Buy cheaper, sell more expensive, quickly get big profits. This scheme works great if you are reselling goods from China. The price is several times lower than that of Western production goods, and the quality can be no worse.
The keywords are "maybe" because Chinese customers face problems:
- low-quality goods arrived;
- the wrong product came;
- delay in production or dispatch;
- incorrect information about the availability of goods;
- changing conditions during delivery;
- deception.
How to avoid these troubles and get a quality product on time? The first step is to find a reliable supplier. We studied the issue and consulted with those who have already worked with Chinese suppliers. Read this guide if you are ordering in China for the first time.
Shipping cost:If you are looking for affordable shipping from China to Canada, always compare prices carefully. Sometimes, a more expensive product with free shipping will cost more than a cheaper one with paid shipping.
Manufacturers, sellers and resellers
In China, you can order products according to your parameters or buy finished goods (in large quantities or several pieces). Decide which of these you need. The procedure for working with each type of seller is different.
- It is necessary to conclude a contract with the manufacturer and the main thing that he requires from the buyer is large quantities (from about 500 pieces). Some manufacturers do not work with buyers directly, only through intermediaries.
- Large wholesalers buy a huge batch of products from the manufacturer and sell them in parts. You should contact them if you need a relatively large batch of one product from one brand.
- Retailers sell small to medium-sized batches of items from a variety of brands.
You can search for a seller or manufacturer and place orders with the help of an intermediary. These are companies or individuals who themselves contact suppliers and settle the terms of the deal for you. Their services cost money, but if you can't do it yourself or don't have the time - the option is working.
The intermediary knows proven suppliers and the specifics of doing business in China. The intermediaries' services will be beneficial if you are going to order the production of large quantities of goods - here the mistake will cost more.
Use directory sites for independent search. The most popular are Amazon, AliExpress, Alibaba, We will tell you how to check sellers' reliability on these sites.
Manufacturers on Alibaba
Alibaba is a bulk purchasing platform. They do not sell at retail here, and all sellers are manufacturers, because of this, prices are low. To buy, you need to contact the seller and agree on the volume of delivery, payment and other issues. You will have to pay for goods through payment systems, for example, PayPal, Western Union.
There are two ways to find a supplier:
- Search for goods. You enter the name of the thing you need into the search engine, look at the offers and choose the best.
- Placing a request. You place an order for a product, and the manufacturers offer you their terms.
You found an exciting product or the manufacturer responded to the placed order. How do you know if a supplier is reliable?
Look at manufacturer status
Pay attention to the number of diamond icons - this is the number of orders. Ensure that the seller is assigned Assessed Supplier status (this is the house icon in the Supplier Assessment item). It means that Alibaba representatives went to the production of such suppliers and personally checked all the documents. Now almost everyone has such an icon, but be careful anyway.
But you shouldn't pay special attention to the yellow-orange round Gold Supplier badge. This is a membership option on the Alibaba portal, but it has nothing to do with product quality.
Look for Trade Assurance
To further protect yourself, you can give priority to products with a trade guarantee. The crown icon in the product card is the guarantee.
Contact the manufacturer
Do not click "order" as soon as you like the product and the manufacturer's status. First, write to him. Firstly, the search results' prices and the final order may differ, it all depends on the batch of goods. The letter immediately indicates the place of delivery, volume and data of the goods to get the most realistic price.
Secondly, you can agree on the details in advance and ask helpful questions from our article's first section. To contact the seller, you can send a request for correspondence directly on the website or write to the online chat (remember the time difference). In the picture above, in the right column, you can see the communication methods.
These are the main rules for selecting suppliers on Alibaba. Do not be lazy to search and do not hesitate to ask, and you will find your supplier. But remember that suppliers only work with large quantities of goods.
Retail and small wholesale on AliExpress
The most popular platform for retail and small wholesale. and it is easy to order from it. Create an account, search for a product, make a payment, for example, through a bank card. The money is frozen on the site and comes to the seller when you receive the goods.
On AliExpress, there is a significant risk of getting a substandard or wrong product. It is not a fact that there will be a marriage, but the product may not correspond to the size, smell strange or look different from the picture. It's one thing if you ordered something for yourself and it didn't fit, but it's another thing if the order is part of your future income. AliExpress also has rules on how to tell the right supplier from a bad one.
You have entered the product's name into the search line, a typical picture: 5-10 different suppliers offer this product at entirely different prices. What to do?
See seller ratings
It is always high for reliable suppliers who have been trading for a long time. You can also pay attention to how many years the supplier has been changing. This information is on the product page.
A medal with a star and the signature "Trusted Brand" indicates that the seller is very well-deserved and you can safely work with him.
Look at the number of orders.
On the page of each product, you can see how many people have already bought it. A lot of purchases are a good sign.
Read reviews
The main criterion. If the product is right, it has many reviews. Many studies are accompanied by a photo, where you can see how the product looks live
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