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Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

DrScream

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Just ordered your book. Look forward to reading them. I ordered the importing one and the fastlane franchise one as I have a buddy who is about to take his first franchisee on for his business and figure it could help him out as well. Thanks for all your info! This truly is a goldmine of info
 
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Walter Hay

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Just ordered your book. Look forward to reading them. I ordered the importing one and the fastlane franchise one as I have a buddy who is about to take his first franchisee on for his business and figure it could help him out as well. Thanks for all your info! This truly is a goldmine of info
I hope you mean he is selling a franchise and not buying one!

Walter
 

Walter Hay

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Correct! He's the franchiser to a couple.
My son in law has informed me that he has not sent you the books because he hasn't received any notification from PayPal.

Sorry about the delay, but maybe you should check your PayPal account. He is always on the ball and sends the books very quickly after PayPal send him a notice.

Walter
 
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James90

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Hi Walter,

Is there any ways to make my import trade data private from public sources like Priva, Datamyne, and Import Yeti... etc?
 

Walter Hay

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Hi Walter,

Is there any ways to make my import trade data private from public sources like Priva, Datamyne, and Import Yeti... etc?
Unfortunately it is not possible. All records of shipments in and out of the USA are public and those companies you mention harvest the details and publish them on their sites.

Walter
 

Walter Hay

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DELETING A SOURCING AGENT from my book

I am sorry to report that the one and only Chinese sourcing agent that I have ever recommended; Jing Sourcing, has failed miserably in dealing with a mistake they made in handling an order for a Fastlane Member.

Until now they have given excellent service, but there has been a change of management and this has resulted in a changed attitude that I will not tolerate.

I am removing their link from my sourcing book, and all of my book users should take note.

As a result I now advise that DIY sourcing is the safest option. My book provides all you need to know to handle your own sourcing.

Walter

REVISION. After further discussions with Jing Sourcing, and recent comments received from a Fastlane member, I am pleased to reinstate them as reliable and very helpful sourcing agents. Among their services they will consolidate samples received from various suppliers that you might be trying, and they will send them in a single package to save freight cost.
 
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BAUCE

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Not sure if this has been covered but please DONT make the same mistake I made with using Alibaba's payment "protection" called Alipay.

I used Alipay thinking it would be similar to PayPal protection on eBay. I made a larger order of a speciality clothing item from a factory I had successfully used before but still didn't fully trust. After the items were complete I had an inspection company inspect all of the items. 80% of the items failed the inspection. There was some kind of paint specs or burnt plastic all over parts of the clothes. I quickly told the factory and they agreed to replace the failed items.

3 weeks later I was told everything was fixed and ready to go. I should have had another inspection done but thought I have Alipay protection in case anything else is wrong. 10 days later my product arrived. They didn't fix ANY of the clothes, the simply waited a few weeks and shipped them like I wouldn't realize it or care enough to do anything. I immediately messaged the factory and they told me sorry but those defects weren't a big enough deal to fix and that I could still sell them. I was furious.

I reached out to Alibaba with the failed inspection report, messages with the factory stating they would fix the items, and 200ish photos I took of each and every item that failed.

The told me that this wasn't enough proof and that I needed to send more in depth photos. This was insane but I obliged. I sent the new batch of photos and the told me they didn't think the defects were bad enough to refund. They also told me I could sell the items. For the next 6 weeks we went back and fourth. They were no longer sending new comments on the case, they were copy and pasting the same reply. Every time they sent a new message a countdown of a couple days started and if I didn't respond by then they would close my case.

I finally gave up and figured I was shit out of luck when I realized I used my Chase credit card to fund the Alipay purchase. A few weeks later Chase refunded the full order amount. I was extremely lucky that I didn't use my business debit card because I think that money would be gone. That shitty factory still tries to send me messages on different platforms trying to get my business back.

It feels F*cking amazing knowing they can see the success of my business by seeing my catalog grow on my website. Since then, I do 10-15x the amount of what the order was worth and have found a great factory to work with. Unfortunately I think I will need to find another factory soon as they can't keep up but at least I'll have a better understanding this time around.

Let me know if you guys think I should create my own thread to post this so more people will see it.
 
G

Guest-5ty5s4

Guest
Not sure if this has been covered but please DONT make the same mistake I made with using Alibaba's payment "protection" called Alipay.

I used Alipay thinking it would be similar to PayPal protection on eBay. I made a larger order of a speciality clothing item from a factory I had successfully used before but still didn't fully trust. After the items were complete I had an inspection company inspect all of the items. 80% of the items failed the inspection. There was some kind of paint specs or burnt plastic all over parts of the clothes. I quickly told the factory and they agreed to replace the failed items.

3 weeks later I was told everything was fixed and ready to go. I should have had another inspection done but thought I have Alipay protection in case anything else is wrong. 10 days later my product arrived. They didn't fix ANY of the clothes, the simply waited a few weeks and shipped them like I wouldn't realize it or care enough to do anything. I immediately messaged the factory and they told me sorry but those defects weren't a big enough deal to fix and that I could still sell them. I was furious.

I reached out to Alibaba with the failed inspection report, messages with the factory stating they would fix the items, and 200ish photos I took of each and every item that failed.

The told me that this wasn't enough proof and that I needed to send more in depth photos. This was insane but I obliged. I sent the new batch of photos and the told me they didn't think the defects were bad enough to refund. They also told me I could sell the items. For the next 6 weeks we went back and fourth. They were no longer sending new comments on the case, they were copy and pasting the same reply. Every time they sent a new message a countdown of a couple days started and if I didn't respond by then they would close my case.

I finally gave up and figured I was shit out of luck when I realized I used my Chase credit card to fund the Alipay purchase. A few weeks later Chase refunded the full order amount. I was extremely lucky that I didn't use my business debit card because I think that money would be gone. That shitty factory still tries to send me messages on different platforms trying to get my business back.

It feels f*cking amazing knowing they can see the success of my business by seeing my catalog grow on my website. Since then, I do 10-15x the amount of what the order was worth and have found a great factory to work with. Unfortunately I think I will need to find another factory soon as they can't keep up but at least I'll have a better understanding this time around.

Let me know if you guys think I should create my own thread to post this so more people will see it.
Wow. What a POS factory. Yes your thread would be very valuable!
 

James90

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Walter,

I’m going on my first overseas sourcing trip to Vietnam and is seeking some pointers on how to “conduct” myself business wise when meeting suppliers.

I anticipate to meet suppliers in an array of industries, and to visit my current supplier and its competitors.

Maybe I’m overthinking some of this…


How long does factory visits usually last?

What’s your process for planning out your trip?

Can I negotiate better deals in person, If I’m already purchasing from them?
 
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Cruiser

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Hi Walter,
Finally our first order is ready for shipping in China.
We are awaiting for the Veritas inspection on Monday and hopefully it will pass qc.
We want to send it by air to Dallas, TX.
Do you have any forwarder you could recommend?
Thanks so much for your help!
 

Walter Hay

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Hi Walter,
Finally our first order is ready for shipping in China.
We are awaiting for the Veritas inspection on Monday and hopefully it will pass qc.
We want to send it by air to Dallas, TX.
Do you have any forwarder you could recommend?
Thanks so much for your help!
When you say "by air" do you mean air freight or air courier? If by air, I suggest Kingz International Logistics | Welcome There are few international air freight forwarders in Dallas, but this company appears to handle ordinary air freight very quickly. If the shipment is under about 50 lbs you would probably save time and money if you have your supplier send it via PREPAID AIR COURIER, but be sure to get a quote from them first, and don't agree to a payment on delivery arrangement and don't give them your air courier account number if you have one.

Walter
 

Cruiser

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When you say "by air" do you mean air freight or air courier? If by air, I suggest Kingz International Logistics | Welcome There are few international air freight forwarders in Dallas, but this company appears to handle ordinary air freight very quickly. If the shipment is under about 50 lbs you would probably save time and money if you have your supplier send it via PREPAID AIR COURIER, but be sure to get a quote from them first, and don't agree to a payment on delivery arrangement and don't give them your air courier account number if you have one.

Walter
Thanks Walter, I tried Kingz but they don't work with China.
Our shipment is about 300kg.
I have a quote from DHL, 3500 USD DDP.
Also got a cheaper quote from Chinafreight.com, 3150 uSD DDP, a "mentor" from SCORE recommended them but they have some mixed reviews online.
Should we go with DHL?
 
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Walter Hay

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Thanks Walter, I tried Kingz but they don't work with China.
Our shipment is about 300kg.
I have a quote from DHL, 3500 USD DDP.
Also got a cheaper quote from Chinafreight.com, 3150 uSD DDP, a "mentor" from SCORE recommended them but they have some mixed reviews online.
Should we go with DHL?
Here is a short extract from a lengthy review in 2017 on RipoffReport.com: "Once China Freight Co. Limited gets hold of your products you will be lucky to see them again. AS THEY ARE THIEVES AND LIARS AND FRAUDS THAT STEAL YOUR GOODS AND MONEY."

A major problem in regard to reviews of Chinese companies is that so many have fractured English, with typically Chinese errors. Fake reviews are commonplace.

I would play safe and use DHL.

Walter
 

BD64

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64 pages, coming up on 8 years of post history. What a treasure trove of information. @Walter Hay thanks for sharing a lifetime of knowledge.
 

Walter Hay

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Walter,

I’m going on my first overseas sourcing trip to Vietnam and is seeking some pointers on how to “conduct” myself business wise when meeting suppliers.

I anticipate to meet suppliers in an array of industries, and to visit my current supplier and its competitors.

Maybe I’m overthinking some of this…


Q. How long does factory visits usually last? A. You should allow at least an hour, but I have experienced 3 hour visits, a lot of the time being taken up with hospitality.

Q. What’s your process for planning out your trip? I know which factories I want to see, and contact the company at least 4 weeks ahead of expected arrival. A. Some communication in advance satisfies them that yiu are not a time waster.

Q. Can I negotiate better deals in person, If I’m already purchasing from them? A. Yes! Face to face deals are usually much more productive.
Hi James,

I am sorry that I missed your post, but I hope my reply will be in time to help. I have typed my answers next to the questions.

Regards,
Walter
 
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LPPC

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Hi Walter,

I hope you are doing well.

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.

I had a batch of products (LED table lamp) produced in China that had a defect rate of 8% (or even more). The defect rate slipped through the inspection because only 125 units out of the 4000 units were inspected. Defect means the lamp can not even be turned on.

I want to give them another chance. I would like to prevent these defects in the coming order and future orders and would greatly appreciate some advice on this.

My questions:
1) I would like the inspection company to inspect many more units this time. This costs a lot of money, so I have to restrict the inspection to only check whether the lamp can be turned on.

How much % of the batch should I inspect this time to find out whether the batch has a too high of a defect rate? Functionality defects should be max 2.5% according to industry standards, if I am correct.

2) Does this kind of inspection have a specific name?

3) Should I inspect them after they have been packaged and if so, why? The supplier proposes to inspect them before they have been packaged and they want to use this inspection as their own quality control, meaning that the inspection company tells them which one are defective and then they produce more to replace those.
But to my knowledge this is not as good as inspecting them after packaging, because it will not show me whether in future orders the supplier will be able to do their own quality control instead of me having to pay high inspection costs each time.

4) Any advice on how to prevent this defect rate in future orders? It is expensive to inspect so many units each time.


Any other advice and viewpoints would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 

Walter Hay

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2023 EDITION of PROVENGLOBALSOURCING NOW AVAILABLE

The latest edition is now complete and ready for purchase or free copy (see below)

PURCHASE, see

Walter Hay's Business Books

FREE COPY for those who have bought a previous edition. (See below)

For your free copy please let me know via DM your purchase details such as website, date, and the above named thread.
Hi Walter,

I hope you are doing well.

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.

I had a batch of products (LED table lamp) produced in China that had a defect rate of 8% (or even more). The defect rate slipped through the inspection because only 125 units out of the 4000 units were inspected. Defect means the lamp can not even be turned on.

I want to give them another chance. I would like to prevent these defects in the coming order and future orders and would greatly appreciate some advice on this.

My questions:
1) I would like the inspection company to inspect many more units this time. This costs a lot of money, so I have to restrict the inspection to only check whether the lamp can be turned on.

How much % of the batch should I inspect this time to find out whether the batch has a too high of a defect rate? Functionality defects should be max 2.5% according to industry standards, if I am correct.

2) Does this kind of inspection have a specific name?

3) Should I inspect them after they have been packaged and if so, why? The supplier proposes to inspect them before they have been packaged and they want to use this inspection as their own quality control, meaning that the inspection company tells them which one are defective and then they produce more to replace those.
But to my knowledge this is not as good as inspecting them after packaging, because it will not show me whether in future orders the supplier will be able to do their own quality control instead of me having to pay high inspection costs each time.

4) Any advice on how to prevent this defect rate in future orders? It is expensive to inspect so many units each time.


Any other advice and viewpoints would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
In answer:
1. When booking the inspection you can specify your acceptable defect rate .
2. There is no industry standard name for such inspections, but you can describe exactly what you want done. You can nominate the percentage of items to be tested. For inspection after production is completed, you order a Post Production Inspection, (PPI) or a Pre-shipment inspection (PSI).
3. Inspection after packaging is usually required if the item is susceptible to damage or failure if subjected to rough handling. The design and quality of the packaging can be specified firstly when you place your order with the supplier, and your order specifications should be repeated when you are booking an inspection with the inspection company. Relying on a supplier to maintain the quality standard because the first order passed inspection even with flying colors, is very risky, as I state in my book: "If you have your first order inspected, but not have inspections done on subsequent orders, you can save on the inspection costs, but it can be a gamble."
4. The most common way of playing safe is to require an inspection during production. Here is a relevant quote from my book:" I recommend that you consider having precise product specifications drawn up. Not only will your detailed specifications show potential suppliers that you are serious, but your specification schedule will make it possible for you to have quality inspections done either during production or before loading for shipment to your destination. See Ch. 26 Inspection Services. If you intend having quality inspections carried out, you should tell the supplier early in your communications with them. This helps to encourage them to maintain good quality control themselves. Those product specifications should also be included if you are paying by Letter of Credit."

Regards,
Walter
 

LPPC

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2023 EDITION of PROVENGLOBALSOURCING NOW AVAILABLE

The latest edition is now complete and ready for purchase or free copy (see below)

PURCHASE, see

Walter Hay's Business Books

FREE COPY for those who have bought a previous edition. (See below)

For your free copy please let me know via DM your purchase details such as website, date, and the above named thread.

In answer:
1. When booking the inspection you can specify your acceptable defect rate .
2. There is no industry standard name for such inspections, but you can describe exactly what you want done. You can nominate the percentage of items to be tested. For inspection after production is completed, you order a Post Production Inspection, (PPI) or a Pre-shipment inspection (PSI).
3. Inspection after packaging is usually required if the item is susceptible to damage or failure if subjected to rough handling. The design and quality of the packaging can be specified firstly when you place your order with the supplier, and your order specifications should be repeated when you are booking an inspection with the inspection company. Relying on a supplier to maintain the quality standard because the first order passed inspection even with flying colors, is very risky, as I state in my book: "If you have your first order inspected, but not have inspections done on subsequent orders, you can save on the inspection costs, but it can be a gamble."
4. The most common way of playing safe is to require an inspection during production. Here is a relevant quote from my book:" I recommend that you consider having precise product specifications drawn up. Not only will your detailed specifications show potential suppliers that you are serious, but your specification schedule will make it possible for you to have quality inspections done either during production or before loading for shipment to your destination. See Ch. 26 Inspection Services. If you intend having quality inspections carried out, you should tell the supplier early in your communications with them. This helps to encourage them to maintain good quality control themselves. Those product specifications should also be included if you are paying by Letter of Credit."

Regards,
Walter
Thank you for sharing your helpful insights!
 
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Walter Hay

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