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ordering from alibaba.com

  • 17-09-2010 12:02pm
    #1
    yoginindublin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 380 ✭✭


    Hi! Just wanted to ask who here has experienced ordering things thru alibaba.com. How did you arrange for the samples and the payment of the actual merchandise?


Comments

  • #2
    MrMatisse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭MrMatisse


    Only use paypal, unless your making a big order.

    Make sure you know what customs, freight charges you will be paying. they can be huge.


  • #3
    ironclaw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    Really-Stressed wrote: »
    Only use paypal, unless your making a big order.

    Make sure you know what customs, freight charges you will be paying. they can be huge.

    Huge is an understatement in some cases! Also, PayPal as per above, at least you have some come back.


  • #4
    J_Wholesale
    Closed Accounts Posts: 245 ✭✭J_Wholesale


    Alibaba has a very large number of scam artists. Not everyone, but enough to attach a lot of risk to every first order. Take a look at http://www.globalsources.com. Most of the legitimate Alibaba sellers will be on there as well, but fewer of the scammers.

    Having said that, ordering remotely like this from manufacturers or wholesalers in the far east is very much hit and miss, in terms of suppliers and quality. Don't spend any money you can't afford to lose.


  • #5
    MrMatisse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,743 ✭✭✭MrMatisse


    also when you order they will say a sample costs say $20 and then when you ask whats the shipping etc you get $100 or something ridiculous. You also usually get emailed an excel spreadsheet price list which shows you cant really get things very cheaply unless your buying around 2000 of whatever it is.


  • #6
    rainbowdash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 878 ✭✭✭rainbowdash


    Really-Stressed wrote: »
    also when you order they will say a sample costs say $20 and then when you ask whats the shipping etc you get $100 or something ridiculous. You also usually get emailed an excel spreadsheet price list which shows you cant really get things very cheaply unless your buying around 2000 of whatever it is.

    To be fair to Chinese manufacturers they must be inundated with scammers letting on to be a business but only looking for something for themselves because they think they are being "ripped off" in the shops here.

    Its as difficult for the Chinese to weed out the scammers from Europe as it is for us to figure out which of them are for real.


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  • #7
    ironclaw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    I've always looked at Alibaba and thought it would be worth a look. Never ordered personally but flicking through I've seen some stuff worth buying.

    Does the Gold Certified stuff mean anything?


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