Sourcing & Import from China Tips and Guide

1.       Whenever possible, meet your business partner in person and visit their company’s facilities. Although the internet offers you a wealth of information on your potential partner that enables you to make an initial assessment, there is no substitute for face-to-face contact.

2.       If the price your supplier offered is much lower than the usual market price, (especially it is digital products or computer related products) do not send your payment without an investigation. You can search for the company’s name on our forum to see if any other members are talking about this company. You can also post a new question and ask for help from experienced members. There are always lots of enthusiastic members who will give you a hand.

3.       Check your business partner’s background. Background checks from independent third-party sources include a search for legal registration and credit reports. In many countries, the existence of a company and its legal status is a matter of public record. If your trading partner is not a Gold Supplier or TrustPass member, check the company’s registration details in their country to ensure that the company exists and has a valid registration. If you cannot get access to your partner’s registration information, ask your partner to provide you with a Certificate of Good Standing issued by the company registry office in their country/state/province. You can also find out more about your partner by ordering a credit history report from a local credit agency. Credit history reports contain information about your partner’s business history and their relationships with banks and other trading partners. Try to contact a credit agency, which can provide credit history reports.

4.       You’re highly recommended to use a secure escrow service to hold your payment safely until you confirm receipt of the products you ordered. Don’t send your payment by
Western Union or through an unknown escrow website.

5.       Negotiate with your partner about transaction details, such as solutions for damaged products, inferior products, delayed delivery etc. If you didn’t sign a written agreement, you should keep email records as evidence in cases where trade disputes occur.

6.       Protect yourself against poor quality by ordering a pre-shipment inspection of the products. You can demand the inspection as a condition to payment.

7.       Protect yourself when ordering or providing samples. As a buyer, order a sample before committing to a purchase order to be sure that the product meets your expectations.

8.       It is recommended that you contact our service team to make a complaint when you are scammed. Describe the detailed information of the case and keep related documents as proof.

Characteristics of Fraudsters:

1.       Low product price

2.       Accepts small orders or accepts individual purchases

3.       After buyers send a partial payment, they ask buyers to place a larger order or increase their deposit.

4.       Asks buyers to send payment to a private bank account instead of a company account.

5.       Asks for further payment to clear products detained by the Customs Office.

6.       Asks buyers to register an account with a government authority, and then to send a registration fee to a bank account in order to buy the products.