Talking with a supplier in China and trying not to get scammed. How can I check the reliability of Chinese suppliers?

What should I be looking for to know if supplier in China is credible or not?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yes there are scammers in the Chinese supplier market but there are scammers in every market. You need to be careful dealing with all suppliers, no matter where they are located.

Figuring out if a Chinese supplier is reliable is similar to dealing with any other wholesaler or manufacturer.

Here are a few things you should do before doing a business with a supplier:

• Check the accuracy of contact information

o Is it the same as another company’s, is it real?
o Can you call them or email them when necessary?

• Have they registered with the local government

o This would be the Bureau of Industry and Commerce in China

• Payment options

o Are they looking for a Western Union transfer? Will you have recourse?

• Shipment options

o Do they use a trusted provider?

• User reviews

o Search the forum to see what other sellers say about the Chinese supplier

• Warranty offers, authentic guarantees

o Should offer an authenticity money back guarantee on branded goods

• Make a site visit

o If you cannot visit the supplier in China, hire a 3rd party to investigate

Pay attention to the prices of the supplier as well. Are they in line with the RRP market? Are they selling knock off items?

Sometimes a Chinese supplier will attract new sellers because of their low prices. Don’t let a low price cost you 1000s.

Agree with everything above. There are a lot of scammers and not just in China.

Do your research about the product. If you know the ins and outs then you won’t be taken for a ride by a Chinese supplier.

Make sure you know what the price, colour, size, specs of the item should be. Also double check the Chinese supplier’s contact info and registration numbers.

Concise information – well done McJennings

Yes! Awesome thread.

Glad everyone is finding the information helpful.

Just save yourself some trouble and don’t use a supplier in China. From all the import duty and paperwork, it is a lot better to ship from within.

Didn’t expect to get this much help. Thank you everyone.

I know that scammers are everywhere but it seems Chinese suppliers are always near the top of the lists. Even some of the directories I’ve found for wholesalers and dropshippers, look like scam fronts.

Thanks for all the information.

Excellent advice. Someone should make a sticky post out of this for people trying to learn about Chinese suppliers.