsearchresultswillbedominatedbyjustoneortwosuppliers.Seetheimagebelow. Youshouldsortbysuppliers,notbyproductswhensearchingonAlibaba. Youwanttolookforsupplierswhohaveproductssimilartowhatyou'relookingfor.KeepinmindthatmanysupplierssimplystealphotosofWesternbrand'sproducts.Iliketolookforsignsthatthephotographsareauthentic,suchas SignsthephotowastakeninChina(i.e.,ChinesepeopleorChinesewritinginthephotograph) Companywatermarkonthephoto Averagequalityphotos(mostsuppliersdon'ttakeretail-qualityphotographs) YoucanalsocheckoutSupplierBlacklisttomakesurethecompanyyou’redealingwithisnotamongtherecognizedbadsuppliers. HowtoContactSuppliersonAlibaba Findingtherightsupplierinvolvesbothskillandluck.MakesuretodoaquickGooglesearchaboutthecompany.Lookforredflagsbyaddingthewords scam, warning,or beware inthesearchbar. Asidefromthis,suppliersonAlibabacanbeverypickywithwhatbuyerstheychoosetoworkwith. YouwillseeonthesearchresultspagetheSupplierResponseRate.YouwillalmostalwaysseethatthisResponseRateisfarlowerthan100%.Alibabasupplierswilloftensimplyignoremanybuyerrequests. Thissupplieronlyrespondsto77%oftheinquiriestheyget. Thereareseveralwaystoincreasethelikelihoodthatasupplierrespondstoyou.Consideraskingthefollowingquestions: Doyouknowexactlywhatproductsyou'relookingfor? Orareyoufishingforanentirecatalogandpricelist? Askfordetailsregardingonespecificproductonly. Areyouclear,concise,andtothepoint?Ordoesyoursupplierhavetoputalotofthoughtintoansweringyouremail,whichisespeciallyhardforanon-nativeEnglishspeaker? Askclearquestionsinbulletpoints.  Whatcountryareyoufrom?Certaincountriesaremoredesirabletosupplierssuchascountriesthesupplierdoesn'tcurrentlydobusinessin.YoursuppliercanseewhatcountryyouareemailingfromviaAlibaba. Areyouabigbuyerwithbrick-and-mortarstores? Themostimportantthingthatyoucandotoimproveyourcommunicationwithsuppliersistoaskforyoursupplier'sWeChatID.TheChinesedomostworkthroughWeChatandnotthroughemail.You'llimproveyoursuccessrateifyoucangettheirWeChatIDandtalktothemoverWeChat. KeepinmindthatmostpeoplewhoyouaregoingtocommunicatewithatacompanyareyoungeruniversitygraduateswithreasonableEnglishbutlittletechnicalknowledgeofyourproductsandoftenverylittleauthority.You'renotdealingwiththefactoryownerormanagermostofthetime. HowtoGet&UseWeChatasaForeigner Ifyou'reseriousaboutimportingfromChinayouneedtogetWeChat.WeChatismostpopularlyusedformessaging(mostChineseuseitexclusivelyformessaging,evenmorethantexting)butitalsohasa Moments featurewhichissimilartoFacebook'stimeline. Yes,therearesomeprivacyandcensorshipconcernswithusingaChinabasedapplikeWeChatbutthisaffectsChinabasedusersmostly. TodownloadWeChat,downloaditfromwhereveryoudownloadapps(it'sbasicallyexclusivelyamobileapponly).You'llneedtogetsomeoneelsewithWeChattogiveyouaninvite–askafriendorgetyoursuppliertogiveyoutheinvite. Mygoalisjusttogetaresponse.IavoidmentioningMOQs,whichmayscareoffasupplier.It'seasyforasuppliertosimplyignoreaninitialemail.Butonceasupplierhasactuallyrespondedtoyou,it'sdifficulttoignorefutureemails.IftheyaddyoutoWeChat,it'salmostimpossibleforthemtoignoreyou. TheGreatFirewall Chinesecensorshipisprevalentandcanaffectyouremailsfromgettingthrough. TheGreatFirewallblocksaccesstocommon serviceslikeGoogle(includingGmail),Whatsapp,Facebook,andDropbox.Avoidusinganylinkstotheseservices. Also,theinternetinChinaisveryslow,andlargeattachmentscantakeaverylongtimetodownload. Giventheunpredictabilityofemail,it'sbesttouseWeChatwheneverpossible. HowtoNegotiatewithAlibabaSuppliers Thekeytonegotiatingwithsuppliersistodeterminethemarketpriceofyourdesiredproduct. Unlessyouknowyourproductextremelywellandthecosttomanufactureit(VERYfewpeopledo)yourabsoluteonlywaytoknowthefairpriceofyourproductistoreceivecompetingofferswhichiswhyyouneedtocontactseveralsuppliers. Youshouldatthispointstarttoreceivepricesfromyoursuppliers.Iftheyaskyouhowmuchyouwillbeimporting,letthemknowyouridealannualorderamount(beanoptimistbutdon'tpromisethemoon)ratherthantheindividualorderamount. TabulatethepricesofatleastfiveSuppliersintoaspreadsheet Bewareofsuppliersthathaveverylowpricesrelativetoothers.Normally,thereisacatchtothis.Typicalcatchesinclude: ShipmenttermsareEXWasopposedtoFOB,whichmakesitmuchmoreexpensive. Thematerialisofamuchlowerquality,e.g.,150denierfabricinsteadof600denierfabric. Theyonlyacceptextremelylargeorders. Onceyouarecomparingapplestoapples,i.e.,youknoweachsupplierisquotingaproductconstructedofsimilarmaterialsandwithsimilarshipmentterms,thenasktheothersuppliersiftheycanmatchthelowestoffer.There'satemptationtolieandsay“YourcompetitorNingboSaddlesofferedmethesesaddlesfor$24”wheninfacttheyofferedthemtoyoufor$34.Yoursupplierwillsmellyouout,andyou'lllosecredibility.ThereisnotasmuchroomforpricenegotiationinChinaastherewaspreviously.A10%pricediscountisoftenhuge. Atthispoint,youwilllikelyhavetwoorthreesupplierswithcomparablepricesandcomparableproducts.Youwanttofindasupplierthatcanaccommodateyoursmallerordersize. ShipmentTerms:What'stheDifferenceBetweenEXW,FOB,andCIF? Asyou'regettingquotes,paycarefulattentiontotheshipmentterms.Theseareespeciallyimportantifyou'reshippingyouritemsviaseafreight. Therearethreecommonshipmenttermsthatessentiallydeterminewhopaysforshipping: EXW(MostExpensiveforYou):Youhavetopayforthecostoffreightdirectlyfromyoursupplier'sfactorytoyourdesireddestination.Essentiallyyou'repayingthecostofChineseLandTransportationandseafreight. FOB(MostCommon):YoursupplierwillpayforshippingfromtheirfactorytotheclosestChineseport.YouwillpayfortheseafreightbutyoursupplierwillpayfortheinlandtransportationinChina. CIF(LeastExpensiveforYou):YoursupplierpaysforthecostofChineseinlandtransportationandseafreighttoyourdesiredport. ReadmoreonourarticleAllAboutShipmentTerms. HowtoNegotiateLowMinimumOrderQuantities(MOQ) WhenI'mfirstlaunchingaproduct,ItrytogetaslowofMinimumOrderQuantity(MOQ)aspossible.EverysupplierwillhaveanMOQwhichisreallyaMinimumOrderAmount.Normallyit'saround$2500to$5000.Onafirstorder,theMOQisquiteflexibleifyounegotiatethough. Forme,onmyfirstorderIliketoorder$500to$1000ofanitemandtryitonAmazonandthenproceedtoalargerorder.Again,foryourfirstordermostsupplierswillbewillingtoshipsuchasmallamount.Idescribethesetomysuppliersasa“fewsamples”. Veryfewsupplierscansaynotohavingmoneypaidtotheminfull. UsingImportRecordstoFindandVetSuppliersandSnoopCompetitors Oneofthebestthingsanimportercandoistouseimportrecordstohelpthemfindproductstoimportandvetsuppliers. JungleScoutallowsyoutoseetherealexporthistoryofnearlyanyChineseSupplier. Asmentioned,inAmerica,importandexportrecordsarepublicinformation,however,thegovernmentdoesnotcatalogorgiveeasyaccesstothisinformation.However,therearetoolsthatdoallowyoutoeasilysearchthisinformation,themostpopularandcheapestbeingJungleScout(othersincludeImportGeniusandPanjiva). Thesetoolsallowyouto: FindoutwhatChinesesupplieracompetitorisusing(greatforfindingproducts) Seehowmuchasupplierexports Findoutwhatsuppliersexportspecificproducts SeeourarticleASecretWeaponforDoingSupplierResearch HowtoOrderandPayonAlibaba Onceyou'vepickedasupplierandthey'veagreedtosendyourdesiredquantity,you'rereadytopayforandshipyourorder. Mostsupplierswillsendyousomethingcalledaproformainvoice,whichisjustafancywordforaninvoice. Ifyourorderissmaller(under$5000orso)useAlibaba'sTradeAssuranceorPayPal.Thiswillmoreorlessguaranteethatyouritemsareshippedbutwillnotgiveyouqualityguarantees(despitewhatAlibabaclaims).Onceyourordersgetlarger,mostsupplierswillexpecta30%depositviawiretransferandtheremaining70%paymentwhenthegoodsareready.Suppliersdon'ttypicallylikePayPalunlessit'sforsmallerorders. OrderSeveralSamplesInsteadofOneSample Yourfirstsamplewillnormallybethebestqualityproductyouwillreceive. Manybooksandwebsitessaythatyoushouldalwaysorderasinglesamplefromasupplierandinspectitforquality.Therearesomeproblemswithdoingitthisway: Yourfirstsampleisguaranteedtobeofgoodquality.i.e.,youwillgetthe“GoldenSample.” Thefreightcoststogetasinglesampleisoutrageouslyhighandshippinga fewsamplesmaynotcostmuchmore OnesamplegivesyounochancetotryandselltheitemonAmazon,eBayetc. Therefore,Ialwaysrecommendpeopletoorderatleast10ofanitemifpossibleatfirst.Attheveryleast,thisgivesyouachancetoselltheitemsoneBayorAmazon.IfyouimportonesampleandsellittheveryfirstdayonAmazon,youmayhavesimplyluckedout.Sellingtenisafarbettersamplesize. HowtoShipYourProductsfromChina IfthisisyourfirsttimeorderingfromChina,it'softenbestjusttoaskyoursuppliertoarrangeforshippingandtoaddthechargestotheinvoice. Ifyou'reshippingunder200lbs,shipitviaairwithacouriersuchasUPS,FedEx,orDHL.Expecttopay$6to$15perpoundwithaminimumchargeof$75orso.Shippingairiseasyandyoubasicallyjusttellyoursuppliertheaddressyouwantyouritemsshippedto. Ifyou'reshippingover200lbs,youwillwanttogoviaseafreightwhichcanbequiteabittrickiertoorganizeandyou'llneedafreightforwardertohelpyouorganize.It'sonlytrickythefirstcoupleoftimesthough,sodon'tbetoointimidated. Checkoutourfulllengthblogpostonhowtoshipviaseafreight. IfyourgoodsarebeingshippedtotheUSandarevaluedatunder$800,thentherewillbenodutychargedbecauseofAmerica'sverygenerousdeminimisrules. Ifyou'reshippingyourproductstoAmazonFBAwarehousesthencheckoutourarticle HowtoShipYourGoodsfromChinatoAmazonFBA. WhyisShippingfromAlibabaandChinaSoExpensive? ShippingitemsfromChinaoverallcanbeveryexpensiveduetothedistance.Overall,shippingviaairfromChinaisveryexpensivebutquitequick.Shippingviaseaisquitecheapbutveryslow(typically30to60days). Ifanitemisunder5lbsitcanactuallybeshippedforquitecheapfromChinabutveryslowlyusingsomethingcalledePacket. Ifyouritemisheavierthennormallyyoucanexpecttopayaround$6-15perpoundwithaminimumof$75orso. HowtoReviewYourShipmentforProblems Ifyou'vehadyourordershippedviaair,thenitshouldarriveinanywherefrom3-10businessdays.Ifviasea,thiswillbemorelike30to60days.Whenyourshipmentarrives,herearesomethingstoinspect,whichmaybetalkingpointsforfutureorders: Quality.Istheproductthequalityyouexpect?Useandabusetheproductforabitoftime.Doesitholduphowitshould?Ifnot,rememberthatyou'velikelyreceivedtheirbestqualitysamplesandqualityisonlyexpectedtobethesameor decreaseonfutureorders. Packaging:Isthepackagingsufficienttoshiptoyourcustomer?Orwaseverythinglumpedintooneboxandyouneedtopurchaseallnewshippingboxes?Ifso,requestyouritemstobeboxedonfutureorders. Instructions.Diditcomewithinstructions(ifapplicable)?Ifnot,doesyoursupplierhaveinstructions?Iftheydon't,youshouldstartcreatingorborrowingsomeandincludethemwithyourproduct. Doesyouritemhave“MadeinChina”markedsomewhereonthebox?Ifnot,youshouldrequestthisonthenextorderasit'salegalrequirement Onceyou'vereceivedyourorder,youshouldemailyoursuppliertoletthemknowthatyoureceivedeverythingbutyouhavenothadachancetoreviewtheproductsyetandletthemknowthatyouwillcontactthemshortlytodiscussthingsandtohopefullymakeanotherorder. There'snorushtodotheabove.Justlikeindating,playinghardtogetissometimesagoodstrategy. HowtoBuyWholesalefromAlibaba WhiletherearecompaniesinAlibabathatallowbuyerstopurchaseasfewasoneitem,thise-commercegiantisdesignedmainlyforwholesalers.Asopposedtoretailers,wholesalerspurchaseinbulkandgenerallydonotselltoend-users. Here’saquicksummaryofthestepstosuccessfullybuywholesalefromAlibaba. Determinetheexactproductyouwanttobuywholesale.Findanichefirst,thenpinpointtheexactproductsyouwanttobuy.Beparticularaboutthespecifications,quality,andfeaturesoftheproduct. Searchfortherightsuppliersandnegotiatewiththem.Thelastthingyouneedishavingtodealwithascammer.Onceyoufindareliablesupplier,it’stimetotalkaboutimportantfactorssuchastheMOQ,productquality,andmanufacturingleadtime. Askforsamples.Don’ttaketheirwordforit.Picturesareeasilymanipulatedandyouwillbehard-pressedtofindasupplierthatwillbadmouththeirownproductstopotentialcustomers.Whenaskingforasample,makesuretoconsidernotonlytheproductbutalsohowitispacked. Payyoursuppliers.Fortunatelyforwholesalers,Alibabadoesn’treleasethepaymentwithoutagosignalfromyourendthatyou’vereceivedtheproductsingoodcondition.Youcanalwayspaysuppliersprivately,butyouwillhavetodothisatyourownrisk.Ifyou’vealreadyestablishedagoodrelationshipwiththem,thenthiswouldn’tbemuchofaproblem. AlternativestoAlibaba ThereareseveralalternativestoAlibabathatexist,althoughnoneareanywherenearasexhaustiveasAlibaba.Wehaveapostthatlistsdown10Alibabaalternativesforyou.Someoftheseoptionsinclude: 1688:ThisistheChinese-onlywholesaleversionofAlibabaforChinesebuyers.UseGoogleTranslateifyoudon'tknowhowtospeakChinese. GlobalSources:NotasexhaustiveasAlibabaandhasmoreHongKongtradingcompanies.However,thequalityofsupplierskewshigher. AliExpress:Ifyouwantasmallnumberofproducts,AliExpressisagoodoptionalthoughyou'llpayslightlyhigherprices. Conclusion ThiscoversmostofthebasicsofusingAlibabatofindsuppliersandproducts.Ifyouwantamorein-depthguidetostartinganimportingandprivatelabelbusiness,IstronglysuggestyoucheckoutourmegaguideonHowtoImportfromChina. DoyouthinkAlibabaisstillagoodplacetofindsuppliers?LetmeknowbeloworshareanyotherquestionsyouhaveaboutbuyingfromAlibaba. 2weeksago10416minutesread DaveBryant DaveBryanthasbeenimportingfromChinaforover10yearsandhasstartednumerousproductbrands.Hesoldhismulti-milliondollarecommercebusinessin2016andcreateanother7-figurebusinesswithin18months.He'salsoaformerAmazonwarehouseemployeeofoneweek. RelatedArticles SearchAnalyticsIstheBestAmazonSEOToolEver(AndIt’sFree) 2weeksago August2022BrandReport–$847,889 2weeksago ASecretWeaponforDoingCompetitorandSupplierResearch 2weeksago AmazonHasBeenChargingBritishColumbiaSellersPSTonMostFeesSince2021–PotentiallyIncorrectly 3weeksago 104Comments Greatblogandalotofusefulinformation. Howdoyouhandlethecasewherethesuppliercannotgiveyoumorethan1sample? Lookingforwardforyounextpost Reply Hi, Areyouaskingforpaidsamplesorfreesamples?Intherarecasestheyrefusetogivemorethan1paidsample,justabouttheonlythingyoucandoistoimportthe1sampleandthendoalargerorderwiththeirMOQorfindanotherSupplierwhowillbemoreaccommodating(normallyatradingcompany). Reply Hi Iamaskingfor1paidsamplewhichtheyquoteditinRMBataprice5timesbiggerthananorderof1000MOQ. Thanks Reply Hi, Sotheysaid,forexample,1sampleis$500orifyouorder1000pieces,itis$100each?AmIcorrecttoassumethatitisahigherticketitem?($100+?) Somesuppliershavebeenknowntodothisincaseswhereconsumersmayjustwanttobuyaone-offitemforpersonaluseandhavenolegitimatecommercialinterestintheproduct.Youcanasktohavethesamplecostpaidbackonyourorderover1000pieces,whichI’msurethey’llobligeto.You’redefinitelygoingtopaymorefor1piecethan1000pieces,although5xseemsasalittlehigh(I’vepersonallypaidaround2.5xmoreforonesamplethough) Reply ThanksDavid,thisinfoisgolden! Reply Hiihadreadmanyemailtemplateanditrytocomeupwithmyownversionoftemplatewhichcombineallthethingsthatiread.Wouldyoukindlytellmewhatneedtofixorremovefromthese.becauseidontwanttoappearunprofessionaltowardthesupplier. Hello, Mynameis_from_Weareintheprocessofaddinga_toourproductlineandyourproductseemstobewhatwearelookingfor. Ihaveafewquestions. 1.Doyouoffersamplesandhowlongtoreceive5–10samplestoShenzen? 2.CanwepayusingPaypalanddoyouacceptEscrowpayments? 3.Canwemakeaminorchangetotheproductslikethecolor.shapeandsize? 4.Canwebrandwithourlogo? 5.Canyoudocustompackaging? 6.Whatisthecostof500–1000unitincludingshippingbyDHLAirExpresstoUnitedStates? 7.Howlongformanufacturingonceweplaceorder? 8.Doyoudolabelprintandareyouabletoputthelabelandlogoonthepackaging? 9.Canweorder500unitsforthefirstorder? Ourfirstorderof500unitwillbeasmalltestorderandinthefuturewillbeorderingbetween1,000to5,000units.Wearehopingthesamplesareuptoourcustomer’s expectationsandqualitystandards.Ifwecanbeginorderingatleastafewthousandpermonthminimum. Wearelookingforwardtohearingfromyousoon. ThankYou! Name Company Reply HiDante, Thesearealotofgoodquestionstoask,butnotinyourfirstemail.Yourfirstemailshouldbeshortandsweet,“I’minterestedinthisproduct,canyougivememoredetailsincludingpriceandMOQ”.Supplierscangetdozensofemailsadayandthey’reluckyif1ofthoseemailsresultsinasale.Subsequently,theycan’tspendanhouransweringeachemail,sotheymayignorealongemaillikethis(whichtheyrightlyassumeisaformemailthatyou’reprobablysendingtoalotofSuppliers).Also,keepinmind,theChineseHATEtosayno.Youranswertomanyofthesequestionswillalmostcertainlybe‘yes’whichdoesn’tmeananything(“Sure,youcanchangetheshapeandsize,ifyouorder100,000units”).IMO,youneedtogetreallyspecificonmanyofthesequestions,andyoucangettothatlevelofspecificityuntillaterinnegotiations.Forexample,whatdoyoumeanbrandingwithyourownlogo?Doyouknowwantyourlogoontheactualmoldandimprintedontheproduct?Doyouwanttheirfullcolorstockpackagingtoincorporateyourlogo?Ordoyousimplywantastickerofyourlogoappliedtotheproduct? Reply HiDavid JustviewedyourblogandthoughtitwasgreathoweverIhavejust3questionsforyoupersonally 1.Howmuchroughlywillmyimporttax+VATcostifIwastoorder500–1000unitseachunitabout£0.80peach 2.HowdoIpayalloftheseexpensesvat+importtaxetcthroughpostoffice?OrdotheychargemeatmyfrontdoorwhenthegoodaredeliveredI’mveryconfusedaboutthispart 3.ThelastandmainquestionisdoIbasicallyneedtoupmypricetagsonmyitemsformetoactuallymakemoneyifI’mpayingsomuchinthefirstplacetojustreceiveit? Reply Depends.WhateverVATiswhereyouliveandtypically0-100%induties.Reallyvariesthoughdependingontheproductandlocation. Ifit’sunder$1000normallyUPSorthecarrierwillbillyoudirectly. 3.Upyourpricetags? Reply HiDavid, Onceagainthanksforyourinformation. IfI’mlookingforacustomdesignedproduct,shouldIrequestasampleofthesimilarproductorshouldIwaituntiltheycustomizedtheproductandaskforaround10samples? Cheers, AlexanderTee Reply HiAlex, Itdependshowcustomizedyou’regetting.Ifyou’rechangingthecolor,sure,onesampleofasimilarproductandthenafewofthefinishedproductworks.Ifit’sacompletelynewproductwithacustommould,CADdesigns,etc.you’reprobablygoingtohaveseveralsampleiterationsfromstarttofinish.There’sareallygoodpodcasthere:http://www.ecommercefuel.com/product-manufacturing-process/ Reply HiDavid, IwanttostartbuyingitemsfromChinamuchbettertoVietnam,India,Thailandorothercountriesasidefrom.China.DoyouhaveanyinformationwhereIcanfindit?Iliketostartsellingproductsviaon-linebutIdontknowhowtostart.I’dbeenreadingmanyarticleaboutit.Iwantmyorderbeadoortodoordelivery.DoIneedtosaythatIdonthavenecessarypapersorbusinesspapersbecauseI’mjusttestingthewater.Ifprofitable.Ifprofitable,that’sthetimeIwillapplyforapermit Reply Gladtohear.Checkoutsomeofourotherarticleshere:) Reply HelloDavid Thankyouforsharingyourinsight.Iwantedtoaskforyouradvice.Whenistherighttimetonegotiatethepriceformyfirstcommercialbulkorder?RightbeforeIbuytheirsampleorrightafterIreceivedtheirproductsample?.IhavefoundasupplierinChinathruAliexpresswhocandoprivatelabelontheproductforamuchlowerMOQvsAlibaba.$17isthelistedpriceonAliexpressandthesampleis$35excludingshipping.Ihavenotgivenagosignalyettobuytheirsample. Reply HiVin, I’ddefinitelywaituntilafteryoureceivethesample.Onceyou’vepaidforandreceivedasampleitindicatesalotmoreseriousnessbyyouandthey’llinturnnegotiatemoreseriously:) Reply Hi,Iamactuallyresearchingtobuyalasercutting/engravingindustrialmachinery.Ihaveseensimilarproductswithahugevariantofpricerange.MostoftheproducthasMOQof1soitisdifferenttotheproductsmentionsinthissite.ButithaspricerangelistedintheAlibaba.comsite.Somyquestionisforthiskindofproduct,canyounegotiatebelowthequotedpricerange? Reply Hi, Ofcourseyoucan,especiallyseeingit’sarelativelyhighticketitem.Forsomethinglikethis,a10%discountmightbehugethough. Reply ThanksforthereplyDavid.I’vetriedtocontactsomeofthecompanyandgottensomeoftheresponse.AndInoticedthatthecompanynameisnotclearlyspecifiedalthoughwithsomeeffortyoucouldfigureoutwhatthecompanyis.SoIwonderifittopreventbuyergoingdirectlytothesellerbypassingAlibaba.Doyouhaveanyideaonthis?IsthereanyadvantageforbuyingthroughAlibabasitewarrantyorsomethinglikethat? AndIpurchaseasmallerticketitem,aplotcutter,formybrotherinthepastinGuangzhou.Ididn’tresearchtheproductbutIwasintown,sothroughseveralsourcesIcheckoutacoupleoflocalsource.Myexperiencewasthatsomeofthesimilarlypricedproducthasalotofdifferentfeatures.TheplotcutterthatIfinallyboughtwascapableofhandling30%-50%widermaterial,comewithastandandlooknewer&strongerthanthenextbestofferwhichwassimilarlypriced.SoIthinktherecanbealotofvarianceinproductquality.Itseemstomethatsometimespricingdependonhowaggressivelyyoursellerisdoing.AndfortheproductIamcurrentlylookingforthereseemstobealotmorepossiblevarianceoffeature.Iamnotsureofwhatisthegeneralstrategyhere.Anytips? Reply Hi, There’snoadvantage/disadvantagetothesellerbypassingAlibaba.Alibabachargesaflatannualfeetosellers,notacommissionsotheydon’tcareifabuyercontactsaselleroutsideofAlibaba.IsitaGoldSupplierwhohastheambiguousname? Likeanycountry,somesellersmaypricetheirproductmoreaggressivelythanothersbutmoreoftenthannot,everyoneissimilarlypriced.20%variancebetweenSuppliersisnormalIwouldsay,but50%seemslikealot.Youwanttobesureyou’recomparingapplestoapplesthough(iftwomachineshavedifferentfeatures,evenifthedifferencesaresmall,itmakesitdifficulttocompareprices). Reply Hi, IthinkitisaGoldSupplier.Onthecompanyprofiletabthenameofthecompanyisnotwritten,justit’scompanytypeandlocation.Ihadtoogletheimageforthebrandtofindoutthecompanyname. Itseemsthatthereisactuallycertainstandardforeachcompetitivepricepointandsomeselleristryingtopasstheirproductathigherpricepoint.IwantedtoinspecttheproductifIcantotrytogetthebestproductatanaffordablepricepoint.Nextweek,IamplanningtogotoGuangzhousoIthoughtoflookingforthestuffalongtheway.Howevermostoftheproduct’scompanysofarislocatedinShandongwhichisprettyfaraway.IhavetocheckoutforstuffatacloserdistancefromGuangzhouifIcan.YetIamnotsurehowtodothiswithAlibabasite.IftheirheadquarterinShandong,itisdifficulttofindoutiftheyhaveashowroominGuangzhouusingAlibabasite.IamnotsureiftheportcanusuallybeusedaguidelineasmostlyareinQingdao,ShanghaiandGuangzhou;IcouldprobablyflytoShanghaiortrytheexpress6hourstrain.AlsofornowIamnotsureifitisnecessarytolookallthewaytoShandongorsimplycheckaroundGuangzhou. HiDavid, Greatwebsiteyou’vegothere,lotsofveryusefulinfo!I’manewbietoimportingandhavejuststartedtofindmywayaroundAlibaba.Ihaveaquestionaboutthe“BusinessIdentity’onthere…howimportantisitthatitgetsverifiedbeforeIcontactpotentialsuppliers?Willtheytakemelessseriousifmybusinessprofileis‘unclear’?Anddoesthesamegoformymemberprofile?(notsurewhatthedifferenceisactually…?)ShouldIuploadapersonalphotoandmyaddressdetailsetctothewebsiteordoesitnotreallymatter?I’malittlehesitanttoputallmypersonalinformationoutthereifI’mnotsurewhoI’llbedealingwithyet…Ihaveanameandlogoformybusinessbutit’snotanofficialcompanyonpaperatthemoment,canIstillusethelogoetcinmyprofileonAlibaba? Hopeyoucanhelpmeshedsomelight! thanksandbestwishes,Sofia Reply Youshouldbefairlyselectivewithwhatinformationyouputupthere.Ifyoureadilypostyourphonenumberchancesareyou’llhaveSupplierscallingyouthenextday:)Ifyou’rehavingdifficultygettingresponses,thenyoucanstarttoaddsomemoreinformation. EverytimesomeonemessagesaSupplieritshowsthelocationofthebuyerviatheirIP,soaSuppliercanverifyifyou’refroma‘good’country.Soinotherwords,they’lllikelylookmoreatyourcountrylocationthananythingthatyoupostinyourprofile. Reply Hi,justanadditionalquestionaftersomemoreresearchtoday:-):Ihaveestablishedalistof7potentialsuppliersnow,ofwhich5actuallyhavetheirownwebsites.IsthereanyadvantageinapproachingthemthroughtheirownwebsiteinitiallyorbesttogothroughALibaba?Thanks:-) Reply Hi, Thereshouldn’tbeanyadvantagetogoingdirect.ALibabaSupplierspayaflatfeeandnotacommission,sothey’repricesshouldnotbeanylowerorhigheroneither. Reply Hi,Iamnewtoprivatelabeling.IfoundaproductwhichIwouldliketoimportfromChinabutIhavemanyquestionsregardingthisandwashopingifsomeonecouldhelpme. 1.Ihavecontactedmanysuppliersandatradingcompanygavemebestpriceratherthanamanufacturingcompany.Isitokaytoorderfromatradingcompany(withregisteredcapitalofRMB30000and1yeargoldsupplier)? 2.Mysupplierwantsmetopay50%ofpaypalhandlingfee.ShouldIacceptthis? 3.IfIpaythe30%oftheordervaluebeforemanufacturingthenwhenshouldIpaytheremaining? 4.ShouldIaskforanycertificatesorsomeproofofwarranty?? 5.Shouldtherebeacontractwrittenforthecurrentorder? 6.Iamplanningtostartwithasmallorder.Howtostartthenegotiationprocessforit? 7.ThereisverylittleinformationabouttheproductinAlibaba.Isthatnormal? Thankyou. Reply Hi, 1)Yes,nothingwrongwithatradingcompany.Somepeoplethinkyougetahigherpricefromthem,butthisisn’talwaysthecase. 2)Whatisthehandlingfee?Shippingfee?Ifso,thenyou’reluckythey’reonlyaskingyoutopay50%andnot100% 3)Oncetheysendyouacopyoftheshippingdocuments. 4)Sure,althoughnoneofitwillreallybeenforceable. 5)Youdon’tnecessarilyneedaformalwrittencontractbutyouyouneedadocumentveryclearlylistingspecificationsetal.i.e.typeofpackaging?Howaretheitemsboxed?colors?instructionmanuals?Shippingterms?(FOB?) 6)Tryandgeta10-20%discount.Mightbetoughforasmallorderthough. 7)Itdepends.Isitpatented? Reply HiDavid, Thiswasareallygoodpost.Iwaswonderingaboutthepackaging.Ifyouwantyourlogostickersonthepackaging,howdoyougoaboutit?Aretheyabletoproducethestickersandattachthemifyousupplythemwiththevectorfile? Thanks Reply HiMitch, Ofcourse–itjustcomesataprice.Stickersarebyfarthecheapestandmanywilldoitforfree.Fullcolorpackagingyou’llalmostalwayspayforunlessyouorderaverylargequantity. Reply HiDavid, Thanksforthewealthofinformation!Irecentlypurchasedyourebooktoo,whatagreatresourceformystartupecommercebusiness.OnequestionIhave,whichIcan’tseemtofindananswerfor,beingfromCanada,doweneedtohavebothenglishandfrenchonthepackaging?Andontheinstructions?Willthesuppliersaddbothlanguages?Thanks! Reply IwouldexpectyourSuppliertoaddnoinstructionsletalonetranslatethem:)TheymightprovideinEnglishifyou’relucky.TheretailpackaginglawsinCanadaarecomplexandIdon’tunderstandthemcompletely–withthatbeingsaid,fromexperience,it’snotsomethingCanadacustomsisaggressiveaboutlookingfor.IcouldbewrongbutIdon’tthinktheycheckforitatall–itsregulatedafterimportbyanotheragency. Reply HiDavid, GreatArticle!! Iamnewintothisimportbusiness,Ifoundtheproducts,buthowtomakesuretheseproductsareincompliancewithUSACPSA,CPCregulation.LotofsellergavemecertificationsfromEUstandard,butnooneisprovidinganycertificationrelatedtoUSAregulation. CanyouhelpmeifthereareanyspecificregulationwhichneedstobepresentduringcustomverificationandIshouldbeawareofifproductisforkitchenorkidstoycategory,sincemostofproductscontainsplasticparts. Thanksforyourhelp Reply HiRupesh, Yes,it’squitecommontheyhaveEUcertificationbutnotU.S.certification.IbelieveintheU.S./Canadathere’salotofonusontheimporterandnotjustthemanufacturer.UnfortunatelyI’mnotconfidentenoughontheregulationsoncertainproductsliketoystogiveyouanyadvice. Reply Iamanewonlineretailstoreowner.Ihaveselectedasupplierinchina.Ihavebeenadvisedthatthesuppliercandropshipdirectlytomycustomer.Thesupplierwillchargeme$16fordropshippingtocustomerand$2toprocessPayPal.Isthisagooddealornot.Mostofmyproductorderswillbearound$100ormore. Rachel Reply Onlyyoucanbethejudgeofthis.Isitstillprofitableforyou?Ifitis,thenitwouldappeartobeagooddeal. Reply Hithere Thiswasreallyinformative,Imnewtothisworldandtookawaysomereallygoodstuff.Onequestion–Isitnormalpracticeforthemtowanttodiscusestheorderoverwhatsapp?Almostallofthesuppliersihavecontactedhaverequestedmynumbertotalkonwhatsapp?thenpaythroughpaypal.Ihaveplacedtwoordersthiswayandthepackagesareindeedontherewayasicanseethemviathetrackingbutthisformofcontactseemsalittleoff? ThanksMel Reply YES.EverySupplierwantstotalkviaWhatsapporWeChat.Ihateit–emailkeepsthingsmuchmoreorganized,butthat’sjustthewaytheydoit. Reply HiDavid,IamfromTorontoandnewtoonlineselling.IhaveidentifiedaproductandcontactedseveralsuppliersfromAlibaba.However,IplantobuyafewsamplesfromAliExpressastheyhavegoodproduct-specificreviews.OnceIreceivethesamples,Iwillconnectwiththesupplierforbulk.Isthistherightwaytoapproach. Also,AliExpressdoesnothavePayPaloption,whatwouldbethesafestpaymentmode? Pl.Guide Reply YoucandoitthiswaybutthepersononAliexpressmaynotbethemanufacturerand/orbeabletoofferalotofdiscounts.I’veneverpurchasedthroughAliexpressactuallysoIcan’tconfirmwhatthebestpaymentmethodis. Reply HiDave, MyfirstAmazonorderIdidnothavetodealwithcustoms.EverythingwassmoothfromChinatoFC.MyAlibabasupplierhandledeverything.IsthatcalledFOB? IamworriedthattheremightbefuturemisunderstandingsandmyproductwillgetstucksomewhereinUSorgetrejectedbyAmazonduetocustoms. MysecondquestionisrelatedtoAmazonCanada.IambasedinVancouver–shouldIjustshipittomefirstandthenshipitouttothewarehouse(IthinkitsinSurrey?) Thankyou Reply IfitshippedintoAmazondirectlyfromChinathatwouldbeclosertoCFR.AssumingitwasgoingtotheUSA,yourorderwaslikelyunder$800oryoursupplierundeclaredthevalueontheinvoice.Becarefulifyourvaluestartstoexceedthat$800“deminimis”thresholdandbeawarethatinCanadathat$800thresholdis$20.Yes,ifyou’reinVancouverandshippingtoAmazon.caprobablyeasiesttoshiptoyoufirstalthoughAmazonwillverylikelyhaveyousendthegoodstotheirOntariowarehousesbutyoucanusetheircheappartneredcarrierdiscounts. Reply HiDave, Iamcurrentlyintheprocessofordering300t-shirtsfromanalibabasupplier.Theyhaveofferedagreatpriceandsamples.However,whenIaskhowmuchforshippingtheytellmetheycannotquotetheshippingchargeuntiltheylistthecargo.TheyhaveofferedthePIbutwithnoshippingcost.Iamwonderingifthisisanormalthingoristhisascam?Thisismyfirsttimepurchasethroughalibaba. Thankyou. Reply Hmm,scamsarerarebutitsoundsodd.Theyshouldbeabletoballparkashippingcharge–chancesarethere’ssomeconfusionsomewhereintheline.Ifyougetthedimensionsandtheweightyoucanestimatetheshippingchargesonyourown. Reply HiDave.Thanksforthisarticle.Ireallylearnedalot.Ihavenowselectedmysupplierandaskedthemtosendme3invoices(PayPal,WesternUnion,andBankTransfer)Theyarechargingmeanextra“handlingfee”forBankTransferandPaypal.Isthisnormal?Thankyousomuchinadvance. Reply Yes,fairlynormalnowadaysalthoughitcanbeapointofnegotiation. Reply whyisthesuppliercontactingmethroughhispersonalemail–notviaalibaba?shouldIanswer? Reply Notsurewhytheydoitbutit’snotthatunusual.Taketheusualprecautionsthough. Reply NiceinfosirkindlytelltellmeisthesupplierlistedonAlibabaaapreliable2.isitgoodtopay25dollarforsamplesviaWestunionontheindividualsname. Reply Toomanyvariablesinthisquestiontoanswerit. Reply HiDave, IfoundmysupplierthroughAlibabaandamusingTradeAssuranceformyinitialorder. IdraftedaPOandthesupplieragreedtotheterms.Ifoundafterpayingthe30%togettheorderstarted,thesupplierislessresponsiveandisnotstickingtotheterms(productionrunhasexceededagreedupon30daysandthesupplierisverynoncommittaltoprovidingareadydate). (Andnowthey’veshutdownforChineseNY!) Haveyouhadasimilarexperiencewithasuppliernotmaintainingthetermsoftheagreement?WouldyourecommendcomplainingtoAlibaba?Whatrecourseisthere? I’mstartingtothinkthepurchaseorderagreementisnotworththepaperitwasprintedon.. Reply Thegeneralruleistotakewhateverdeliverytimeyoursuppliergivesanddoubleit.YoushouldhavepenaltieswrittenintoyourPOnexttime-whenyouaskforthattheywillprobablyquoteamorereasonabledeliverytimeof45days(30daysisveryshortandunrealistic).You’remoneyisalmostcertainlysafebutdelaysarethenumberoneannoyanceinmanufacturing,especiallyinChina. Reply HiDave,first,thanksfortheblogpost.WhileI’vesuccessfullyorderedoncethroughAlibaba,there’sclearlyalottolearn.I’mgettingreadytoplaceasecondorder,andI’mwonderingifthereareoptionstoconsiderwithshippingcost.TheitemsI’morderingthistimearesmall(foodpackagingbags)andrelativelylight-weight.Iestimatethattheentirepackagewouldberoughly~50lbs.Theproblemisthatshippingeffectivelydoublesthecost.ArethereslowershippingoptionsthatIshouldrequestthatmightlowerthecost? Reply At50lbsyoucanonlyreallydoairshipping.Evenupto500lbsorsoairisprobablygoingtobecheaperforyou.Youwillsimplyhavetofactorthisintoyourcost.Ifyoucan’tbeprofitablewiththoseshippingcosts,unfortunatelytherewon’tbealotyoucandotoreducetheyourshippingcostsunlessyouplanonorder100xasmanybags(possiblyevenmore!). Reply HiDave, ThankyouforalltheinfoyouhaveprovidedforAlibaba.Iwantedtobuyanangelmonumentformyparentscemeteryplot.PriceshereintheUSare3or4timesasmuchandIbelievetheygetthesameitemfromchina.Isthereaspecificcompanyyouwouldknowthatothershadexperiencewithforagranitemonument.Wearelookingatabout8kcostormore.PeoplehereatmonumentcompaniestellmeifIdon’tgothroughthemI’lllosemoneyorit’llgetstuckincustomsforayearandIwon’tbeabletogetitem.Theytellmetheyonlydealwithoneortwoplacesoutthere…buthowcanIfindthese?Ihavebeenlookingatgoldmemberswhosaytheyhavebeeninbusiness9+years…butIdon’tknow.I’dhatetolose1/2dep…andneverhearfromthemagain.Iliveinboston…Idon’tevenknowifthere’saportinboston(IthinkitmaybeNYwheretheyshipfrom).Anyadvicewouldbegreatlyappreciated.Thankyou! Reply HiAnn, There’stoomanyquestionsforablogcomment,butthebestplacetocheckisAlibaba.Ifyou’reonlylookingtopurchaseonethoughthenitwilllikelybeverydifficultforyoutoimportitaffordably. Reply Hi,wealwaysshiptheitemtooverseabutalwaysfacingtheproblem,duetocustomerorderitemlikecosmeticsetc,mostDHL,FedEx,theredon’tshipthesensitiveitem,doesanyideasolvethis? Reply Yes,productswithhazmatissuescanbeaproblem.UnfortunatelyIdon’thaveaneasyanswerforyou. Reply OnlyGoldSuppliersareallowtoreplytoenquiries.Non-Goldsupplierscanreadtheenquiries,butarenotallowedbyAlibabatoreply.Theenquiringcustomerisnottoldthiswhentheymessage,soitcanmakethesupplierlookbadwhentheydon’treply.OnewouldhavetofindawaytocontactthesupplieroutsideAlibaba.IwouldonlydothisifIwereplanningtovisitandvetthepotentialsupplierinperson.HereisalinktoAlibabaFAQ:https://service.alibaba.com/ensupplier/faq_detail/20435526.htm Reply ThanksKevinforthegreatadvice!Neverknewthat. Reply HiDave, Hopeyouarewell.Thankyouforalltheinformation.IamsogladIfoundyourwebsite! IhavefoundaproductandnowIwanttobuyitfromAlibaba.IwouldliketousePayPalforpaymentbutthepaymentoptionssay“PayPalforofflineorders”DoesthismeanthatIwillnotbebuyingtheproductontheAlibabaplatform?TomeitsoundsalittleriskybutIamnotsureIwanttousemycreditcard.Whatwouldyousuggest? Anyadvicewillbegreatlyappreciated!Thankyou:) Reply Hi, Yes,AlibabadoesnotsupportPayPalforpaymentsthroughtheirplatform.PayPalhasalotofbuyerprotectionsthough. Reply Hello! Isubmittedanrequestforasampleof1productandsoIpaid$50astheselleraskedmeto.There’saTradeAssuranceContract.AfterIpaid,thesellersaidthattheminimumis1000pcs,whichisnotwhatIwaslookingfor.I’mstillhopingtoreceivethesamplesinceIpaidforit,butIwaswonderingifIwillbechargedforthe1000pcsafterthe‘initialpayment’,whichwasthe$50.I’mworriedaboutbeingcharge+$10000. Reply No,youwon’tbechargedfor1000pcsunlessyouwanttobuythem. Reply HiDave, Greatblog!DiscoveredyouguysfromamentionontheTimFerrisShowfromAllenWalton,andhavebeenreadingandlisteningtothepodcastsince.NotcurrentlyinvolvedintheEcom-world,butyoursitepaintsarealisticpictureofwhatisinvolved.KeepupthegreatworkandhopefullyIwillbeabletomeetyouguysonedayandhaveanecommbusinesstoshowyoubasedoffofwhatIhavelearnedfromEcomCrew. AlltheBest! Reply ThanksMatt-lovetohavenewreadersandlisteners:) Reply GreatarticleDave!Thisisincrediblefreecontent.I’vealreadybeenthroughtheprocessbutpickedupafewthingsthatIcandefinitelydobetter.Thanks! Reply ThanksMike–appreciatethecomments. Reply Hellow,IwanttoaskaquestionaboutthecollectionaccountholderincitybankSingapore,whichisinthenameofAlibaba.comSingaporeE-commercePrivateLimited.Iamabuyerandafterallthenegotiationprocesswiththeproviderunderthetradeassurancemethod,ineedtodepositthemoneyviabanktransferundertradeassurance,inthisbankaccount.IwanttoknowifitisAlibabaaccountnumber,andifaretheygoingtoretainthemoneyuntilthegoodsarrivetomyplace,andthen,alibanacandepositthemoneytotheprovider.Thecollectionaccountholderiswithalibaba.comsingaporee-commerceprivatelimited,and,accountnameiswiththeprovider´sname.isittrusworthyornot?canimakethedepositornot,andifso,whoistherightholderoftheaccount?Manythanks. FrancoBuitrago [email protected] +573203689350 Reply SoundslegitbutIdon’twanttosteeryouonewayortheother. Reply Veryinsightfulpost.whydoihavetomakesuremyproductaremarkedwith‘madeinchina’though Reply Countryoforiginmarkingsarerequiredbylaw. Reply IamasoloLandSurveycompanyandIpurchasedaGNSSsystemlastyear.Inlookingthroughthissameseller’sads(andafewothers)–IseethatsimilarwholesystemsseemtobeadvertisedathalforlessofwhatIpaidandwhatisbeingquotednow.Byweightandthepicturesontheadsitisclearthatthereiseitherabigmistakeorthatsomearegettingthesesystemsatbasicallyhalfofmypriceasasmallcustomer.Ifoundtwoseparateadsfrommypreviousdealerthatclearlyshowthatthisisa1+1receiversystemforhalfofmyquotes.Imentionedthisandsuppliedtheimagesandinfobackandthissellerclaimsthatthesequotesareonlyforahalfsystem,onereceiver.Anyadviceisappreciated! Reply Hmm,toomanyvariablesformetomakemuchofanassessment. Reply Thanksforthegreatinfo,Dave. I’mfindingthatsellersonAlibabaarecurrentlynotveryresponsivetomyrequests(notfollowingup/seeminterestedwithmyquestions/RFQs);doyouknowifthisisduetothecoronavirusoristhistypical?What’sgoingonoverthereinthefactories? Reply YestheCoronaviruswilldefinitelybeimpactingboththeirstaffingandinterestinworkingwithnewclients.Makesureyourinitialrequestsareeasilyanswered–notin-depthquestionsaboutcustomizingxxxproductin43differentways–savethoseforfutureemails:) Reply HiDave,Ihavesetupmystoreonshopifyandhaveagreeda30%discountwithmysupplierthroughaliexpress.IamusingDserstoprocessshippingandordermanagement.MyquestionisonceIreceiveanorderfromacustomerandgotofulfillititandpaythesupplieronAliExpresshowdoIgetmyagreeddiscountpriceandnotbechargedthestandardpricesdisplayedontheirshop.DoesthesupplierprovidemeadiscountcodeorwilltheychangemycostonAliExpress? RegardsMarcos Reply Haven’tuseditinawhilebutIbelievethesuppliercansendyouaninvoicewiththediscountreflected. Reply Pingback:15BestChineseWholesaleWebsitesToFindSuppliers(FAQsIncluded) HiDavid IliveinCanada,iamcomminguptostartmubusinesswithalibabawith50piecesofoneitem,butidon’tknowforsellingthemwouldbettertoworkwithAmazoninUSorinCanada?Second,ifistartedwithmylogoandinchangepay$50tosuppliermakessenseornot?Third,wiringthepaymenttosuppliersviaanybankofcanadaisadvisedanddoesn’tbringanycharge?Forth,havingsampleisadvisedbefirebuyingorbasedonreviewandmarketbackgroundofthatitemwouldbeenoughtowastethetime.Fifth,ifwewantedtoreducethepriceofouriteminamazon,isitacomplicatedprocessorlikeaeditinginkijiji,inamazonaswellwecandoit?Sixth,ifsomethingthatisellinamazonissellingwithothers,thenigoundertheirumbrellaoricanbeindependentintheamazonsite? Kindregards Reply Lotsofquestionshere,checkoutourFBAforCanadiansgroup:https://www.facebook.com/groups/FulfilledByAmazonForCanadians/ Reply howdoyousoldissueslike–theshippingfeeishigherthanproductitself?Istheresomesortof3rdpartypersonorwhat?How?:( Reply Toovagueofaquestion. Reply Thankyouforthispost.Iwillbecheckingyourpodcasttoo.Wedefinitelybenefitwithsuchgoodsupport.Thankyouagain! Reply Thankyou! Reply Greatpost!Iamplacinganorderthatrequiresanexpensivecustommold,andtheyareaskingfortheentirepaymentupfront.Fortunately,theyarenotaskingforanunreasonablylargeMOQ,butIamconcernedabouttheresultingproductquality,especiallysincethereisasubstantialupfrontcost.IwashopingyoucouldexpoundononecommentregardingTradeAssurance: “Thiswillmoreorlessguaranteeyouritemsareshippedbutwillnotgiveyouqualityguarantees(despitewhatAlibabaclaims).” SoshouldIcompletelydiscountthequalityguarantee?Idon’tseeIhowIcanplacetheorderifthisisthecase.Myplanwastobesuperspecificintheorderdetailssoastoavoidanyissueswithquality.Willthisgivemesomemeasureofcertaintythatmyorderwillbecoveredincasethereisanissue?Whatdoyousuggest?Thanks. Reply IwouldassumeAlibabawillnotcoverqualityatall.Ifyouspecifytheproductneedstobe11.5mmwideandtheymakeit11.4mmwide,Alibabaisn’tgoingtopolicethat. Reply HiDave,I’maUSbasedSourcingagentofabout12years.IdevelopedacustomwebbasedsoftwaretoreplacemyusingGoogleSheetstomanageallmysuppliers,interactions,quotes,productspecsetc.Spreadsheetsaregreat,butlimited.I’mnowtryingtogetfeedbackfromotherexperiencedagents.IwaswonderingifIcouldgiveyoualoginsoyoucanseeitforyourselfandletmeknowwhatyouthink. Reply Lookslikeaninterestingsiteandservivce! Reply HiDave, Thankyouverymuchfortheinformativearticle. Myquestion:ShouldIbeskepticalwhentwosuppliersusepicsthatareexactlythesame? Reply Couldmeanoneorbothhavenevermadetheproductandarewaitingforordersbeforeproducing. Reply Hi,justplacedmyfirstorderwithasupplierthroughtradeassuranceonAlibaba.Iamnewatthegamesoexcusewhatmightseemlikeasillyquestion.SoIhavepaida30%depositwithbalanceonshipment.MyquestionishowdoIgetaninvoicecoveringthisinitialamountasIneedtoreconcilethispaymentwithinmyaccounts.IhaveaproformafromthesupplierforthewholeamountbuthavepaidthroughAlibabawhichincludesasmallfee.SodoIgetaninvoicefromAlibabaatsomestage? Reply Younormallyonlygetaninvoiceforthefullamount. Reply Hi,thankyouforthearticle.IwasjustwonderhowdoIkeeptheshipmentcostdown?Iwanttobuysomethinginbulkmoqis2000piecesat.20centseachbutshippingpricegoesuptoalmost4000,00. IfIsendasampleformyselftovancouver,thenIsitcheapertobuythemoqandshipittoAmazonwarehouse? HowcanIstartfbawithbuyingproductsIthinkwillbegoodprofit.Theonlythingstoppingmefromorderingistheshipmentcost.HowdoesAmazonhandlethereceivingofyourproductsandpackingthem?Forexampleifthey’llproductscomeinabigbox150,howdoyougetthemtopackonly6or12toshiptoacustomer? Reply Therearehugeeconomiesofscaleinshipping.Youmightbepaying$4000for2000pieces,butthere’sagoodchanceyouwouldn’tpaymuchmoreforsignificantlymoreunits.Thekeyistotryandgetascloseto67CBM(a40′container)aspossibleasthiswillbeyourabsoluteoptimalshippingcost. It’lllikelycostmoretoshipittoyouinVancouverandthentoAmazonFBAUSA,however,I’dstillrecommendthisasthere’salotthatcangowrongtryingtoshipdirectfromChinatotheUSA. Reply 1.youplacedorderandboughttheitemsfromChina; 2.youneedtofindsomeonewholivesinChinatocollecttheseparcels/packages; 3.whowillopenthecartonstocheckthequalityandrepackthemaccordingtoyourinstructionintonewparcels/packages 4.thispackagesorparcelswillbenotlargerthan50*45*45cm,orsomethinglargelikeit; 5.thensendthesesmall/saperateparcelstoyou. Icoulddotheseworksforu Reply Youmentiontoavoidbabyproductsastherearealotofrestrictionsthatcomealongwiththem.Ironically,thebusinessIaminterestedinstartingwouldbemarketingbaby/momitems.Wouldyourecommendstayingawayfromthisareaalltogether,orjustavoidingAlibabawhenlookingforinventory? Reply HiPatricia–thebiggestthingistomakesureyoufindoutanyimportrestrictionsandtestingrequirements. Reply HiDavid I’mnewtothisandI’mabouttoplacedandorderof$1,900andmyshippingcostis$810isthiscorrect.Ihonestlythinkiswayovercharging.Pleasehelpme.Thankyouinadvance. Reply Dependsonwhatitis,butassumingit’sover50kgorso,itwouldn’tsoundabsurd. Reply Hiimnewtothisandimplanningtoordertodubaiwhatwouldsuggesttheshippingchargesshouldbeandwhichshippingmethodshouldiuse. Reply Dependsonthesizeoftheshipmentmorethananything. Reply HiAdrian, Thanksforthisgreatarticle. Iamwonderingaboutsomethingthatisn’toftendiscussed–isiteverpossibletobuyproductsfromAlibabawithlegitimatecertifications(e.g.aproductthatisfullyFCCcertified)?Ikeepfindingthatnosuppliershavealegitimatecertificatefortheirelectronics-basedproducts(somehaveacertificatebutitseemsfake). ThisissomethingthatIamreallystrugglingtofindananswerto.ItwouldseemtomethatIwouldneedtogeteverynewproductlabtestedtoensurecompliance,whichwillsetmebackabout$200-$300USDperproduct.Maybeitisthecasethatmostonlinesellersaresellingtechnicallyillegally(maybetheythinktheriskistoolowtoworryaboutbeingcertifiedproperly). Anyguidanceonthiswouldbereallyappreciated,becausemostguidesnevertouchonthissubject. Regards, Jack Reply Yes,verypossible,buttakessometimetoweedoutthepoorqualitysuppliers. Reply buendiadavid,megustomuchoelcomodescribeslorefeentealascomprasenchinapormediodealibaba,mipreguntaes…?ydeantemanotedoylasgraciasportuatinadocomentario,puedocomprarenchinapormediodealibabayvenderahimismotambienenalibaba? Reply ¡Hola,Severino!Alibabaesundirectoriodefabricantesyproveedores,norealmenteunaplataformadeventas.TupuedescomprarproductosatravesdeAlibabaylospuedesvenderenotrasplataformascomoAliexpressyAmazon Reply LeaveaReplyCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*Comment*Name* Email* Website Savemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment. Δ Backtotopbutton Close Searchfor: Close Searchfor