Global Sources - are their verified suppliers safe?

I have found some verified suppliers from the website, Global Sources but wonder what it actually means. Are they safe to buy from? They do accept PayPal but many of the China-based ones tell me that they no longer accept PayPal because they had problems with them. Other suppliers accept HSBC bank accounts and I have soon found out that it takes $100,000.00 to open an account with HSBC - that ruled me out. Some suppliers were verified for the first time, are they safe? I have heard that PayPal is not even a safe way in China because they offer no protection. Things can get confusing when you try to buy from China.

Any advice?

Hi jkent,

I am not so familiar with Global Sources but according to their website, they provide access to suppliers based in China, and the company has been existing for several years -

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China.

Sorry but we cannot speak on their behalf regarding the safety of using Chinese suppliers from their website. We also have no means of viewing these suppliers.

However, we do have published articles on scam prevention and on dealing with Chinese suppliers. You might want to read through them first before dealing with any China-based suppliers - Link hidden: Login to view

You can also let us know what products you are trying to source and we can try to find suppliers listed here in SaleHoo, China-based if you wish.

Looking forward to hear from you shortly.

Hi jkent,

I'm a China supplier, I can answer your questions:

1. Global Sources Verified Suppliers, are they safe?
Global Sources request their China-based suppliers to pay a membership fee. So, these suppliers are mostly big suppliers and do not accept small orders.

But, I can't tell you if they are really safe. Looking for a reliable supplier is more important than price.

2. Is PayPal a safe way in China?
Yes, my online store also support PayPal. But you should be more concerned about the quality of the product

Thank you for your input. I have found a few suppliers from Global Sources that do accept PayPal and are willing to accept a small order of 50 pieces as a test order.

Some of them are also on the Made-in-China website not to be confused with madeinchina website. They have preferred status on both web sites but on Global Sources they are new and have just been audited on Made-in-China. On scan advisor, they have a 50% safety due to their site being registered in the USA and being in China as well as the length of time the web site has been registered. So much investigation can drive a person crazy.

It brings up trust aspect which is why I choose PayPal for payment. I do have some issues with PayPal but they are a safe way to pay.