DHGate is a B2B (business to business) trade platform where importers can purchase small quantities of goods from Chinese wholesalers. It is therefore not a site from which it is possible to buy goods directly from the factories, but a marketplace where there are hundreds of Traders (commercial intermediaries) who, by sourcing directly from the factories and applying a significant surcharge, can resell even small quantities directly to the customer.
DHGate is used by almost a million Chinese suppliers (traders almost in all) and even if these suppliers are monitored and scams punished with exclusion from the portal, unfortunately it happens very often that customers find themselves asking for a refund because they run into scams.
If recognizing scammers is by no means trivial, avoiding importing illegal or low-quality products is even more complex, in fact:
- It is impossible to be sure of the quality of a product without seeing it “live” as a product that is judged to be of good quality by a Chinese supplier or a Russian buyer may instead be of very poor quality in the eyes of an Italian importer. I therefore recommend that you purchase some samples of the product before placing an important order
- Importers importing into Italy and Europe must comply with European certification standards, especially for products such as cosmetics, toys, plastics and electronic equipment (but not only). Most of the products on DHGate are designed for the Chinese market and therefore do not comply with European certification standards
How to find certified products on DHGate.com
A minority of suppliers listed on DHGate offer products that comply with CE, RoHS, or FCC certification standards. The best way to screen suppliers who do not have the appropriate certificates is to request the results of the certification tests related to the products you want to import. At this point you will have to contact a company of experts who know how to read and interpret these results (ImportazioneFacile.it has an office that deals exclusively with product compliance) to make sure that the documents provided by the supplier are original and not, as can happen, a fake copy created with Photoshop.
As mentioned above, DHGate is home to a huge number of providers and even if some of them are, it is easy to come across a scam. Here are some tips to minimize the risk of rip-offs:
- Use a secure payment method (an escrow service, for example) and avoid depositing money via Western Union
- Always read supplier reviews written by past customers and avoid suppliers who have received negative feedback or have not yet received any ratings
- Avoid suppliers who offer a very small number of products
- Avoid suppliers who offer goods at incredibly low prices
- Rely on competent people for the first operations in order to avoid unpleasant situations such as unreliable suppliers and customs blockades.
How to buy on DHGate.com safely?
If you intend to buy products for which stringent certification standards are required, such as products for children, electronics, medical devices and others, then the best thing to do is to avoid wholesalers (companies present on DHGate, Alibaba, Aliexpress portals etc.) and contact an agency like ImportazioneFacile.it specialized in supporting customers in every single phase of import into Europe.
Our agency specializes in supporting customers in all phases of projects, including the search for reliable suppliers with whom to establish a supply relationship.
Rely on ImportazioneFacile.it experts who will take care of having all the specifications required by the suppliers, checking that no errors are made in design and production.
Send us a free consultation request, where you can explain your project and we can evaluate together the best way to make it happen!
