Buying from China: Things to watch out for?

[J.McVeigh]

Evening all,

I am heading over to China next week to visit a few factories and also to attend the Canton Fair. We are looking to import one part of a construction Industry product so that we can build our own complete product in the UK.

This is my first time purchasing abroad and so am looking for do's and don'ts from some of the pro's on the forum! What are the common pitfalls, things to watch out for and avoid? Or positively, are there any actions that we should take to make any purchases run more smoothly?

Cheers,

James

 

[Ecowritingtablet]

1. there are should be some trading companies who pretend to be factories, if you want to deal with factories directly, you can hire an interpreter to go with you, then you can ask questions to him/her.
2. you should use your freight agent to make sure your goods are picked up and delivered by your people.
3. you can use some inspection firm to check goods quality if you could not get back later after goods are finished. here is an example of one inspection report. http://www.china-qualityinspection.com/Report-Sample/
4. always compare more suppliers and choose the most reliable one, it can help save you much trouble.

 

[J.McVeigh]

2. you should use your freight agent to make sure your goods are picked up and delivered by your people.

Thanks so much for the reply. Really helpful.

I just wondered what the reason would be for using your own shipping company? I envisioned piggy backing on - what I assumed - would be the suppliers better shipping rates with their existing relationships.

Thanks Again,

James

 

[Mr D]

Thanks so much for the reply. Really helpful.

I just wondered what the reason would be for using your own shipping company? I envisioned piggy backing on - what I assumed - would be the suppliers better shipping rates with their existing relationships.

Thanks Again,

James

Supplier can be quite expensive - they won't perhaps quote you what they are being quoted - they'll add on to it. Sometimes considerably.

 

[GraemeL]

I just wondered what the reason would be for using your own shipping company? I envisioned piggy backing on - what I assumed - would be the suppliers better shipping rates with their existing relationships.

James - naivety shining through! Suggest that if that is the extent of your knowledge of freighting to the UK, then you are going to have an extremely difficult time dealing direct with 'factories' if that's what they are.

Take advantage of others experiences. Read all of this https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/new-to-import-export-read-these-before-posting.175/ in particular the one about what shipping terms mean. Read everything even if it boring.

Read this https://thewoodlandgroup.wordpress.com/

My rule on buying direct? Don't. Use an agent based in China. The factories I use don't exhibit at Canton fair. An agent can find the factory, you cannot.

Do Chinese factories speak English - yes. Does what they say in English mean what you think it means? No. They are lovely people but there is a vast cultural difference.

 

[J.McVeigh]

Awesome. Thanks for the great resources!

 

[James Rae]

It's a shame you can't source the component here or Europe... Can you say what it is?

'Bon Voyage' and 'Bon Chance' ... it will be a true experience I have no doubt

 

[J.McVeigh]

It's a shame you can't source the component here or Europe... Can you say what it is?

The product is a waterproofing material. We have so far sourced most of the materials in Europe, however the main, waterproofing component seems to be a bit more allusive. Admittedly there must be someone, but we haven't been fortunate enough to find them just yet.

 

[Ecowritingtablet]

Supplier can be quite expensive - they won't perhaps quote you what they are being quoted - they'll add on to it. Sometimes considerably.

also one point, if you buy from some scammer, they can change the goods or make fake documents to you if they use their frieght forwarder. It is for safe reason. You use your freight forwarder, you can better control your shipment. anyway, you should do better homework about the reliability of the supplier.

 

[Skogy Dropshipping]

One problem that i have experienced myself when importing from china, is that they give you a great sample, then after you place an order for 1000 pcs, the quality differs a lot, so my advice is to control the quality before they deliver the products

 

[Maple Sourcing]

My advice is: Don’t Make Price the Primary Factor when Sourcing from China.

Some companies presume that the lowest rate is going to be the most profitable. However, it isn’t always wise to make such assumption. When considering quotations and proposals from different manufacturers, don’t make price the primary factor. While price is obviously important and one the main reasons for purchasing from China in the first place, look instead for companies that are well established and focused on quality and serving other companies like yours.

 

[Magda kafelek]

Remember that Chinese culture is different from European. The Chinese will tell you that he will do anything, and then if they fail, you will hear only sorry. And he will think he was ok because he tried.