I decided to make this topic because I think I have seen more complaints and more bellyaches about this website than any other site, and I think this can be a guide for newbies and other startups who want to use DHgate.
DHgate is a Chinese wholesaler-sourcing website for wholesalers from China. And these Chinese suppliers are infamous for making quality and cheap products but in some cases, they are sheer knockoffs.
The idea is to login on DHgate then find the products you want to sell and then contact the seller. The seller/distributor are normally very responsive and they will contact you under your 'My Messages' tab with a comprehensive info about the goods they are selling.
Here are sample questions to ask the seller:
1. For Jewelry or any other applicable category,
'Does the set come with its original box, as well as warranty certificates included?'
To be fair, most of the sellers are honest. They will say either say Yes or No. If you get the answer 'No it does not, but its still good' then unless the seller is joking, run away from them like the plague and block them from doing business with you! You can take note of the seller's name and warn other people about them. Usually when they say no, that means the item has very low quality and is a knockoff. If they say yes, it could still be a knock off but you won't likely be having any trouble with it because it is certified and 98% of the risk is immediately cut out.
2.
'Does it come with its original box and is it in stock?'
Believe it or not, some sellers will rip someone off by simply sending them something in stock because the item they ordered is out of stock. So, be sure you get an accurate answer from them. If the answer is 'Yes and the box is included', you may proceed to order one copy. Do note to always ask how many they have in stock for your reference. If the answer is 'No we do no have any stock', run from them like the plague yet again and warn people about them!
3.
Ask how old the item is.
Fresh and up-to-date products makes a huge difference with anything I've found.
If for any reason you still got a question, you can contact DHgate anytime as they are accessible anytime.
If your prospect seller answers all three of the questions and you have an idea about your seller, the risk is lower so you can try a sample order. Order one copy and if anything happens, report it. If it is good then congrats, keep ordering and do not forget to recommend them to others. Also, check the seller's powerseller rating on the feedback to save time and energy. If it is 20 or above that will give you a good indicator. Even if they have a high 100 feedback rating, if their powerseller rating is low or non-existent (the number below that) then you are not advised to deal with them. Check them out, always ask before you order, and always be thorough!
Hope these tips on how to prevent scams on DHgate has been helpful.
Insider Tip: Remember sellers in DHgate always answer questions so don't trust anyone who does not respond promptly or never respond at all. I learned the hard way. :)