DHgate Explained
What is DHgate?
DHgate.com is a cross-border e-commerce marketplace that facilitates the sale of manufactured products from suppliers to small and medium retailers as well as to individual consumers. It is one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms. Based in Beijing, the company has offices worldwide, including in the US and UK. DHgate is a global marketplace founded in 2004 that enables the sale of wholesale products to overseas buyers, especially resellers. DHgate grew into a massive marketplace in its first decade, with over 1.2 million merchants and more than 30 million product listings. DHgate boasts an impressive array of products in a wide range of categories.
How Does DHgate Work?
DHgate is an independent marketplace for Chinese wholesalers and drop shippers. The first thing you have to understand before placing an order on DHgate is that you’re not actually buying from DHgate. DHgate hosts many different sellers who are the actual manufacturers, retailers, and individuals from whom you purchase goods. While they facilitate the transaction, you are purchasing from a 3rd party seller whose goods are listed there. DHgate does not sell or ship any merchandise, but rather individual sellers do. DHgate does not deal with consumers after they make a payment unless they need to file a complaint.
While the site is legit in the most technical sense, it is host to many online sellers who may not be. With a site like Amazon, the sense of trust comes in because your purchase is protected and fulfilled by Amazon itself (in most cases). Often, you’re buying directly from Amazon, rather than from a third party. In this way, DHgate is much more like eBay than Amazon. On eBay, you’re purchasing directly from the third-party seller and there is an understanding of the “buyer beware” necessity. However, like eBay, the platform ensures that your money is protected, so in reality the only risk involved is the loss of time.
In general, the prices on items from DHgate correlate to the cost of the manufacturing and the cost of shipping. A heavier and larger item will cost more because of its higher shipping cost. Something with complex parts and designs or better-quality materials will cost more because it costs more to produce. For example, watches under $30-$40 are likely to be lightweight. And belts under $25-$30 may not be real leather,
Joining and using DHgate is free, and they offer significant unit cost savings when you buy in bulk. You can find many sellers who sell high-quality products on DHgate at very reasonable prices. DHgate offers many coupons as well, especially for larger orders. eBay and Amazon sellers often resell items from DHgate on their sites at a high-profit margin.
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What to know:
All prices listed are final without any added sales tax. Prices are constantly fluctuating, and links are constantly changing due to items selling out. Most products on DHgate come in a variety of colors and will often even contain different, similar products. If you want a clearer picture of a product or its brand, take a careful look at the pictures posted for it on its DHgate page, especially on its customer reviews. Also be sure to check out its description before making a purchase, as there might be important details that the seller left out in the title and pictures. Sellers usually list features and specification details in the description and may also post additional photos.
One thing you’ll have to learn if you plan on buying clothing from DHgate is that sizes, unless it specifically says otherwise, won’t correspond to the sizes you are used to. Most sizes listed (S, M, L, XL) refer to how they run in Asia, which are usually 1 or 2 sizes smaller than what they would be in the U.S.. However, most sellers are very good at helping you find the right fit. Many products have a “Size Info” icon to click on right next to the available sizes that will open a Size Chart or an instruction on how to measure your body. Often sellers also put a table in the product description which converts Asian sizes to the ones in the EU or US. You can ask sellers any questions you have about their products and you can also request pictures. Most sellers respond.
DHgate holds your money in escrow for an extended amount of time until you confirm that you received your item. Therefore make sure that the quality of your purchase is up to par before confirming that you received it.
A seller has a “store” on the site, like the familiar eBay platform. Buyers can view the number of previous transactions on particular items, feedback scores, and customer reviews. Metrics like these help determine which sellers are be reliable.
Customers are usually satisfied with DHgate online suppliers.. In general, people look at the product pictures to get a better idea of its quality. It is always a good idea to double-check the reviews left by previous buyers. If you study closely, you will find that most of the bad reviews are due to shipment delays, or because requirements were not clearly understood. Thus, reading and understanding reviews are crucial.
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DHgate Buyer Protection
DHgate site has tools and policies in place to help ease buyers’ anxieties about purchasing from unknown sellers. The site provides information about each of its sellers, which is provided by verified purchasers.
DHgate also has a comprehensive buyer protection system in place, which helps limit the potential for any fraudulent behavior. DHgate offers this to position itself as a legitimate and trustworthy shopping site.
DHgate also has a 24/7 live chat service available for you discuss any questions or issues you may have.
DHgate Buyer Protection includes:
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Return & Refund protections
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DHgate Mediation between buyer and seller
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DHgate icons to help note seller attributes
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Return & Refund Protections
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DHgate notes that they will provide a full refund in the event you never received your item(s). If you did receive the item, but it was not as described, they will allow you to either accept a partial refund for the item and keep it or return the item for a full refund (Although they may request photo or video evidence).
If a package comes missing pieces DHgate will ask you to take a video weighing all the items the package came with. The shipping company has on record the exact weight of the shipped package, and in that way DHgate will be able to confirm your claim.
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DHgate Mediation
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If you’ve contacted the seller about an issue and it hasn’t been resolved, you can submit a dispute to DHgate and they will arbitrate on your behalf to try to come to a resolution between you and the seller.
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Conclusion
DHgate is an excellent website to use if you want purchase luxury items without having to break the bank. There is little risk involved if you use common sense. All you have to do before making a purchase is to make sure to read the items description and specifications, as well as look at the seller's review and feedback. And even if you forget, DHgate has protections in place to protect your money.
Therefore, we definitely give DHgate our recommendation for everyone to use. We think you will be ultimately, very pleased if you choose to make purchases on DHgate!