Anyone importing from china and ebaying? - Need some advice.

TrickyWicky

lovinituk wrote: »

I'm guessing at the price you are looking at these are electronic goods. If they are a big brand name then forget it as they will be fake and/or illegal. If they are 'unbranded' then there are probably a hundred different versions of the same thing made in many different factories. They might all look the same but could contain various different kinds of components inside, some decent, some inferior.

You will be ultimately responsible if the goods injure someone or damage their property. You need to check that the goods adhere to all the relevant safety standards for the product which will almost certainly include needing to be CE marked. If they are CE marked then you need to check the test certification as its likely fake.

Hi lovinituk,

Yes they are electronic products. The company are growing fast due to their popularity. They make their own branded product but also non-branded or custom-branded on request. They do not make any product that is available over here that is branded so there is no counterfeit threat.

I am going to see if they will sell me a smaller quantity to start with along with getting a copy of their CE certificate to check out before going further.

Brooker_Dave

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Hi lovinituk,

Yes they are electronic products. The company are growing fast due to their popularity. They make their own branded product but also non-branded or custom-branded on request. They do not make any product that is available over here that is branded so there is no counterfeit threat.

I am going to see if they will sell me a smaller quantity to start with along with getting a copy of their CE certificate to check out before going further.

Can't you find something from China that not already being sold on ebay?

From what you say the price is falling, and with some ebay lines it's just a race to the bottom.

soolin

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Hi lovinituk,

Yes they are electronic products. The company are growing fast due to their popularity. They make their own branded product but also non-branded or custom-branded on request. They do not make any product that is available over here that is branded so there is no counterfeit threat.

I am going to see if they will sell me a smaller quantity to start with along with getting a copy of their CE certificate to check out before going further.

Seriously, I wouldn't touch electronics with a barge pole. As a business you will be expected to replace or refund on any that are not perfect, break down after use or just don't work as expected.

Look at the sub £75 tablets that are being churned out of the Far East at a furious rate , get a good one and you are happy, but get a bad one (which is not uncommon) and buyers will be raising real problems.

Brooker_Dave

Sell:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-8G-8GB-2-8-Touch-Screen-Mp3-Mp4-Mp5-Player-with-FM-Radio-Camera-Movie-/230921874071?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_PortableAudio_MP3Players&hash=item35c4042a97

Buy:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-touch-HD-2-8-Tocuh-screen-Mp3-MP4-with1-3mega-camera-8GB/504057343.html

£10 profit, not too much risk...

TrickyWicky

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Can't you find something from China that not already being sold on ebay?

From what you say the price is falling, and with some ebay lines it's just a race to the bottom.

Hi mate

Well these are sold on ebay but only by the manufacturers themselves. They're not normal household items but more for small business / security although admittedly I don't think the market would be overly fast for them hence I've asked them for a trial batch of just 2 - 4 items. The price of those on ebay was £120, shot up to £150 and then came down to £132 +/-. Profit margin is very slim but its an area I'd like to start trading in as I have a personal interest in them. I know that is probably a stupid idea based on what everyone has said but I need one for personal use so I figured that if I grab another 2 or 3 I might as well try my hand at selling them.

Anyway thanks for the tip on the media players, I like that! I must be really out of touch as I have no idea what is in demand these days gadget wise and I thought I was a gadget freak

RFW

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Sell:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-8G-8GB-2-8-Touch-Screen-Mp3-Mp4-Mp5-Player-with-FM-Radio-Camera-Movie-/230921874071?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_PortableAudio_MP3Players&hash=item35c4042a97

Buy:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-touch-HD-2-8-Tocuh-screen-Mp3-MP4-with1-3mega-camera-8GB/504057343.html

£10 profit, not too much risk...

I hope you aren't an accountant. $19 item imported from China selling for £23 on Ebay. How do you get a £10 profit?

antrobus

RFW wrote: »

I hope you aren't an accountant. $19 item imported from China selling for £23 on Ebay. How do you get a £10 profit?

$19 at 1.53 is £12.42; £23 less £12.42 is £10.58.

(I'm assuming that $ means USD of course, as opposed to CAD etc.:))

soolin

antrobus wrote: »

$19 at 1.53 is £12.42; £23 less £12.42 is £10.58.

(I'm assuming that $ means USD of course, as opposed to CAD etc.:))

It is an expensive mistake to assume profit is merely the same as the difference between raw buying price and gross selling price.

So, import duty and tax needs to be taken off the proceeds as well as exchaneg rates differences for cross currency purchases. Then around £2 FVFs (less than 10% as seller is a TRS), less postage and packing, so lets be generous and say with a RM account and bulk buying packaging- £2? Less ebay fees, approx 80p allowing for merchants rates. That is looking at enarer £5 before tax and NI and any losses or damaged stock.

So without knowing the import duty, tax and NI situation, currency rate charges a best scenario net profit of £5,78

For a non TRS seller it will look nearer break even if full FVFs have to paid, higher paypal rates, postage (tracked of course due to price) so lets say small parcel 2nd class signed for- £3.70 before packaging materials. Plus right off for damaged or lost goods etc

Still a profit but nowhere near the £10 suggested.

soolin

I must also say that that seller has been extremely lucky to survive selling look a likes, it just shows the power of being a TRS- they rarely get their listings pulled.

For instance, look at this listing and say what it reminds you off- any small business seller selling that would lose their account in a week:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-8GB-MP3-MP4-Slim-Player-LCD-Screen-4th-Generation-Video-Movie-FM-Radio-Games-/230921874171?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_PortableAudio_MP3Players&hash=item35c4042afb

RFW

antrobus wrote: »

$19 at 1.53 is £12.42; £23 less £12.42 is £10.58.

(I'm assuming that $ means USD of course, as opposed to CAD etc.:))

Thanks for the maths lesson, but as Soolin said that isn't profit.

Profit is total costs less total return. I'd say if importing legally and paying all taxes £1-2 is nearer the mark and that's with a lot of wind in your favour!

Not to mention the legal ramifications and not having any guarantees of getting working items.

I'd assume making a £10 profit selling that item could be possible but only on a big scale. It certainly isn't in the scenario posted.