Paying for items in China

[gap30]

Hi all,

Can anyone advise me on paying for items in China, i have identified a company who will sell me 50 units of a certain product for 3600 us dollars (includes free shipping), what is the best way to pay for this and what costs will i incur once my goods reach the uk?

I am a noob so be gentle please

 

[GRDCredit]

I am a noob so be gentle please

Have to confess I had not heard of a noob before so had to look it up in the Urban Dictionary (hark at me, down with the kids!)

"Contrary to the belief of many, a noob/n00b and a newbie/newb are not the same thing. Newbs are those who are new to some task* and are very beginner at it, possibly a little overconfident about it, but they are willing to learn and fix their errors to move out of that stage. n00bs, on the other hand, know little and have no will to learn any more. They expect people to do the work for them and then expect to get praised about it, and make up a unique species of their own. It is the latter we will study in this guide so that the reader is prepared to encounter them in the wild if needed.

Noobs are often referred to as n00bs as a sign of disrespect toward them, and it's often hella funny, but I will refer to them as noobs during this reading. "

I think you mean you are a newb!

With reference to your question - no idea!

 

[gap30]

Ok great start just made myself look a total idiot..............

 

[GRDCredit]

Don't worry about it - I'm the idiot here to have bothered to go and look it up.

Still - I am going to use both words in text messages in the next 24 hours. That is my challenge!

 

[Calibre Designs]

Don't worry Gap

There is no such thing as FREE delivery. Shipping costs tend to make up 20-25% of the price you pay. Get down to business - the price they quoted you, is it the FOB or CIF price? Where in China are they based? How big is the consignment?

Thanks

 

[mrRed]

I agree with Calibre Designs. There will be no such thing as free shipping.

I've heard that you may have to employ Shipping agents and Quality agents too. Plus import taxes etc. Sorry I can't give more info. I'd research this alot before parting with any money though.

Good luck.

 

[1-4-me]

Normally companies in china send FOB (Free on Board you ha=ve to pay the shipping cost). if they do send CIF (Carriage insurence Freifgt ) Ypu will have to pay for customs clearence at the uk port. I would contact them again and ask how they are going to send the items.

 

[Mister B]

Assuming that you are buying on terms of CIF, upon arrival in the UK, you will be expected to pay port, delivery and associated import charges as well as duty and VAT.

Rates very from product to product and so without knowing more, it's very hard to provide precise guidance. It would also be helpful to know what type of transport is being used to get the goods across the water. Very much doubt if it will be courier, and sea freight will take three or four times longer than on a boat.

As for payment, for that amount I would normally arrange to pay by TT, but be warned that you should get copies of shipping docs and shipping samples before parting with any of your hard earned money. Quite easy to get scammed, how did you find your supplier? Have you met them face to face? Have you considered using a QC agent?

Just some food for though

Mister B

 

[Wavecrest Ltd]

Hi Gap30 - I'm in shipping and forwarding. We handle many shipments from China every year. I would be wary of allowing the supplier to make the shipping arrangements. It is better to get them to quote you FOB prices which means that you are then able to make your own shipping arrangements and have control over the shipment.

Apart from the actual freight cost, there will be other charges payable in the UK for customs clearance, port handling, docs etc as well as import duty/VAT.

If you would like to PM me with some more details of the goods, I can advise you further.

With regard to payment, from my experience the usual practice is for the supplier in China to be part paid by wire transfer in advance (to cover cost of materials) with the balance payable once the goods are ready for shipment. This will of course depend on how well you know the supplier, where you found them etc.

If you have any doubts, you could always ask them to give you the names of other companies in the UK that they supply who you could approach for a reference.

Best regards,
Glen

 

[CJSteele]

Hay Gap30,

We have seen many people get stuff made in China and then shipped to their own country. Wavecrest Ltd has basically hit the nail on the head.

Suppliers rarely deal with shipping
Payment is typically part before and part after delivery
Payment is usually by wire

Mister B raises some good points too.

Good luck with it all.

CJSteele
Product Design and Development Engineer
GetYourStuffMadeInChina

P.S.
We are based in China (Shenzhen) and we have a proxy service where we can go an talk to the suppliers on your behalf to get any issues sorted out to your satisfaction. If they are near us, then this can be done easily and cheaply.

 

[dstar1230]

Hi.Gap30
The price you got included delivery ,it is impossile free of shipment.When your goods arrive in UK,you need to clear the customs,pay customs tax.

 

[Christiane]

One of my Chinese suppliers always arrange the DHL shipping. When I once looked at arranging this another way, it came to the same price and wasn't worth the hassle.
Beware of the free shipping, which is rather odd, like everyone has said.
Even if the invoice doesn't quote the shipping costs, in my case, DHL know the cost and add it on. VAT is charged on the goods and the shipping costs.

If airfreight, you will pay VAT on the goods/shipping costs/duty, duty and shipping free.

 

[moumomo]

free shipping, maybe they have added the shipping fee to the cost already, you can ask for EMS, or DHL shipping way,it's safe, may you success with your business.

 

[cora]

This information was really helpful.

 

[moumomo]

you can trust this, as i see many many Chinese sellers supply free shipping way to promote their products. so it's a common thing.

 

[KateCB]

Hay Gap30,

We have seen many people get stuff made in China and then shipped to their own country. Wavecrest Ltd has basically hit the nail on the head.

Suppliers rarely deal with shipping
Payment is typically part before and part after delivery
Payment is usually by wire

Mister B raises some good points too.

Good luck with it all.

CJSteele
Product Design and Development Engineer
GetYourStuffMadeInChina

P.S.
We are based in China (Shenzhen) and we have a proxy service where we can go an talk to the suppliers on your behalf to get any issues sorted out to your satisfaction. If they are near us, then this can be done easily and cheaply.

Hi, We use several suppliers in Shenzen, do you use an external proxy service, or are YOU the proxy service?

If YOU are the proxy service, then could you let me have a cost for verifying Shenzen suppliers on our behalf please?