The idea of importing goods from China is exciting, but terrifying for many eBay sellers. On one side, there’s great potential for making money from reselling wholesale products purchased cheap. But on the other hand, cultural and language barriers may present a slight problem.
However, the main issue that most people are concerned about when importing goods from China is payment: How do I pay? Is my money safe?, ect.
Since getting a credit card in China is an extremely difficult task with much government regulation and strict criteria, most Chinese wholesalers only accept wire transfer and Western Union payments. These are not secure payment options, so you must be cautious when deciding to import goods from China.
To minimize this risk, our advice is to start with a small shipment of goods from China so you’re not in jeopardy of losing too much money if something goes wrong. Maybe as trust is established, you might gradually build up your order over time.
For the most part, most Chinese wholesale suppliers are genuine, hard working folks who want to establish a long term relationship with you. They need your business, so it isn’t likely they will intentionally try to rip you off.
Another big issue for eBay sellers looking at importing goods from China is the language barrier and communication. It can be really frustrating trying to negotiate business terms when the communication is so difficult. To get around this issue, always ask a new contact for their MSN or ICQ email address and chat with them online.
Chinese wholesalers tend to be friendly and enjoy talking with people who speak English as their first language because it helps them to improve their communication as well. Plus, if you’re able to get your contact’s MSN or ICQ email address, it will instantly give you a direct point of contact with your new chinese wholesaler.
With communication and a relationship established, you can proceed to ask questions from your new chinese wholesaler, get them to send you photos of stock, and ask them to send a sample order.
For any legitimate company, this is not a problem. Plus, it allows you to see the quality of their goods. We can then feel more confident that the company is trustworthy, and we can feel more relaxed about importing goods from China.
Quality of merchandise can be another major concern for eBay sellers who sometimes have difficulty discerning whether a brand name product is genuine or not.
In our experience, the vast majority of brand name products that import from China are either replicas or fakes; therefore, we strongly recommend you assume that this is the case in the first instance. eBay has been heavily cracking down on sellers selling fake products, so it is not an area of business we suggest you get into.
For the most part, we find that Chinese wholesalers are best suited for cheap generic products because they’re manufactured there; therefore, you will not find cheaper prices anywhere that can be sold at a high rate in western countries. For example, some of the latest trends are scooters, pocket bikes, and generic electronic goods. These products don’t have to have a brand name in order to sell well, and they can be purchased wholesale at really great prices.
This should give you a heads up if you’re looking into importing goods from China! Remember, always keep an open mind, ask questions and do your research!
To summarize the idea of importing goods from China…
- The vast majority of brand name products that import from China are either replicas or fakes; therefore, we strongly recommend you assume this is the case in the first instance.
- Western Union and wire transfer are the methods you have to use if you want to import goods from China.
- Chinese wholesale suppliers are best suited for cheap generic products because they’re manufactured there.
- Start with a small shipment of goods so you’re not in jeopardy of losing too much money if something goes wrong.
- Most Chinese wholesale suppliers are genuine, hard working folks who want to establish a long term relationship with you.
- Chinese wholesalers tend to be friendly and enjoy talking with people who speak English as their first language.
Want to use this article? Please read the rules at FREE eBay Articles
=========================================================
