Help using a sourcing agent. stuck !

[kieran hallovic]

Hey, everyone.

I am looking to buy baby clothes for my new business. I have tried looking on Alibaba but many of the sellers are overpriced or the quality is horrible.

I thought about using a sourcing agent as I am due to go to Guangzhou next week. However, I am unsure how it works.

I found a sourcing agent on Alibaba and he is charging 51$ USD a day plus 4% comission, he says he knows many markets to go to.

How do I protect myself in terms of making a payment when I go back to the UK? Because he says he only does PayPal or Western Union. His company is a gold-rated company.

Thank you

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

PP will give you a level of protection, but surely you will only be paying him his fees?

BTW, why are you going to GZ for baby clothes - one of the last places I would go!

 

[MOIC]

I wouldn't advise buying from any markets for baby clothes (or any other product).

What you see is not necessarily what you'll get when it comes to ordering and you will have zero comeback if anything is wrong.

Depending on your order quantities, it's best to source the correct factory to buy from, that ticks most of your boxes, if not all. They should include the folloing:

1. They have the designs you want.

2. They can meet your order quantities (Many will have minimum order quantities).

3. Their prices are competitive. (Don't go for cheap, as this will probably mean cheap quality too).

4. The fabrics/prints/embellishments used, adhere to UK requirements. (Don't take the factory's word on this, ask to see the certificates and have them verified).

5. They can provide samples for your approval before ordering.

6. Ensure that all the details on the Pro forma are correct and covers all specifications.

7. Payments are sent to their company bank account or company Paypal account, they should be the same as their company details on the Pro forma.

8. Ensure you have the shipment inspection and they match the samples you approved, before making any balance payments.

9. Prepare for shipping the goods to your requirements, so get quotes to compare and apply for an EORI number when you have the shipment details.

I would do your preparation whilst in the UK and would only come to China if needed and profit/costs allow for it. If you are a start up and your provisional order quantities are small, it may not be cost effective at this stage.

Feel free to ask for any advice or assistance.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

What sort of clothes did you want and in what volumes?

It just hit me that you said that you are going to markets - really? Will you be coming back to the UK with suitcases of clothes?

 

[MOIC]

What sort of clothes did you want and in what volumes?

It just hit me that you said that you are going to markets - really? Will you be coming back to the UK with suitcases of clothes?

He can arrange the goods to be shipped by air courier, that won't be his problem.

If it's his first time in China, I wouldn't advise working with a stranger from Alibaba, unless he can give references which are followed up.

Also, working with an agent that understands 50% of what is being told to him is a recipe for disaster.

Communication and understanding is key to working with China suppliers.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

You know the options - they probably don't!

As you say, communication is key!

 

[kieran hallovic]

thank you for the advice,

Most of the clothing that I found was in guangzhou, I spoke to many sourcing agents who said we can go to the market to get the factories addresses.

I am struggling to source my products, I have found sellers on alibaba but their quality is poor.

I found a factory with amazing quality but they dont speak any english at all.

 

[kieran hallovic]

What sort of clothes did you want and in what volumes?

It just hit me that you said that you are going to markets - really? Will you be coming back to the UK with suitcases of clothes?

I want to order 500pcs, its relatively small but I am just starting out

 

[Mr D]

Then hire a translator.

 

[kieran hallovic]

I wouldn't advise buying from any markets for baby clothes (or any other product).

What you see is not necessarily what you'll get when it comes to ordering and you will have zero comeback if anything is wrong.

Depending on your order quantities, it's best to source the correct factory to buy from, that ticks most of your boxes, if not all. They should include the folloing:

1. They have the designs you want.

2. They can meet your order quantities (Many will have minimum order quantities).

3. Their prices are competitive. (Don't go for cheap, as this will probably mean cheap quality too).

4. The fabrics/prints/embellishments used, adhere to UK requirements. (Don't take the factory's word on this, ask to see the certificates and have them verified).

5. They can provide samples for your approval before ordering.

6. Ensure that all the details on the Pro forma are correct and covers all specifications.

7. Payments are sent to their company bank account or company Paypal account, they should be the same as their company details on the Pro forma.

8. Ensure you have the shipment inspection and they match the samples you approved, before making any balance payments.

9. Prepare for shipping the goods to your requirements, so get quotes to compare and apply for an EORI number when you have the shipment details.

I would do your preparation whilst in the UK and would only come to China if needed and profit/costs allow for it. If you are a start up and your provisional order quantities are small, it may not be cost effective at this stage.

Feel free to ask for any advice or assistance.

Good luck with your project.

Thank you for your advice, I am struggling to find a good sourcing agent, The one I found on alibaba has very good reviews and transaction level but he said he knows the markets only. I am struggling to find a supplier because most on alibaba have really bad quality

 

[fisicx]

I found a factory with amazing quality but they dont speak any english at all.

Get in touch with Ron @MY OFFICE IN CHINA He will help you find the right factory, do the translation and get everything shipped back to the UK for you. He's a good bloke to know.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

500pcs of 1 item? 50 x 500pcs? 50x 10pcs - it makes a difference!

If it is just 500pcs total, you are wasting your time visiting China at this stage - there are a lot of other things I would be worried about before making this investment!

 

[kieran hallovic]

500pcs of 1 item? 50 x 500pcs? 50x 10pcs - it makes a difference!

If it is just 500pcs total, you are wasting your time visiting China at this stage - there are a lot of other things I would be worried about before making this investment!

I am in Manila at the moment so its a relatively cheap trip to China, Its around 500pcs to 1000pcs total, I would stick with alibaba if the quality is good.

 

[fisicx]

I am struggling to find a supplier because most on alibaba have really bad quality

I would stick with alibaba if the quality is good.

Which one is it?

Read Ron's post again. What you see in the markets will probably not be the same as what arrives at your warehouse.

 

[kieran hallovic]

Which one is it?

Read Ron's post again. What you see in the markets will probably not be the same as what arrives at your warehouse.

I ordered samples from alibaba but the quality is really bad, I would buy from alibaba if they had better quality.

I found a supplier on 1688.com but I need for someone to help me negotiate with them.

I am just generally struggling to find suppliers for baby clothes

 

[Mr D]

Have you tried the UK or EU for suppliers? Bit more expensive per item but by the sound of it a lot less hassle .
Have sold some baby clothing in the past from UK supplier, good quality and no trouble getting delivery. Was next working day.

 

[kieran hallovic]

Have you tried the UK or EU for suppliers? Bit more expensive per item but by the sound of it a lot less hassle .
Have sold some baby clothing in the past from UK supplier, good quality and no trouble getting delivery. Was next working day.

I never though of importing from EU, How could I find information out about this ?

 

[Mr D]

Google. Talk to the companies you find.
Most companies able to deliver to UK will have experience of exporting. And no customs duties to pay for cross border purchase.

 

[billmccallum1957]

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[MOIC]

It will be very hard to beat China prices.

Working with China suppliers can be full of hurdles, which I would generally not advise a newbie in business to get involved with until they understand fully what is involved and the problems they may face.

Buying from UK or EU wholesalers may limit the designs to choose from and the probability is that they will be buying from China.

If the buyer knows what they want, then China is a good a place to buy from, providing they have a "hand to hold on to" for the first few purchases.

Baby clothes need to tick boxes for safety reasons which mustn't be overlooked.

 

[MOIC]

You know the options - they probably don't!

As you say, communication is key!

An agent will know how to send the shipment in the appropriate way, whether its the cheapest available is a different matter.

The rates airlines charge for overweight luggage (which is increasingly adhered to in China) is extortionate and will probably be cheaper sending by DHL anyway.

As always, preparation before arriving in China to source and purchase is paramount. China is huge and understanding which province and city is best suited to specific products can save time and expense, depending on the quantities involved.

 

[Maple Sourcing]

I'm not in clothing industry, but I've visited lots of wholesale markets, such as furniture, electronics, sundries, and so on.

Agree with My Office In China, it's not a good idea to choose products from wholesale market. A few reasons:

1) Most of shop owners are traders, not direct factories. Decent factories will not show at wholesale market as they may already have good business so it does not worth their time; also, decent factories worry their new designs will be easily copied if they show them in public.

2) Most of products are average to low quality, as the price competition is too severe. For example, if you're looking for a mouse, most of shops quote you about $1 so in your mind you believe this is the reasonable price, but suddenly a shop quotes you 30% higher, probably you will not be patient enough to sit down and carefully learn why their products are extraordinary expensive.

3) It happens often that the actual products you receive do not match the samples you saw at wholesale market. You will hear lots of explanations from supplier later on, but none of them can change the fact that you do not receive your ideal products. Especially when your order QTY is small (I would call it tiny if 500 pcs are combined with quite a few designs).

4) Working with a trustworthy sourcing agent is a good option. I am one of them, but again, I am not in clothing industry.

Good luck!

 

[Sophia Liang]

hello I am a foreign sales. Our factory keep high quality. but we do not produce children clothes.

By coincidence, I attend a QQ group which people can talk and share foreign trade information. I put your information in the QQ group. A person give me a feedback.

He or she gives me her or his factory information in alibaba as below:

Heze Beautiful Garments Co.Ltd.


I am not sure if this help you. just for your reference.