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Is DHgate Safe? Tips To Avoid Getting Scammed
Is DHgate Safe? So you’re thinking of buying products from DHgate because its prices are much lower than Amazon, eBay, and others, but aren’t sure if it’s a legit platform.
Worry no more, because today, you will know everything about DHgate.
For starters, DHgate had a bad reputation as a DHgate online store. However, a lot of people are still buying it. It even celebrated fifteen years of success as a top eCommerce company.
DHgate has undeniably helped many small business owners and customers worldwide. If you are planning to buy from DHgate but are a bit skeptical, understanding DHgate’s basics will help you make up your mind.
Contents
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Chapter 1: DHgate Basics
What is DHgate?
DHgate is based in Beijing, China, and was founded in 2004 by its current CEO, Diane Wang, and has been operating since 2005. The initial idea of DHgate was to act as an “online Silk Road” so that it could connect Chinese products and markets to the rest of the world.
DHGate is an online wholesale marketplace based in Beijing, China. This company started its operations in 2005. Its current CEO is Diane Wang.
Before, the original concept of DHgate was to become an “online silk road” that connects Chinese products internationally. Now, it is safe to assume that they indeed achieved their goal.
Small independent businesses in China can now sell directly to consumers and other e-commerce account holders worldwide, mostly in the United States, Australia, Turkey, and UAE, via this platform.
Given its fifteen years of success, DHgate is still growing as the day goes by. It has grown rapidly from 1 million users in 2005 to almost 31 million users in 2020. These customers are from 223 countries, connected to 2.3 million supplies in China.
90%+% of the sellers on DHGate are Chinese, and most are not true factories. Because, again, its main reason is to help buy bulk listening from small business outlets.
Therefore, DHgate sellers are inconsistent. There are days when it’s so difficult to reach out to them. Fortunately, DHgate has a buyer protection plan and a refund policy. Plus, you can even negotiate with the seller and place your lowest bet on the product.
Why does DHgate have a bad reputation for quality?
If you are familiar with the BBB, or Better Business Bureau, Reddit DHgate, and TrustPilot, you would probably know that DHgate gets a 3 rating from them. This means it has a bad reputation for quality.
But, if you read the DHgate reviews thoroughly, you’ll notice that most of the complaints are directed towards the seller on the platform, not at DHgate.
As a result, DHgate is not likely a recommendable platform if you’re looking for a supplier for your big business. Its sellers are unstable, and sometimes they come and go. But there are still great products available on DHgate.
You just need to find the right way to use the platform. And be a wise customer.
Is DHgate Safe?
As a customer willing to spend money on your wants and needs, the most vital issue you want to know is whether DHgate is safe. The answer to that is “YES.” It is safe.
DHgate is confidently a safe eCommerce platform because of its features.
The best features that DHgate can offer are its buyer protection and refund policy, which is better than Alibaba.
On DHGate, if a product is not as described and there is a dispute, DHGate will settle it. They will refund your money no matter how long it takes.
Moreover, the Buyer Protection feature will act as an escrow service. Meaning, a neutral agent holds the funds, securities, and evidence of the seller and buyer.
When you purchase DHGate, the funds will be held until your order is complete.
DHGate will only release the payment to the seller after you have confirmed delivery and satisfaction. Otherwise, they will freeze the seller’s funds.
You have to note that this protection is only available if your transactions are conducted through DHGate. Direct dealings with the seller are not covered.
Plus, DHgate merely mediates between buyers and sellers. It does not guarantee the seller’s authenticity, even if there are protection features.
We can’t deny the fact that there are many types of the best DHgate sellers on the site. Before buying anything, you have the job of being a wise customer. But overall, DHgate is a legit and safe eCommerce platform to deal with.
Why is DHgate important?
As one of the biggest names in the China online sourcing world, DHgate offers the lowest prices for every product and has a huge choice of categories. Which makes DHgate an important B2B eCommerce platform.
If you’ve checked the prices on DHgate, you know that they offer affordable price deals. That is because of DHgate wholesale products.
This is since most sellers on DHgate wholesale, which means that products are manufactured in bulk.
All the products are in bulk. This means the seller or the reseller already bought their supplies at a lower cost. Therefore, DHgate can offer big discounts to its customers as an exchange.
They have a discount DHgate coupon code that you will surely love.
Chapter 2: DHgate’s Operation
To ensure that all your future transactions are worthwhile and reliable, knowing how DHgate works is a huge deal. You will know the right way to buy it from its shipping duration. More importantly, you will understand why people get scammed on DHgate.
How does DHgate work?
DHgate works like other eCommerce websites like Alibaba, Amazon, etc. You know the drill; it’s user-friendly, so people source products from it. DHgate has a user-friendly design, is easy to operate, and is convenient for all.
First, you need to create an account on DHgate. You must complete all the registration processes by filling in your basic information. Make sure to use a password that is easy to remember.
Afterward, you may begin checking out the products that you want. You will see each selection of categories, reviews, ratings, and sellers’ profiles.
It is not DHgate that sells or ships merchandise, but rather individual sellers that do so. Plus, DHgate does not deal with customers after they purchase unless they have an issue to resolve.
How to buy from DHgate
So now that you know the major points about DHgate, it is time for you to start DHgate shopping.
Over 90% of the items on DHGate have no minimum order, so you can buy just one unit if you want. In this way, you let it serve as your trial phase before spending a huge amount of money.
If you have to buy from DHgate, you have to secure your payment method first.
It’s a good thing that DHgate has an escrow service. It’ll be safer for you to stay away from monetary fraud.
You can rest assured that DHgate accepts all major credit cards and other payment options.
And all your payment card details will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Your information will never be publicly shown on your profile or with other sellers.
How long does DHgate take to ship?
DHgate ships products based on inventory availability. But usually, it takes 3 to 7 business days to deliver. But, if situations need to be considered, it takes 14–25 business days.
Although DHgate can provide an estimated delivery when you purchase a product, sometimes they deliver it on or before the said date.
Most of the time, standard shipping from DHgate is delivered by ePacket or China Post. You will, however, have to pay more if you want fast shipping, sometimes even more than you paid for the item.
But, if the sellers have a warehouse in your country, it will save you a lot of time.
Why do people think DHgate is a “scam”?
Below, I have composed the six reasons why people think DHgate is a scam.
The product quality is low since DHgate offers the lowest price to its customers; many believe that the quality of these products is low. They’ve seen the bad quality of products received by buyers in their reviews.
You have to carefully check whether it is made of silk, plastic, or other poor-quality material.
However, not all quality products are the same. It still depends on the seller you choose. Later, you will know how to spot a seller that sells high-quality products at low prices.
It takes more time to deliver
Above, I told you that the usual DHgate shipping time is 3–7 days, and sometimes it can go up to 14–24. Business days are determined by commercial delivery companies such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
But if you place a small order, let’s say 1 to 3 pieces of product from the same seller, And they all had a low value. The seller would normally ship these through economical DHgate shipping methods like E-packet, which takes a long time to deliver.
But now, since we are in a pandemic, the DHgate shipping time takes longer to deliver than their usual estimated date. Moreover, if you get the wrong product, getting your refund will not be easy.
There was difficulty connecting with DHgate customer service and getting a refund
Yes, it is already given that DHgate is the best when it comes to helping its sellers and buyers. They can communicate freely, have secured purchasing services. But sometimes, it takes forever to get your DHgate refund.
It goes both ways. They find it challenging to believe if their customers are giving the right evidence for the seller’s part. They need to make sure that the products are wrong before using them.
They need to find out who’s a fault it is before giving you a refund.
For the buyer part, sometimes they buy without a DHgate refund policy or buyer protection, which is why they can’t refund their money.
My team and I have provided the best wholesale services for more than a decade. My team and I will share with you some tips for dealing with refund issues.
● As long as you can, shoot a video before and after you open your package. Video is stronger proof than pictures.
● If you prefer pictures, make sure that you capture every detail of the package. Yes, every part of the product. You should not have missed anything if you want your DHgate refund to get as soon as possible.
● Take a screenshot or record your conversation with your seller.
Remember, reliable and best DHgate sellers will do everything they can to refund you in many ways. They could offer other products instead, based on your agreement.
However, if the sellers only want to make easy money, getting a DHgate refund seems like an impossible task. This happens when your products are cheap or you buy only one item.
Some sellers just don’t mind it. But for your end, regardless of the kind of seller you found, each encounter is your lesson.
You can still get charged under the free shipping fee statement
I understand how irritating it can be when you have to pay for DHgate shipping, even if it says “free shipping.” But in reality, they just want to attract you to their DHgate store.
When you visit the DHgate shipping page, you need to prevent yourself from DHgate shopping impulsively, thinking that it will save you more.
The free shipping fee option is typically only available by ePacket or another economical shipping method. That’s why there are some instances where, despite the word “free shipping fee,” you still get charged depending on the shipping method you pick.
You will not receive the correct product
You should make a note that there is a chance that the products you order might not arrive. Therefore, if you notice in the DHgate reviews part, you will see buyers complaining about it.
There are various reasons behind it.
It could be the seller’s fault. Wherein they might not manage to ship your order. Or it could be a delivery fault, which they fail to send the package, missing or lost it.
Regardless of its faults, you have to remember that you need to follow up on your order. Get the DHgate customer service number and make sure to get the tracking number.
Worse comes to worst, in case your package doesn’t arrive, contact the DHgate customer service number for a refund and bring extra patience with you.
Chapter 3: Everything you need to know about DHgate Reviews
It proves the seller’s reliability and authenticity
A seller’s reliability and authenticity can be based on DHgate reviews. It is as simple as this: if there’s a positive review with more than 300, It means that the seller is reliable.
Otherwise, if the seller’s review has more than 50 reviews, even if it’s all positive content, you should still be mindful that the seller might write it themselves.
It shows how often sellers respond to their buyers
If you try to be mindful of checking the selection of the DHgate review. You will notice how the seller responds to their buyer. Some of them want to solve their customers’ problems with their products, but others don’t.
Professionality will stand out from the crowd of scam sellers. And yes, you can notice it by how the seller responds.
Therefore, it is more recommended to buy from sellers with 90% chat performance to know how active they were.
You will see the actual picture of the product
There are two ways of getting the actual picture of the product you like.
The first one is to demand a request from the seller. The second is by scrolling down in the DHgate reviews.
Some concerns customers upload a picture or video along with their review which can be beneficial for your end.
You will know the shipping duration
Aside from getting the actual picture from the other customer, some of them are saying how long it takes before the product arrives.
To be honest, the estimated shipping duration is based on speculation by DHgate and the seller. There is no certainty.
However, if you based it on someone else’s experience, you might know how long it takes to be shipped.
Chapter 4: How Can I Get the DHgate Coupon Code?
Free bundle of coupons if you’re a new customer
When we are talking about the DHgate coupon, being a new customer has a silver lining if you want to be showered with the DHgate promo code. Thus, if you are a free customer, this is your chance to collect DHgate coupons as much as you can.
You will even have a free shipping fee, discounts, and coupons.
Your DHgate coupon code is based on how much you spend
If you are spending, let’s say, $100 on a product, there are chances that you will get a 15% discount based on the seller’s offer and the quantity of the product.
The key here is that the more you spend on DHgate products, the higher the coupons you might get. You will save more. Just like how DHgate wholesale services make.
Check your seller’s DHgate coupon code choices
In the seller’s coupon choices, discounts are uncertain. The choice is still in the seller’s hand. Plus, it still depends on the DHgate sale day.
Some days they offer a huge Dhgate coupon sale depending on product categories, such as clothes. Other coupons are for DHgate handbags, DHgate wedding dresses, DHgate shoes, DHgate dresses, DHgate purses, DHgate bags, and other DHgate designer bags.
Get monthly package DHgate coupons
Today, DHgate is offering monthly membership Dhgate coupons that let you get a $300 birthday coupon package plus a $200 birthday coupon.
Moreover, these are separate from the normal monthly coupon that DHgate offers.
Before purchasing a product, you might want to consider checking the DHgate coupon section first.
Chapter 5: DHgate Best Sellers That Are Worth Purchasing
DHgate Clothing & Apparel
In all gender and indifferent generation fashion styles, DHgate clothing apparel is always in demand. China has been producing it primarily.
China’s DHgate wholesale market has a lot of clothing and apparel choices. Several sellers are switching their markets, but their sources are from DHgate wholesale.
One of the sought-after DHgate online stores is the DHgate dresses, men’s apparel, and even for kids.
DHgate handbags, DHgate bags, dupes, and purses
Are you familiar with the Yiwu Wholesale Market? If yes, you would know that one of their specialties is DHgate handbags, best DHgate dupes, DHgate designer bags, and DHgate purses. They provide high-quality bags that are safe to ship worldwide.
Hence, most customers are from the DHgate designer bags category.
DHgate Shoes Products
Despite being in a pandemic, people have been in shoes lately. But if you notice in DHgate shoe products. Sales are still increasing rapidly.
That is because the designs on the shoes are outstanding, especially the DHgate golden goose.
People are still investing in DHgate shoes. Therefore, if you want to grab the best Chinese shoe products, visit the DHgate website. You will see hundreds of them.
Also, you might want to consider checking the DHgate shoe review before buying.
Home and Garden Products from DHgate
House, room, deck renovation? I know how famous it is on social media. There was even had an influencer buying home and garden products from DHgate because they were reliable. Plus, cheaper than others.
Hop into the trend today. DHgate could be your best partner for all your house needs.
Moreover, you have to note that these categories are not the only category available on DHgate.
These four are just from the popular demand list. You can still browse DHgate to make sure if the products you are looking for are in there.
Chapter 6: Risk of DHgate Shopping
Scams
You probably know now that scams even outside DHgate are prominent through this blog post.
They could be looking to sell products that show the opposite of their stated description. The images are from other products, making them different from the actual things they are selling.
Another example of scams in DHgate is that they intentionally send you the wrong parcel. They didn’t participate in refund requests or didn’t respond at all after you paid your order.
These are only a few faces of scam operators on DHgate. Being attentive is still a must.
Buying branded products on DHgate
DHgate is well-known for selling replica products. The individual sellers create a business that has a similar concept to other DHgate designer bags.
Therefore, if you are a fanatic about buying branded products such as DHgate Louis Vuitton backpack DHgate might not be the right eCommerce website for you.
Usually, you will notice that the product is a replica if the seller sells it for a very low price. Sometimes, it’s half the original price. Making it accessible for everyone.
But in terms of the picture, this is where scammers will come in. It might be hard to identify which are original and which are fake.
That’s why, to avoid buying low-quality products, be mindful of buying a branded one – particularly a DHgate designer bag.
Buying from sellers with low reviews and no previous purchases
To be honest, DHgate online store is like gambling. You need to trust the seller to give you the things you want. Otherwise, it’ll be a hassle to return your money.
You certainly know that reviews and the record of previous ones are vital. It can dictate whether the seller is reliable. Therefore, if you can avoid buying from sellers that have low reviews, avoid as much as you can.
Although this statement is changeable, you still need to trust your guts if you want a product online. The number of previous purchases and reviews is just proof.
They couldn’t trust the credibility of a seller. But you have to try DHgate shopping it at your own risk.
Buying without checking seller’s profile
One of the mistakes why people fall into the hands of scammers is because they buy impulsively. They didn’t bother checking the seller’s profile. Because for them, getting the product is only their goal – which is wrong.
Regardless of what product you want to buy, you must check a seller’s profile.
Because if you do, you will see these four crucial points that could predict the seller’s reliability. It’s the total feedback score (normally that has 90% or above). You will also see their review score, service score, and establishment year of the seller.
Apart from these, you will also notice the two types of sellers on DHgate. The Top Merchant and the Premium Merchant badge.
Although it is not mandatory to buy from either of the two, it’s recommended. These sellers are also the proof they were a top seller on DHgate. The seller needs to be outstanding and has high-quality products.
Therefore, you can easily cast all your scammer troubles on DHgate if the seller has the badge.
Chapter 7: How to Find the best DHgate Sellers?
The best way to find reliable sellers on DHgate is by checking the seller’s profile. And based on the statement above, I give you the four crucial points in checking the profile. But in this part, I’ll help you expand the things you need to consider in finding sellers on DHgate.
They had an organized category of products
Number one on the list is that the seller should neatly categorize their product. In that way, you can judge if the seller invests time in arranging their product.
Because if they did, it would help their buyers easily find the product they want.
The main essence of buying online is to experience hassle-free DHgate shopping. Therefore, it should be shown in their profile, not just in order.
As an online shopper, the most challenging part is finding the right seller that offers the right product. It took us hours to decide which one we liked. Because to be honest, on DHgate, it seems that all the sellers are selling the same product.
Therefore, being organized is a plus point.
Can provide actual picture
It is your right to demand to see an actual picture before shipping the products if your customer. You can message the seller directly and ask for it.
Small individual sellers have no problem doing it. Particularly if they have the product in their house or they are close to a warehouse. They even sent it willingly without your demand.
Because they know that through the actual picture, you can put your mind at ease.
Therefore, if the seller doesn’t mind sending the actual picture, it can show that they are serious about their business.
However, don’t feel bad if some sellers can’t do it. It’s just that sometimes the products are far from their warehouse.
Excellent DHgate customer service
Imagine having trouble deciding on the product you want. You don’t know whether the items are working or not. So you decide to message the seller. The seller replied within a few minutes, and it solved your problem.
This situation is ideal in the DHgate online store.
And that’s exactly is what you should be looking for. Remember that if you visit the seller’s profile, you will see how responsible they were.
You should aim to contact with more than a 90% chat performance rate. Otherwise, you might overthink the credibility of the seller.
Although you should not forget that DHgate is one of the top Chinese e-commerce sites, meaning they are getting a lot of orders every minute. That’s why you also have to understand that sometimes it might take hours to respond to your request.
If that’s the case, you also have to understand the seller’s situation. Plus, they will inform you if things are swamped or not. Communication is always the key.
They have a warehouse in your place
For this part, it is also not mandatory because not all sellers can provide a warehouse in different places.
That’s why sometimes your orders take longer to arrive.
But if you are buying from the top sellers on DHgate. The one that has been selling for a long time has a warehouse outside China, so it is possible.
The shipping duration will only take 3-5 days.
Chapter 8: Tips to Avoid Being Scammed
1. Check thoroughly the product
One of the tips to avoid getting scammed on DHgate is to check the product thoroughly. This is where you must demand an actual product picture. Plus, you should read the review.
When we say check the product, you must prefer buying from a seller that has a focused niche in their business. For example, if you want a household product, you should only go with the seller who has a household product.
In that way, you can secure that they have a better product quality compared to others.
2. Read the product description carefully
It’s common for buyers to focus on product pictures and reviews but not on reading the product description.
Because of this, many scammers and fraudsters succeed in tricking their buyers.
Pictures can be easily staged. Some sellers even get gorgeous pictures from other sellers and only change the description.
This happens frequently – the picture shows a wallet and a keychain. Since there are two products in the picture, some buyers assumed that this product comes with packed.
But in reality, if you read the description, they are only selling the keychain.
It might be impossible for you to get your refund if this happens. Because, technically, they were right. Their product description is their backer.
Therefore, you should read the product description before clicking “buy now” to prevent this from happening.
3. Be mindful of the seller’s review and rating
Ever since we started this blog post, you might have noticed how we were fixated on checking the DHgate reviews and ratings. It is because it is important.
You need to know the experience of others with the product before buying anything.
They are the heroes in Dhgate online store because they put your mind at ease.
You have to pay attention and always buy from sellers with 250 reviews and a star rating of 4.5 on their product page.
4. Choose a secure payment method
Although all the payment methods on DHgate are safe. You still need to pick the payment method you’ve been using for a long time.
Don’t be easily fooled by the options given by the seller. You have to double-check it and trust your judgment and the choices provided by DHgate.
5. Read the return and refund policy
The return and refund policy is your best friend on DHgate. They can save you from getting your money back. Therefore, it is necessary to read the return and refund policy.
Don’t wait to receive the wrong product before doing so. It might be late by then.
Also, you might want to check the seller has a “return promise” date. Usually, they offer 3-7, 15 days or 30 days return promise dates upon arrival. Otherwise, if you ignore the time frame, it might be impossible to get a refund.
Meanwhile, you have to provide a valid reason before requesting a refund. It won’t be fair if you just want a refund because you want to.
6. Use DHgate buyer protection
The reason why DHgate has a negative reputation is that most of the people using it fail to use or check the DHgate Purchaser Defense plan.
This plan enables us to secure purchases from illegal sellers in any way possible. It will also help you separate the legitimate seller from the fake ones.
You may check “Seller Guarantees” for more information. This is located near the product description part.
7. Check the dates
Oh! You should never forget to check the date of the DHgate reviews, products, and ratings. In that way, you can guarantee that the sellers are updated and the product.
Chapter 9: Frequently Asked Questions
Can you change DHgate reviews?
Yes, the seller can easily edit, change, or delete someone else’s review of their product. They can simply go to the DHgate Help Center, click the word account, then click “My orders” to view all. Then go to completed orders, and lastly, you can either edit or delete a review.
When is the right time to use the product refund policy?
There is no right time to use the product refund policy. As long as you are still past the “return promise”, then you can refund your product.
However, you should always give a valid reason before doing so. Some people would even describe their situation to the seller to understand how they truly feel about the product.
Should I buy from DHgate?
If you are wondering whether you should buy from DHgate then, the answer is yes, you still should. The Dhgate wholesale products in China are one of the sought-after by tourists. They even want to personally go to China just to get cheaper products and buy in bulk.
But with DHgate, you can do it with one click.
Scammers and fraudsters are always in business. Before placing your order, you just need to be a mindful and wise buyer.
Because overall, DHgate is a safe eCommerce platform. You only have to buy it at your own risk. Plus, after reading this post, surely you will never fall into a scammer’s account.