Hello, I would like to order wholesale from an Australian company, but am new at doing international orders. This business sells electronics. How do I know if it is trustworthy?

First of all, any business in Australia should have an Australian Business Number. This number should be present on the supplier’s website. If it is not, contact the supplier to ask for it. You can then use the Australian government’s ABN Lookup Directory to verify if the business is legitimate.

Just type the supplier’s name into the search box. If the supplier’s name appears with the word “active” beside it, the company’s registration is up to date. If the word “cancelled” appears next to the supplier’s name, that company has been deactivated. You can click on the “view history” link next to the supplier name to see changes in the supplier’s history.

Thanks. Any other tips for doing web searches on this supplier?

One thing you should look at is the supplier’s website.

● Verify that all the contact information is valid and functioning. Look up the brick and mortar address
.
● It is questionable when a supplier only has an e-mail address that is from a free Internet service. It should have an e-mail address that coincides with its web address.

● Do a general online search for reviews related to the supplier. Carefully read and verify any negative reviews.

● Use the Whois search engine to look up the supplier’s website set up information. Make sure the site has not expired and has been updated recently.

Good suggestions. I always find helpful reviews about businesses by doing simple Internet searches.

There are many forums and directories on the Internet that can tell you about Australian businesses. For example, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission has a national names index for businesses and an identical companies names check tool. You can also search for businesses that have the ASIC license and are registered as Professionals.

Two non-Australian government sites that may also prove helpful are the Better Business Bureau and Edgar.

The BBB tracks customer complaints with businesses, and although businesses in Australia will not appear there, they may be mentioned in reviews of US businesses.

The same applies for Edgar, which files reports about many companies. If the supplier you are looking for is not listed in the Edgar database, it may be mentioned in a report about another company.