If you are a regular importer or you are planning to carry out your first purchase operation in China, you will know that the search for suppliers can be done through a telematic verification.
This is an essential step in any import, because to find the suppliers you need you must explore a myriad of options where real, reliable, irresponsible and, in all that whirlwind, scammers abound.
You may also be attracted by the desirable products and prices you find on sites like Wix, Alibaba, DealeXtreme, Made in China. However, finding one or more manufacturers in this online universe requires meticulous research that does not always turn out as expected.
For example, it is very common that when you think you have found viable suppliers, you advance on the import project and on the way you find that they are manufacturers who have not updated their websites, their data, their stock or they are already closed companies. Or, worse, that they are fraudsters.
Five warning signs
Whichever path you take in your search, it is important to be aware of five behaviors that you should take as a warning sign so that you know how to detect possible risks. In this article we gather the experiences that some of our customers had when they tried to import on their own.
1. Different bank accounts
When it is time to pay for goods, some suppliers often provide several bank accounts that do not belong to them. Sometimes they do this to evade banking regulations or evade taxes.
If you decide to go ahead with the transactions, you would take the risk that the supplier will later deny that it is your account number and that you have not received the money. Can you imagine throwing away all that investment?
2. Surprise change of the bank account
This type of situation may occur when the supplier has already received part of the payment as an advance. Then, under the pretext that there were internal changes, when you continue the operation to complete the purchase order, it sends you a different bank account number.
It may have been due to an oversight on the part of the staff, but it could also be due to an intruder who hacked into the company’s email account through which the data was exchanged to place the order.
3. Misleading Broker
Whether by attending trade fairs or using supplier search sites, you may come into contact with a broker, i.e. someone who acts as an intermediary for purchasing operations. In general, negotiations go smoothly. However, in some cases it may be someone who asks you for advance payments without giving you reliable information about the production of your order or the shipping date.
4. False data
Something similar often happens with a supplier you have contacted, but the information on their business card or website does not match that of the company.
5. False offers of brands
During your search for suppliers you may find advertisements for special offers from large well-known brands that rightly pay attention to all the details of their production to prevent it from being resold at lower prices. So be wary, because it is likely to be a lower quality replica or a hoax and you will not receive anything.
These are just some of the risks involved in sourcing in China. The best thing you can do is to count on the company of an expert international trade company that works on verifying the reliable manufacturers you need to import successfully.
Contact us now for advice and we will tell you about the benefits that await you. We have all the solutions for your import and for your company to multiply its profits. Contact us now without obligation!
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