Alibaba.com is one of the largest ecommerce websites in the world. It allows businesses to conduct their purchases via the internet. However, if you’re new to Alibaba.com, you might be slightly worried about buyer safety while using the platform.
This is not an issue as Alibaba.com has provided many features to ensure that making orders via their platform is seamless, fast, efficient, and, most importantly, safe.
Table of Contents
The general state of safety in the ecommerce industry
Why Alibaba.com is safe for online sourcing
Start sourcing on Alibaba.com
The general state of safety in the ecommerce industry
Safety in online sourcing is a big deal. Before the internet, customers would avoid stores where they’re likely to get robbed or scammed. According to a Cisco study, about 32% of ecommerce customers have switched brands because of poor security.
Ecommerce security and buyer safety have evolved over the years. Today, ecommerce websites are secured through the use of SSL certificates, encryption, HTTPS, and so much more. There are also buyer protection features like escrows and refund policies.
Why Alibaba.com is safe for online sourcing
Sourcing on Alibaba.com is completely safe because it has numerous features to protect its users. These include trade assurances, secure payment, buyer verification, and so much more.
In addition to these, Alibaba.com also makes it easy for buyers to vet sellers by viewing past reviews and ordering samples.
How Alibaba.com protects you
The following are some of the features available on Alibaba.com that make sourcing safe for your business:
1. Trade assurance:
The Trade Assurance feature ensures that payments made via the Alibaba.com website are secure. Buyers can make payments via Alipay, credit/debit cards, and PayPal. The feature also ensures that the product quality is up to standard and delivered on time.
If you happen to be dissatisfied with the products, Alibaba.com support will try to mediate the issue to reach an amicable resolution. If in the course of mediation, support discovers that the products breached the agreement between you and the seller, you can get a refund. You’re eligible for this within 30 days of receiving the package.
2. Gold supplier
The Alibaba.com website identifies some sellers as Gold suppliers. These suppliers have paid a subscription fee to Alibaba.com to get some additional features. Sellers with this tag have been vetted to have the required industrial and commercial capabilities.
3. Seller verification
Third-party verification providers have vetted some sellers on Alibaba.com. These providers ensure that the seller has a legitimate physical and legal presence. This is usually done by physically inspecting the seller’s offices, factories, management, production, and logistical processes.
You can know if a buyer is verified by checking for the verified symbol as shown below:
4. Production inspection services
If you’re ordering custom-made goods, you can make use of Alibaba.com’s production inspection services. This service helps you physically monitor the production of your goods in real-time. It also ensures that your goods are delivered on time and meet industry standards.
How to do your due diligence
In addition to the features provided by Alibaba.com, there are some other things you can do to make your experience 100% safe. Here are some of them:
1. Is it too good to be true?
If the offer a seller proposes appears too good to be true, it probably is. For instance, if a luxury item has a price far below its normal price, then you should be wary. Also, be careful if a random seller approaches you with an incredible offer.
If you still want to take up such an offer, then make sure that you use Alibaba.com’s Trade Assurance feature to protect yourself.
2. Check suppliers’ feedback
Alibaba.com provides you with access to the experience of other buyers who have previously dealt with a seller. If the supplier you’re considering has a lot of bad reviews, then you should think twice about continuing with the order.
You should also take note of the areas the bad reviews are concerned about. For example, are people complaining about product quality? Shipping delays? Or even outright scamming? If the concerns expressed by others are things you can overlook, you can go ahead with the order.
3. Order a Sample
If you’re just starting with a supplier, you should order a sample to get a feel for the quality offered by the seller. Since Alibaba.com is a B2B ecommerce website, most sellers have a Minimum Order Quantity. You can use this as the baseline for negotiating your sample purchase. It can be slightly above or below this figure.
Start sourcing on Alibaba.com
Alibaba.com has millions of buyers who have had a satisfactory experience while conducting B2B sales. If you take advantage of the numerous safety features available, you’re guaranteed to have a safe and wonderful experience. So start sourcing safely on Alibaba.com today.
