Help verifying a seller from China

[roxyrocks999]

Hello,

I have been talking to a seller from China for the past 3 weeks about me buying a particular type of fabric. Last week i paid $50 for some samples and they came today and i am pretty pleased with them. I want to go ahead and place a order of 2000m but they insist they only take payment via t/t, i have read in places that i should not do this.. Is there any other (safer) ways i can make payment?

Another problem i have is that i am finding it difficult to arrange the shipping of the goods to the UK. I have been in contact with a freight forwarding company and i am waiting for quotes,they said that they will sort out everything from the factory door in China to my door, this sounds great to me but ai feel that i will be charged a premium for this type of service, is this so??

One final question.... Has anyone else on here ever bought goods like this from china? I have heard there are a lot of hidden costs,

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[max99]

i know just the person for you. Will PM you.

 

[Frankngai]

Hello,

Let me kwow the supplier details. I will try to verify for you. Drop a Pm to me.

Payment: I think the total amount is not over USD6000, right? L/C is safer. But you have to bear a lot of opening, handling, negotiating charge, etc.. Frankly speaking, T/T is the best choice. If you can't trust them completely, try to pay through Pay Pal. Maybe you need to bear around 4% commission from Pay Pal, but it's safer.

Shipping issue: The freight is not so high. The only charge is VAT, import duty and local handling charge. You can ask two or three forwarders to quote the price and select the best one to work for you.

As I know, there is no more hidden charge. Don't worry about it.

Good luck to you.

B. rgds,
Frank

 

[MOIC]

Hello,

I have been talking to a seller from China for the past 3 weeks about me buying a particular type of fabric. Last week i paid $50 for some samples and they came today and i am pretty pleased with them. I want to go ahead and place a order of 2000m but they insist they only take payment via t/t, i have read in places that i should not do this.. Is there any other (safer) ways i can make payment?

Another problem i have is that i am finding it difficult to arrange the shipping of the goods to the UK. I have been in contact with a freight forwarding company and i am waiting for quotes,they said that they will sort out everything from the factory door in China to my door, this sounds great to me but ai feel that i will be charged a premium for this type of service, is this so??

One final question.... Has anyone else on here ever bought goods like this from china? I have heard there are a lot of hidden costs,

Any help greatly appreciated.

Hi

There is a big difference in sending $50 for samples and sending money for 2000 meters of fabric.

Please send me a private message and I will advise the safest route for you to take.

If you are coming to the Canton fair, perhaps it's best to hold fire until you come and visit the fabric markets, where you will see a huge choice, which you cannot imagine. It's an eye opener!

Ron

 

[GraemeL]

Another problem i have is that i am finding it difficult to arrange the shipping of the goods to the UK. I have been in contact with a freight forwarding company and i am waiting for quotes,they said that they will sort out everything from the factory door in China to my door, this sounds great to me but ai feel that i will be charged a premium for this type of service, is this so??

One final question.... Has anyone else on here ever bought goods like this from china? I have heard there are a lot of hidden costs,

Hello,

Provided your supplier quotes you FOB, then a UK based freight forwarder can sort it all out for you and get the products to your door at a price you agree in advance.

Frank is right, you will also have to pay duty (if the product falls into a tariff that says you do) and VAT. The VAT is based on the total of freight to your door, plus the product cost.

Note that you will have to unload promptly.

Incidentally, I am using CaxtonFX for transfer of funds in other currencies and would recommend there systems to you.

G

 

[traveler29]

I would SKype call them and chat so you can see their faces and etc.

Transfer the money using bank wire or escrow.

 

[fenger]

If it is big factory, you can trust them, if not , you cannot transfer money to them directly for safety.you ask their bank details first.

 

[keytop]

Hi,Hi,Victoria.

Regarding the Small Amount,
Maybe you can pay via TT or paypal or Western Union

For the shipment,You can contact the freight forwarder from shenzhen or guangzhou,They are experienced for solve the problem you face.

Begards
Soros

 

[alan84]

Hi,Victoria.
T/T is easier and that is why most supplies choose it. You can send 30% deposit in advance and the balance against B/L by TT. There are several optional measures to reduce the import risks.
1. simple factory audit: profile, employees and workforce, facility check, trade history and experience, document verification, production line status, production capacity, etc.
2. comprehensive factory audit: manufacturer's background, manpowe, production capability, machinery, facilities & equipment, manufacturing process & production lines, in-house quality system such as testing & inspection, management system & capability, environment
3. product inspections: before shipment and final payment, the product quantity and quality are checked and verified against client requirements, product specifications and/or approved samples.

You can choose to implement either one of these measures to reduce your import risks. Hope this will help.

Quality Valued, Risks Managed
alan(at)veriquality.net

 

[jinta-jennifer]

visit them and check more for a long term cooperation

 

[daniel ward]

So many experienced suggestions posted above already. There are following ideas i want to share with everyone.

It is not wise enough to chose a company only becasue it is "big". I used to work in one of the toppest groups and failed to maintain my client's benifit over and over again, because young employees in front line like us are strictly limited by visible or invisible rules in every business. In my opinion, the best company to deal with is the small or medium one with growing eagerness, the best person to cooperate is the one with strong action ability.

Regarding delivery, there are various options for you, simple ones and complicated ones. The more complicated one you take, the lower cost to you. Like more pain, more gain. Choice wisely.

Good luck to all. PM me if anyone need assist involved China area.

 

[HenryF]

For any extended business relationships, you should always visit first before getting into the buying process.
Where ever their factory is, there will be 100 in the same area. How well do you know this contact? I guess not well if only 3 weeks. Have you talked on the phone? On Skype? Have u seen pictures of their factory? A video? A lot of friends I've known have been burned in China. Buying from agents, instead of the factory. Delivery of products not matching the samples. In your case expensive thread could be used for the samples, cheap stuff for the order. High quality samples from one factory, order from another. Loads of issues which can't be solved through 3 weeks of emails.

 

[roxyrocks999]

Thanks for all the info and advice people, it's much appreciated. I have decided to go with a freight forwarder based in the uk, they have assured me that they will handle everything.

 

[keytop]

Thanks for all the info and advice people, it's much appreciated. I have decided to go with a freight forwarder based in the uk, they have assured me that they will handle everything.

Good luck to you,And it is very hard to order the hotel due to the Canton Fair this month,So maybe you can check the room before you come to China.

 

[Kharma]

A friend of mine has a company that does just that!

They visit the company, films them and do quality checking for a good price.

Check it out if you like

safebuyinchina.com