buying from china

my_old_mans_a_dustman

Don't buy any of the cheap watches, they fall to bits as soon as you try and turn the winder to set the time.

sillygoose

marie-20 wrote: »

I have bought and do buy a lot from China and the US and so far I haven't had any problems apart from delivery time - some things arrive within 10 days others are 4-5 weeks and as such stock management can be a pain however I always have things on order with them so that I don't run out which can be quite cash consuming but luckily they aren't my main suppliers so it doesn't affect me too much.

I 'tried' all of my sellers 1st and only spent a couple of quid to make sure that the quality of the items was good.

Good luck to you!!!

Exactly my experience but more for personal use and small scale resale, although around certain times, especially the run up to Christmas you may as well forget it as the Chinese postal system seems to collapse for quite a few weeks. Another thing to avoid is mobile phones, they can look attractive and even work well but not for long.

Owain_Moneysaver

MissGivings wrote: »

The thing that puts me off most is the issue of fakes (even for small hello kitty items) and what a few Not as Described cases could do to your selling account on eBay.

Or what a prosecution by Trading Standards for selling fakes at the car boot sale could do.

If you import into the EU you are responsible for all matters regarding product liability - if a kid chokes on aforesaid phone accessory then you're in deep trouble. You did remember to pay your product and public liability insurance didn't you?

lovinituk

I import a product in large quantities from China. It took me nearly a year to find a manufacturer I could trust. I have been checked by Trading Standards and all is ok because I did everything properly regarding what should be printed on packaging, safety standards etc.

You need to be a lot more careful when buying in bulk from China. If it all goes wrong it will be very hard to get your money back - even if you have paid by Paypal you might be asked to return the goods at your own expense before getting a refund and its often not worth it.

A lot of China sellers who say they are factories/manufacturers are not at all - they are very often just an individual who takes your money then nips out to the market to buy what you have ordered before sending it on to you.

Fakes are a huge issue. Anything that is branded is a fake, or is a brands overstock that is being sold illegally. Hello Kitty is a brand isn't it? Therefore it is fake so Trading Standards could confiscate it from you at the car boot.

I'm certainly not trying to put anyone off, there are good profits to made if you do it right. Just make sure you do your proper research and don't get greedy!

macfly

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Or what a prosecution by Trading Standards for selling fakes at the car boot sale could do.

If you import into the EU you are responsible for all matters regarding product liability - if a kid chokes on aforesaid phone accessory then you're in deep trouble. You did remember to pay your product and public liability insurance didn't you?

Another thread veering off in to fantasy land.
The OP is thinking of buying from China.
Plus, if a kid chokes on a phone accessory, that's just tough luck. No liability at all unless you sold chocolate flavoured ones.

lovinituk

macfly wrote: »

Another thread veering off in to fantasy land.
The OP is thinking of buying from China.
Plus, if a kid chokes on a phone accessory, that's just tough luck. No liability at all unless you sold chocolate flavoured ones.

Hardly fantasy land!! If the OP is thinking of buying from China then they should also be thinking about the repsonsibilities involved in that.
And if a kid chokes on a small part that has broken off from a badly made mobile accessory and the parents decide to sue then the buck stops at the importer!

NaughtyAngel2007

well i post to ask what people thought. im a mum of three and if something was so naff as bits to fall off then i would not sell it. ive ordered a few tester bits and bobs to see what they are like.

im not getting crates of anything just asked about buying in from china and the fraud on paypal.

lovinituk

melandtony wrote: »

well i post to ask what people thought. im a mum of three and if something was so naff as bits to fall off then i would not sell it.

So you also won't be buying any illegal fake branded goods either I take it?

Sorry, that might sound a bit harsh, but you did mention Hello Kitty stuff which I believe is a brand name. If you are conscientious enough to not import unsafe goods then you should really apply the same morals to illegal fake goods.

NaughtyAngel2007

you saying everything that comes out of china is a fake ? is any of the hello kitty stuff the real deal ? i thuoght hello kitty came from china in the first place.

lovinituk

melandtony wrote: »

you saying everything that comes out of china is a fake ?.

Anything that is a brand name is either fake or is overstock that has been obtained illegally (i.e. the factory that makes the stock for the brand name company make a bit extra and sell it out the back door). Basically if its a brnad name from China then its illegal for you to import it.

melandtony wrote: »

is any of the hello kitty stuff the real deal ? i thuoght hello kitty came from china in the first place.

It probably is made in China but brand names have their own distribution channels that certainly don't include any member of the public buying a handful of cheap stock direct from a small time Chinese seller.

Also fakes are usually a lot cheaper than the real deal.

If you are buying Hello Kitty from China then you can be 99.999999999% certain its fake. Technically it could be siezed at UK customs if they decided to check it. Unlikely to happen on a small order but that doesn't make it any less illegal.