2047 Comments (page 10)

Hey Jim, Thanks for replying to my comment. I appreciate the advice on the makeup and hair oils. I had no idea there were some things classified as dangerous goods. I am going to have to look into that. As far as fashion is concerned, I am looking into selling formal/evening dresses for going out as well as some casual clothing like tops and bottoms for women. Thanks!, Jennifer M

Hi Will, I really love this article. This is one of the few articles that i have read through every single words. It was fun, exciting and not least, tought me ALOT! THANKS ALOT! I have a question, maybe somebody already mention it in the comments, but i havent gone through all the comments. Talking about asking for samples from the suppliers. Is it "okay" to ask for FREE SAMPLES to check out the quality, or do you normally pay for the samples? Thanks alot for this great article! Cass

Hi Jim, Thanks for the response - appreciate the detail, and the re-assurance that success is out there. I've been deliberately vague about the product as I'm sure you can understand. If/when I can get my head around the importing issues/tax/distribution in Norway (and possibly Sweden), my preference is to go direct to a supplier IOT build the relationship and actually look at the product, packaging, working conditions etc. I agree that this is the best way to develop a solid relationship. But the 25% import duties into Norway definitely hurts! Thanks again Jim, Rory

I have been looking at several products on alibaba but am concerned about trademarks. how do you know if a product is trademarked or not. and how do you go about avoiding trademark infringement? obviously i know not to buy counterfeit items but what about unbranded items that look exactly like brand name items. I would like more information on this subject

Rory, if there is 25% duty on top of the freight look at getting it made locally. Might be surprised! Jim

Thanks Jim, that is something I have on my scribble pad to also look into. I'm also trying to come up with something unusual (and wanted) or that there is a gap in the market that will sell easily on-line before I am in a position to further develop the distribution of the item in my original post. Need to keep my thinking cap on to come up with the left-field ideas...! Thanks for taking the time to comment. R

I'm considering purchasing children's clothing through Aliexpress. But I'm very confused and scared of the whole import taxes, tariffs, and fees. Some articles say you have to pay the delivery service, others say you have to pick it up at a port. And no one can give me a percentage on what you pay for such items like this. Any info or advice would help. Thank you!

I've read a lot of vague/nonsense on this topic online. This is probably the first useful article I read on how to get started in import/export. Being the 1000+ person commenting here, I don't expect a response, but it would be really helpful if you could go over the licenses required to import/export, dealing with customs, etc.

Hi will, I was wondering if you had any tips on shipping/airmail. Ie what is the cheapest way to get a carton of goods shipped from China to England after buying from a manufacturer via alibaba?. Also what method is the most reliable and fast? I have some great ideas about products to sell but the prospect of goods being safely delivered to my home from a Chinese warehouse on the other side of the world seems surreal and daunting at best

Hey guys! I know that Will probably doesn't read these responses anymore, but I have very important question and if ANYONE who is in this topic could respond I would be so grateful. So, I'm wondering about this part: "Now you can start to negotiate prices and shipping terms. I usually try to get some price cuts, but my main thing is getting the factory to drop ship (generally through a US office or distributor). If the factory can ship to my customers for me and handle returns, my business is next to automated." And my question is: even if company in China could ship goods to my clients from ebay(after I gave them client's adress right?), what happens with all the Duty Rates and Vat Rates?? I'll add that I live in Europe and from what I read you have to pay these taxes when your item is in my country. Who and how pays these taxes ,Will wrote goods could be going exactly to client from ebay, not to my house(and I resell them after paying taxes). Sorry for my English, I hope my message is understandable :) And it would be great if someone could respond! Thanks

Wow, thank you for putting this up. You really did have an experience at a young age and seem to have had a taste of success. I watched my mate start out selling automotive LED lights. 5 years on, he doesn't work a 9-5 job, he runs his own shop on eBay and other places. So I know it can be done. Your post has given me that last bit of inspiration to go out and do it. Thank you very much

Hi Ariana, I have been importing for over 15 years and am an Alibaba Gold supplier so I sometimes answer a few questions if I can. You need to get an import agent. Make contact with someone who handles sea and air freight. These guys will negotiate with the factory for freight collections, let you know what the duty will be, freight costs etc. I have used one for years here in Australia and they are worth every penny. As for a license you don't normally need one unless your importing something a bit special such as a medical device, trademarked items. For run of the mill things its normally not required. What you do need to check is the $$ amount before duty is levied. Here in Australia any shipments under $1000.00 is duty free and tax free. In the UK its 15.00 so big difference. If you find your item has a massive duty (wire coast hangers from china have a 300% duty for the states) its because it stops cheap imports undermining local manufacture. Pick something not made in your own country for best rates of duty. Check to see if your country has free trade agreements with any Asian countries. I buy some product from Thailand as its duty free. Makes me an extra 5%. Good luck Jim

Hey great article!... just one question: When I search ebay I see that almost all of the products are actually from china and thus match the alibaba prices... is there a way to get around this or do I just keep searching?

Firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time out and sharing all the brilliant insights with us fellow newbies. I am very keen on starting my own business, as I consider you as my bro, I would appreciate your help in starting up my own business. Coming from a family where everyone is interested in doing their own business and my brothers and have father who already have their established business. I am still on the learning curve. I wanted to know what products will you suggest me that I should look for, my market is Bangladesh which is a developing nation thus comes the trouble. I have tried looking for products but as there are many obstacles such as we are not uptodate to modern technology, I am helpless here in finding potential buyers or clients whom I can sell my products. Your blog has been an inspiration to me and I wish I came across it while i was studying in New York, If you can give me a piece of advice old friend I will be forever generous to you. There are many products in Alibaba and very hard to choose from, as you have mentioned electronics and knock off bags are a 'big no' if I am considering a long term business. I am in a stalemate at the moment when it comes to finding the right product. If you can recommend me three items and how to find potential buyers in Bangladesh or other sub continental countries, It will be very generous of you buddy. Regards, Zhardi Yahya

What do you think about paying with western Union?

Hi Terry, I lived I the UK for some years and I used a company called "we deliver the world" AKA fastlane couriers, you can get a quote online in a matter of seconds, they give you several options of couriers (all the big ones such as DHL, TNT etc) and they then send you a PDF of the airway bill, invoice documents that you send to the place of collection in China or wherever via email. Like most companies doing lots of work they have bad reports as well as good. For my money they were good and any problems were dealt with fast at their office when I telephoned. Regards Jim

Hi Hatsbby, The easiest way around this is to either buy from someone else who imports and dropships from within the UK or use a UK based freight company to bring the goods in for you. They will contact you for each shipment and you pay the Duty and VAT over the telephone by credit card. Failing that you disclaim the duty and VAT making sure the purchaser knows they will be up for it. I would go with option 1 if it was me starting out. Less messy, someone else has the buying power to bring in mega amounts of stock and warehousing which allows you to offer a better range of products. Regards Jim

Hey there Will, been kicking things into gear and the moment just waiting to hear back from a few suppliers, the last couple of replies have been good and bad, Good in the sense that its a good looking product, they do paypal, door to door sample courier, cheap, OEM but bad because he's still quoting me a minimum of 200piece order i only want to order like 20 max!

Hey I have a question more so to cure my curiosity but when you sold counterfeit items did the buyer know they were counterfeit and also did you buy them off of alibaba?

Thanks Jim! This has been very helpful. Do you have any tips on finding a reputable import agent?

Hi, Which country are you in? If i know a good agent in that country I would be happy to let you know. regards Jim

I'm in the US. California, to be exact.

Try these guys. They should be able to tell you the duty rates on the products you are looking at and give you a rate per cubic metre (square foot) for goods. Your supplier would tell you a weight and carton dimension and you would ask these guys Good Luck!! Jim ACGI Shipping Inc. 111 West Ocean Boulevard Suite 1025 Long Beach, CA, 90802 Tel 562 491-5361 Fax 562 436-3296 Operations 562 491-5361 Documentation 562 491-5361 email [redacted]

Hi mate an amazing piece of information. I live in the UK just wondering how different it would be compared to the US in terms of restrictions of products and weather I could do this with no experience, I'm looking to create something good and what is your thought on Bar/Club equipment & accessories I.E cocktail equipment... Glassware

Small question . Has anyone ever orderd iPhones from China or is this a section that it should stay well away from. If anyone has any information Any advice would be great. Thanks guys...

Hi Darren, I looked into iPhones (who doesn't!). The only ones you will get are rejects that have been sold into the local market and "fixed". Apple control the iPhone market with a steel grip. I nearly bought 10 of them but a gut feeling told me it was going to be a pain so I stepped away from the deal. If you want to buy DS units or that type of thing I know a very reputable company in Shenzhen. www.stepfly.com they accept PayPal so you are safe, great people work there who are glad to help. They even supply game cards with the DS units loaded with like 400 games. You might be a little disappointed to discover the margins as electronics return low ones that's why stores try and sell you extended warranties which is where the money is for them. Oh and a little trick I have learned. When negotiating at a store for say a TV, mostly here in Australia you talk to the sales guy then are sent to the cashier to pay. I always negotiate the price hard with the biggest extended warranty they offer and then when I go to pay I just tell them I have changed my mind on the warranty, get the low price on the TV and leave very happy! Happy trading Jim

Hi Will, Great article mate! Really excellent reading and very informative. The article has prompted a lot of excitement and I feel ready to take on the task. However I am absolutely overwhelmed with what items to sell. I am based within Australia but would envision to sell almost anywhere, therefore my product will definitely need to be substantially priced in terms of its available markup/profit margin. I've been looking from custom shower screens to multi coloured tyre pressure gauges and even skull shaped shot glasses. What are your thoughts on these items? Am I too generic and should dig deeper or am I on the right track? I look forward to hearing from you Will!

Hello, Has anyone ever used DIYtrade China, it looks like the same platform as Alibaba, just wondered if anyone could give me some insight as the type of products I'm looking for are limited on the Alibaba Thanks Ben

I have a question on importing medical supplies...the supplies I want to import will be sold to medical and nursing students...do I need any sort of license to be selling that kind of merchandise?

Hi Will, Great article and site - very helpful thank you. I came across your blog after I became a bit confused by results of my Alibaba searches and responses I received from a company that I wanted to receive samples from in China (my first time doing this). I've found several different suppliers on Alibaba for the product I'm researching. But I've noticed that several different companies all have the SAME picture (I mean EXACT same picture) of the product. Now, only one company must make the product. What's going on here? I then contacted one of the companies (Gold Supplier 5yrs) and they led me to believe they made this product but when I asked for samples, they told me - in not so many words - that they don't manufacture this product, and sent me a picture of a similar, but different product. Have you encountered this? (oh and they also said it would cost me US$100 for a sample for a product worth less than $10 and VERY light - but I guess you just bargain this down?)

awesome read, really informative, just one question. who did you sell to? how did you sell your product to the target market? were you selling mainly large quantities or individual? would you be selling to shops or small businesses?

Hi Lucy, I'm interested in hearing how you eventually got on with this. Did you eventually find a legitimate supplier? LT

Hi Will, Great article and very helpful, thank you! But I still have three specific questions and would appreciate a lot if you could answer them. I'm a foreigner college student here in the US and I have been thinking to start importing stuff from China and reselling them online, but from what I heard, you need a social security to start a business/store on Ebay. Besides that, I'm not able to have an american credit-card nor a PayPal (seller account) either, since they ask for your SSN when opening up both accounts. Thus, the only ways I can get paid by buyers is by cash, deposit or transfer to my bank account. - Do you think it's possible to get a reasonable profit under this circumstances? - How badly do you think these payment methods would affect my business? - Do I need to provide any information to the customs or are shippers able to send the products by companies like DHL, Fedex, directly to my door? Sorry for the english mistakes I may have written. Thank you Will, Otavio Silva

This was such a good article. I have to say that reading this article it was like going through my experience all over again. I had started an import business during the days of the video game accessory boom. We learned things the hard way and found out what was considered legal and illegal. We tried to jump on the hot items but we took a few hits that were not in our sight. This led to a few immediate changes. And then came some restrictions and unknowns.

Can you comment on the whole human rights piece of this? Is there any way to find out if your supplier is using workers that are treated fairly? I guess I just don't want to build a relationship with a supplier that has Chinese people in prisons building my product (as I've heard places like Walmart does). Any way to check that?

What a supportive Page this is, Great work everyone. Anyone got any advice they could share on importing into Australia from China. I'm a young ambitious women looking for a career opportunity and wanting to know a little bit more about importing goods to Australia. thanks :)

hello! this is really nice and helpful article, I was thinking about that recently, im from Egypt,i dun have an experience yet but I think in Egypt I have to have a tax card if im gonna order like about 50 pieces or more from one item, cuz u work in trade, sure u will not ordering them to urself, so is it the same in usa or what? im asking cuz if the rules there is close to Egypt rules, I wanna know what r u doing may be there is a way I stil dun understand.

Hi Will, Regarding requesting samples when you are researching products and suppliers, do you think it's worth trying to get free samples of the products or is this just out of the question? Thanks a lot.

Hi Will, You say you can count how many are being sold in a week, but what how many a week is a good amount to know if that product is worth taking the risk on? Looking for an actual number here. Thanks! -Grace

When importing in bulk at first, and not doing drop ship, where u have to take care of shipping to customers yourself, do u have to pay import/custom taxes on these goods?

Hey! Thanks so much for this cool article. I laughed so much when you said that you learnt much more with this business than when you were in school. I seriously feel identified and I feel like I've wasted so much time in subjects that aren't even relevant. I've been curious for the past 2 years about starting selling online. of course there's always the fear of what if something goes wrong, what if you can't handle it. I love the way you explained everything so easy and so straight forward. You tell exactly what to do and HOW to do it. School misses the point in HOW to do it and keeps with a bunch of theories that I will barely remember after semester is over. Thank you for sharing this valuable information! :) Andrea

Hi thanks for your most informative read! I am wanting to use Alibarba but do you have to have an ABN...yes I am an Aussie...Australian BUSINESS number?? In finding a supplier,though he is away I did join but with my own email therefore after reading your book I have gone back in to use another email but now they are asking for a ABN. Now is this correct as I didn't need one before or I just not joined properly? Really would appreciate your imput! Cheers Joey

Man , thanks for the insight how to import from China. I found your articles very VALUABLE . Here in South Africa this days doing business is very complicate, but always their is niche where small margins can be done. I am Civil & structural Engineer and for last 6 months become very difficult get a job. Therefore I have start my own business HIRING trucks for delivering construction materials and others stuff. Since yesterday I haver start think import printer and consumables for small business. Also I am looking for very good supplier from China that can supply aluminium profiles that can be done windows & door. if you can advise your are welcome . Regards Mr P

Hi I see you started business as a very young boy. Did you need to own company to import from China?

Hey there Will, I've enjoyed every bit of your blog. However, I am slightly inclined to believe that most of your advice in your blog is meant for people in USA (correct me if am wrong), nonetheless, I am opting to use it for my end. I am from Uganda. I am new to this kind of thing (importing, buying and selling stuff from other countries). I want my Co. to deal in items such as tents (sell or rent them out), and wedding or events or party decor. I've followed your guide on how to get products from suppliers and am yet to contact them but am still not sure how the VAT in my country works. Guess you can't help me on this one. Anyway, you also mentioned that you prefer to use air to deliver your supplies, isn't that quite expensive? However, I did notice that some suppliers have provisions for other delivery options including shipping and various courier methods. But perhaps air is safer and cheaper in a long run since one’s products arrive in just a few days and will probably be received in good condition. Thanks again for the blog, it’s been very helpful. Kind regards, Kay

Hello, I am 20 years old and crave to build a nice importing business, I currently live in Uruguay, South America, which is a country with a little delay on developement, this may seem as a drawback but I look at it as an opportunity to import good and high earning items which nobody living here even thought of. I would really love if you could help me out and chat a bit. Thank you very much, Best regards, Marc

Will, I am curious how you identify non-branded products on Alibaba. It seems that almost *every* product (even those searched for using "non-branded") has a "brand name" once you click on the item. Granted, I haven't heard of many of them, but I still want to be sure I'm avoiding them. Can you shed any light on this issue? Thanks a ton.

Marc, great to see you have a burning ambition! Looking to import something nobody does currently is a big one. You would have to create the market, advertise and hope it becomes popular. Look at something like a garbage bag.....WHAT?? I hear you say. I import over 4 million per year in products that are placed in the garbage daily. Gloves, cling film, aluminium foil cloth wipes and garbage bags. You can buy bags easily from a good supplier and start selling them to restaurants, bars etc. They all use them and need them everyday. They throw your product each time they fill it going through them fast. You need to know a couple of things about the disposable industry. Everyone wants items at the cheapest price for the least amount of money. You cannot run out of stock, your customers cannot wait and will go elsewhere if you do. Make sure the product is a good standard item. The most popular garbage bag size is 75-80ltr with a star seal. That seal means the bottom of the bag fully sits in the garbage can making it easy to fill. There's money in garbage!!! Cheers Jim

Jason, nice to see you want to know in depth who you are dealing with. Ask for a GWP certificate (Good Working Practises) which will be a start. Personally I always visit any factory I use because they can tell you anything but seeing is believing. Ask them for a customer reference. If they have nothing to hide you should get a great feeling. Good luck! Jim

Great! I started the first step and contacted Sellers for samples. I have this idea for an electronic device for guitars, so I'm gonna start selling guitar accessories first. Like capos. I'm thinking it will help me incorporate my product into the market when I finally get it going. I'm still new to all of this, so do you think it's a good plan? Any advice? Awesome article, as always. Thank you, Latasia

I ordered some samples and the price is like double the price on Alibaba. I ordered itbecause it is a small /cheap product and I have not choice but "inspect" it before I place my orders. However they have not given me the price for the orders just for samples. Is that normal? they said they will prepare a list price for my products as soon as they know the MOQ. is this a bad sign? 4 years gold supplier, uses paypal etc. Does anyone knows if this is the process? Thanks

Hi Wendy, the fact that they offer PayPal is great. You can get your money back by lodging a dispute up to 45 days after the transaction should there be a problem. Its normal to get hit hard for samples. Many people try to get things cheap by saying they want to do business then don't. Most reputable companies will refund back the cost of the samples when you place the order. Knowing your MOQ will allow them to give you a price based on this. Don't tell them you want 5000 pieces then try and order 100 with the 5000 piece price. Good luck! Jim

Thank you Jim, I want to be honest from the start and I expect that for them too or I will walk away immediately. At this point I have not "revealed" what my order will be but I will keep it real for sure (no games playing). They have been answering promptly and sent me the tracking # for the DHL already. Now I just sit and wait for my samples!

Hi Will, Absolutely brilliant article. Thanks for you're insight. It was only last week that I came across Aliexpress.com after looking for a pair of trainers which are quite hard to find and if you do find them are very expensive. This website then popped up with those sneakers and a great price. I ordered one pair as a trail, and figured I could sell them as they are very sought after. Im a bit thrown back a bit now, reading your paragraph about counterfeit goods, as im sure these are but not 100%. I've managed to find a pair on aliexpress which are identical to a pair i brought legitimately in the UK, which i'm going to compare with once they arrive. I'm thinking about delving into maybe smaller goods now, things which are legit and wont cause any trouble in the long run. I guess its time i start looking for a supplier, if you have any tips, they would be more than welcome :) Jon.

Hello Will, Thanks for the article. Looks like I am struck. I have a question hopefully you can help me. Most of the suppliers that i talked to so far, say they will ship the main order only to the port. And also they come with weird questions like Do you have CBP or ANNUAL BONDS etc. This is where I am lost. Do you think, i should avoid such suppliers. They are gold members, have escrow account, also assessed suppliers. When they do come up with shipping prices for door to door, they come up with very higher price. How should I proceed further, any suggestions that will be helpful.

Dont you have to pay import duty to US Customs when importing large quantities from China ?

Just wanted to chip in on this one. I'm in the UK as well, currently sourcing products to import, and I'm finding that what with the build up of expenses (shipping, duty and VAT if relevant, P&P, listing/seller fees), it's difficult to find anything that'll get you that 100% markup for under £20. Well done for you're making a decent profit on lower value items, but it's not something I've personally found to be viable.

I probably am the only one at the other side of the bridge here. I am Thai who live in USA for 10 years already. I do have a lot of connection with manufacturers in Thailand. I am now about to start my new business as an exporter agent. I do a lot of research about importer in USA as well to pin my business target. The only problem is China! I have heard a lot of products from China is cheap but most likely you would get low quality also. I try to point out with better quality and service with reasonable price but it seem too hard for me to fight with pricing in China. As you were deal with China in the past. Did you have any other problem that importer should be aware of? I just try to make that weak point of them improve my business tragedy. I thinking about drop shipping also but the shipping cost is huge. Should I consider forming another business here in USA import my customer order and to act as distributer in USA and do the drop shipping. Is that too much risk? Thank you very much

Hi Ruhu, Most Chinese factories quote FOB (free on board) this means they get it to the ship and your freight agents take over from there. If the agents are FedEx or DHL they normally charge high. Look for a local freight forwarder in your town as they will all have connections in China. They will walk you through the process and they will also tell you what duty rates apply to some items. The government puts high import duty on products that could hinder the local producers. regards Jim

Thitirat my experience (short one) is that there are many quality issues at least with products under $10. Out of three suppliers I have received samples from, I had to walked away because the products were really, really cheap quality. The suppliers were OK responding emails and even misrepresenting the value of the bill- lowering it (without me asking them to that) BUT quality is a bit questionable. I am now waiting for some "upscale" samples of some products with costs in the $15-$25 p/units range. I keep fingers crossed. This whole importing thing is a bit harder than what I thought. I have a full time job and this is taking all my free time. Again I am new in this field and I want to do things right, but between assessing competitors in Terapeak, suppliers in Alibaba and looking for products? oh that's a lot of work!! If I were you I will be very diligent and even using a quality check before supplier drop anything... I can tell you if the suppliers I have contacted had dropshipped my products, my business will be ruined before starting.... no to scare you but be careful.

Do you know anything about DHGate.com? The reason I'm asking is because they have EMG guitar pickups at a fraction of the cost of retail price. They look to be the real thing, but they could be fake. If they're real they would sell really easily on ebay, but I don't want to sell fake pickups. Just wondering if you knew anything about them. Thanks!

Hi Will, I have just read your article and Wow how good was it!! I am all pumped up now. I have a question. I am based in Australia so therefore everything I read I have to keep in mind I am not in the US so I was wondering what your thoughts were as to getting a sample ?? as I intend to never touch the inventory by having the supplier send to a Company that sorts all the labelling ect and then sends to Amazon for me, I would therefore not be able to see the product before selling. Is this the gamble I would have to take? Irene

Hello, I read this article more than 10 times. I found it very helpful. eventually i decided to order from china and I ordered 3 samples of cases. When i got them, i posted on amazon and sold it in 20 mins. Then i ordered 50 more from the same manufacturer. After i sold 13 items on amazon, my amazon account got suspended. I have 37 more items for sell, i do not know where to sell them. I am so confused right now. I was inspired and agitated to sell more and change my income this year but now i am stuck. don't know what to do, don't know where to go. Where else i can sell. Plss help! thank you!

Hi Jo, I too live in Australia and import a lot of product for various business's I have. For small business start ups you don't need an ABN and if you keep your imports to below 1000AUD each time there is no tax or duty to pay. Australia is very entrepreneur friendly! Good Luck! Jim

Hi Irene, Samples are a breeze here in Australia. We are closer to Asia than most other western countries so the freight is not normally too bad. Finding a drop shipper shouldn't be too hard. I would get a sample though. A lot of sites don't like people using generic pictures of products and if you get a sample you can take some pictures yourself which will be special to you! Remember you will be paying a fee for them to pick and pack. Try and Google a question like "has anyone used xyz company" if they have had reviews they will pop up in forums and you can get an idea of how they perform. Most forums only tell bad news story's so if they aren't in them its probably a good thing. Have a nice one Jim

Hi will, Is it common to pay a sample charge of €80 or is this a scam?

I have read so many articles regarding the blogger lovers however this post is in fact a good article, keep it up.

Hi great blog, wish I had come across this 6 months ago, I jumped on the band wagon thinking I could just buy anything and sell on ebay/amazon & didn't do my research, bought adult themed toys/lingerie. The lingerie sold pretty well but didn't realise you are not aloud to sell adult toys on either of these sites, big learning curve for me. I am now looking for a good suitable product to re invest in, and will definitely do my research.

I liked your article as well...could you break down the importing costs...say you have a small 1 pound product...say others are selling it for 100 dollars and you can buy it for say 30 dollars...what part of that 70 dollar profit will be taken in shipping to me and any fee's etc to get it in my hands...is there a rule of thumb for estimating this etc...thanks

eBay? Craigslist? What are you selling?

Great article! I do have one question though. How did you handle the challenge of being new to the Amazon or eBay community? It seems that it may be difficult to get people to trust you as a seller in the early stages. If this wasn't a problem, then what advice could you provide to someone looking to get into this business?

Hi. After contacting a supplier, how long would you usually wait for a response before concluding that perhaps they are not reliable enough to work with? I suppose I'm generally impatient, but just interested as some suppliers do seem to never respond. Thanks.

I'm wondering why your account is suspended, is it illegal of the products? and what's the cost of the case,.

Hi, I have a quick question on the best shipping method. Here is the dimensions and weight for a product I want to ship from China to US: Weight 260kg. 70cm-40cm-40cm and 13 cartons. I went through all my calculation from couriers to ocean. But I am still not sure what hidden cost at the end. The charge for courier is much more expensive. I am looking for air freight company but not sure which one is good. I calculate ocean freight and it costs only $200 but I am sure the landing cost and everything will be much more. The custom duty is 6%. Please let me know your opinion, Thanks.

Yes! I need a good understanding of this process as well. I don't quite get the logistics of FOB shipping via Sea.

Thank you for your online blog it was very informative regarding the dos and donts. My husband and I are thinking of travelling to china as we're wanting to buy and sell in Beriut, Lebanon. Do you know much about travelling to china and dealing with the exporters directly? If I find good contacts through alibaba.com is that a good place to start? Otherwise we are just travelling to china, hoping to hire a Chinese guide to take us where we need to go. Please let us know your advice and thoughts. Regards, Vanessa

Will thankyou so much for sharing - it's an awesome article. Just a couple of questions if that's ok.. -when you order a sample is it usually sent for free or do you pay a single unit cost + shipping? - when researching and working out margins etc would you add around 20% to cover shipping/ customs / inspections costs etc to get an idea of profit? Thankyou again all the way from Australia Loz x

Hi Loz, I am also in Australia. 20% would be a big stab in the dark. It really depends on the duty rates and how many you ship in. Send in one and the freight could be 1000% or send in 500 and it could be 5% of the cost. If the shipment is under 1000.00AUD then there is no GST or duty to pay for Australia. Hows that! I ship in many containers and some airfreight so the costs vary for shipping but its easy to calculate. Under 1k its freight costs divided by the amount of units being shipped. If you are doing a container then contact a freight forwarder who will tell you what it costs to ship including duty, GST (payable upon entry). In my experience try something low cost with a high perceived value. I chose colour contact lenses as they are light, cost very little, sell for many more times than the cost and post anywhere in the world for 2.60 per pair. Im a wholesaler also so if you wanted to give them a try let me know as I stock in Australia and the UK Hope this helps! Regards Jim

Hi Will, Great blog explaining all the important stuff. I lived in England and when I was 14 I tried importing Ralph Lauren jumpers. Unfortunately they didn't sell at all and then I realized clothing was a hard market. I'm now 19 and living back in my birth country South Africa. I've followed all your instructions and imported and inventory of 5 watches. You say that you didn't market on Facebook, but with the growth of social media as it is today do you think it would be a good idea to attempt a Facebook sale or should I keep my selling ideas discreet? Thanks for the help, any other personal tips will be great! Matt

Please advise a product. I have imported generators, but it wasn't very profitable. As you said high costs incurred. Please advise me your facebook nme. Thx Hannie

Hi, do we need to create a company for the customs? when you order a lot of products from China or France for example? I like your blog, very interesting!!! jeremy

Hi Sandra! I'm starting importing from China and the shipping fee quoted from the supplier is even higher than the price of the goods. But if you have your account, who is going to physically pick up the goods? Also in terms of the escrow, I was asked to pay the escrow fee, isn't it supposed to be paid by the seller? Thank you!

Are we suppose to be paying tax for this? How would we go about this? Thanks!

Hi, Really informative article, we're looking to have our products made in China, are there reputable brokers you would recommend that might make the whole process easier and safer?

If you buy copy from China, that's illegal in US. So it's up to you. As I know, people here in China, no matter Foreigners or Chinese, they are making copy business.

Yes, you need to pay the customs tax. But it is differ by Items Categories.

Hi! Thos article is wonderful! Do you have an email? I'd love for your guidance on my journey of making some money on alibaba. Gotta figure out a better way to support my family.

Hi, I was wondering the shipping and paying to process. Could you be more especific, please?

Hi mate enjoyed the read.One thing that stands out is you got your product form Alibaba, i recently read a few articles on how this site is a scam and gold member's are ones to stay away from!!! How many suppliers did you go threw to find the right one? Cheers..

Hi Will, what a great article. I am doing some research on starting an ebusiness but would like to import goods from Korea. What are your thoughts and/or experiences regarding importing from countries other than China? Thank you.

Hi there, I'm from Australia and I'm thinking of importing memory storage goods such as SD Cards. Many suppliers offer custom branding and sell their product at such a cheap price. Does anyone have any experience in this area, or know about the amount of money I should expect to pay for cards and the shipping? Shipping is currently on average $30USD. Many Thanks, and amazing article, David

There are plenty of people that do that successfully as well.

Isn't almost everything trademarked though? How do you know what is safe to buy and sell without copyright issues.

Hi Will, Is there a good email that I can catch you on at all. I would like to discuss a couple of things with you regarding this type of business.

This is a great article! Thank you so much, this has been a tremendous help!! I do have a question though. I ordered some samples from a supplier and paid via paypal. Once I was.satisfied with the product I contacted them to arrange a larger order. They emailed me back and asked me.to send the payment to another paypal account different from the one I sent.the samples payments to. They are a gold member and I was wondering if I'm worried for no reason. Should I be.worried about the sudden paypal account change or is this normal? Thank you!

hello wim i am from india & i see people here quite often go to china to buy such products. do u think only Alibaba can do the purpose or going china is worth it?

We are looking for someone to partner in US. We are registered company in China that supports SMB and Entrepreneurs to make a safe and professional purchase. We have bee doing this for a long time and recently we designed our own wholesale of selected products of qualified suppliers.

Great article Will.. Quick question though, Do you still think there is a market for toy guns and money to be made in it? you gave me the motivation to sell exactly that on the common selling outlet sites.

Thank you very much for this read. I found it very informative. Look forward to reading some more from you.

Hey Will, I am planning to sell airsoft bb guns online was wondering which type of airsoft guns have more demand and attract more customers.Please help me on this.