Are you thinking about buying a product in China? Is it the first time you make a purchase in the Asian country?
If so, you probably have many doubts about the purchasing process when the product comes from China. Something totally normal, since we fear being scammed. In addition, the product waiting time, which stretches over a few weeks, does not exactly help build confidence. Right?
So, is it easy to get scammed if you buy from China? It depends on the measures you take to prevent it. That is why here we show you some of the things you should never do if you do not want to be scammed at the first opportunity and have the purchase turn into a disastrous experience.
Using any platform and payment method to buy from China
This advice is valid for China and for any other country, so if you are not used to buying online it will be useful.
Using any shopping portal to place an order, without further consideration, is totally counterproductive. You must check all the purchase conditions and, above all, refund policies in case the product does not match what you ordered. As simple as that.
That is why you must be confident when making a purchase and do so on sites that offer guarantees.
For example, AliExpress incorporates some security measures so that the buyer is not scammed. The seller is not paid until the buyer validates and certifies that they have received exactly what they ordered.
Another example that shows very good quality in the purchase process is eBay which, although not Chinese, also sells many products from this country. eBay offers its own security combined with the PayPal payment method. Without a doubt, if you have any doubts about a shopping platform, PayPal should serve as a guide to keep you from being scammed.
Not thoroughly reviewing the order before confirming the purchase
A major mistake that we must always take into account when buying. Can you imagine thinking you are buying an incredible camera and receiving a photo of that same camera?
You might think directly: "I have been deceived, but I will file a complaint and that's it." It may not be that simple. When looking at products to buy, you may think you are buying one item, but if you do not look closely at the details of the order, you may be buying something different.
Faced with this situation, there is nothing you can do, since you had already given your agreement for that product. That is why, before formalizing the purchase, make sure exactly what you have just bought. Otherwise, you may regret it.
This can also happen when receiving the order package. Do the measurements not match the purchased item? Reject the delivery and do not accept it because, this way, you will lose many of the options to later claim that the product was not the one you had requested.
Buying from a Chinese seller without prior information (or data)
Information is power. Indeed it is! And when it comes to making purchases in China it is essential, whether for individual products or for large purchases for our business.
Imagine that you want to hire a service in your city and you do not know exactly who. What do you do? Usually, ask whoever you think can help you. Many of our daily purchases are based on word of mouth, on recommendations.
The same thing happens with online purchases. Do you see a profile of a Chinese seller with many sales and no ratings? That is very strange. A seller, when they know they have done their job well, wants you to recommend them. If the buyer agrees, it is normal that they rate the product positively, so if you see a seller's profile with few ratings or items sold, the best thing to do is not deal with them.
Another point to take into account is the user's contact. If they belong to a company, we should not trust sellers who use generic emails and not those of the company they work for. The same happens when we look at the payment method. Buying from a company and being asked to transfer money to an individual? It smells of fraud from every angle. Do not trust it.
Good, beautiful and cheap
Let's not get our hopes up. Buying a top brand product at an incredibly lower price than it is sold elsewhere has to have some catch. Are you trying to buy an iPhone 6 for 100? We can assure you that there is something fishy. It is either a knockoff, in poor condition or counterfeit. But you will never get a great product for such a great price. Never.
We hope that with all this advice, you do not make a mistake when buying from China without taking all these considerations into account. Otherwise, you will pay dearly.