First time importing from Alibaba? Here's some tips!

[Dsant]

Hello guys,
I'm on the process of finding a supplier for my products on Alibaba and I'm gathering some information before I do so I won't have any surprises later on, I've found this video and it sure helped me, so it can probably help you if you're still diving into Alibaba.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJDR1_I1aYU

 

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[Walter Hay]

If you want to pay $497 instead of $97 for that information, that's up to you.

Before you take the plunge and give them your credit card details you might like to have a look at my thread:
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

I think I began product sourcing in China before the girl on that video was born.

Walter

 

[Walter Hay]

I decided that my very quick review, fast forwarding over a lot of it, might not have done justice, so I have watched the entire rather boring video.

I looked for anything new to me that might be helpful to newbies, and I am not too proud to say that I found one such hint. It is a variation on my suggestion about informing suppliers of your intention to arrange for a quality inspection.

She suggests using her idea to determine whether or not a supplier is really a manufacturer. Her idea is that during the initial search for suppliers you tell them that you "have a sourcing agent in China, and they happen to be nearby today, so you want them to do a factory inspection today."

She says that their reaction will quickly answer the manufacturer/trader question. My concern would be that they might take offense at this forceful move.

Overall, there is nothing else new, and in fact, her script is very similar to many blogs written by marketing "experts", who provide little detail, but big generalizations.

In fact, some of her advice follows the experts' same lines on how to filter when searching Alibaba. I am yet to find any that provide sound advice on this subject.

Instead she, just like all those "experts" recommends filtering to find those who offer Trade Assurance (see my post GOLD! - Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.)

She also makes the usual mistake of believing that if a supplier's business license says they are licensed to manufacturer, they are manufacturers. That is absolutely wrong. Ask me why if you haven't read my book.

Like all experts, she gives no warning about fake certificates, or other devious tricks.

I could go on, but I have taken enough time on this already. Read my AMA thread and you will learn a lot more than you can from this video and her other YouTube posts.

Even then I must repeat my warning that my AMA does not teach all you need to know.

Walter

 

[Dsant]

Hey @Walter Hay, appreciate you taking your time to watch this boring video ( because there's nothing new for what you already know) and taking the time to give your opinion.

I have your Book, I've read it a couple of times already and took notes! highly recommend it, for anyone who hasn't read it.

I do agree with some of the stuff she says is not the best approach, neither does she mention really important steps which you should take to make sure you're dealing with a manufacturer, as you do in your book.

And yes I would not spend 500$ on that course, but I was struggling to find manufacturers and stumbled with this video and thought it could be useful for someone new, at least on the searching part.

I was searching for products and it was taking ages to find even "fake manufacturers", they were all calling themselves traders, so when I found this searching method I found it to be quite useful.

I've researched the product I'm looking for on the site you recommend for sourcing in your book, but unfortunately, the offer seems low, so I had to switch to Alibaba to make my search.

Still having some troubles because prices seem way too high, so I'm probably dealing with traders, even though they say they manufacture (still didn't go through the process of checking if it's really a manufacturer or not because the prices are not appealing, since the beginning).

On your recommended site Average price: 8 - 12$ ( found very few suppliers )
Alibaba: 3-5$ / 8-15$ ( mostly 10$ )
Aliexpress( just to see a difference, I wouldn't source from here): mostly same as Alibaba or even cheaper..which I'm finding weird...

and I see some stores selling the items to the public, as low as 16$ so I'm not really sure if I'm not searching correctly or they're selling the really cheap versions of my products...

 

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[Walter Hay]

A lot of the prices quoted on Alibaba are not real. If you start corresponding with them you will find that is the case, but they tend to string you along for quite a while first. The idea is to have you committed because you have spent so much time already.

Likewise a lot of the high prices quoted are just optimistic operators who know that they will be mostly dealing with amateurs. This is what produces the large number of posts I see on some forums in which the newbies tell how they are struggling to make any profit.

She also makes the usual mistake of believing that if a supplier's business license says they are licensed to manufacturer, they are manufacturers. When I wrote: "She also makes the usual mistake of believing that if a supplier's business license says they are licensed to manufacturer, they are manufacturers." I offered to answer if anyone had a question about it, and I think details might help you, so here it is.

When any business applies for a business license in China, they have to provide what in the West is known as a Memorandum and Articles of Association. In it they are required to state what kind of business they want to conduct. Many state that they will be manufacturing, but in reality, they never do, but it fools a lot of buyers. (And Chinese sourcing experts.)

Walter

 

[Dsant]

A lot of the prices quoted on Alibaba are not real. If you start corresponding with them you will find that is the case, but they tend to string you along for quite a while first. The idea is to have you committed because you have spent so much time already.

Likewise a lot of the high prices quoted are just optimistic operators who know that they will be mostly dealing with amateurs. This is what produces the large number of posts I see on some forums in which the newbies tell how they are struggling to make any profit.

She also makes the usual mistake of believing that if a supplier's business license says they are licensed to manufacturer, they are manufacturers. When I wrote: "She also makes the usual mistake of believing that if a supplier's business license says they are licensed to manufacturer, they are manufacturers." I offered to answer if anyone had a question about it, and I think details might help you, so here it is.

When any business applies for a business license in China, they have to provide what in the West is known as a Memorandum and Articles of Association. In it they are required to state what kind of business they want to conduct. Many state that they will be manufacturing, but in reality, they never do, but it fools a lot of buyers. (And Chinese sourcing experts.)

Walter

Well, it does make sense! but the prices I'm looking for is about half what they're posting on Alibaba... I do find them in Aliexpress but it's probably low-quality items, but they're charging double on Alibaba, I could negotiate with them after some time but I highly doubt they will take half of the price...

Exactly, I sure am struggling to start importing the product when I see the prices that they're offering...

I had no idea about that! I'm sure that fools a lot of people, I would assume they're manufacturers as well if I based that trough the Memorandum and Articles of Association only.

But it's pretty bad to someone who calls themselves as a "sourcing expert", to "sell" that kind of information, it just shows how "expert" they are.

 

[caezlar]

what product are you looking for? I can help you by free, just feel it is a interesting case.

 

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