Where can I buy low priced, quality wholesale goods?

by 148 replies
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Hi. I wondered if anyone could tell me or recommend a good place where I could buy wholesale electronics and clothing etc. I have looked on alibaba.com and dhgate but am not sure if these are good or safe places to buy from. Please help!

Regards
Richard
#ecommerce sites, wholesaling & drop shipping #buy #goods #low #priced #quality #wholesale
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  • Hi there! Alibaba is supposed to be credible and so is Doba.com. I think both those are worth a shot. Doba just recently revamped their site so they may be a good option to go with.

    Valarie
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    • My signature contains a direct link to my website where you can buy the book .

      I have been offline for a little while, but watch this space for my answers to posts by ibas.
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    • I would not recomend any site such as Doba.com, where you have to buy a membership in order to buy stuff. Not a good idea, as most of the stuff you can find there can be found elsewhere for nothing, And often the prices are too high to make a profit.
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    • they both sucks and sell lot of china garbage and overpriced

      I would not use them
      Michael Ladd
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  • Ive used alibaba.com and aliexpress.com and haven't had a problem yet.
    But some people have on this forum.
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  • Hi Richard,

    First let me suggest that you avoid electronics if you are thinking of buying from China. I imported from China for 22 years prior to retirement and I would never handle electronics from there. Clothing is a different matter, and is easy to source provided you use the right sourcing sites.

    Regarding your general question, you can buy at much lower prices if you buy direct from a manufacturer rather than from a wholesaler. After all, wholesalers buy from manufacturers and if you can too, why not do so and keep all the profit for yourself?

    Don't let anyone tell you that you have to place big orders to buy direct from the factory. That is a myth that feeds the dropshipping and wholesaling industry while depriving resellers of huge amounts of profit.

    If you have been looking on Alibaba and dhGate you will have seen very big Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) quoted, but they are only there to deter newbies and small fry. With the right approach you can buy much smaller quantities.

    You are quite right to express some doubt about whether those sites are good or safe places to buy from. I would never recommend either of them, or any of the other popular sourcing sites for that matter.

    They all list huge numbers of suppliers falsely claiming to be manufacturers so that you will think you are getting good prices. The prices may look good compared to retail at home, but they are not good compared to ex factory prices in China.

    There are only a couple of sites that I recommend where they thoroughly check out suppliers so if they are listed as manufacturers you will know that they really are.

    Do warriors know that Alibaba (also owners of AliExpress) admitted that 2236 Gold Suppliers had defrauded customers? See my posts on the thread: How Trustworthy is Alibaba.com? It quotes from an Economist article headed "Alibaba and the 2236 Thieves." Recently, China's Government Consumer Protection Watchdog published a report on Alibaba's failures to make improvements. You can read about it here: China’s Consumer Protection Watchdog Reports On Alibaba
    .
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    • Hi. Thanks so much for your input. Would you mind telling me of the sites that you recommend?

      Regards

      Richard
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    • I bought some products from Aliexpress, most of the products on apparel is not as described and some of them are very disappointing.
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    • Very useful post thank you very much. I checked your website.


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    • This is very good place for buying and i have experience with it. 9/10 is my rate for this.
  • Hi. Thank you so much for all the valuable info.

    If could tell me some safe sourcing sites that would be a start.
  • For chinese websites, alibaba.com and Manufacturers & Suppliers Directory | Global Sources are most useful. There're many manufacturers and professional trading companies there. The rest like aliexpress.com and dhgate.com are full of resellers. Trust me because i'm in the industry :-)
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    • This is true. I think these marketplaces are excellent for market research, though you might find that you physically have to visit the factories/offices of companies on the site to inspect facilities or sign an agreement.
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  • just search on google for cheap products in china....
  • When I found a product that sold like hot cakes on eBay, I contacted the company that makes the item and they put me in touch with their wholesale distributor. I'm currently getting ready to make my first order.

    Sometimes going directly to the source is best. A manufacturer/distributor for well-known products is much safer than sites like Alibaba. You know the product you're getting is the real deal. The only downside is they might have stricter buying requirements, like higher minimums.
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    • Exactly. This is how I find almost all my sources.
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    • One thing to keep in mind is that often the person you are competing with on ebay is the Distributor. Pricing on ebay is often way less than it should be. This is because many markups are based on Distributor pricing and not Wholesale. Dont go thinking you are going to find a magical source on something like 5-Hour Energy. I am a buyer for a 70 store C-store chain. Our distibutor makes .07 per bottle off us and its obvious many of those selling on ebay are buying direct.
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  • I have heard good things about esources, anyone heard anything about them?
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  • ^^ Yeah...we get it......every post you keep saying this....lol

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    • Yes, for two reasons:
      1. It is obvious that very few warriors read an entire thread, and very few read all threads relevant to a particular topic, but mainly because:
      2. It is relevant to the point I am making as this more complete quote giving the context shows: " I ran an importing business for 22 years before retirement and franchised it in 4 countries. Only a couple of my franchisees ever visited the factories, instead relying on the safe sourcing practices that I taught them."
      That context shows that it is not essential to visit the factories in order to successfully operate an importing business. I taught them how to source and how to import and with those very few exceptions they did so from home.

      That was the point I was making and without the words that you quoted it would not make much sense.
      .
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  • Hi. I've been thinking about buying electronics on Alibaba.com. Do any fellow Warriors have first hand experience of buying from there? I feel if I am careful with whom I buy from I should be pretty safe. I know to buy from Gold Suppliers and use Escrow etc... is there anything else I need to look for to stay safe?
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    • Hi AffiliateRg,

      Gold suppliers are no better than any verified supplier because they are just verified suppliers who have bought gold status. A small number of them have paid extra for some real checking to be done. They may be OK.

      Make sure you read the fine print relating to the rules for using escrow, which is now called Secure Payment. There are procedures to follow within a strict time limit, and I have read a number of reports that some suppliers on Alibaba and AliExpress have worked out how to use that time limit to avoid claims.
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  • hi,

    doba.com is a great place to start out...but just grasp any ecommerce related wso that could help a lot to understand this business model.. its very lucrative for sure but you´d better have some prior insightful knowledge!! take care of yourself!!;-)
  • I still love your posts ImportExport
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  • If you can find a local liquidator I would go through them. But liquidators aren't real wholesalers because they can't supply you with the same products. Buying from a real wholesaler will require you to register your business.
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  • whatever is open to the public is at market rates ,
    if you want to sell high volume with a decent profit it have to be from exclusive vendor .

    pm me for samples
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    • If someone is determined to buy from wholesalers at inflated prices instead of buying direct from real manufacturers at the prices that wholesalers pay, they should at least do some research on the sourcing sites.

      For example GlobalSources, like all the popular sourcing sites give status ranking to their suppliers in return for payment.

      DHgate have long list of complaints filed against them on ripoffreport.com.

      Liquidation.com has a huge list of complaints filed against them on ripoffreport.com.

      Just because someone has heard good things about a sourcing site is no reason to just plunge in the deep end and use that site to locate suppliers.
      .
  • Hey pal,

    When it comes to buying things wholesale, I focus on using Alibaba as they tend to have most things you are looking for, mostly non branded which is good.

    Clothing is not so much problem just ask for samples, and check to see if that is the (Production Sample) you are getting then if happy send it back and tell them that this is the quality you are buying, if anything falls below you will need to send back.

    If you would prefer to get electronics direct from China I would ensure I do thorough research to ensure all the products are safe for your market again samples are required.

    The best way to do this is ask what is their (QC) quality check procedure, for example do they have a QC line manager, check product at each stage of development and do they do random checks of the final units on completion.

    Most guys on Alibaba are agents, so if possible work direct with manufacture but his may not be possible depending on your MOQ if not at least work with an agent that specialises in electronics.


    Any ways hope that helps.
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    • Because so few read right through any thread, let me just remind everyone that it is your money you are spending, so don't take for granted that sourcing sites suggested on the forum are safe.

      Try a search for Alibaba on Ripoff Report | Scams, reviews, complaints, lawsuits and frauds. File a report, post your review. Consumers educating consumers. where you will find a lot of people who have had bad experiences.

      BKenn is right about most guys on Alibaba being agents. Working with agents usually makes it more difficult, not less so, to buy smaller quantities. The reasons are:
      1. Agents or traders must make a big sale on the first occasion with a new buyer because they know that they will rarely get a repeat order.
      2. They often have no formal arrangement (if any) with a manufacturer, they just use the manufacturer's photos, hope to get an order and then hope to get the manufacturer to supply. If the order is a big one, they will probably get the manufacturer to supply but if not, they get nothing and have to refund your money.
      Big MOQs are quoted by manufacturers to avoid being pestered by newbies, wannabees, and small fry. If you take the right approach most can be persuaded to supply small quantities at genuine ex-factory prices.

      Regarding Quality Control; Just asking will usually get you great assurances, but you need cold hard proof in the form of ISO certification. You also need to know that many certificates for whatever purpose, are forged, so you need to know how to get confirmation whether or not they are genuine.

      I would say not just "if possible work with manufacturers", but it is essential that you work with manufacturers if you want profit margins that are probably beyond your wildest dreams. You are going to need a lot of luck to find real manufacturers if you try sourcing on the popular sourcing websites.

      You may think you are getting wonderful bargain prices if you buy from a wholesaler, but imagine how much better you can buy if you go to the wholesaler's supplier - the actual manufacturer.
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  • Appreciate all the comments guys.

    Would anyone else care to share their experience/s of buying items from Alibaba.com
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    • DanielJ's reply is typical of what happens when people use Alibaba for sourcing. There is no doubt that you can make money buying on Alibaba, but as he said "I've also come across a LOT of scammers". He has learned how to spot them,' but why take the risk?

      I teach my students how to use safe sourcing sites, where they can have a lot more confidence that they will not be ripped off.

      Alibaba admitted that 2236 Gold Suppliers had defrauded customers. See my posts on the thread: How Trustworthy is Alibaba.com? It quotes from an Economist article headed "Alibaba and the 2236 Thieves." See a more recent revelation here: China’s Consumer Protection Watchdog Reports On Alibaba

      Don't forget that Gold Suppliers buy that status, they don't earn it, and for a long time during this year Alibaba discounted the fee from $2990 to $299. What does that say about Gold Supplier status? Now every man and his dog is a Gold Supplier.
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  • Hi AffiliatRg,
    I've used both Alibaba and Worldwide Brands, so I thought I'd give me 2 cents I've had very good experiences with both. Worldwide Brands was where I started. I first consumed all of their free information (really good stuff- they will tell you also to avoid electronics in general) then I bought a membership ($300 one time payment.) You CAN find suppliers on your own (and worldwide brands will tell you this) but it's a lot more work. For me the $300 was worth it for the wealth of information they provide and the fact that all suppliers are screened and verified. The downside is that worldwide brands has a LOT of members. When you buy from their suppliers, chances are, lots and lots of other people are buying from them as well as the same prices and possibly selling the same places you are (if you're looking to sell on Ebay or Amazon- if not, you've got a lot more work ahead of you in terms of promotion, SEO, backlinking, promotion etc). All in all, my experience has been very good and I HAVE been able to find plenty of suppliers at a decent profit.

    Alibaba is really the "next step." For me, buying from overseas was really scary initially. U.S. suppliers that I found in Worldwide Brands seemed much less risky, but the profit was also lower in most cases. Importexport's information in this thread is solid, but it is clear that they have been doing this for quite some time and have learned a thing or two along the way I know when you're starting out, it can be really intimidating. Alibaba has been a great experience, but I've also come across a LOT of scammers (thankfully I learned enough to never buy from them). Once you learn a bit about the process, the scammers are quite easy to spot. With Worldwide Brands, I've never had problems with scammers. It's a safe way to start. Once you get comfortable, learn as much as you possibly can about importing goods and go to the source! Good luck!
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    • Well Recon,

      If you are happy with the prices quoted by the traders masquerading as manufacturers, that may be the site for you, but if you want to buy at the prices those traders pay, you need to find the real manufacturers.

      As I have already pointed out on this thread, most of the suppliers listed on Alibaba as manufacturers are not.

      I know that few people read more than the last one or two posts, but you might like to have a look back at my post yesterday in which I provided a link to a news article with the title "Alibaba and the 2336 Thieves"
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  • Funny how this was my thread and it's been taken over by others! Guess it was a good topic to bring up, feels good to have provided value on here
  • @Importexport Please tell me how I can purchase your course
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    • @AffiliateRg,

      My signature contains a direct link to my website where you can buy the book .

      I have been offline for a little while, but watch this space for my answers to posts by ibas.
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  • I am wondering how it could work with importing small quantities from China.

    I mean a large part of the cost is in the shipping. Small orders are likely to get shipped via EMS or another courier service. Especially when you insist paying with paypal ( and not many suppliers will even accept that ) they surely want to protect themselves by shipping with a paypal accepted service with tracking. That will eat up most of the potential profits, will it not ?

    And they will overcharge you for the shipping anyways to make up for your persistent negotiations on the goods, won't they ?

    So I really wonder how anyone can import a small qty. and be still profitable considering the fact that just about anything you could import is sold by the same Chinese seller on ebay....??

    Confused....
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    • You are quite right that shipping costs can be a substantial part of total landed cost. The solution is simple:

      Don't buy from the traders and wholesalers that you will find by the thousands listed on the most popular sourcing sites. If you buy direct from genuine manufacturers it is possible to buy small quantities at prices that will allow for door to door air courier charges and still make good profits.

      I know, because I and my franchisees did it for 22 years, and although the business is now owned by someone else, those same franchisees are still doing very nicely.

      You mention Taobao in a later post so I will comment on that also. Maybe all I need to say is that Taobao is owned by Alibaba, but for those who haven't read any posts about Alibaba, let me deal specifically with Taobao.

      The website is in Chinese and is intended for use by Chinese buyers. English translations will make you either laugh or cry, and many Chinese entrepreneurs know that, so they have set up businesses as middle men to buy from Taobao for English speakers.

      Some offer English translations, many of which are no better than Google Translate's near impossible version. All of them charge a fee for their service, but buyers are working partly blindfolded. They can't be sure if their middle man is buying from the lowest price source or the source that pays them the highest commission.

      Taobao allows the sale of big brand goods. That may be OK for buyers in China and HK where intellectual property protection is almost non-existent, but buyers from western countries risk confiscation, fines, and at the least flagging of their name and address by Customs so every shipment ever after will be delayed.

      You will not find manufacturers listed on Taobao, so although the prices may look good compared to what you pay in western countries they are nowhere near as low as you can buy from genuine manufacturers.
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    • Your confusion seems to come from the comments in your last sentence. Anyone who buys from the kind of suppliers you are describing is not really running a viable business.

      It is possible to import small quantities profitably. To do so resellers must follow this procedure:
      • Do your market research as taught by Auctiondebteliminator
      • Use a safe sourcing site to locate suppliers. Avoid the big popular sites that are always being recommended on WF.
      • Choose only genuine manufacturers to deal with.
      • Ignore MOQs
      • Negotiate a small order
      • Make sure you are getting the best possible price
      • Have the supplier pre-pay door to door freight
      • Sell, sell, sell.
      I know you will still be confused, but that is due to your mindset that seems to think that everyone must buy from wholesalers. Buying direct from manufacturers, even for small quantities can result in buying prices that do allow for costly EMS or air couriers and still leave heaps of profit.
  • Well, I know that some buyers on eBay will only purchase goods from their own country and therefore would be prepared to pay a higher price. Remember, it's not all about the price. Good customer service and great feedback go a long way towards making consistent sales.
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    • True, but how much more are they willing to go ?

      Looking at sellers from China Mainland or HK - damn....lots and lots of sales. Hard to compete if your cost is already higher than their selling price.

      If I do the basic math based on shipping with either FEDEX ( real bad IMO ) , DHL, EMS I won't be able to get much in neither weight or volume for my buck. Unless the items are really small and weigh next to nothing...

      Next step would be considering Ocean Freight. A heck of a lot cheaper but also with surprising cost's no one wants to talk about.

      Example:

      1 cbm ( cubicmeter ) from HK to US, port of Long Beach, CA.

      Cheap with $ 125.00. Sounds good. But there is more, of course.

      $ 40.00 for the ISF filing to start. 2 days in advance to be filed or penalty.

      After it gets to the warehouse the fun starts. 50 bucks for forklift charges.
      50 bucks for the broker you need to have to clear customs. Wharfage, demurraghe. devaining. Some of those are included with shippers but not always.

      First time import ? Get ready for CBP to take a look at your stuff. That will run you anywhere from 400 to 500 bucks , depending on where it needs to go to be checked.

      So, even Ocean Freight is pretty much out of the question for "small" orders. Doesn't matter if you get 1 cbm or 10 cbm - those charges are always the same.
    • I agree with you. I usually buy Canadian or Usa. The shipping is usually faster too. Last item ive ordered from China on ebay was 1 month and 1/2 ago and i still haven't received it. Will consider NOT buying from China again.

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    • I would not recommend using Doba, as you want to stay far, far away from recurring costs. Plus, many of the items you find on here will be offered cheaper on Amazon.

      Worldwide Brands is the only reliable source I've found, though it is quite expensive. You're not going to find THAT many name brands, but you will definitely find a lot of products. The companies on here also list light bulk, bulk, etc. beyond just drop shipping.

      Alibaba is interesting, but I have no direct experience with that website.

      Best of luck,
      Funk Doctor
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    • Like many have said, alibaba is a great source for (sometimes) quality, wholesale goods.
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  • In your case it may be different - UK does things a bit different I suppose but still, check with a freight forwarder for all cost of seafreight. FOB doesn't mean its all paid for.

    As for DHL - best option to get small order from HK to US or Europe. They have a flat rate parcel that may contain up to 25kg of goods - as long as it fits into the provided box.

    The size of the box is roughly 44 x 44 x 40 cm.

    If your supplier tells you that it may contain only 20kg it means that he doesn't ship a lot. DHL will give frequent shippers 5 kg for free since they do not do discounted rates on that route.
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  • But that wasn't your original question
    This is only me but I do not do anything with Alibaba, Aliexpress ( retail oulet ) or any of the other Chinese sites. Taobao would be the only one to consider but that is a whole other ball of wax.

    I believe in personal contacts to make things run smooth and efficient. Spending hours chatting with some Chinese saleslady without getting anywhere is a waste. Again, my pesonal opinion and some other people may see that different which is perfectly alright.

    And why always China anyways ? Start thinking about that. China is not the only place in the world where Chinese live and sell Chinese made goods for cheap
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  • @Importexport,

    You seem like a genuine guy to me. How long is your course available for?
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    • Thanks AffiliateRg,

      I intend keeping on with it while ever I still enjoy what I am doing. Having been forced to retire due to ill health I wrote and published it to stop myself going crazy doing nothing, and I get a lot of pleasure out of helping people get started in importing.
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  • Hi All..Im in the process of setting up a few dopshipment websites, but want to know is it worth signing up to one of those wholesale source websites, if so, which is the best? esources, worldwidebrands etc? thanks
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    • Hello. I have heard good things about both sites but I don't know about the dropshipping side of things, I only know that they are supposedly good places to find wholesale suppliers. I know that worldwidebrands verifies all suppliers in their database.
    • You might like to have a look at the thread: Is WorldWide Brands worth the $299 membership fee?
      and in relation to eSources, I suggest you check out the complaints on
      www.ripoffreport.com/reports/specific_search/esources

      Now if you want to really make money out of your websites you might consider buying small inventories direct from the manufacturers overseas rather than paying the inflated prices charge by wholesalers and other middle men.
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  • Hey,

    you can find your good quality goods with discount codes, coupons and special offers at http://eng.goodscheine.net/
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    • Marcmart is like a single supplier version of the large sourcing sites. The difference is that Marcmart only supply as wholesalers or middlemen and they compete directly with their customers as their post says.

      Their discounts for dropship resellers range from 5% to 12%. How can anyone make money at those rates? Resellers would be like low paid employees of Marcmart.

      If you choose to stock inventory and buy wholesale, the discount rates for wholesale buyers ranges from 2% to 30 %.

      Warriors may prefer to buy small inventories direct from the manufacturers where wholesalers like Marcmart buy, and that way they can enjoy margins many times higher.
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  • Try doing the following search on Google or variations of it: drop ship clothing tax id or drop ship apparel tax id.

    Alibaba is actually a pretty decent site.
  • IF you like great electronic with great price, you will not miss out volumerate.com, which i keep ordering for years.
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  • I've heard nothing but good reviews in regards to Alilibaba for services ( I just butchered there name ). I'd go with them.
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    • You have certainly not read many posts about Alibaba on this forum, and you could not possibly have looked them up on ripoffreport.com where there are 36 adverse reports on Alibaba, and 20 on their offshoot Aliexpress.

      I strongly advise Warriors to always check sources that are casually recommended on the forum. It is my business to do so because I teach safe sourcing, and I have to protect my students, but everyone should do those checks.

      After all it is your hard earned money you are risking on the say so of someone who often knows nothing about safe sourcing.

      You might like to read the threads: How Trustworthy is Alibaba.com?
      and the more recent revelations on China’s Consumer Protection Watchdog Reports On Alibaba
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  • hello .. if you are looking for wholesale teak garden I am always ready to welcome you
  • where is wholesale teak garden ???
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    • Yes, I would like an answer to this one too please!
  • My favorite places to get inventory is the free section on Craigslist,Flea Markets,Garage & Estate Sales (Tag Sales) Just asking people is a big one people never do.If your at a yard sale and you buy a couple of things,dont be afraid to ask the owner if there are any things INSIDE the house for sale.There is a price tag on everything,especially when the seller is broke and you have cash.Ive gotten deals on everything from household appliances to antique furniture all because I asked that question.Another great question to throw at a garage or yard sale owner is "Hey,do you have any BROKEN jewelry you dont want?"The word broken is the key here.Dont say high quality words like diamonds or platinum.Human beings are funny creatures and we all have an out of sight out of mind approach to many things.There may be a zip lock bag in this ladies under wear drawer and since its all broken rusted and dusted,you just got it for $30.Always engage and chat with people when you are out and about.If the day is a bust and you cant find any good deals,all is not lost because you have successfully added a few more faces to your network and a larger network increases those profit margins which in turn increase YOUR smiles!
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  • Apparently, the people who have good suppliers are going to keep that info to themselves -the only good information you are going to get is who to stay away from ;-)
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    • AffiliateRG and Importexport,

      affiliaterg thank you very much for starting this thread and importexport thank you a ton for some excellent insights from your own personal experience.

      I have read every post in this thread and it is amazing that some people chime in without reading a single reply or post.

      For someone starting out or thinking in this type of direction, it can sound like a daunting task to get started but with some of the info passed right here in this thread, (some replies) it removes some of that fear and doubt.

      I too am jumping in head first but will be doing as much research as possible first.

      A few years back (5-6 yrs ago) I did have some dealings with an offshore manufacture (china) and "importexport" is absolutely correct, I was able to negotiate an excellent price for 200 units (small product) and the manufacture actually paid the export/shipping costs for me. There original minimum was 1000 units but the shipping and customs was going to cost me almost as much as the product so they were willing to cut it for my continued business and eat that cost themselves.

      I ended up placing numerous orders with them and they continued their excellent service with me and paid all costs to export to the US. Unfortunately my biz fizzled based on new technology and lack of availability of what I was doing at the time..

      I basically ended up with a 400 percent free markup on my product at the time and still beat the prices of almost every other person selling similar or the same item on ebay.

      Make sure and do your due diligence, like importexport mentioned, dealing manufacture direct kills the competition 10 fold. My only tough part of the whole encounter was dealing with my manufacture rep, me being born and bread American (English speaking and hearing) and a native born and bread chinese was difficult at times although it was a great experience for me as was for her, we kept in contact for quite sometime even after my biz fizzled.
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  • Hi Richard, not quite an Alibaba, but have you looked at Stockshifters in the UK?
  • is the stuff on alibaba legit
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    • If you are asking about brand name products the answer is NO.

      And don't ever be tempted to buy the fakes. Sooner or later you will get caught and at the very least the goods will be confiscated and you lose your money.
  • I would recommend DHgate.com all products from China but you can in almost every instance secure your funds prior to getting your shipment and then release when goods are checked.
    Works well with Paypal I have done a lot of transactions never a problem and they have English speaking helpline.
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    • Before blindly accepting any recommendations warriors should do some research. Warriors should never accept off the cuff suggestions about sourcing. Always check them out. Sometimes it requires a bit of detective work but it could save you a bad experience.

      DHgate has a lot of unfavorable comments posted on Ripoff Report | Scams, reviews, complaints, lawsuits and frauds. File a report, post your review. Consumers educating consumers.
      and you will also find heaps of bad reviews just by doing a Google search.

      There are hundreds of sourcing sites that I would advise my students to avoid, and only a very small number that I recommend.

      If you want the prices that the wholesalers pay before they add their margin, forget about buying from wholesalers at all. Go direct to the manufacturers overseas, where you will get prices that make "wholesale" look very expensive.

      Surely it makes sense to buy the products at the lowest possible price.

      If you follow the crowd and buy from wholesalers, they are getting profit that could so easily be in your bank account.
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  • Doba.com is the best place ever to buy low priced items.
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    • Time and time again we see posts like this that show that people don't bother searching the forum and certainly don't read many of the posts. Doba has taken a beating on this forum so do a little search of the forum and see why.

      While you are at it, check out Ripoff Report | doba.com Search of Complaints & Reviews
      40 complaints and this one: Ripoff Report | doba directory of Complaints & Reviews
      135 complaints.

      The difference between the two report lists is that on the first one the search is for doba.com and the second one the search is for doba. This shows that it is necessary to search thoroughly.
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  • I've used aliexpress.com and dhgate.com without any problems, but shipping options and prices can be tricky.
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    • These last 2 posts highight the fact that few people seem to bother reading more than 1 post before they reply.

      On Feb 20 I posted a response to one recommending DHgate and the same applies to Aliexpress, but also to other popular sourcing sites.

      Do yourselves a favor. Before you start searching for suppliers on the popular websites, put the names DHgate, Aliexpress, DX.com, Alibaba, tradekey, madeinchina.com, and any others you see recommended on the forum into the search bar at Ripoff Report | Scams, reviews, complaints, lawsuits and frauds. File a report, post your review. Consumers educating consumers.

      Remember it is your money you are risking. Spending some time and effort on research could save you a bad experience. If you are doing a Google search for reviews don't forget that some review sites are in fact affiliate sites pretending to provide reviews, but using their fake reviews to get you to click on the sites where they get paid a commission.

      There are a few safe sites where you can find genuine manufacturers and if you use the right approach you can place small orders at such low prices that you will wonder why you ever threw money away buying at high "wholesale" prices.
  • DHGate.com could also help.
  • this is an interesting offer
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  • Places like that are where people go to find hot sellers. In doing so they join the crowds of people who all buy from the same dropship suppliers and the result is massive competition.

    The outcome is so often a price war with no winners. Margins when dropshipping are low enough without trying to beat everyone down to a level where there is no profit left.

    Most people seem to think they can only run a business following what everyone else is doing, so we constantly see posts asking how to find hot sellers. This is despite the warnings issued by a number of expert eBay and Amazon marketers that hot sellers are always extremely competitive products to try to sell at a profit.
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    • I suggest reading this thread from the beginning. As far as Alibaba goes (not to mention dhgate etc), you really need to be careful. It's not only the manufacturers or agents, there are lots of other frauds to deal with. And I have a story to tell for example.

      I had a 4-year contract with a decent manufacturer, everything was running smooth up to one point when I got a call from the manufacturer saying that the transfer hasn't still arrived at their bank. So my first thought was OK I will call my bank and sort it out asap (usually numbers missing etc). To my surprise, I was told that the transfer has gone through successfully. And several days ago... That was alarming.

      So I got back to my PC, looked everything and remembered that the manufacturer even told me that they received the transfer. I also remembered they asked me to make the transfer to another acc as their current bank had some issues (can't recall the issue) so I told them to look at the other account they gave me. I got a response that they didn't provide any new accounts to me and what was I talking about. I then obviously knew that it was bad.

      I followed up the e-mails we exchanged and I wasn't able to figure it out for about an half an hour and then I saw it. The email extension was different, instead of .com there was .net etc. I dated this back to two months before the transfer even happen. So we instantly filed a fraud case, told the Chinese what we discovered and they did the same.

      It was about 60-70k transfer. These guys were monitoring the e-mails several months before and I remember talking the supplier several times without knowing someone is keeping a close eye on the emails, just changing them a bit. I remember calling them about the new acc (wasn't able to reach them), and ended up asking a confirmation about the new acc via email. which was obviously confirmed.

      I was later able to get the emails from Chinese side as well and I compared them with mine, it was a masterful job making each email a bit tilted. Eerie stuff as they even mimicked the manufactures writing style, and did it very well.

      They were so confident that they went for the 70% (I had a 30/70 agreement with them). 30% before (to correct acc) and 70% against BL (to fraud acc). I was quite lucky to escape this with bruises as the shipment was being late and as I had a government contract I urged them to release the BL after the transfer asap (to avoid any delays). So these fraud guys made sure that I was getting my BL and I did. They were simply doing this to make sure there was enough days between the transfer and finding out what was going on. They made sure I was pleased so they had enough time to get the money and vanish.

      The problem was on their side, one of the executives who were CC'd was simply hacked. At least that what they said to us. Agents working on our side suspected an inside job, but they were purely speculating on the emails. There was nothing anyone could do about it. They never saw the money.

      So yes, there are many things you need to be aware of and that was just tip of the iceberg of stuff you might encounter on your ventures.
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    • Thanks @PGCEE. What you described is only one of the thousands of scams that happen every year to people who buy from suppliers on places like Alibaba and DHGate.

      There is a lot of smoke and mirrors on Alibaba, and working out fact from fiction takes experience. I share that experience with warriors in my thread (see below).

      For that amount of money you should have used a Letter of Credit. (L/C) An L/C is only paid by your bank to the supplier after the goods have shipped, and the supplier has met every tiny detail of your order, as specified on the L/C.

      Using L/Cs is not totally safe either, because expert scammers can provide fake Bills of Lading.(B/L) As a result the safest payment method using L/Cs is to insist on a reputable, long-standing international inspection service verifying the loading of the goods on board, after first verifying the quality, and the loading of the container, and the sealing of the container. They should also verify the authenticity of the B/L.

      For more information on the subject of safe product sourcing and importing, see my thread: Ask Me Anything About Product Sourcing And Importing For Profit. ― Veteran Importer Here

      You can ask questions there and get answers from someone who has had a long lifetime of experience in shipping, exporting, and importing.

      Walter Hay
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    • Welcome! True, L/C is very reasonable, especially while working with new suppliers. The problem with L/C is that it's quite expensive to obtain. As my orders are almost always based on the technical description I like to keep myself safe with on-site inspections. Reasonably priced, and helps you sleep at night. Gets off-topic, but you usually get 'scammed' because you are being comfortable and making assumptions on what the other side should logically be doing. This is where the problems begin, but I guess these stories are for another thread!
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  • I have to laugh at these extended posts, people just don't read anything, even when they are being given solid advice. All of these directory sites are for lemmings, you can all run off the price cliff together.

    If you want to make money, follow Yogi Berra's baseball advice. Hit 'em where they ain't. Find a niche where few folks hang out and then attack that. If you join the lemmings you will be at the bottom of the cliff with all the other "if I price it lower I get more volume" nuts. Or better yet, listen and learn from IE and ADE.
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    • I agree. Very few people seem to know that Warrior Forum has a search facility, or else they can't be bothered using it.

      It is also obvious that most don't bother reading more than the last one or two posts if that.

      The Spam posts by DanBr and iris zhao might have temporarily revived this old thread, but they have certainly not added any value.
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  • Well, if you have a sales license you can contact any manufacturer and get order prices/minimums likely without having to deal with a middleman wholesaler. I've contacted a number of manufacturers and all they require is that one have a sales license and be able to place a minimum order. Also, the minimum orders were not large in many cases.
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    • Sorry but I don't publish the details online for the simple reason that there is a lot that you need to know before you start sourcing.

      I won't throw someone in the deep end until they learn to swim.
  • The majority of the suppliers in Alibaba are manufacturers as far as I know,and most of them are really honest ones who are always willing to help.The conclusion the IMPORTEXPORT has comes from nowhere.There are also many manufacturers in Aliexpress as well,everyone knows that B2C is playing a more and more important role in international trading right and many manufacturers would like to obtain a market share at this early stage.
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    • My conclusions come from many years of experience. I can categorically state that the majority of suppliers listed as manufacturers on Alibaba (and other popular sourcing sites including Aliexpress) are not manufacturers. Here's an example:

      Recently one of my students decided against my advice to go to Alibaba for sourcing. He found seven likely suppliers, all claiming to be manufacturers. Having read my book, little warning bells sounded, and he asked me to help check them out.

      Within less than 10 minutes I had found that five of those manufacturers were in fact wholesalers. It took me another few minutes to check out the other two and only one of them was really a manufacturer.

      There are ways to find out who is genuine, but I prefer to send my students to safe sourcing sites where they can be sure that suppliers are what they claim to be.

      People such as our OP are not interested in buying from the B2C suppliers that you refer to. They want to buy at the best possible prices and the only way to do that is to go direct to the manufacturers, but not to those manufacturers who have in effect become retailers like those B2C suppliers you are referring to.
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  • Hi Richard,
    i am living and working on China, Shenzhen is famous for its electronics and Dongguan is famous for its clothes, if you want to buy high quality,low cost products, you can contact me, i will give you some suggestions.
  • You could also check out local websites that sell remaining stock or stuff from closed shops. I found some nice priced articles that way.
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    • If, like most people, all you know is Alibaba.com, you should do yourself a favor and read this whole thread. Even just reading page 1 would help you a lot.

      Alibaba is a site with a bad reputation as you will find if you take the time to read what is already in front of you at the click of a button.

      This might be an old thread but it contains a lot of useful information.

      Walter Hay
  • Hi did you find any suppliers. Manufactures for electronics or clothes. I read through this forum and I am thinking about dipping my toes in. I have been contacted from suppliers in china indirectly through Aliibaba and the prices for tvs, laptops and phones are great, a little to great. From Ireland, any info you can ive me would be much appriciated.
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    • Please do yourself a favor and read this thread from the beginning.

      Alibaba and DHGate have very bad reputations.

      Walter Hay
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  • Try Frerez & Oasis Sublimation.
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    • The Italian business you have recommended sells big brand clothing.

      WARNING! Such sites may suit resellers in the EU, but importers in other countries should be aware that importing the big brands they carry can be risky. Here is a list of possible consequences:
      • The goods will likely be confiscated.
      • Prosecution with fines and possible imprisonment could follow.
      • The brand owners could sue the importers into bankruptcy.
      • Customs will flag the importers' names and addresses so that every subsequent shipment of any kind of product to them will be delayed for thorough inspection.

  • If you are buying in bulk Alibaba is a great place to start. I have had good experience on Alibaba in the past just be sure to check a few things like how long they have been on the platform and if they are an assessed or gold supplier and offer trade assurance. Also be sure to message them prior to placing your order and be sure to ask lots of questions and request free or discounted samples.

    You can also just do some indepth google searches and see what comes up, you may have to dive past the first few pages before you find anything.
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  • Alibaba.com all the way buddy.
    Or Indiamart.com for Suppliers from India.
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    • Warriors should be careful about accepting such off-the-cuff recommendations. Alibaba is renowned for the number of people who have been scammed by suppliers listed on that site.

      I have already posted warnings on this thread, mostly in answer to recommendations to use Alibaba. See Posts #5, #26, #32, #39, #42, #70, #98, #108, #112, #124 (just a few posts back on this page). I suggest that everyone should do themselves a favor and read this whole thread.

      Indiamart also has a large number of scammers operating there, but if you must use a risky site like that, only consider ones that have a
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  • Followings sites contains wholesale goods :
    Shopclues
    Aliexpress
    Tinydeals
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  • From Which country you want to buy goods? In your country or you want to import? If you want to import then there are several issues will come. So you have to understand first how to deal with those issues. Then you can search. there are lot of wholesale exporter. you can buy form them. First choose your product then search.
  • @importexport Thanks for the link to that thread... Great info there.
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  • You're welcome...

    koleimports.com
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    • If Kole can import the products you want to sell, so can you. You can buy direct from the manufacturer and make a killing by bypassing the wholesalers.

      See Post #132 above.

      Walter Hay
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  • May i know what products are you looking for?
    To be honest. dont too care about LOW price, let the manufacturers know you care quality more.

    And you gotta spend some money to buy some samples and test it.
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  • 2 months ago i started ordering at ebay, but i'm having a hard time looking for a clothing supplier. While browsing online, since i am into women's clothing designing. I came up with Bella+Canvas an i must say, they are really reliable, They provide wholesale clothes (men,women and kids) I am still looking for a good t-shirt printer though.
  • I go to merchandise shows in New York, vegas, chicago, boston, etc...
    all you need to get in is a business card with your name on it and a state resellers license
    thousands of companies to connect with.
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    • I guess that is an affiliate link you are advertising, but I will comment anyway.

      The smallest pallet buy on that liquidation site is over $500 and the biggest one is nearly $7,000. If anyone has enough money to buy such large amounts of returns, they have enough to start a sustainable business by importing small or large quantities direct from the real manufacturers.

      I teach how to safely buy direct from factories in China and other countries, at prices that will blow you away. Don't think any wholesaler will give you prices as low as you can get from the factory. Until you get quotes from genuine manufacturers, not from those thousands of traders pretending to be manufacturers on the big B2B sites, you can't imagine how low the prices can be.

      Walter Hay
      Provenchinasourcing
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    • Newbies who accept such casual recommendations can be in for a rude shock.

      The great majority of suppliers on Alibaba are now Gold Suppliers, because those who aren't are not permitted to receive sales inquiries via the Alibaba system.

      Many so-called "experts" will tell people that they should only use Gold Suppliers for safety, but that is plain old BS. The standard verification, (called On Site Inspection) for Gold Suppliers only proves that the business exists and is a registered business. They get the Gold Supplier badge by buying it, not by proving that they are any better than any other business.

      Very few people know how to sort out which suppliers listed on Alibaba as manufacturers really do manufacture. Most of them are in fact traders, who sell other companies' products after adding a big margin to the factory price.

      I teach how to safely source products whether on Alibaba, or on one of the safer sites I recommend. I teach them how to identify real manufacturers, how to negotiate, how to understand the importing process without having to learn all the rules, and how to be sure they are getting the best prices even if they are placing an order that is much smaller than the huge Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) usually required.

      For help on the subject, have a look at Ask Me Anything About Product Sourcing And Importing For Profit. ― Veteran Importer Here. where you can ask me any questions.

      Walter Hay
      Provenchinasourcing
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    • All of the many casual and uninformed suggestions to use Alibaba, DHGate and others have been thoroughly dealt with on this long running thread. Use such sourcing sites at your own risk!

      If you want to really learn something about sourcing products for resale you should read this entire thread. It is a gold mine of information, but most people don't bother reading more than the thread title or maybe the last one or two posts.

      By doing that they are missing out on a lot of information that could actually help them make bigger profits. Read from the start of this thread and find out why wholesale prices are very expensive compared to buying direct from the manufacturers in China. (Where many wholesalers buy.)

      Walter Hay
      Provenchinasourcing
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    Repeating what everybody has said - ALWAYS REQUEST SAMPLES.
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  • For me I think Aliexpress was really good the company they teamed up for their products. That's the only company I've ever used and never had a problem at all .
  • I personally would hire someone in a country to keep an eye on the factories for you and get the right prices for you
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    • How do you know if they are trustworthy?

      I began importing from China in 1987 and I know how the system works. It is very common for agents to not only charge you a commission (that's OK they have to make a living) but they also get a commission from the supplier they find for you.

      If you want the best product and the best prices you need to learn how to safely source your products. To help you on your way I have an AMA thread Ask Me Anything About Product Sourcing And Importing For Profit. ― Veteran Importer Here. where you can get a lot of helpful information. You can ask questions there if you like and get an answer that is based on a lifetime of experience.

      Walter Hay
      Provenchinasourcing
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    • This is very poor advice offered by someone who just wants to sell his Taobao sourcing service.

      If you want to source any products you should learn how to do it safely, and you don't need to limit yourself to Alibaba, just because of product value, weight or size.

      Those are things that buyers on most B2B sites deal with as a matter of course. It's certainly not difficult as I have taught many hundreds of new importers.

      The second suggestion offered referred to madeinchina.com. That company has a notoriously bad reputation, and I suggest that people stay away from it. The site with an almost identical name made-in-china.com is a totally different business and has a good reputation, but newbies need to learn how to use that site because like Alibaba it has a mostly very poor verification system.

      In the case of both Alibaba and made-in-china.com you should ignore the Gold Supplier badges which have been bought and are no indication of trustworthiness or reliability.

      As for Taobao, it is a Chinese language site similar to eBay. It lists used products as well as new. If you are fluent in Mandarin you could use it but would you go to eBay to buy products for resale?

      Many people in China offer their services as sourcing agents to buy products for you on Taobao, and they charge a commission. Usually they quote a small % commission, but what most people don't know is that they usually get a commission from the supplier also. In some cases they are the supplier, but they don't tell you that. Buying from suppliers on Taobao is very risky.

      If anyone wants to learn more, see my thread: Ask Me Anything About Product Sourcing And Importing For Profit. ― Veteran Importer Here. You can ask questions there and I will answer them for you.
  • How do you find the best type of products with the highest profit margins and sales?
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  • Yes, Alibaba is legit marketplace to source products from China. I also recommend to source from Alibaba and Global Sources. They verify the suppliers and also offer guarantee of the transactions for the verified suppliers to make the platform more credible for the buyers.

    However, you can get scammed on these sites because many trading companies list as manufacturers and they send poor quality products which makes returns very hectic, time taking and costly. So, mainly you have to identify the right supplier who is actually the manufacturer of the product. Just take care of few things before placing your order:
    • Differentiate between a trader and manufacturer to find the right supplier.
    • Negotiate with your supplier, keeping in mind there are more things to negotiate besides the price of the product such as quality, payment terms, delivery time, etc.
    • Keep a check on the quality of products. You can protect yourself from a varying number of problems by making a written agreement and have supplier's acknowledgement.
  • Alibaba is secure, I've bought wholesale products from china before and it was all correct
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