In China, there are some famous B2B platforms for buying bearings or other products, like Alibaba, Made-In-China… They are a really good source to find suppliers of products with different quality and amazing price, but do you believe them completely?

  • These B2B platforms don’t have a quality control program in place to make sure you are getting good products.

    Some suppliers stretch their information in order to gain the trust of customers and get the order. You should conduct your due diligence when deciding on potential suppliers. Start with a search on the internet, but unfortunately for many of these suppliers there isn’t much useful information. Maybe you can come to China to visit their factory, but how can you control the quality during production when you leave? So you really need a reliable partner in China.

  • The companies on B2B platforms usually are legally registered, but it doesn’t mean it’s safe to deal with them.

    Some sales staff at one company want to do business with you by themselves in order to gain more profit, then let you pay money to another company’s bank account (not their company official account) or personal account, maybe you will ask them why, they will tell you this account belongs to their company or other reasons. In the worst case scenario, you can’t contact them after paying the money, so be very careful.

  • The companies on B2B platforms are certified, but it doesn’t mean all of the products are produced by theri own factories.

    In China, many factories buy products from other vendors. No factory can produce all types of products, so the problem is how to control the quality and how to ensure the price is the most competitive. The answer is that you need a partner who is reliable, honest, and verifies everything  is as intended for the customers.

  • Customers shoulde be careful when dealing with companies marked “Gold Supplier” on B2B platforms.

    Many people believe those companies which are marked “Gold Supplier” by Alibaba, or “Gold Member”, “Audited Supplier” by Made-In-China are somehow exceptional, but it doesn’t stand for anything. Any company can be designated a “Gold Supplier” if they give money to Alibaba, Made-In-China or any of the other B2B platforms.

    These marks don’t stand for good quality, and if customers buy from them, the final price is not equal to the lowest price, because the seller spent money on their B2B platforms – so they raise the price to help them renew their gold status every year.