You can come across many Chinese suppliers online. At first, they all look perfect and you can consider it as, a great business opportunity, but not all have as potential as it seems. There are many fake Chinese suppliers are present in the market that is operated by scams or even they are just bad suppliers to deal with. That is why before making a deal, placing your order or paying them; you have to make sure that your Chinese supplier is reliable.

It may consume a bit more time to find a reliable Chinese supplier, the one you can trust but believe me; it will help you save a lot of time, money and energy in the long run. That is why you can follow the following methods to find a reliable Chinese supplier and get the right product from them:

1. Use search engines

One of the most commonly used methods is to use Google or any other search engine to find the Chinese supplier along with the product you are looking for. It not only allows you to search for the specific product without wasting time but also brings the best and most popular suppliers as well.

But if the search engine is showing you anything in results it doesn’t mean that the Chinese supplier is always reliable. Many scammers use the keyword and SEO correctly to get on the top and reach more clients as they add the word “reliable” with the product and Chinese supplier phase. That is why their results are coming on the top. Therefore you have to take other verification steps before doing business with them.

A pro tip to see the scamming history of any supplier is to type the company name + scam or dishonest with it (you can use other variations as well). Now read the results and reviews and see that anyone has the bad experience in dealing with them or not. Bad Chinese suppliers always leave some traces about their history on the web.

2. Find in Chinese suppliers directory

There are many websites, B2B marketplaces and the Chinese supplier directory which provides you with a long list of reliable Chinese suppliers such as Alibaba, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Global Sources, etc.

These websites have a complete process of verification and ask different references, questions, and details before approving an account. That is why with a complete verification process you can trust more on the suppliers present on these B2B marketplaces.

3. Look at the details before proceeding

When dealing with Chinese suppliers, you have to check for details and make sure that the company is providing the right information such as brand name, factory ownership, number of staff in each department, the start date of business, amount of sales and previous references as well.

If the company participates in trade show recently, it is a good sign and gives you a green flag too that the company is reliable too. It also gives you a positive vibe that you are dealing with a reputable China wholesale supplier.

4. Ask other businesses, friends, colleague about a reliable Chinese supplier

Another good way to find a reliable supplier from China is to ask any business who is in the same field. It is not necessary that you know which Chinese supplier they are dealing with, but you can find similar business, colleagues or friends which Chinese supplier they are working with and for how long. If you get a good reference from a reliable source, it would also cut so many steps short and help you reach them professionally. You might get a discount or sample for free or can look into how well the supplier is related to their commitments, deadlines, and quality and payment schedules.

5. Reach out and communicate

You can also reach Chinese supplier by yourself after a little research and communicate with them. You can either connect with them through social media, Skype or any other medium. The communication is the key to develop a long-term relationship and business deal. You can also ask for the previous reference from the Chinese supplier before placing your order.

6. Social media

There are many pages on social media websites which are made by the Chinese suppliers to reach the audience that is why you can also use social media platforms to connect with them. It is not the quickest and easiest way to find them, but since open discussions, reviews and ratings are always involved in social media pages and groups, you can get an idea about the reliability of the Chinese suppliers from there. You can also have a look at the product pictures, descriptions, rates and bulk buying deals.

If you have any doubts, you can always do more research, ask on communities and groups related to Chinese suppliers and ask about a particular supplier and see what experience people had. Also search the supplier or company name along with scam, fraud, unreliable or any other related word and see if they have a scamming history or not.

A great tip before starting a deal is to see when the company profile and page is made and is the duration matches the real statement. New and fresh pages can be a red flag with less activity, views, and members. That is why always go for the bigger suppliers if they have a good reputation and remarks on social media.