The Tale of Alibaba and the 2.5 Million Sellers

We’ve talked about Amazon quite a lot, but let’s talk about the Amazon of China a bit. Trust us, we’ll come back to Amazon by the time this article ends!

Alibaba is considered to be one of China’s largest e-commerce companies. Thousands of sellers prefer to source their goods exactly from this store without knowing how dangerous it could be. No, we do not want to discourage you from sourcing your goods from Alibaba, but there are several useful tips that you should know for safely sourcing your goods from this platform, because it can be as problematic as Amazon.  But first of all, let’s try to consider all the pros and cons of cooperating with this online giant.

Can I Trust Alibaba?

What you’ll usually come across is people saying that most the sellers prefer to source their products from Alibaba. And of course, there are lots of reliable sellers who offer 100% genuine goods; however, there are also lots of hidden skeletons in the closet of this Chinese Amazon competitor. You have to do your best in digging around for reliable suppliers who can offer you high-quality products.

Is It Legal?

Of course, it is legitimate. Alibaba is one of the most popular online platforms all over the world and millions of suppliers successfully run their business in this e-commerce store.

Open Sesame!

Today we are going to open all the locked doors of this e-commerce giant and present you with the riskiest aspects that you should be aware of when you are sourcing form Alibaba. 

• Lost Cost Before Order, Price Hike After: Keep in mind that lower prices can attract you, but when you make the final order, the price can rise, and the seller will not inform you. This is an issue a lot of buyers come across with in Alibaba. And there’s not much you can do, because the original price will disappear.  

• Shipping Fees: Anothertricky point concerning sourcing products from Alibaba is shipping fees. You might be attracted to the lower cost, then find out about shipping fees. But there are lots of companies like DHL which can offer you lower shipping costs. However, keep in mind that they require a longer time for delivering products.  

• Getting Faulty Production in Bulk: Sometimes, you can see the sample of the product in perfect condition, but find out that the biggest part of your goods is defective after it arrives. Therefore, it is better to be very vigilant when putting a bulk order through.  

• Stay Away from Fake Products: Never source fake or counterfeit products from Alibaba, since it is going to be a real headache for your business. Once Amazon finds out about it, you will get suspended immediately. 

• Pay Only via Trade Assurance system: Keep in mind that you should never complete any payments out of Alibaba because of security risks. Pay solely via Trade Assurance, since it is considered to be one of the safest methods for paying on Alibaba. However, most suppliers who sell on Alibaba also accept several payment methods, such as Alipay, PayPal, bank cards, etc. Rest assured, Alibaba will return your money if products are not delivered.  

Thieves Ahead

One of the most crucial things when you are sourcing from Alibaba, is to ensure that you are going to work with reliable vendors. As a rule, most manufacturers check the quality of products and provide you with a guarantee that you are sourcing high-quality goods. Another tip is ensuring that the product which you are going to get is listed both in the supplier’s catalog and on its webpage.

Also, make sure the supplier provides you with all the necessary documentations and invoices; otherwise, you can have real problems with Amazon in the future if you plan on sourcing your products from Alibaba. Keep in mind that you should never source brand name products from Alibaba, since most are unauthorized and Amazon hates that. Once it finds out that you are selling counterfeit products, you can easily get suspended, not only for getting inauthentic complaints but also for Intellectual Property infringements. 

While getting suspended on Amazon because of a Alibaba-related issues is a tricky case to resolve, Got Suspended Clients will spare no effort in fighting to get your account out of suspension and returning you to Amazon’s platform as a happy seller!