Finding manufacturers or suppliers

[Shaun Kelly]

Hi All , just wonder what people's view is on using a site like Alibaba for finding manufacturers of things?
Does it highly depend on what items your looking for. Is it a good place or a bad place to use?
Thanks
Shaun

 

[MBE2017]

It can be good, and awful. You need to do your homework and due diligence, but the rewards can be high.

 

[Mr D]

It is a good place to find stuff. Its also a good place to find stuff that the rights owner may be unaware is being sold.
Plus fakes, dangerous stuff that customs destroys, stuff illegal to sell here etc.

Have also come across some great deals that turn out to be legal and great products.

 

[Shaun Kelly]

Have any of you had experience with clothing manufacturers that was the main thing I've been looking at. I would say the main worry is scams and the quality of the product.

 

[MOIC]

The other 'main' worry will be the sizing.

Expect problems and be relieved and happy if your orders come exactly as you ordered.

 

[Mr D]

The other 'main' worry will be the sizing.

Expect problems and be relieved and happy if your orders come exactly as you ordered.

Be happy if the order and the sample are same quality...

 

[MOIC]

Be happy if the order and the sample are same quality...

From Alibaba? . . . . .It will rarely happen, as the chances that the customer orders 1pc each colour of each size and the supplier offering it, are minimal.

Also, a size L in China, will be a size S in the West.

Ordering clothing from any China supplier has to go through several processes, including samples for each size and colour and reconfirming you will receive the same correctly labelled.

 

[Shaun Kelly]

So is it a bad idea or do you think it's just about been very careful who you use and been vigilante?

 

[MOIC]

Be very vigilante, read reviews, ask for samples of each size and each colour you propose on ordering and ensure they will be the same when you order. Ask what happens should the colours or sizes be different to your order.

Due diligence on the supplier is crucial.

What quantities are you planning on ordering of each style from one supplier?

 

[Maple Sourcing]

Alibaba is a way to find China suppliers, however, the most important thing is to verify and choose a trustworthy supplier, and continuously monitor the quality.

It's safe to start with small QTY, but, many factories have MOQ requirement. So it depends on what products you need, hard to say if Alibaba is good or not.

 

[deniser]

I had dealings with three companies. One sent me very poor quality samples so I steered well clear. One was reliable in sending goods but often sent substituted colours and sizes which was annoying. The third one turned out great and we have been working together for over ten years.

 

[MarkHenry19]

Yes, I do agree on this.
It is always an important issue to verify and choose a trustworthy supplier. Also, you have to continuously monitor their quality. Only then you can realize their service quality. It is important for you.

I tried Suplyd. It is good enough for me.
Thanks!

 

[CHUKTC]

Your choice of how to source depends very much on the quantity. In an ideal world with a decent sized order you should go straight to factories. You will very rarely find these on Alibaba. 95% are agents despite strenuous claims to the contrary. The problem with using agents is you never really know who you are dealing with. They will often switch supplier between orders and so even if a sample looks great when you place an order it may well come from another (cheaper) factory (increasing their profits). Needless to say they won't inform you of this switch. By going direct to a factory you can eliminate this. The biggest challenge for most is determining if the people you are dealing with are really a factory and without expert help that can be very difficult indeed.

For smaller quantities (which is often required by start ups) you don't have the luxury of going direct to factories - thier MOQ's are simply far too high. So you have no choice other than to go through an agent and Alibaba is then a good place to look. As others have said you do still need to do your due diligence, get samples and make sure the contract terms deal with faulty and poor quality goods - the detail is very important here and a lot can be lost in translation. Having said that there are some great dealers around.

As also mentioned above but worth re iterating sizing is a huge problem and one we wrestle with daily. In my view most Chinese factories have no idea (or interest) in UK sizing. It is a matter of getting lots of samples - each product, each size, and checking they meet your requirements. Even then they may very from one batch to the next (especially if the agent switches supplier).

Finally don't forget to consider the cost of shipping. What terms are they offering? If by air DDP then great you know what you will pay. If a larger quantity LCL by sea they may offer 'free shipping' but be aware there are no free lunches here and you will be stung by very large port charges on arrival in UK which will more than wipe out the advantage of the 'free shipment'. My advice - if shipping by sea LCL - buy FOB and arrange shipping independently using a UK shipping agent - so you will know all the costs.

 

[Shaun Kelly]

Thank you for all your help on this matter I really appreciate it