Some questions about alibaba

steve_

Im looking into importing so stuff from alibaba but iv just a few questions about the site.

Have people had positive experiences with this site?

Is there any rule of thumb when dealing with suppliers?

Whats the difference between alibaba and ali-express?

Are there other more reliable sites then alibaba?

Would i be hit with imports charges on my products? (mainly peripherals for consoles)

Cheers for any advice

callump

steve_ wrote: »

Im looking into importing so stuff from alibaba but iv just a few questions about the site.

Have people had positive experiences with this site?

Is there any rule of thumb when dealing with suppliers?

Whats the difference between alibaba and ali-express?

Are there other more reliable sites then alibaba?

Would i be hit with imports charges on my products? (mainly peripherals for consoles)

Cheers for any advice

I know somebody that bought 20k worth of headstones and they arrived ok
from china .it is a very good website and they rate the suppliers so you know which suppliers have had good reviews .I say 95% are genuine but you always get scam artists where ever you go so be careful I think you may be able to talk to indepentant outsource agents who will clarify whether your supplier is geniune

Mr Clonfadda

I bought USB Keys two years ago and they all arrived okay

QwertyFinger

steve_ wrote: »

Have people had positive experiences with this site?

Yes, its a very good resource for finding good wholesalers from China.

steve_ wrote: »

Is there any rule of thumb when dealing with suppliers?

Make sure to pay with Paypal, if you're being pushed for WesternUnion or direct bank transfer say no. There's no way to get your money back in a situation like this. Although with Paypal you're secured.

Make sure to get a tracking number.

Try and see the stock they have, make sure its not just a stock photo and ask them to personalise it with a piece of paper with your name on it to be safe.

You're buying knock-offs, never trust anyone saying stock from China is legit, make sure you know that. Electronics are always replica, good replica's but you don't want to sell them.

steve_ wrote: »

Whats the difference between alibaba and ali-express?

Ali-Express is crap, its generally money which ends up going nowhere because you'll never get your goods.

steve_ wrote: »

Are there other more reliable sites then alibaba?

Ebay. Amazon.

steve_ wrote: »

Would i be hit with imports charges on my products? (mainly peripherals for consoles)

Yes, you should be, some times you're not though, and if not make sure to pay taxes at the end of the year.

If you've any more questions pm me and I can help you out.

RUDOLF289

steve_ wrote: »

Im looking into importing so stuff from alibaba but iv just a few questions about the site.

Have people had positive experiences with this site?

Is there any rule of thumb when dealing with suppliers?

Whats the difference between alibaba and ali-express?

Are there other more reliable sites then alibaba?

Would i be hit with imports charges on my products? (mainly peripherals for consoles)

Cheers for any advice

Hello Steve,

EMPTOR CAVEAT !

I would be very weary about buying on Alibaba. I have seen to many examples (as have been posted on boards by a number of peole) who have had bad experiences. Having gold status on Alibaba does not really give a true reflection on the reliability / trust worthiness (or otherwise) of the potential supplier.

One of my clients - who has a lot of experience - got introduced through one of his (long standing) chinese friends to a supplier in China. Placed an order for product (that was 40% cheaper in China than in Europe for exactly identical product) Paid Us$ 15K, placed a second order before the 1st shipment arrived for an other 15K (and paid) only to find out that the product supplied was not as ordered both in terms of quantity and the type ordered. We managed to stop the second shipment before it was export cleared in China. However, the supplier has gone very, very quiet. In this case my clients' chinese friend is going to visit the supplier and hopefully is able to resolve the situation. By the way, this supplier has "gold status" on Alibaba ...........

I would suggest to have a look at this website http://ossul.com/. There are some very usefull tips.

Depending on the value of the orders you intend to place, I would recommend a pre-shipment inspection. I can introduce you to at least 4 companies in Ireland who have their own people on the scene in China that can visit factories on on your behalf, check the product ordered before shipment and make sure you get what you ordered. alternatively they can assist you in sourcing the type of product you are looking for. Granted, they will take a margin, but at least you are dealing with companies in Ireland (in case there is any issue) that have years of experience in dealing with Chinese suppliers across a wide range of goods.

When it comes to shipping and customs, you may find the attached document of benefit

For what it's worth.

Best of luck

Cheers,
Rudolf289

steve_

Thanks guys for the advice, much appreciated

killanena

sorry to bring up this old thread but I have a few questions of my own. Do you have to own a business to buy from this site? And where do they ship to? can you get them delivered directly to your house? What additional charges are added to the price of what your posting? Im looking to buy a small bulk to cheap use sticks for my own use.

jimmii

killanena wrote: »

sorry to bring up this old thread but I have a few questions of my own. Do you have to own a business to buy from this site? And where do they ship to? can you get them delivered directly to your house? What additional charges are added to the price of what your posting? Im looking to buy a small bulk to cheap use sticks for my own use.

It says its a "wholesale" site but I don't think they really care who pays or where it ships to! Someone sellers offer "free" shipping some it is priced separately you will need to go through the items and figure out which you think is the best value. They hold the money in escrow so even if you don't get the product its pretty easy to get your money back.

killanena

jimmii wrote: »

It says its a "wholesale" site but I don't think they really care who pays or where it ships to! Someone sellers offer "free" shipping some it is priced separately you will need to go through the items and figure out which you think is the best value. They hold the money in escrow so even if you don't get the product its pretty easy to get your money back.

Thanks for the quick and informative reply!

jimmii

killanena wrote: »

Thanks for the quick and informative reply!

No problem. We only use it a small bit for basic items but have never really had any problems.

enricoh

i know a lad who bought 20k of junk off a gold plated member on it. he got samples sent that were 100% placed the order n got junk.
emails n fone stop being answered soon enough.
good bargains on it n i'd go with paying an irish outfit to verify they're kosher

ammg

I ordered three different items:

A pair of Asics Runners
A Xiaomi mi3 mobile phone
A pair of Shoes

from three different suppliers.

The Runners were destroyed by Customs as they were deemed to be counterfeit.

The phone has not showed up even though it should have weeks ago.

The shoes are on route (apparently)

In the meantime my credit card has been debited for all 3. I've been onto my credit card company concerning the Runners and hopefully will get refund but the other two will be harder to prove as I've no idea where they are or if I will ever receive them.

The phone was sent by Swiss Post and its final tracking was late February when it left its origin country.

jimmii

Did you genuinely believe you were getting Asics runners from there? We have never had anything shipped without a tracking number you can't blame the seller for the length of time it takes once they ship it.

ammg

Yes I naively did assume that once someone states something is brand X then I expect it to be brand X otherwise they and the site the list on have no integrity.

I have tracking numbers but there is no activity on the tracking since late February.

jimmii

Have you contacted the sellers about the missing packages? Often there is no update on the China mail site for quite a while certainly doesn't seem like a great tracking site! They are normally pretty good about tracking stuff down. If you saw the same Asics being sold at the same price off a back alley market stall I doubt you would assume they were legit. You should try the buyer protection see if you can get a refund I have had to do that a couple of times and its always gone through without a hitch.

JJayoo

Are there any European sites which offer a similar format but are based within and ship from the EU?

corcaigh1

If one wanted to buy a lash of accessory items on alibaba to see if there's a business opportunity with them does one have to be registered as a business in ireland and also will the items be shipped to your door or have to be collected with customs fees etc?