Introduction
DHgate is the largest B2B marketplace globally, serving many countries all over the world. Starting as a national-level shopping platform, it continued growing until now, when it operates worldwide.
However, due to the dishonesty of the sellers on this platform, DHgate could not maintain a good reputation. Many people have asked, “Is Dhgate Legal?” and “Is Dhgate Safe to Buy From?”
If you know how to tell if DHgate seller is legit, your shopping experience will be good. This article explains the good side of the story narrating everything about DHgate, from how it operates to its security policies for buyers.
Why Do People Think DHgate Is Not Safe?
DHgate has negative reviews and star ratings on popular review sites. Moreover, people ordering from this platform are unaware of the preventive measures they have to take while dealing with sellers.
Many buyers don’t know how to tell is DHgate safe? As a result, they end up getting scammed. In addition, We have encountered similar questions raised by many our clients about Dhgate. What are some good replica sites that safely sell products that make it here? How do wholesalers get their products so cheap on DHGate? How do you find LV dupes on DHgate? Does DHgate sell fake stuff?
What is DHgate?
DHgate is a top wholesale marketplace in China where independent businesses of small to medium scale sell their products to buyers here. The buyers of this platform are from the whole world. Also, the platform sell to the consumers as well as eCommerce business owners.
AliExpress and Alibaba are the competitors of DHgate. Like these platforms, DHgate has a wide range of various categories of products it offers. It offers items from jewelry to electronics, monitors, and much more.
More than half of the sellers on DHgate are China-based. Most of them run small businesses offering different products. To find the right and reliable seller, you just need to know how to tell if the DHgate seller is legit.
The seller on this marketplace can be a 1-man army or a merchant wanting to get rid of additional items. Most of the sellers use DHgate inconsistently, just when they need to. Due to the market fluctuations, it is not an ideal place to establish your online business on. Yes, you can use it to test customers’ purchasing behavior of the product you plan to offer.
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Is DHgate Real?
DHgate website is legit and safe which is one of the top marketplaces delivering a wide range of products. It is the largest business-to-business, business-to-consumer, cross-border, eCommerce marketplace serving China. The goal of this platform is to sell goods at lower rates.
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Where is DHgate Located?
DHgate is located in Beijing, China. It was established back in 2004. The founder of this online platform is a Chinese businesswoman named Diane Wang. She has the honor of representing her country China, at G20 Summit.
After its launch, DHgate was limited to China. Chinese manufacturers and small & medium-scale businesses used to trade on this platform. With time, it kept on progressing and expanding in scale and size. Today, it is chosen by many countries from around the globe. The on-site stores of DHgate, known as DTCs (Digital Trade Centers), are established in order to let retailers test and check products before buying.
The buyers’ range sets the legit DHgate website apart from other international online stores retailers. The buyers of DHgate involve individuals as well as businesses. Its purpose is to allow trading between businesses (B2B) and retailers. The prices are different for induvial buyers and retailers. It is because retailers purchase wholesale.
Is DHgate Legal?
DHgate is a trustworthy and legal company. The 9-figure revenue it generates on an annual basis is evidence. Helping Chinese sellers, it connects to retailers and individuals worldwide; this platform serves thousands of people to sell and buy.
Buyers place orders on the online platform and get their merchandise. Receiving high-quality products per the expectations is another topic we will discuss below. The baseline is that DHgate is a vast marketplace with a massive number of sellers offering various merchandise quality. There are those selling top-notch quality and those compromising on the quality for lower prices.
DHgate reviews has gained several negative on different review sites. Does the damaged reputation have people questioning whether is DHgate legit? But to understand the matter, you should look closely at the operations of DHgate. It is not a seller itself, does not manufacture products, and is just a middleman between sellers and buyers. Moreover, all the negative reviews are about the dishonest sellers on the platform, not the platform itself. As a wholesale website, Dhgate is legal and safe to buy from.
DHgate website, a reliable and legit connection between buyers and sellers, stands legit and safe. Moreover, it has extensive safeguards and buyer protection techniques to ensure secure trading and transactions.
Here are a few of the categories of the products you can find on DHgate:
● Smartphones
● Electronic devices
● Skincare and beauty products
● Toys and gifts
● Haircare and styling products
● Automobiles
● Jewelry and watches
Why is DHgate So Cheap?
DHgate platform is a round-the-clock international online wholesale trading platform that gathers Chinese small and medium-sized suppliers to provide products and effective procurement services to many foreign small and medium-sized buyers.
It is not difficult to see that DHgate is positioned as a platform for small wholesale, so when pricing, we should take into account the characteristics of wholesale, the profit of the seller depends on the volume, and it is difficult to place an order at an excessively high retail price. its target users cover all English-speaking countries, mainly in Europe and the United States and other developed countries, so when setting prices, professional sellers will take into account that you have to carry out secondary sales after buying back products as wholesalers. If the price offered by the seller makes you unprofitable, the product will be difficult to sell and the chances of placing another order will be reduced.
Dhgate buyers have a common feature: small batch, high frequency, long-term stability. In other words, you want to buy small batches of products, and repeat them many times, and hope to have a familiar supplier to supply them steadily for a long time. Then Dhgate is a good choice.
Is DHgate Safe to Buy From?
As opposed to the negative DHgate reviews, and the commonly misunderstood reputation of DHgate, it is safe to buy from this company. DHgate has strict terms to secure the buying experience of its users. The Returns and Refund Guarantee and other Buyer Protection terms ensure a smooth and peaceful experience for business owners and individuals.
If your product comes out to be contrary to the expected quality, you can take the matter to DHgate service center, and it will resolve the dispute for you. Moreover, DHgate always makes sure that the buyers get a refund in case the dispute is not resolvable.
Overall, there is nothing to worry about while purchasing from DHgate. Thanks to the buyer protection policies that prioritize the buyer’s demands and needs over the company’s profits.
Throughout your buying experience, DHgate always has your back. It tracks the shipment until it is delivered, verifies the shipment details before dispatching the order, and does not pay sellers before the buyer has received their merchandise. In case of any misunderstanding between the traders, it steps forward to resolve the issue.
There is one thing to keep in mind all policies apply if your purchase is made on DHgate. If you decide to buy from the DHgate seller outside the platform, DHgate is not responsible.
Why Do Some Buyers Think DHgate is a Scam Site?
1. Untimely Reply by Sellers
Buyers contact sellers when things go opposite to the plan. For example, when the buyer does not receive the merchandise on the promised date or when the buyer have not got the expected quality of the product. There can be other queries as well that make a buyer inquire seller. But the seller does not reply on time or never replies.
Since most of the sellers on the DHgate run small-scale businesses, they might not have hired enough customer service staffs. As a result, it can get tricky for one person to manage it all. Thus, they struggle with offering good customer service / prompt replies.
There is a kind of seller that include wholesale sellers. They run eCommerce stores and sell a wide range of products. You will find several hot-selling products belonging to many different categories on their online store. Most of such sellers do not offer satisfactory and reliable after sales service. For example, the shop below is called “bobovape”, which sells Bluetooth sunglasses, flashlights and Bluetooth speakers. This is obviously a trader looking for hot products.
Part of such sellers’ purpose is to earn quick money by selling products in high demand. Once they have cleared an item from their store, they become unconcerned.
2. Misleading Prices on Product Pages
Another common mishap taking place on small-scale sellers is displaying misleading prices. They set the price of an item wrong, but after a buyer has placed an order, they correct the mistake by altering product specifications.
When the buyer discovers the change in the product specifications and contacts the seller, the seller narrates the actual product specifications. As a result, buyers think it is a scam, and the question is whether DHgate is legit.
It happens because the staff hired by such sellers is unaware and ignorant. Yes, small-scale sellers hire people to upload details of the products, such as product images and product details, to the DHgate store in batches. The staff is ignorant of the sensitivity of the product specifications. Thus, they fail at spotting the mistakes and correcting them at the right time. As a result, the error is only found after a buyer has placed an order.
It does not go true for large-scale sellers. Because firstly, they make sure that their staff is well-aware of the product details. Secondly, they hire people especially to look for any mistakes in the store.
3. Unrealistic Expectations for Quality
Another primary reason behind the poor reputation of DHgate is the unrealistic expectations that buyers attach to the ordered product quality. As mentioned above, most of the sellers on the DHgate website are legit based in China; their definition of quality control might be different from your quality standards.
It is due to cultural, regional, and geographic differences. For instance, the quality controling processes of a physical department store would be different from digital wholesale stores.
Sellers on DHgate aim at getting rid of the additional items by selling them at cheaper rates. So, their focus is not on controlling the quality. Most of the time, buyers do not know what they will be getting in the mail until they receive it.
4. Delivery Time is too Long
The typical shipping time of most online retailers is 5 ~ 7 business days. It goes valid for shipping commercial orders. However, in the case of economical shipping, it takes longer since the products are of low value. Moreover, the low-value package is not taken care of as the retail order is. So, the chances of your small package being damaged or lost are higher.
Many factors influence the delivery delay of products. It might be because the transfer flights are late, or the full aircraft logistics warehouse needs a longer time. Your package delivery can also delay if it happens to be during holidays or significant shopping times. Negligence on the part of customs clearance can also cause delays.
5. Unsatisfied Products are Hard to Get a Refund
Buyers receive their package, which is not what they were expecting. Thus, they open a dispute that DHgate does not resolve. As a result, buyers declare DHgate as a scam platform.
This situation occurs when the buyer confirms the delivery of the package on their DHgate account before receiving the package. Remember, once you guarantee the delivery, DHgate closes the case.
6. Bad Official Customer Service Experience
Sellers on the DHgate do not reply to the questions buyers send to them. It is because such grocery seller does not care about answering buyer inquiries after their product has been sold. Moreover, you should always check the seller’s profile before ordering from him to avoid such problems.
5 Tips to Evaluate a Seller on DHgate to Avoid Getting Scammed
DHgate is brimming with great quality products and pocket-friendly deals. All you need to do is understand the right way of shopping from this platform. Here are five tips on how to tell if the DHgate seller is legit.
1. Check Seller’s Profile Before Buying
Checking the seller’s profile will give you detailed information about their selling behavior. It tells a lot about how the seller performs in the market, is he honest or a scam, and such details. A seller’s profile constitutes four things to check out!
The first and foremost thing is the feedback score. If it is more than 95%, you can trust the seller quickly. Other essential factors include service score, review score, and establishment year of the seller. If it has been years for him selling on DHgate, he is honest with his job. Buying from sellers who have Top Merchant / Premium Merchant badges will never get you buying troubles or make you doubt: is DHgate legit?
2. Check Customer’s Reviews & Feedback Before Buying
Another effective way to avoid scams is to check reviews and feedback buyers have left on the seller’s store. If a seller has most of the reviews against him, you should not be buying from him even if there are a few good reviews, and vice versa. Checking reviews will make your buying experience less worrisome.
It’s because the chances of you contacting an issue decrease to the minimum. If most customers are happy with the seller, you will not be an exception. Moreover, there should be a minimum of 200 reviews on the store. The seller’s star rating should be a minimum of 4.0/ 5. Having all this information about the seller will not make you question whether is DHgate legit.
3. Watch Out for Misleading Descriptions
It is common for buyers only to check reviews and product pictures and ignore the product description. Many dishonest sellers upload misleading pictures that do not go with the description. For example, a picture has two items: expensive (a table) and cheaper (a small plant). You do not want to purchase without knowing what the seller is selling. The seller intentionally puts the price higher to track visitors in most such scenarios. In such a case, you cannot even request a dispute on DHgate because the seller has described the whole product in the description section.
4. Don’t Make a Large Order at First
One big mistake that buyers make is to place a huge order without testing the seller first. Always read all the reviews, and order one small item from a seller before investing a large amount of your money.
This way, you can know if the seller’s products meet the claims and how the customer deals with the seller.
5. Do Not Confirm Delivery Before Receiving the Order
DHgate has a policy not to give the seller his due payment before the buyer has received his merchandise. So, never confirm to DHgate that your order has been delivered before actually receiving it. Also, in case you get an order that is not as described, do not confirm the delivery. If any of the two conditions apply, inquire with the seller about the problem you face and ask him to resolve it. Moreover, if the seller does not help, open the dispute on DHgate. If you had confirmed the delivery, you would not be able to resolve the issue.
6. Use DHGate Buyer Protection
As soon as the order arrives, you must take quality inspection immediately. Keep the goods in good condition and take necessary action as soon as they are received. If you do not want to pay on time, it may take 30 days to receive the refund you received.
According to DHGate’s website Buyer Protection has 30 days to expire. To protect yourself, if the goods you buy are damaged in transit, you can call the seller immediately. If the seller does not respond to the your protection request, they may ask for a refund. DHgate will then assist in mediation.
DHgate Payment Methods
After choosing the products, click on Proceed to Checkout button. It will lead you to the page where you must fill in your billing and shipping information.
1. What Payment Methods Does DHgate Accept?
You can use different credit card payment types such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Bank Transfer, Union Pay, Diners Club, etc. It does not accept Paypal. The recommended method is a credit card instead of a bank transfer. It’s because the credit card option offers you relief on many levels. First, you get points for your card. Second, you can dispute the payment if the buyer’s refund takes longer than usual. Also, it keeps your data safe.
2. How Long Does DHgate Take to Ship?
The standard shipping time of DHgate is 20 – 45 days. The chosen shipping method plays a huge role in determining the delivery time. China Post and ePacket are two of the most commonly used economic shipping methods. You can ask for the fast delivery, but it takes extra charges. The fast delivery charges can be even higher than what you paid for your product.
Each product on the platform displays an estimated delivery time. You can select the shipping method conveniently because some professional sellers also show On-Time Delivery Days. Not receiving the package within the delivery time implies that you should be inquiring about the seller.
3. Does DHgate Provide Tracking Number?
Yes, you get a tracking number for every delivery you are awaiting. After completing the ordering process, you get a tracking number from the seller. A suitable shipping carrier always has a tracking number.
It usually takes 7 – 10 days before you can track the package online. If 10 days have passed and you still cannot track, ask the seller to contact the shipping company and get you the correct tracking number. If you do not receive the tracking information, it is time to open a dispute on DHgate.
DHgate Buyer Protection
According to the Buyer Protection program of DHgate, the company holds the dues of the seller until the buyer has received the package and confirmed the delivery. The Buyer Protection program in itself is an answer to your question: is DHgate legit.
1. Return & Refund Protections
If you do not receive the package within the delivery time, inquire with the seller. If the seller does not help, open the dispute on DHgate, and you will get your money back.
2. DHgate Mediation
DHgate platform has your back throughout your purchasing experience. In case of an issue, you can follow the below-mentioned steps to take the company’s help.
- Go to your DHgate account and click My Orders.
- Click Open a Dispute and select a reason. Give evidence by attaching pictures/screenshots.
- Then, click “Submit”.
Now DHgate will approve the dispute and resolve your issue.
3. DHgate Icons
The platform has icons dedicated to defining products and suppliers. Investing some time in understanding the icons can do you good in the long run.
For example, an icon with a capital T against a yellow background represents the Top Merchant badge. Top Merchant means that this reliable seller will offer you high-quality products and good customer service as he has always been. Likewise, know all icons by heart.
Is DHgate Good For you? Should You Shop on DHgate?
If you still wonder if is Dhgate legit or not: DHgate is an excellent platform to shop various items at lower rates. Your experience will only be smooth if you follow the points mentioned above to avoid scams. Moreover, after placing your order, do not expect instant replies from the seller, excellent merchandise packaging, and fast delivery services.
If you still contact an issue, never digest the loss and move on without opening a dispute. DHgate has excellent customer service and will always get you a refund. Another tip is to test the seller before buying many products in bulk.
Conclusion
The buyer protection program, refund policy, and other terms ensure that the buyers do not get scammed by the fraudulent sellers. However, if you choose this platform to shop from, you should have plenty of time to invest in researching the sellers. You have to follow the steps to tell if this website is safe.
Check their profile, customer reviews, and feedback before you decide. Moreover, when you choose a seller on DHgate, do not try to deal with him outside this online platform.
FQAs about DHgate
Q: Is it safe to use a credit card on DHgate?
The DHgate platform handles transactions, so money can be traded through the platform, and the money stays in the platform’s fund regulatory account-rather than trading directly between buyers and sellers-which protects the interests of both buyers and sellers to some extent. It is safe to use your debit card on dhgate. There is no need to worry that your funds will be withdrawn before the receipt of the goods is confirmed, or that your debit card information will be stolen.
Q: Are there fake reviews on DHgate?
Of course, there are fake reviews in DHgate, because there are many fake reviews platforms that cannot be blocked by technical means. How to identify fake DHGate comments on the website? One is to check the seller reviews with a five-star or one-star rating, and multiple comments made by the same person may also be false. Second, if the content of the comment is too exaggerated or can not be understood, it may also be a false comment.
Q: Does DHgate sell fake products?
DHgate has answered this question, there will definitely be sellers selling fake goods, and the DHgate platform itself forbids this kind of behavior, but it does not have 100% technical means to limit it. At present, there are multiple means, reporting, delayed payment to sellers, customer compensation and active after-sales service.
Q: Is AliExpress better than DHgate?
Aliexpress has more product range overall. Price on DHgate is higher than AliExpress, but the quality of product is generally higher than AliExpress.
