I have enrolled my two companies at Alibaba and using it since last one year. Although I initially applied to many B2B sites but later after discovering Alibaba as the best of all, I sticked to it only.

What I would like to say that it can be improved much more if you people would like to revise your Trustpass membership polices.

Initially, the membership fee was around USD350 which has now been raised to USD 589 which doesn't sounds good to me.

It should have been minimised substantially with increasing enrollments and to attract more memberships from those who would like to enroll it but hesitate due to heavy amount involved (The amount may not seems high to western counteries but it is certainly high for asian countries when compared with their economic structure).

Just for an example, I would like to highlight the membership fee at another popular software / forums which I am using currently i.e. Google Earth. They have millions of members and still offering their basic membership for free. The next upgrade of membership cost only USD 20 per year which is suited for the most.

I would like to propose that Alibaba should also bring down their membership fee likewise alteast below USD 100 or they can also introduce another Silver Membership with less features that can suit the most people out here and they can be benefitted by subsequently enrolling to it.

Alternatively, there can be two type of memberships one for Manufacturers and another of Distributors / Traders / Agents which can be customised to suit both of them appropriately.

Replying to [Braham S Aggarwal]:yes it needs improvement and needs relook . suppliers must be marked to different catageries as manufactures and traders clearly and accordingly they should be rated in different scales . People with wrong intentions should not be allowed gold or trust catagery. if anyone is cheated by this catagery alibaba should bail out or pay compentation.

Replying to [Braham S Aggarwal]: I totally agree with you the fee is too high and need to be resonable.

Replying to [Tell me why]:
Althought i think that google is huge and have better conditions to make that kind of price, i also think that your idea is very good because the prices here are very high and all the discounts are needed.
Hope that Alibaba has the same felling...

Greetings from Portugal

Replying to  [Braham S Aggarwal]:


Thank you for your suggestion. As for the price of the TrustPass membership, please be informed that it is not a price-increasing. With the price USD 589, the member could post more selling information. Anyway, you are advised to directly contact our TrustPass sales department for more information and discussion about the price. You could go to this link: http://www.alibaba.com/trade/servlet/page/static/paid_memberships/tp/tp_ask_a_question.

Replying to [Stone]: I am new here. However I agree with you.I even haven't start my business yet, and I have smelt the odor of the money already. The fee should be adjustable and suitable for different business.

Replying to [Braham S Aggarwal]:I think that pricing any platform is an extreamly difficult process. I also agree that the implication of cost is differant in Asia than say in the US or European company.

The biggest advantage I have found with Alibaba is that your product can get high up on the Google and Yahoo search engines. For this reason I think the cost is worth it. yu compare it to say PAy per click...

If I have one disapointment with the system is that amount of West African Fraudulent comunications. i.e 419 frauds that I get. I would love a better system to expose these people. may be the ability to attach e-mails recieved that show 419 activitity.

Therefore if the money is going into system development making it easier to find 'real' traders then great.. I very much like the Ebay idea where buy you can award a rating to a company, but this is open to abuse...

Replying to [Braham S Aggarwal]: I think this is one good suggestion and hope that alibaba would seriously consider that premise. I also have one comment and suggestion, i hate to see that note when u post a photo only 100kb photo is accepted because in my product photo file, i could find even below 300kb. I suggest alibaba should also consider to increase that photo kilobyte restriction because digital cameras today usually produces more than 300kb photos or images. This is why i dont have images or a single photo in my profiles!

Replying to [Stone]:

Thanks for commenting and your kind advice.

I understand that prices are not ever increasing and provide more value to those who want to post more and more selling information.

But something needs to be worked out for those also who have limited number of products and doesn't want to post many selling leads.

Replying to [Lorlyn]:

Yes, I have also faced the same problem of small image size which can be uploaded or emailed to others.

Due to this, many time we have to ask each other's email addresses firstly so as to exchange the information like brochures, leaflets etc.

Replying to [andrewgmorgan]:
I agree with you . I think there should be reasbonable fees and Alibba should new members with high profile before accepting new members