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

[RahKnee]

Walter, thanks for the link. For whatever reason a google search was only bringing up forum discussions of your book and a link to download a pdf which I strongly suspect is pirated. That's no way to show appreciation for your help.

You mentioned sourcing from Brazil earlier. I might have some questions for you about that after I purchase and peruse your book.

Thanks!

 

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[Walter Hay]

Tha

Walter, thanks for the link. For whatever reason a google search was only bringing up forum discussions of your book and a link to download a pdf which I strongly suspect is pirated. That's no way to show appreciation for your help.

You mentioned sourcing from Brazil earlier. I might have some questions for you about that after I purchase and peruse your book.

Thanks!

Thanks for mentioning the PDF download. It is probably one that I haven't bothered taking down because it is so obsolete. Besides, those who use pirated copies don't get any support, and for most people that is worth many times the price they pay for the book.

I know, because I have emails from happy new importers telling me how many thousands I have saved them.

Walter

 

[Bosstradamus]

@Walter Hay

Currently I'm in the process of making a bulk order that will ship by sea. I asked them how much it will cost and this is what they sent me.

"Just get reply from forwarder ,the new sea shipping cost is USD 653 to Los Angeles Port and FOB charge is USD 500, it take about 15 days to arrive."

They then asked if I needed them to arrange the shipping for me.

Would you trust the supplier to arrange the shipping if it is the first time you are doing business with them?
Does all of this seem normal?

These are the total dimensions of products

23.56 x 14.22 x 26.68 cubic meters

9500 kg

 

[Walter Hay]

@Walter Hay

Currently I'm in the process of making a bulk order that will ship by sea. I asked them how much it will cost and this is what they sent me.

"Just get reply from forwarder ,the new sea shipping cost is USD 653 to Los Angeles Port and FOB charge is USD 500, it take about 15 days to arrive."

They then asked if I needed them to arrange the shipping for me.

Would you trust the supplier to arrange the shipping if it is the first time you are doing business with them?
Does all of this seem normal?

These are the total dimensions of products

23.56 x 14.22 x 26.68 cubic meters

9500 kg

I would prefer to get some quotes from freight forwarders near me first. The supplier is probably using a Chinese forwarder and the rate might look attractive, but charges from the point of unloading can be very high.

Did they originally quote you FOB? If so, did they specify FOB Shenzhen (or whatever port)? The $500 FOB charge almost certainly refers to what they are charging you to deliver to the port of loading.

You need a quote for door to door delivery including all charges at port of arrival. A US forwarder will quote you such an all-inclusive price and you won't get nasty shocks. The quote should include their fee for customs work.

Walter

 

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[Bosstradamus]

I would prefer to get some quotes from freight forwarders near me first. The supplier is probably using a Chinese forwarder and the rate might look attractive, but charges from the point of unloading can be very high.

Did they originally quote you FOB? If so, did they specify FOB Shenzhen (or whatever port)? The $500 FOB charge almost certainly refers to what they are charging you to deliver to the port of loading.

You need a quote for door to door delivery including all charges at port of arrival. A US forwarder will quote you such an all-inclusive price and you won't get nasty shocks. The quote should include their fee for customs work.

Walter

They did not specify from what port. When I asked for the shipping quote I did specify door to door but I need to double check that is what they are quoting.

I know it's been said a bunch of times but Thank You So Much!

 

[SeanF]

INTRODUCTION.
Through my eBook on safe sourcing and easy importing I have helped hundreds of people in 35 countries learn how to enter the high profit world of importing. Their questions through my support channel provide the subject matter for alt of what I plan on posting here.

There are myths and misinformation in abundance on forums everywhere. I am here to dispel those myths and correct the misinformation that I see being published daily in business forums.

A bold claim? Yes, but all you need do is ask me some questions about sourcing and importing and you will soon find that because I have been there – done that for most of my long life, I do actually know what I am talking about.

Disclaimer: I do not pretend to be expert at online marketing. There are plenty of others who have far more experience than I in that field. I am well on my way through reading all 40 pages of Ecom man’s thread, but I already see that he can offer some good advice on the product selling side.

I have been self-employed since 1967, and I started with just enough cash to buy a typewriter and some letterheads. My first job after college was with a big shipping company. Eleven years after I started that first business in 1967 I began exporting my products to Asia/Pacific countries including China which I have visited on countless occasions.

After selling that business in 1987 I began importing from countries including China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brazil. This new business sold products B2B. I had no retail sales. Business boomed and soon I ran out of family members to employ, so I expanded by selling franchises until I had franchisees operating my importing business in 4 countries.

Heart surgery a few years ago forced me to sell that business but my brain won’t slow down so I wrote my book and am now having more fun than ever helping new entrepreneurs get a safe start into importing.

Fire away with your questions.

what's the name of your ebook? i'd like to purchase it as i'm just getting started in this game and want to mix knowledge from experienced people with my own action. thanks!!

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi SeanF. The book is called Import Direct From China and many Other Countries. You can find it here: Proven Global Sourcing - Proven Global Sourcing.

Walter

 

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[Bosstradamus]

Hey gang,

Does anyone have a freight forwarder that they have used and would recommend? Preferably in the Los Angeles area

 

[Walter Hay]

Hey gang,

Does anyone have a freight forwarder that they have used and would recommend? Preferably in the Los Angeles area

Flexport is worth a try. They are small enough to give good service, but have all the right connections. You should get quotes from two or three forwarders .

Walter

 

[Yìlì]

@Walter Hay

31 pages is a lot to read through. I've read every word and I'm so happy I did.
Reading your answers to peoples questions was VERY educational to me, and a lot of others as well I'm guessing.
So I made an account to thank you.

I thank you sir.

Next on the list: Setting up a mock brand and using ppc ads to validate if people will want to buy.
Then hopefully the fun part: importing.
I'm looking forward to the journey and will definitely buy your book when I get to that point!

 

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[Walter Hay]

@Walter Hay

31 pages is a lot to read through. I've read every word and I'm so happy I did.
Reading your answers to peoples questions was VERY educational to me, and a lot of others as well I'm guessing.
So I made an account to thank you.

I thank you sir.

Next on the list: Setting up a mock brand and using ppc ads to validate if people will want to buy.
Then hopefully the fun part: importing.
I'm looking forward to the journey and will definitely buy your book when I get to that point!

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your kind comments. It's good to see you planning ahead.

Walter

 

[William Brignoli]

Hi,

First of all, pardon me for my english, I'm not a native english speaker.
I'm still reading this thread while taking a lot of notes at the same time, consequently, I haven't read the entire thread yet so forgive me, in case my question has already been asked.
My question is: are we allowed to ''steal'' the pictures that our manufacturer used to present their product on alibaba and use these same pictures to sell our product on ebay?

Ps: I would like to thank you Walter for sharing your experience on this subject. I'm defenetly going to buy your e-book in the next few days after having read the entire thread. I tried to import some goods from china to France a couple of years ago when I was 18 years old but I didn't have any experience and didn't have enough knowledge of importation and exportation. Now I realised why I failed, you practically mentioned all the mistakes that need to to be avoided and that I made

Cheers

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi,

First of all, pardon me for my english, I'm not a native english speaker.
I'm still reading this thread while taking a lot of notes at the same time, consequently, I haven't read the entire thread yet so forgive me, in case my question has already been asked.
My question is: are we allowed to ''steal'' the pictures that our manufacturer used to present their product on alibaba and use these same pictures to sell our product on ebay?

Ps: I would like to thank you Walter for sharing your experience on this subject. I'm defenetly going to buy your e-book in the next few days after having read the entire thread. I tried to import some goods from china to France a couple of years ago when I was 18 years old but I didn't have any experience and didn't have enough knowledge of importation and exportation. Now I realised why I failed, you practically mentioned all the mistakes that need to to be avoided and that I made

Cheers

Hi William, Your English is fine. Don't let that slow you down. I see more spelling and grammar errors in things written by native English speakers.

I am not an internet marketing expert, so the best answer I can give about the pictures is that many will have watermarks, many are of poor quality, and many have been stolen from the real manufacturer's website or catalog. Overall, it is far better for you to use your own photography. Search the forum for "background for photography" or similar, and you should find some helpful posts.

As you read my thread you will learn why Alibaba is not the best place to source your products.

Also, if you are thinking of selling on eBay in the USA, keep in mind that a lot of manufacturers in France produce products that are very different to those made in China, and they could represent a good opportunity to offer unique products on eBay. Amazon FBA is a good way to go to sell outside of France.

Walter

 

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[William Brignoli]

Hi William, Your English is fine. Don't let that slow you down. I see more spelling and grammar errors in things written by native English speakers.

I am not an internet marketing expert, so the best answer I can give about the pictures is that many will have watermarks, many are of poor quality, and many have been stolen from the real manufacturer's website or catalog. Overall, it is far better for you to use your own photography. Search the forum for "background for photography" or similar, and you should find some helpful posts.

As you read my thread you will learn why Alibaba is not the best place to source your products.

Also, if you are thinking of selling on eBay in the USA, keep in mind that a lot of manufacturers in France produce products that are very different to those made in China, and they could represent a good opportunity to offer unique products on eBay. Amazon FBA is a good way to go to sell outside of France.

Walter

Thank you very much for your answer Walter. That's perfect, you gave me even more information and advice than I asked for.

Sincerely

 

[Moonandpinkskies]

Thank you very much @Walter for this very informative thread. I've read every single page + your ebook. I recommend it to everyone!

 

[RisingStars]

Hey Walter,

I have a question regarding toxic stuff inside of the product.
In germany we need (atleast for electronic goods) a RoHs certification which shows that there are not more then a certain % of toxic ingredients in the product.
Of cause there is a law that it is forbidden to import products with toxic ingredients but beside the fear of getting sued I also have the moral responsibility to myself to import only non toxic products.
Toxic ingredients can be even in very simple products like iphone bumpers for example, not only electronics like in my case.

How do you make sure (on a budget) that there are no bad stuff in the products?
I watched a video about a german importeur and I think I remember he had a device (something like a handheld laser) to check if the product got toxic ingredients. I cant find the video and it could be something totally different.
Do 3rd party inspection services like for example SGS as mentioned in this thread check the products for toxic ingredients when they do the quality control?
My product got a genuine RoHs certification but even then they could just add toxic, cheap material to the product AFTER they got the certification.
If then someone gets a desease from my product (or any product imported from china) I encounter:
a) A huge law battle.
b) A legal proceeding because of bringing unsafe products into the country.
c) The moral guilt for making my customer sick.

Hope you got a way to safe me from a) - c)

 

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[Walter Hay]

Hey Walter,

I have a question regarding toxic stuff inside of the product.
In germany we need (atleast for electronic goods) a RoHs certification which shows that there are not more then a certain % of toxic ingredients in the product.
Of cause there is a law that it is forbidden to import products with toxic ingredients but beside the fear of getting sued I also have the moral responsibility to myself to import only non toxic products.
Toxic ingredients can be even in very simple products like iphone bumpers for example, not only electronics like in my case.

How do you make sure (on a budget) that there are no bad stuff in the products?
I watched a video about a german importeur and I think I remember he had a device (something like a handheld laser) to check if the product got toxic ingredients. I cant find the video and it could be something totally different.
Do 3rd party inspection services like for example SGS as mentioned in this thread check the products for toxic ingredients when they do the quality control?
My product got a genuine RoHs certification but even then they could just add toxic, cheap material to the product AFTER they got the certification.
If then someone gets a desease from my product (or any product imported from china) I encounter:
a) A huge law battle.
b) A legal proceeding because of bringing unsafe products into the country.
c) The moral guilt for making my customer sick.

Hope you got a way to safe me from a) - c)

The device you refer to is possibly some kind of miniature mass spectrometer, but because of the high cost and complexity of those machines it is more likely a portable gas sensor using electrochemical gas sensor technology such as you see at airport security. These can be rented, but the cost would be substantial.

SGS and such don't do such testing but they could have sample sent to a testing laboratory for you. Again, the substantial cost would probably not be viable.

If the ROHS certificate is genuine, I would personally be satisfied with that. The risk of the manufacturer substituting non-complying materials after obtaining the certificate would be small. The reason I say that is that their whole business would be destroyed once such deception was discovered. The Chinese government consumer watchdog (SAIC) would take action against them.

Walter

 

[RisingStars]

The device you refer to is possibly some kind of miniature mass spectrometer, but because of the high cost and complexity of those machines it is more likely a portable gas sensor using electrochemical gas sensor technology such as you see at airport security. These can be rented, but the cost would be substantial.

SGS and such don't do such testing but they could have sample sent to a testing laboratory for you. Again, the substantial cost would probably not be viable.

If the ROHS certificate is genuine, I would personally be satisfied with that. The risk of the manufacturer substituting non-complying materials after obtaining the certificate would be small. The reason I say that is that their whole business would be destroyed once such deception was discovered. The Chinese government consumer watchdog (SAIC) would take action against them.

Walter

Thank you very much. I got a RoHs report and a CE report from my supplier. I think they will be safe since the report looks very legit.
A few questions are left regarding the report, I hope you dont mind me asking:
1) In the CE and RoHs report are many modell numbers but only photos of one device included. My supplier stated that they only need to test the feature richest device to get the CE-certification. Is this true?

2) I checked the CE certification for another device from the manufacturer and it was legit. Now the site of the testing institute is offline since 1-2 weeks. Should I be worried?

3) The supplier sent me a ce-certification and a ce-report for one device. The problem is, that the ce-certification is issued by "UDEM International Certification Auditing training centre industry and trade co.ltd" (http://udemltd.com.tr/) the report tho is issued by "Shenzhen BCTC Technology Co.,Ltd" (bctc-lab.com) --> website is offline.
I checked the UDEM certificate and even wrote them a mail and it is genuine.
Why do they have a report from another testing company? The modell numbers in the report and in the certificate are the same.

Best regards

 

[Darlene L.]

I haven't read the entire Thread but I would like to ask about exporting. How do I start exporting our products?

I was very excited about this thread but I haven't read anything about exporting yet. Although there are tons about importing.

 

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[Walter Hay]

I haven't read the entire Thread but I would like to ask about exporting. How do I start exporting our products?

I was very excited about this thread but I haven't read anything about exporting yet. Although there are tons about importing.

I don't write much about exporting because almost everyone is interested in importing.

I would suggest that before you try to do any exporting, you should learn about importing. The reason is that your customers will all be importing and you will need to understand what is involved for them at their end. That will help you to provide all the necessary documentation, such as Pro Forma Invoices, Commercial Invoices, Airwaybills, Bills of Lading, etc.

My book probably won't help you, except that it explains a lot of the terms, and the importing process.

If you want to advertise your products for sale worldwide, you could register as a seller on Alibaba. Although I don't recommend them for buyers, Alibaba is a great selling platform.

Walter

 

[kwodzilla]

Hi Walter,

One supplier I'm about to place an order with has mentioned there will be $300 LCL charges included. What do these charges involve? I assumed they were incurred in getting the goods from the factory to the port so I said I will contact my freight forwarder and see if they can arrange to have the goods picked up from the factory. They said the charge is not a transportation cost and they will have to pay our forwarder the $300 LCL charges anyway even if they have it collected from the factory. Can you please confirm what these costs are? Presumably they will be included in a door-to-door quotation from a forwarder?

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi Walter,

One supplier I'm about to place an order with has mentioned there will be $300 LCL charges included. What do these charges involve? I assumed they were incurred in getting the goods from the factory to the port so I said I will contact my freight forwarder and see if they can arrange to have the goods picked up from the factory. They said the charge is not a transportation cost and they will have to pay our forwarder the $300 LCL charges anyway even if they have it collected from the factory. Can you please confirm what these costs are? Presumably they will be included in a door-to-door quotation from a forwarder?

In my book I refer to "other charges they are probably dreaming up right now."

LCL charges can be genuine, but they are not the concern of the manufacturer unless they have quoted you FOB port of loading. A forwarder will include any charges such as cost involved in loading and unload the goods into and out of a container. The forwarder will not charge your supplier any LCL charge, they would simply include that in your quote.

The supplier might have added this LCL amount as a cost penalty for ordering less than a container load. It is common for suppliers to impose an extra charge for orders below their MOQ, but I have never seen it referred to as an LCL charge.

I suspect that your supplier is being opportunist. If you are to proceed with the order, you should get your forwarder to write to you and cc the supplier stating that they will not charge the supplier any LCL or other charges.

Walter

 

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[mosdef]

WOW. Thanks so much for this thread.

I live on a small island in Sweden, don't even know if the manufacturers can ship to this Island or if they ship to other cities in Sweden. But let's say they do ship here. When my stuff arrive at the port, how do I get it home? Do you guys pick it up by car or do you use some kind of company to deliver it home to you? And how much would this cost?

Thanks once again!

 

[Walter Hay]

WOW. Thanks so much for this thread.

I live on a small island in Sweden, don't even know if the manufacturers can ship to this Island or if they ship to other cities in Sweden. But let's say they do ship here. When my stuff arrive at the port, how do I get it home? Do you guys pick it up by car or do you use some kind of company to deliver it home to you? And how much would this cost?

Thanks once again!

It depends on the quantities involved but for small orders that would usually travel by door to door courier service, I would be surprised if the couriers don't have an arrangement with a local service that would deliver to your island.

For years I operated my importing business from a remote rural location. Couriers would pass my incoming shipments to a small local carrier in the nearest big town, and they would be delivered to me the next day. When I wanted to send shipments I would go to the nearby small airstrip where a courier aircraft picked up documents from the bank, legal papers from the local lawyer, and small packages from small businesses. They were then flown to a large transshipment center where they were forwarded on. They were delivered right across the country in 24 - 48 hours. At least I had the benefit of daily flights (5 days per week) that you might not have in your location.

Ask around the island. Find out how the postal service gets their parcels. How does the local shop get their supplies? If they come by small ship, it might mean a week or two between deliveries, but you will have to adjust your system to suit. Even larger shipments might arrive at your island that way.

Once you have that information, let me know and I will see what I can suggest to help.

Walter

 

[Walter Hay]

Latest Edition of my book at last!

This has been a marathon effort. I thought I would have it out by September, but it just grew and grew. Now from 22 chapters it has grown to 33.

It is available for free download to all who have purchased a previous edition. PAC members can access the download via their PAC account. After logging in, go to sourcing menu, where you will find the book listed, approximately in the middle of the list.

For those who are not PAC members, you should have received an email with a download link.

For those who bought my book prior to November 2014, you can send your purchase details to my support team at msteamwebmaster@gmail.com. They will send you the link. If anyone can't find their proof of purchase, PM me with as much detail as possible and I will check out my pre-November 2014 records.

Walter

EDIT. I have now been asked by so many people if the version of my book being offered at $29 is genuine, that I think it is necessary to confirm that it is. The offer expires Feb16. I have never discounted it before.

 

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[Walter Hay]

WHY I DON’T BLOG

I have been asked why I don’t have my own blog to help importers.

One important reason is that I don’t want to fall into the trap that almost every blogger gets caught in ― the need to fill the space and continually write something new.

I have reviewed many blogs, almost all supposedly published to provide help for importers, although the obvious purpose of a blog is to promote the blogger’s own business.

Some have excellent, useful articles, but I don’t recall seeing one that doesn’t have unnecessary and often useless information there to fill the space and to satisfy Google.

My most recent review was one in which the writing is of a high standard, and much of the content is useful, but it contains a huge amount of stuff obtained from websites related to the blog’s current subject. I know that a lot of the content had been cut and pasted from those websites.

The other reason I don’t blog is that I believe I am helping serious entrepreneurs by posting here on Fastlane and answering real questions as they are put to me in my AMA.

Walter

 

[Insane_Ben]

WHY I DON’T BLOG

I have been asked why I don’t have my own blog to help importers.

One important reason is that I don’t want to fall into the trap that almost every blogger gets caught in ― the need to fill the space and continually write something new.

I have reviewed many blogs, almost all supposedly published to provide help for importers, although the obvious purpose of a blog is to promote the blogger’s own business.

Some have excellent, useful articles, but I don’t recall seeing one that doesn’t have unnecessary and often useless information there to fill the space and to satisfy Google.

My most recent review was one in which the writing is of a high standard, and much of the content is useful, but it contains a huge amount of stuff obtained from websites related to the blog’s current subject. I know that a lot of the content had been cut and pasted from those websites.

The other reason I don’t blog is that I believe I am helping serious entrepreneurs by posting here on Fastlane and answering real questions as they are put to me in my AMA.

Walter

WHY I DON’T BLOG

I have been asked why I don’t have my own blog to help importers.

One important reason is that I don’t want to fall into the trap that almost every blogger gets caught in ― the need to fill the space and continually write something new.

I have reviewed many blogs, almost all supposedly published to provide help for importers, although the obvious purpose of a blog is to promote the blogger’s own business.

Some have excellent, useful articles, but I don’t recall seeing one that doesn’t have unnecessary and often useless information there to fill the space and to satisfy Google.

My most recent review was one in which the writing is of a high standard, and much of the content is useful, but it contains a huge amount of stuff obtained from websites related to the blog’s current subject. I know that a lot of the content had been cut and pasted from those websites.

The other reason I don’t blog is that I believe I am helping serious entrepreneurs by posting here on Fastlane and answering real questions as they are put to me in my AMA.

Walter

Hi,

I have been reading the forum, and decided to import something in a market that I think is still new...

I still dont have a company or experience in the business, but I have sent couple emails, the only bad thing.. is that the one manufacturer I liked it, he is asking for information of my company, because he doesnt have a record of it..

I dont have a company, I just put a name like "Express Ezy Imports" xxx.. so he doesnt think I am small guy.. I know it looks kind of cheap, because I am writing from an outlook domain...

What do you guys think, should I be honest straight forward, that I am person trying to try a product? I think they wouldnt reply in that way..

Thank you,

Benjamin

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi,

I have been reading the forum, and decided to import something in a market that I think is still new...

I still dont have a company or experience in the business, but I have sent couple emails, the only bad thing.. is that the one manufacturer I liked it, he is asking for information of my company, because he doesnt have a record of it..

I dont have a company, I just put a name like "Express Ezy Imports" xxx.. so he doesnt think I am small guy.. I know it looks kind of cheap, because I am writing from an outlook domain...

What do you guys think, should I be honest straight forward, that I am person trying to try a product? I think they wouldnt reply in that way..

Thank you,

Benjamin

Hi Benjamin,

There is no harm in telling a prospective supplier that you want to test a new product, but be sure he thinks it complements your existing product range.

He will be unable to do much checking on the information you provide, and I suggest you tell him your boss's policy does not allow you to provide your website details to suppliers. He says that is only for his customers.

Walter

 

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[kelvinleang]

Hi, i've been reading this forum for quite some time now and planning to import here in my country.

One concern I have is that some of the suppliers i am contacting online seldom reply to my inquiries. Out of about 6 suppliers only 2 replied, 1 replied on the b2b site itself and the other I had to contact through skype just to get a reply (in this case, she replied and gave me a catalog (around 9am), after I replied and asked for sample pictures on there specific products(9:40am), she didn't reply anymore). I am in the progress of reading your book and followed instructions and tips on how to initially contact them. I am concerned I might annoy them if I keep on sending messages of inquiry without getting a reply, what do you think? Should I wait for at least a day before following up on inquiries?

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi, i've been reading this forum for quite some time now and planning to import here in my country.

One concern I have is that some of the suppliers i am contacting online seldom reply to my inquiries. Out of about 6 suppliers only 2 replied, 1 replied on the b2b site itself and the other I had to contact through skype just to get a reply (in this case, she replied and gave me a catalog (around 9am), after I replied and asked for sample pictures on there specific products(9:40am), she didn't reply anymore). I am in the progress of reading your book and followed instructions and tips on how to initially contact them. I am concerned I might annoy them if I keep on sending messages of inquiry without getting a reply, what do you think? Should I wait for at least a day before following up on inquiries?

There are instructions in my book, and I have posted on the subject, but lack of response over the past couple of weeks would be largely due to the Chinese New Year.

Don't send any more inquiries until the end of the month. Follow up after a few days or maybe a week, otherwise you will seem too anxious and they could take advantage of that perception when quoting prices.

Your request for sample pictures could have made the lady suspect that you want to copy the product or just use the images on eBay or Amazon. Any such request should wait until you are in the ordering stage.

Walter