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I'd like to explain why I am such a big fan of Alibaba for all sorts of things including car parts. I really think people on this site, in general, have very little experience in dealing directly with suppliers in China and therefor just dont get it. I also think there is a heafty amount of racism but thats another matter.
Ive been working, visiting, sourcing material and even lived in Hong Kong for a while working at a bank financing letters of credit for cargo shipments coming out of the manufacturing hubs bound for the rest of the world. I buy several containers a year directly from suppliers for my primary business and would say I have a pretty decent understanding of chinese culture and how to do business with different cultures.
Alibaba is kind of like amazon but much less regulated and looked at more as a place to meet other vendors before negotiating a deal off the platform. Its not like you are buying FROM alibaba, you use the site to meet people who then sell to you. Amazon kind of works the same in that you can buy from vendors who ship stuff to you from their house or you can buy from sellers who set up an amazon shop and even people who have amazon warehouse and ship their product. Amazon also has their own products. To be an amazon vendor you need to go through their vetting process and ive been through it for a small coffee business i set up (and lost money on like an idiot). You need a company like an llc, bank accounts and credit cards in the company name and you need to have an online interview on zoom where they make you hold up your drivers license and really check you out a bit. They have some standards and if you scam someone using amazon, at least they know who you are and they can sue your company in us courts and perhaps win. Its legit.
Alibaba is different. Anyone can post for sale and lots of very big sellers post on there as do people who just want to sell one thing they have in their garage. So, yes, you are A LOT more likely to get scammed on alibaba but you are also much more likely find a direct manufacturer who can sell you legit parts for rock bottom prices. But good luck suing a guy in china if you get screwed over a fake $2,000 carbon part.
I have no idea if the genuine rotors i bought were from some guy at factory who stole them, from a plant manager who had excess he kept off the books or if the plant was allowed to sell them direct. And if I got scammed, I would have no recourse.
So, its not like buying on amazon but also is somewhat similar. You can directly contaxt the seller on alibaba and in fact should do it. When I buy off there, I have one of my chinese employees contact the seller and talk to them and verify its not a scam. If an english spealer does this, i dont think it works as well or at all. Alibaba sells all over the world, i think like 80 countries and is a major player. They have a lot less revenue than amazon and a lot less employees also. Its less regulated, but also a much better option for direct from factory. They have less revenue because often you do one deal on the site or meet a seller there and negotiate a deal directly.
This is a very dumbed down and short explaination typed on my phone, but for those who simply hate alibaba for whatever reason, you dont make sense to me. A comoany doesnt make billions of dollars a yesr witj consistent growth because it has no value....
Ive been working, visiting, sourcing material and even lived in Hong Kong for a while working at a bank financing letters of credit for cargo shipments coming out of the manufacturing hubs bound for the rest of the world. I buy several containers a year directly from suppliers for my primary business and would say I have a pretty decent understanding of chinese culture and how to do business with different cultures.
Alibaba is kind of like amazon but much less regulated and looked at more as a place to meet other vendors before negotiating a deal off the platform. Its not like you are buying FROM alibaba, you use the site to meet people who then sell to you. Amazon kind of works the same in that you can buy from vendors who ship stuff to you from their house or you can buy from sellers who set up an amazon shop and even people who have amazon warehouse and ship their product. Amazon also has their own products. To be an amazon vendor you need to go through their vetting process and ive been through it for a small coffee business i set up (and lost money on like an idiot). You need a company like an llc, bank accounts and credit cards in the company name and you need to have an online interview on zoom where they make you hold up your drivers license and really check you out a bit. They have some standards and if you scam someone using amazon, at least they know who you are and they can sue your company in us courts and perhaps win. Its legit.
Alibaba is different. Anyone can post for sale and lots of very big sellers post on there as do people who just want to sell one thing they have in their garage. So, yes, you are A LOT more likely to get scammed on alibaba but you are also much more likely find a direct manufacturer who can sell you legit parts for rock bottom prices. But good luck suing a guy in china if you get screwed over a fake $2,000 carbon part.
I have no idea if the genuine rotors i bought were from some guy at factory who stole them, from a plant manager who had excess he kept off the books or if the plant was allowed to sell them direct. And if I got scammed, I would have no recourse.
So, its not like buying on amazon but also is somewhat similar. You can directly contaxt the seller on alibaba and in fact should do it. When I buy off there, I have one of my chinese employees contact the seller and talk to them and verify its not a scam. If an english spealer does this, i dont think it works as well or at all. Alibaba sells all over the world, i think like 80 countries and is a major player. They have a lot less revenue than amazon and a lot less employees also. Its less regulated, but also a much better option for direct from factory. They have less revenue because often you do one deal on the site or meet a seller there and negotiate a deal directly.
This is a very dumbed down and short explaination typed on my phone, but for those who simply hate alibaba for whatever reason, you dont make sense to me. A comoany doesnt make billions of dollars a yesr witj consistent growth because it has no value....
