We all know that China is the most potent manufacturing power globally. So, it is logical that Chinese wholesalers could offer the cheapest rates. Well, this is the main reason why retailers around the globe flock to the DHgate platform. But is DHgate legit? Find out in the following question.

If you are seeking a fast answer, then Yes. DHgate is a hundred percent legit platform. However, the same can’t be said for the millions of seller profiles. Some of them may, of course, try to make some easy money. But if you know how to avoid these scammers, then DHgate can be a great business platform for you.

Are you a retailer looking for online shopping directly from Chinese manufacturers? Well, then you might want to know how you can order from DHgate safely and securely. Read on to clear your misconceptions and find valuable tips.

What Is DHgate?

As already mentioned, it is an online store that connects retailers and wholesalers. It was found in China in 2004. Anyone can sell good quality products or purchase bulk products here. Meanwhile, the platform will handle the transaction and oversee logistics. DHgate will also be responsible for the security of your information.

How Does It Work?

Unlike other similar platforms, DHgate lets you place small wholesale orders. This is very helpful for local retail store beginners. E-commerce sites can take advantage of DHgate’s low Minimum Order Requirement and reduce business risks.

At DHgate, you will first place an order. You will then have to make an upfront payment using provided DHgate payment methods. But the seller won’t get the money before receiving your products. The platform will hold onto it for the time being. Only after your confirmation will the seller receive his payment.

Why Do Retailers Come to DHgate?

Most retailers come to DHgate to find the cheapest wholesaler rates. There are two main reasons for this mainly. First of all, most of the manufacturers here are directly from China. To compete with their peers, they keep prices as low as possible to beat the competitive price. And secondly, there is no middle man. So, you don’t pay any extra or hidden charges from your credit card, which in most cases DHgate sellers charge shipping fees as additional costs.

Currently, DHgate has over 2.2 million wholesalers on the platform. And around 26 million retailers get their quality products from them. There are 22 million product listings to choose from.

Every 1.3 seconds, a transaction takes place on DHgate. And this is happening in 222 countries. Also, DHgate supports all the major languages and payment methods. So, you now know what DHgate is. But is DHgate safe? Let’s see.

Is DHgate Safe?

Many retailers understand the potential of DHgate. However, they also ask, is DHgate reliable? Or is DHgate safe online marketplace? DHgate is as legit as other similar platforms like AliExpress or Made-in-China.

But DHgate also deals with an overwhelming number of professional seller profiles. Moreover, the platform keeps extremely busy. As a result, sometimes, an order might take much longer than the average delivery delay. At the same time, being busy, the service team might be unable to respond to a distressed customer.

This is the reason why some people think DHgate is not safe. But, in reality, the platform has little to do with it. Plus, they do not let any seller “steal” your money. Because the money is safely deposited in the platform and only released after your confirmation.

Plus, DHgate strictly monitors and reviews its Seller IDs. As per their claims, they keep an eye on seller behavior 24/7. And if a seller fails to abide by the platform policies, they have to compensate the most online shoppers. Continuous dishonest behavior will result in the seller on DHgate getting banned from DHgate.

DHgate also has a robust quality control system to make the platform safer. The team for DHgate buyer protection removes cheap and fraudulent products from the lists as soon as they detect them. In addition, quality control professionals will manually check the seller’s products before shipping to the shipping company or directly to customers.

Despite their best attempts, a small percentage of mishaps persist. So, if you ask, “Is DHgate website safe,” the answer is, yes. However, it is best to keep your mind open to the possibility of unfortunate events. 

Why Do People Think DHgate Is Not Legit?

There are thousands of DHgate reviews online. And in many of them, the reviewers are quick to call it a scam site. But when you analyze these DHgate review sites, something else unfolds. Most of the time, people call scams out of frustration. In reality, the platform hasn’t consciously scammed them.

It is essential to understand the difference here. Otherwise, many retailers would only shy away from this lucrative platform due to misconceptions. So, let’s see why some people claim DHgate is not legit.

Unresponsive Sellers

A good percentage of sellers on DHgate are Alibaba suppliers. They are using DHgate to clear their inventory. Therefore, these sellers are not keen on providing reliable after-sales service to their DHgate customers. So, when customers reach them to inquire about lost or damaged products, they do not get a response.

On the other hand, some sellers are not actual manufacturers. Instead, they collect whatever products they can and set up some sort of online grocery store. Many online sellers know little to nothing about their products. So, they can’t help with customer inquiries either. Some reviewers consider this a scam.

Customer Service Expectations

Many customers hold the DHgate platform responsible for the mishaps. So, they expect the customer service team to intervene during the conflicts. But resolving disputes is not a responsibility of the customer team. They can only find you a solution when there is hard evidence (pics, chats, videos) of a scam.

But the customers who wrote the DHgate reviews don’t seem to get it. They think it is the customer service’s job to settle their dispute. And when that doesn’t happen, they deem the team incompetent. Sometimes they even consider the DHgate team is working with the real online sellers to scam them.

Getting Refunds

Sometimes customers receive damaged packages or unsatisfactory products. They demand a full or partial refund in these situations. In that case, the seller will want you to return the products to their warehouse. And after they receive the goods, they will refund you.

This becomes a problem when you are returning low-value products. Such as t-shirts, mugs, or similar items. Because shipping them back to China will cost you more than the refund you are expecting.

Sellers with good reputations know this. Therefore, they would work out a deal with you to avoid unpleasantness. For instance, they might send another batch of fresh products, or full refund you in some other way.

In contrast, dishonest sellers may take advantage of the situation. They know the customer won’t spend money on returning the goods. But still, they insist on sending them back. Otherwise, they won’t refund you. There is no doubt that it is 100% a scam.

Mismatched Listing Price and Payable

There are millions of Sellers IDs on DHgate. Not all of them are smart enough to navigate the platform correctly. As a result, price errors in product listing are not uncommon. For instance, a seller might list the price of “1”. Now, to the seller, “1” means one product. But actually, the “1” means one lot.

A customer may understand accordingly. He/She would select the product, thinking he/she is paying for a bulk. And this mistake doesn’t become apparent until the seller confirms their order. But when customers hear it, they believe the seller is trying to scam them.

Tips to Avoid Scams On DHgate

Recall the above discussion when you wonder, ‘Is DHgate legit.’ You will surely be able to gain a better understanding of your situation. Here are some more tips to avoid scams on DHgate.

Seller’s Reviews and Ratings: Before buying from a seller, research him. Go to their product page and check for recent DHgate seller reviews. If a reliable seller has over a few hundred positive and recent reviews, it is safe to assume they are legit. Also, don’t do business with sellers having less than a 4.5/5 rating.

DHgate Badges: The platform awards badges to Sellers with good performance and reputation. These include Premium and Top Merchant badges. You can consider this as a recommendation from the platform. So, it is safer to deal with these sellers. In addition, you may want a seller with a good feedback score and more than six years of establishment.

Check before Confirming: DHgate won’t release payment before your confirmation. So, take advantage of it. Do not confirm that you received the order before opening the package and checking the goods. That way, you don’t have to suffer the hassle of getting seller refunds for unsatisfactory products.

Dealing Outside: You should never deal with a particular seller outside the platform. You might meet most sellers on the platform who want you to send them money outside DHgate. They may even offer reduced rates for it. This is usually a clear sign that you are dealing with a scammer.

Read the Descriptions: Most similar international online retailers or online shoppers will only look at the name and image of the product and place an order. They don’t bother to go through the description. So, many dishonest online sellers will take advantage of it. They would put misleading names and images. Then only in the description will they reveal what the product actually is. So, beware of this scam.

In short, you have to be intelligent and careful on DHgate. Because there are millions of professional sellers on the platform. So, some of them are bound to be scammers. But if you are tactful, DHgate can be an excellent platform for your dropshipping business. So are you thinking about starting one? Well, read this to know how to find a niche product. 

Conclusion

Is DHgate legit? Of course, it is. But is DHgate safe? Well, that depends on how careful you are on the platform. An intelligent and patient retailer can build a good business using platforms DHgate.

So, don’t let the negative DHgate reviews discourage you.