Recently, we found that many importers said they had met some buying scams on Alibaba. They said they were cheated by Alibaba’s supplier. Fraud can happen at any time. For example, when you pay for an order, select a supplier or even reorder the product.
Buying Scams 1: Selling brand products at attractive prices
Some suppliers on Alibaba claim that they are OEM manufacturers, so they can get much cheaper prices. However, this is not the case. Because many brand companies usually sign a lot of confidentiality agreements with manufacturers. It is illegal for these manufacturers to share designs and materials with other customers. Therefore, it is impossible to get authentic products from Alibaba suppliers.
Buying Scams 2: Raising the price after placing an order
If you search for products on Alibaba, you will find that the price is very low. But they’re not real. You can get the real price only after you send the inquiry. Usually, the supplier will provide you with a good price to complete the business.
But after you spend weeks confirming your product details and sending a deposit, they will suddenly ask for a higher price because they know that most people will not want to change to a new supplier. It would be a huge waste of time and money. So, if you’re in this situation, it’s best to ask for more than two suppliers in the first place.
Buying Scams 3: High-quality samples, but inferior products
Some suppliers don’t have much advantage in price. So, this is a common trick they can play. High-quality samples can attract you to place an order. But after you pay the bill, they will provide you with shoddy bulk orders. This usually happens in everyday items, such as clothes and socks.
However, if you do not want this to happen to you, please cooperate with Alibaba’s trade guarantee supplier. It ensures that the quality of the order is the same as that of the sample. But remember, write down all the details in the agreement, such as color, fabric, and size. Otherwise, even if you use a trade guarantee, you will not be able to get a refund without writing down all these details.
Buying Scams 4: Using fake certificates
We all know that certificates such as CE and FDA are very important. They are mandatory requirements for you to legally sell products in your country. Some suppliers do not have these certifications. But to sell their products, they may promise to provide you with certification after you place an order.
Forget it. Don’t buy it. It’s just a game they’re playing. If the supplier provides you with a certificate, please check it carefully. Because certificates can be forged by Photoshop.
In either case, your goods will be blocked during customs clearance, and it will cost thousands of yuan to get your certificate. So you can go to the official website of the laboratory to verify that the certificate is true.
Buying Scams 5: Changing the goods without notice at the time of delivery
Some suppliers will send you products that are slightly different from what you expect. For example, your order is a 100% cotton shirt, but they may send you an 80% cotton shirt. To prevent this from happening, please do not forget to use Alibaba’s trade guarantee.
Buying Scams 6: Gold medal supplier on Alibaba sells inferior products
Many new buyers are willing to choose gold suppliers because they look more reliable. But the truth is that any Chinese supplier can become a gold supplier by paying a membership fee of $4500 a year.
Some even spend a lot of money to buy a 3-5-year Alibaba gold supplier account, and then they will use this account to sell cheap and high-quality products. How to find gold suppliers? You can hire a professional purchasing agent to verify the factory, meet with suppliers, check their certificates, and so on. This will greatly reduce your risk.
Union Vision can help you avoid purchasing risks, or you can read our blogs to get information about effective purchasing.
We provide one-stop service, including supplier selection, quality control, order follow-up, warehouse, testing, factory verification, and after-sales service. If you are interested, please link to our website. Thank you for your reading. I hope you can benefit from it!
