1668 vs Alibaba
Pricing
There is a chance that you can find your products cheaper on 1688 than you can on Alibaba, however, it is not this mystical marketplace where prices are slashed in half. 4 out of five times, you will find you product the same price on Alibaba as you can on 1688, however, there is that 1 in 5 times where you will find a better price, not accessible from through Alibaba.
Pricing comes down to, are you dealing with the manufacturer or the supplier. The manufacturer is the fist person in the chain, if you deal directly with them, you can get it at the cheapest price.
Manufacturers & Suppliers
Many businesses on Alibaba are suppliers who buy from the manufacturer and put there mark up in between, however, almost all sellers on 1688 are the original manufacturers.
Language
The most notable barrier for using 1688 is the language barrier, the website and the factories salespeople use Chinese. You can try and use the website translator on your browser but for a site as complex and busy as 1688, it just does not work. If you do find what you want and you need to talk to the salesperson, you can again use a translator to communicate with them but if the product or process is even slightly complicated then you will come up short.
Exporting
Around a quarter of the manufacturers on 1688 do not have export licences. This does not mean you can not export the products out of the country, it just means you need to use an agent who has the relevant licence to export this product, or you can pay an agent a one time fee, usually around £30 to be the named exporter for you.
Payment
Another barrier for 1688 is it is very unlikely you will be able to pay the manufacturer in GBP and often you can’t even pay them from a none Chinese bank account. You need to pay them in RMB from a domestic Chinese bank account.
Trade Assurance
Both 1688 and Alibaba have trade assurance, as long as you pay in the way the platform instructs and you have a clear agreement in place with the business you are buying from in the form of a proforma invoice or manufacturing agreement, you will be protected.
Conclusion
1688 is a great platform and it cuts out almost all of the middlemen giving you access directly to the factories and sometimes a nice little reduction in price, however, unless you can speak Chinese, it’s not worth the trouble. If you can speak Chinese then this is the platform you should be using first, not every manufacturer in China is on 1688, some are only on Alibaba but you should start on 1688 and use Alibaba if you are unable to find what you need. Ideally you should also have a system in place to pay from a Chinese bank account and maybe be able to have the products exported yourself.
At Chinese Sourcing Agents we take care of the whole process to get your products to your location. Our Chinese speaking staff source directly from manufacturers to ensure we bring you the best possible price. Our transparent pricing of 8% commission up to £7800 and 5% after on products means you know where your money is going. For this we source your product, vet manufacturers and certification, take care of samples, often having them delivered to our location in Shanghai before sending to you if a video call with us is not enough, saving you time and money. We write the manufacturing agreement and allow you to pay for your products with GBP as well as managing the manufacturing process with the factory. We take care of shipping and manage transport on your behalf, bringing you the lowest possible pricing and charging no commission at all on transport. We get your goods cleared through customs and to your location as quickly as possible.
If you would like us to have a look at any of your products, please use the contact form and get in touch.
