This comments on Admin's proposed BIG CHANGES to Forum structure, here: http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/330755/Which_do_you_like_better_.htm 

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Hello Carol, I must say your concept of turning “electronics” into a huge forum deal is excellent because (a) some 70% of all trade related posts on Alibaba forums and (b) some 90% of all scams/fake products, relate to consumer electronics.

A proper electronics forum should be designed by reference to these 5 key considerations:

One - Typical Forum Member. Your typical Western forum member/buyer is looking to start an eBay or website retail shop. They can’t afford the big MOQs required by reputable manufacturers (typically $50,000 to $$200,000) and accordingly they must deal with Chinese middleman Traders/Agents).

Two - Certification. Both your Chinese Traders and our Western small buyers do not understand that Certification of most electronic products is required in all developed countries (for example, CE, RoHS, UL, FCC, A-Tick, C-Tick, etc, etc). Please carefully consider that it is unlawful for western buyers to import/resell prescribed electronic products which are not certified. Fake stuff gets confiscated by Custom. Uncertified stuff attracts serious fines and penalties when buyers resell it. Presently, about 99% of your electronic suppliers do not sell certified products.

Three - Honesty. We see the endless complaints on Alibaba every day, in near every forum, about scams and fake products by your some 1,000 mainland electronic Gold Sellers (and lately dishonesty by the growing numbers of Western Trust members). One of the biggest dishonesty factors is that most Chinese Gold members call themselves manufacturers (but in reality they are mostly little one room offices with fake factory pictures on their Alibaba websites).  

Four - Product Warranty.  Few understand that around 5% to 10% of electronic products will be returned by end consumers to the retailer during the first year of warranty. In reality, buyers can’t really return products to for repair (because these products are treated as fresh imports/exports which is very expensive). Your typical hopeful buyer around these forums knows nothing of this.

Five - Education.  In my several years around Ali forums, I have seen virtually thousands of wanna-be electronic buyers come and go. I do not recall even one in these forums who has been commercially successful in buying electronics from (ie, made a profit and/or started their desired retail business). We need serious education for sellers on how to certify their products as well as serious education for buyers. Somehow, we need to get your genuine Chinese electronics suppliers involved in your new forums so we can teach them how to certify/market their products. Until we bring your suppliers and the thousands of hopeful little buyers together on one page and provide proper “education”, we’ll never get out of this endless scam/fake/uncertified product cycle.

Thanks for your reply

We will try our best to bring those factors in our forum

Hello Carol


Personally ,I dont see the need for the new electronics forum to be designed in either of the "A" or "B" formats.It appears  that either layout would have  awkward  navigation and make it unecessarily difficult to find relevant information. Good postings being lost among so much detail.


From the outset ,I think that the new electronics forum should concentrate on what a few posters have already mentioned.As they have summed up the main problems regarding buying/ sourcing electronics from China . IE

1. brand name products
2. scammers
3. legitimate suppliers
4. certification
5. technology

(with thanks Egernia )

And

Education

Product warranty

Honesty

Certification

(with thanks Aussie )

There is a sameness there in what is seen to be required. If Alibaba were to pro actively go along with the above in the proposed forum ,it would go  a long long way to diminishing the major problems facing buyers at this time.As well as showing Alibaba the company in a positive light.

 It is long overdue that Alibaba take a stance in ridding the site of the blatant scams littering the place.As a company ,it is incredible that appropriate verification is not completed ,prior to allowing so called “gold” membership. The “gold “ should not

Just mean a supplier has paid a membership fee .It should mean that they have been completely verified .And not just by soft probe either . More by regular  factory visits ,office visits  ,documentation verifications etc .

 Running in parallel with the above  > The education of suppliers and potential buyers ,reference certifications ,international trading,honesty,warranty issues    etc  ? The opportunities are there to show the company being actively involved in promoting positive  international trade.Instead of being the butt of negative comments throughout the in house forums (and elsewhere).

Take the opportunity of a new forum being  a learning tool for all concerned in the minefield of electronics trading.Educate,inform,act upon reported infringements of trading ,remove the scam merchants .Take the hit on losing the “gold “ fees.It will pay off in the longer term.