Unfortunately, not every supplier on Alibaba is as reliable as they should be.
In fact, you may come across suppliers who sell very poor quality products and can cause problems for customers.
If you want to reduce the chances of receiving problematic goods, it is crucial that you follow the following safety tips.
1. Use reputable suppliers
Alibaba offers different types of supplier rankings. All suppliers pay a fee to Alibaba in order to get the best possible certificate.
There is never a complete guarantee of overall quality (goods and manufacturer), but if you look for a supplier that has ALL THREE of the following labels,
you are more likely to find one that takes the quality of their business very seriously.
Gold Supplier : This supplier paid an expensive fee to become a Gold Supplier.
In many cases the fact that a fee is paid means you are less likely to end up being scammed. A better way to use this rating is to know how many years the supplier has had a reputation as a gold supplier. The longer it is, the more likely it is to be a reliable supplier.
Trade Assurance Supplier (the supplier uses insurance as Alibaba's consumer protection):
With this mark you can be sure that the products have been checked before delivery and that it will arrive on time. Otherwise, you can get a refund from Alibaba.
Production Monitoring & Inspection Services(third-party verified supplier): Inspectors as a third (independent) party should have examined this supplier, and you can even get a report on the results of the company's examination.
There are three types of inspections with a price range of 48-188 USD depending on the type of inspection.
In this way, you have narrowed down the possibilities of choosing a bad supplier.
You must also be wary of suppliers who require the entire payment to be sent to you in advance and to be sent independently of Alibaba.
It may be an indication that something is wrong.
2. Check reviews and ratings
Before deciding on a supplier, be sure to check the comments and ratings associated with them.
You can also check reviews on Alibaba, but it's also a good idea to do a bit more research on the company you want to do business with.
Consider looking it up on Google to get an idea of what to expect.
Also try Googling the name of the company combined with a term like "scam" to get a better picture of the seller.
There are also international supplier websites, such as Supplier Blacklist(Supplier Blacklist, which provide reviews and alerts for specific vendors.
Don't be lazy, do your homework.
While reading forums and reviews, pay particular attention to:
- Very low product prices along with complaints of low quality.
- Complaints about defective parts or broken products.
- Claims that the first shipment was good, but the second shipment showed quality problems.
- Bad working conditions in factories.
While you can't completely avoid a bad seller, you can reduce your chances of getting stuck with poor quality products.
3. Avoid branded products
When looking at suppliers and hoping to find a good one to work with, pay attention to those that offer well-known brands.
Products of well-known western brands are generally not available on Alibaba.
So, if you have a supplier who claims to offer cheap products from branded products such as Nike, Louis Vuitton or Adidas, run away from them. you answer.
So beware of suppliers who claim to offer you access to well-known brands at very low prices.
Chances are you could end up in trouble.
4. Shake your head
Don't forget to trust yourself and your gut. If something seems too good to be true, there probably is something wrong with it.
Does something seem unreasonable or illogical? Do you doubt how easily all this happens?
Wait a minute. You don't want to end up cheated.
Always exercise caution when dealing with Chinese suppliers and never be overly paranoid.
Take care and be careful who you trust!
You can find a detailed guide how to check companies in China on the page Verifying Chinese suppliers
