Anybody use Alibaba or something similar?

drunkmonkey

Just looking to hear about peoples experiences, duty costs, quality of products etc. Thinking of buying some items. thanks.

R3al

Alibaba is a good resource for comparing quotes from various overseas suppliers however the company was subject a large scale fraud recently involving their own employees see http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20034444-93.html for details

sponge2810

R3al wrote: »

Alibaba is a good resource for comparing quotes from various overseas suppliers however the company was subject a large scale fraud recently involving their own employees see http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20034444-93.html for details

I have used Alibaba in sourcing products and manufacturers for years now. However you must remember that Alibaba is only a search engine therefore any tom dick or harry can advertise on it. Personally i have always sourced at least 10+ suppliers for each project- then based on communication ability and quotations i narrowed down to 2 or 3. Its easy to evaluate communication if you use instant messaging to chat. Request free samples and only pay COD (cash on delivery) for postage - i never give any company a cent until i have gotten samples. At this stage you should have a clear idea of the company and how reliable they are in terms of business and communication. I am happy to help you out if you pm me with details of your issues and all the best with your future endeavors:).

MrMatisse

I didnt find it much cheaper than european wholesalers unless the quantity being ordered was very substantial 2000+

GroupDeals

I have had mixed experiences with Alibaba.

What product are you looking for? There could be a better, more targeted website for the product you wish to purchase.

Taxable

sponge2810 wrote: »

I have used Alibaba in sourcing products and manufacturers for years now. However you must remember that Alibaba is only a search engine therefore any tom dick or harry can advertise on it. Personally i have always sourced at least 10+ suppliers for each project- then based on communication ability and quotations i narrowed down to 2 or 3. Its easy to evaluate communication if you use instant messaging to chat. Request free samples and only pay COD (cash on delivery) for postage - i never give any company a cent until i have gotten samples. At this stage you should have a clear idea of the company and how reliable they are in terms of business and communication. I am happy to help you out if you pm me with details of your issues and all the best with your future endeavors:).

Yes, indeed... Alibaba is a search engine and nothing else... And unfortunately, as a search engine, it does a pretty poor job of it anyway...

We also have used it for many years now, but there is again a 3-step process... Step 1 is to find the products and suppliers (long-listing), then identify the clusters (geographically)... Step 2 is to identify the best suppliers within that cluster (and visit at least the top 5)... Step 3 is to open negotiations with your top 3 and see where you get.

Guangxi is everything - you gotta get along!

(Then again, I'm actually writing this from Beijing... and we've been doing it since 2004/5 - so I might be biased or jaded or whatever - but the language barriers are well broken at this stage so we just do it!)

RUDOLF289

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Just looking to hear about peoples experiences, duty costs, quality of products etc. Thinking of buying some items. thanks.

Hello Drunkmonkey,

as some of the posters indicate, Alibaba is a seach engine. You would still need to research the supplier(s), which on this side of the world may be challenging due to distance and language.

If you are looking at small quantities and not spending a lot of money, you can only go by the responses you get. For larger quantities and larger amounts of money I would recommend that you get the supplier(s) vetted and arrange pre-shipment inspections.

There are a number of companies, based in Ireland, that have personel on the ground in China (some of whom are Irish) that can do the background checks, visit the factories - if required - and inspect the shipments prior to loading / despatch.

If you actually intend to do significant amounts of business there is no substitute for going out there and establish face to face contact.

If you need any contacts to help you vet suppliers or inspect shipments, drop me PM and I willl set up introductions.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

celtictiger32

i too am looking to source products in china for my business. im a first timer aswell in doing anything like this. would ali baba be the best place to start or would anybody recommend elsewhere? i do know of certain competitors of mine that go over to the trade fairs etc. in china but the way things are at the moment the budget doesnt really stretch that far. any advice welcome

RUDOLF289

celtictiger32 wrote: »

i too am looking to source products in china for my business. im a first timer aswell in doing anything like this. would ali baba be the best place to start or would anybody recommend elsewhere? i do know of certain competitors of mine that go over to the trade fairs etc. in china but the way things are at the moment the budget doesnt really stretch that far. any advice welcome

Hello Celtictiger32

I would recommend - since you are starting out - to consider companies here in Ireland that specialise in sourcing products in China. I have 3 clients (that I organise the shipping from China for) that source a wide variety of products in China on behalf of clients in Ireland, UK and the USA.

Because they know the way and the local custom, have an extensive database of reliable manufacturers, they probably can source your products at a low cost (even allowing for their commission). The advantage is that because they are based in Ireland, communication is a lot easier and you have comeback if the product is not to the standard you stipulate.

Feel free to PM me with your details and I would be happy to introduce you. You will have a choice of 3 companies, who between them can cover a lot of tried and tested ground (read : suppliers).

Cheers,
Rufolf289

celtictiger32

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Hello Celtictiger32

I would recommend - since you are starting out - to consider companies here in Ireland that specialise in sourcing products in China. I have 3 clients (that I organise the shipping from China for) that source a wide variety of products in China on behalf of clients in Ireland, UK and the USA.

Because they know the way and the local custom, have an extensive database of reliable manufacturers, they probably can source your products at a low cost (even allowing for their commission). The advantage is that because they are based in Ireland, communication is a lot easier and you have comeback if the product is not to the standard you stipulate.

Feel free to PM me with your details and I would be happy to introduce you. You will have a choice of 3 companies, who between them can cover a lot of tried and tested ground (read : suppliers).

Cheers,
Rufolf289

hi rufolf, thanks for the advice, i have in the past dealt with a company that sourced his stock in china but he obviously had his own price on the said items, im not sure if thats what your contact does too. im basically trying to cut out this middle man if possible as i mentioned the budget wouldnt be much so every penny counts so to speak

RUDOLF289

celtictiger32 wrote: »

hi rufolf, thanks for the advice, i have in the past dealt with a company that sourced his stock in china but he obviously had his own price on the said items, im not sure if thats what your contact does too. im basically trying to cut out this middle man if possible as i mentioned the budget wouldnt be much so every penny counts so to speak

Hello Celtictiger32

A wholesaler (which I think you are alluding to) and a sourcing agent are two entirely different animals with different overheads and therefore different pricing structures. A wholesaler takes in stock in the hope/expectation of selling it, may have to store it and distribute it, takes a risk that he may not sell all of it and make a profit out of that. All a sourcing agent does is source the product and deliver it directly to you (either on an FOB or Delivery paid basis). That suggests that a sourcing agent would be more cost effective than a wholesaler.

All I can suggest is to take it into consideration. A conversation with any one of the sourcing companies is only the cost of a (local) phonecall. If anything, it may help you to benchmark the pricing you get from suppliers in China directly. And even if you do decide to deal direct with suppliers in China, they could still (for a fee) do a background check and/or pre-shipment inspection. That possibly would build in some security when dealing with a supplier in China for the first time.

There are some truly horrific stories out there of scam artists. Just in case you are wondering, I am not on a commission. None of the three companies know of each other, and I do not favour/recommend one over the other. All I do is set up an introduction - if you wish - and after that it is up to them to make their case and you deal with them as you see fit. All I can assure you off is that all 3 of them are reputable and have long standing experience in the Chinese market.

Regards,
Rudolf289

celtictiger32

sounds good even if its only to source the products, could you pm me a few details please. id imagine they'd probably put you wide on the likes of trade fairs etc aswell. i wont be enquiring about that this time but would have an interest in the future. thanks rudolf

makeup_emma

I would be interested in learning more about trading with China. Would you be able to pm me this information too please.