Hi all,
I am also looking at purchasing from this site, does anyone have any tips to making it successful, and the best option to pay for the goods,
cheers Amanda
Hi Amanda,
As fudjj mentioned, if you're looking to buy branded goods, better stay away from Chinese suppliers as most name brand items that come from China are either replicas or fakes. We strongly recommend that you assume that this is the case in the first instance. They should be safe enough to deal with if you're looking for cheap, non-branded goods, though.
Here are some simple things you can do to protect yourself when dealing with any supplier (especially those found outside of SaleHoo).
1. Run a whois check on the supplier's website to verify when it was created (it is safest to deal with suppliers who have been online at least a couple of years), who owns the domain, and where the domain was registered (the country should match the contact details on the supplier's website). We recommend using
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2. Search the SaleHoo forum for the supplier's website/company name and see what other members have to say.
3. Call the supplier's telephone numbers to ensure they are genuine.
4. Purchase a sample before bulk ordering to ensure that the item meets your expectations.
5. Watch out for sellers asking you to 'safeguard' your purchase by sending your money transfer in the name of a friend or loved one, or by establishing a 'test question'. These actions will not protect you from a fraudulent seller.
6. Low prices do not necessarily mean fraud, but radically low prices should warrant a closer look. If a price seems to good to be true, it probably is. Ask the seller as many questions about the item's authenticity as you can before you go any further. Even go as far as requesting for a proof of authenticity, as most brand-name items come with official paperwork for resale.
7. Always use a credit card or PayPal to purchase goods. These forms of payment are safe because they give you a comeback if something goes wrong. With these payment methods, you can usually have the transaction reversed fairly easily if necessary.
Check out the SaleHoo Learning Centre and FAQ for more detailed information on dealing with Chinese suppliers.
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And if you haven't yet, browse through the SaleHoo bonus PDF guides:
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There's one that talks about importing and successfully trading with Chinese suppliers that you might find useful.
All the best!