My series story-my troubles when i am working as a sourcing agency.

Chinese suppliers especially Chinese factories really give me-the sourcing agency and many trading companies the headache all the time.

( I know the members from those trading companies and old buyers here will be totally agree with my point).

The troubles occured mostly like can’t delivery on time, the order is different from the sample, warranty, quality problem.

Let me give you an example first.

Last time, the buyer came to my city for souring the underwear.

I took her to some factories for visiting and discussing, after some decisions two days, she settled her purchase order in one of the factories we visited and paid the deposit. Because she found it is a factory (which sell the goods to the exporting company, no body in their factory can speak English, so all of the works will be through me), their prices are cheaper than others. She found they have the products she like. And also found their many nice samples(good quality, I mean) in their samples room.

The factory would finish and send the samples in several days before the buyer leave for her country. When the buyer got it, she was so sad with their quality. But the factory said, those samples were needed in a rush, they only wanted the buyer to check the size only, they didn’t have time to order the material.

It sounds reasonable.

Then we told the factory to remake the samples.

But the factory didn’t provide the samples on time due to the coming of China new year.

1 month passed, the factory hasn’t sent out anything.

The buyer was very very upset but only had to wait., I called the factory almost everyday. But the factory gave many excuses:at the beginning, they said their sample master hasn’t come back work from new year holiday. Later their told me their district has stopped the water due to some reason. Sometimes, they told they will send the next day or some day, but they never keep their words.

I really don’t know what on earth made this factory to finish the samples so slow??

We were supposed to get back the deposit from the factory.

Finally, the buyer got her samples two weeks ago. She was very happy with her samples this time. She said the sizes, handwork and finishing are perfect. But the problemwas the factory didn’t send her the full set of confirmation samples( the complete sizes and colors in her order).

So the factory has to make the rest samples. Now the buyer almost lost her hope on this order although she like their samples very much.

She said it took 2 months to get the samples, it may take 1 year to get her order.

Recently, she asked me to source some clogs(EVA garden shoes)for her.

I worked very hard to source for her as her Chinese agency.

Because I want to reset up her trust and confidences in importing from China. I believe-not every supplier is like this!

When we finish many order details, she decided to cancel the order due to the delivery time at the end.( She want those clog to come before May, so she can sell in summer.) .Although I planned to sign the agreement with her--if the factory can’t delivery on time, jasmine will return her the deposit. Yeah, I had a lot of risks to do that, but I really want to reset her confidences. )She said belows:

Due to the fact that there is only very little time between when they are supposed to finish production and when goods are to be shipped to get here, We will be taking an awful lot of risk.
In real life anything can go wrong at any time. And a lot of things are out of the control of the factory like power cuts and other unforseen situations. It is foolish to put so much risk into a transaction.

There is a famous Chinese saying, says-- Once bit twice shy.

I don’t think I can work with her on too many missions at this moment until we finish the underwear order one day.

She always admire me and appreciate my hard work and my responsibility. But Chinese supplier ruin our cooperation. She just lost confidence in importing from China

Quoting from [hellojasmine]:

Making paid sample / trial order is very important, that's the first real impression of the buyer to the seller, however I find that almost all of the Chinese suppliers I tried before did not do a good job, if they can't do a good job in the early stage how can do it better when the orders are bigger?

When doing sales all of them said they can provide good quality, I have tried for almost 2 years now but have not find a Chinese supplier who can provide good quality plus on time delivery. Now I am wondering if these people know what is quality in real fact other then it is a word to attract sales.

When the commit the delivery date they just commit, when delivery there are all sorts of excuse, common an excuse of holiday is not acceptable, you should know better.

Most of the time the goods cant arrive according to the last last shipment date on the L/C, worst some can't even deliver after the L/C has expired and ask us to apply for extension.

These things became very common with my Chinese suppliers. Sometimes I wonder if there is any good Chinese suppliers out there.

I never have any problem with suppliers from other countries, even from India. I think the business attitute and quality mind will stay for 1 or 2 decades to come. Now I have put my focus out of China, if once beaten twice shy is the proverb, then 2 years beaten 2 decades shy seems fair.

I feel China is one of those group of countries (Few African countries may be close to this subset) where the the rules are being bent by government to promote selling at whatever cost. There is literally no implication on Suppliers/manufacturers to supply offspec goods. We suffer this issue regularly and for same product have to keep changing the manufacturer and live in a perpetual state of suspense for established product lines. Initial shipment may be same as agreed (if we are lucky) but eventually they will send substandard goods and there is no way contract managment can be done contractually or spiritually. Its like they live for the day today orders. I don't think it will take too long for the bubble to burst and buyers move to safer countries. Like someone said Cheaper is not everything!!!

Quoting from [yuritasia]:

Quoting from [hellojasmine]:

 

Hello,

I also had a bad experience with chinese supplier twice.

1st : A supplier  contact me to my mail, name joanyu / lily. We had negotiation for ordering shoes. Quantity and prices. We aggreed, I ordered 5 pairs shoes, 30 USD/pairs. After I sent her the money, she canceled to make them because the quantity is small. How come?? So I let my money lost.

2nd : Another supplier contact me via MSN messenger. His name is Kaku (sladernu1@hotmail.com). The company name KICKS exp. imp. Co. Ltd. from Fujian, Quanzhou. I had agreement for ordered 42 pairs shoes total 860USD. But until now (over 2months) I hadn't had my shoes. I tried to contact him, he said that my goods is caught by custom because it's replica. And he tried to get it free. After that he's dissapear, I can't contact him at all.

These 2 supplier can't be tracked at alibaba. Maybe they are not member. But how come they can see my profile? So it is not save to post buyer leads at alibaba, because everybody can contact you and they just want to cheat you.

If anyone can help me. Pls reply

 

 

 

None-member of Alibaba can not contact you through the web, but they will search for your contact information on other engines, and mail you trying to establish business relationship, as I know. (In your two case of disappointing experience, the buyers contact you by mail or MSN.)

You may hide your profile by setting My Contact Preference while posting a buying lead. I may receive criticism from members who are not pre-qualified for this suggestion. And I myself am a free member.

Do not lost confidence to China's suppliers, most of them are basically good, just like every individual. Trying to fixed down every deal/conversation by writen material may lead you to a safer transaction.

Let's hope.

Hello,

In fact,Not all the chinese suppliers are just like that.Same as there are good and bad people in one place.

Also u should change ur title.

Fighting with non-faithful suppliers!

I don't think all the Chinese factories like what you just said, my friend

Quoting from [ Apple-yan]:

Hello,

In fact,Not all the chinese suppliers are just like that.Same as there are good and bad people in one place.

Also u should change ur title.

Fighting with non-faithful suppliers!

Quoting from [Sourceunion]:

Quoting from [ Apple-yan]:

Hello,

In fact,Not all the chinese suppliers are just like that.Same as there are good and bad people in one place.

Also u should change ur title.

Fighting with non-faithful suppliers!

Quite agree with you

I guess this lady just want gain her good reputation from foreigner by hurting chinese suppier's image.It really make me sick!!

Quoting from [qcxf88]:

Not all the Chinese suppliers are the same.  As the saying goes, the customer is king. To our exporter,  we always try our best to satisfy our client. Just have a try, then you will find everything surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 yes ,most of chinese are reliable especially  the enterprises which have a

certain scale they like to establish long -term business with their clients .mutual benifits are the business goal .

Quoting from [Franklin Xiao]:

Quoting from [Sourceunion]:

Quoting from [ Apple-yan]:

Hello,

In fact,Not all the chinese suppliers are just like that.Same as there are good and bad people in one place.

Also u should change ur title.

Fighting with non-faithful suppliers!

Quite agree with you

I guess this lady just want gain her good reputation from foreigner by hurting chinese suppier's image.It really make me sick!!

Hi i am a businessman from norway!

I have a norwegian friend in colombia how told me i should import motorcycles from this company
sunshine motorcycles manufacturing company in chongqing


But he has problems with the company now. he ordred one container whit motorcycles to impot to colombia in the 8 of january now it is  17 april and they have not send the goods yet. i asked the company why? they said that the order was only a few  motorcycles and the order was difficult and small and they have to make the big orders come first so they told me to tell my friend that  he has to be more patient .

The deal was 70 days to deliver  the goods.  they say the goods was to be ready the 5. of march 2008 but the 1. of april the good was ready.  so he send the rest of the money  and they told him that they  will fix the container now to send tomorrow. but they did not  send. so he called  and they gave him the answer that because of the watersupply  was cut off they could not send the container.  when he called the company one week later they still have not put the goods in the container. I dont now why because one more week is a lot of time to out the goods in the container. 

I think after the message a got from Sunshine the have not finished making the goods yet!

And give him kies every time he calls ands ask for photos and to se the goods. And they tell yes we are going to send the goods tomorow

And he told me that before hi send money to this company the salesrep. was allways online but after sending the money she was allmust never online and when he calls the company  they only hang up on him or don´t answer . this is a company that  is Goldmember with trustpass!

hi is losing 2000$ every month in rent on a local that is empty because Sunshine Motorcycle Manufacturing Company will send the goods after they finished with the big orders first and that may  take a yerar or so.

He also asked for photos of his order so he could see the goods but the company only send photos of 1/3 of the goods and told him that they will send the other photos today everyday  but the never send them!
I and my company will never order some  goods from this company!
I think the small companies need there good fast so the dont be bankrupt before they get the goods. big companies like mine we can wait a week or 2 because we allways have goods to sell!