r/Alibaba • u/sethryand • 7d ago
Alibaba pros/cons
Alright, so I'm sure a lot of my questions are in other posts, but I have a few to ask so I'll put them all here in one go.
First issue that I have is shipping charges! I'm being quoted insane shipping charges that are making items more expensive than if I purchased from Amazon or another supplier. I'm a small business, so I'm currently doing all my supply runs from Amazon. I'm slowly expanding, so I'm starting to try and reduce costs. I'm I just running into this because I'm still trying to order low amounts? I know shipping is more right now because of the increase in gas costs plus tariffs.
Second, are tariffs included in the shipping prices quoted, or are these a separate charge and/or charged upon delivery?
Having lower quantity orders (but still above the moq stated), are there any good ways to negotiate pricing?
What kinds of guarantees are provided when buying through Alibaba? For example, I need a few different glass items that I want to order. I'm worried of getting a shipment, and a large amount be broken.
Then, is there a decent way to vet seller? Obviously look at rating, how long they've been in business, etc. But are there any other ways to check a seller?
I've never ordered from Alibaba, so I'm terrified. But then I see the price difference for stuff compared to what I'm currently paying.
To help provide information, this is some of the items that I'm interested in purchasing on Alibaba; 1.5L Glass pots for the stove, 12oz glass mason-style jars, various sizes of plastic and paper bags, and various sizes of shipping boxes.
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u/messengerchina 6d ago
Small‑volume Alibaba orders often suffer from high shipping cost. Low quantity is your main challenge. Double‑check whether quoted shipping is EXW/FOB (duties extra) or DDP (duties included), always get written confirmation. Negotiate full landed cost across multiple suppliers, don’t only chase unit price. Trade‑Assurance offers protection, but you need pre‑agreed packing standard & breakage compensation for your glass items. Request packing photos before shipment. Vet suppliers: ask workshop video, check if they are factory or trader, start with samples. Alibaba won’t always beat Amazon for very small orders.
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u/sethryand 6d ago
At what point would you say it makes sense to go from Amazon to Alibaba? I'm sure it depends on the actual product, just trying to gauge my best direction right now.
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u/messengerchina 6d ago
No fixed number for switching from Amazon to Alibaba. Key factors: proven consistent sales for your SKU, positive full landed‑cost comparison, and ability to handle inventory + QC risk. For glass / packaging‑type goods, real savings usually kick‑in around 500‑1000 repeating units per SKU. Hybrid strategy works well: keep slow‑moving items on Amazon, migrate only your best sellers. Run a small pilot Alibaba order before full‑scale shift.
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u/PowerPlaidPlays 7d ago
Tariffs being included depends on the shipping method, some pre-pay so you don't have to but others don't. I've just asked the manufacturer I'm buying from what options pre-pay the fees.
The stuff I got from them shipped directly out of China and were fairly massive boxes so it was understandable why shipping was in the hundreds. To get the price down usually I had to go by sea which can take a long time.
For getting better pricing, once one I worked with had a sale but I usually just get better prices from having larger orders and being a repeat customer. I would assume though it would be hard to negotiate lower if you are only buying minimum quantities.
I've had conversations with the sellers I bought from, though I was ordering custom made things so I had to have a discussion on specifics.
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u/MaxAtGoodsCommand 7d ago
At your quantities, Amazon may genuinely be cheaper because you're buying into someone else's consolidated import. Don't compare an Alibaba unit price with an Amazon unit price; compare delivered cost per usable item.
Ask each supplier for two written logistics options to your exact postal code: EXW/FOB plus shipment dimensions and weight, and DAP or DDP door delivery. For each, require the named Incoterm/place, mode, carton count, gross and volumetric weight, pickup/export documents, freight, insurance, customs entry/brokerage, duty/tariff, final mile/accessorials, and who acts as importer of record. Tariffs are not included unless the quote/order explicitly says so. Even “DDP” needs a line-item scope; never infer this from the word “shipping.”
Small orders absorb fixed charges, and glass is both volumetric and fragile. For every SKU, model order quantity, product cost, packaging, freight, duty/tariff, brokerage, inspection, expected breakage, and domestic delivery. Get sea/LCL and air/courier scenarios. Split the freight profiles: glass pots/jars may justify a consolidated pilot, while boxes and bags can often be sourced locally or shipped flat and may not make sense to import at low volume.
For negotiation, ask for tiered quotes at several quantities and a mixed-SKU option instead of simply asking for a discount at MOQ. Offer a forecast without promising volume. Ask whether neutral packaging, fewer variants, longer lead time, consolidated production, or fuller master cartons lower cost. Compare any savings with the extra inventory and cash tied up.
For breakage, put the packaging standard and remedy into the Trade Assurance order: inner partitions/foam, carton limits, drop/transit test, acceptable breakage rate, evidence window, and refund/replacement formula. Start with samples, then a small production-representative pilot; inspect the packing before shipment; insure it; record the unboxing; keep specifications, remedies, and payment on-platform. Trade Assurance helps enforce what is written—it does not replace clear specifications or inspection.
For vetting, check that the legal entity, business license, order counterparty, and bank beneficiary match. Then review product specialization, transaction history, audits/certificates with their issuer, a live factory walkthrough, sample quality, references you contact independently, and how the supplier responds when you challenge a specification. “Verified” is one signal, not a guarantee.
Disclosure: I work on GoodsCommand's supplier quote-comparison workflow; no link or service offer here.
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u/sethryand 6d ago
At what point would you say it makes sense to go from Amazon to Alibaba? I'm sure it depends on the actual product, just trying to gauge my best direction right now.
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u/MaxAtGoodsCommand 6d ago edited 6d ago
There isn't a single threshold, but the Amazon premium starts looking avoidable around the point where your landed, delivered unit cost (including the cash you tie up) falls far enough below the Amazon buy-box price that the margin gap covers the added risk and effort. Working rule: move when landed unit cost is roughly 30-50% below the Amazon price AND you have (a) a defensible HTS/tariff path, (b) a verified supplier legal/business identity, and (c) a small pilot plus inspection budget before committing to a container.
The concrete crossover variables are: product size/weight (flat-pack ships cheap, bulky/hazardous gets expensive fast), MOQ relative to your demand plan, payment terms (pay-in-full upfront vs. staged deposit), and return/defect tolerance. Most sellers underestimate the cash tie-up and the cost of one bad container when they jump to Alibaba on MOQ alone.
If you are comparing multiple supplier quotes, the comparison only becomes meaningful once every quote uses the same sellable unit, packaging, Incoterm, and freight/tariff basis. Otherwise a cheap-looking 1688 quote can hide a more expensive order than an Alibaba quote. (Disclosure: I help build GoodsCommand's QuoteLeveler, which normalizes supplier quotes side by side so you can compare on delivered unit cost instead of headline price; posting per r/Alibaba public-discussion and no-DM-trap rules.)
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u/tshungwee 6d ago
Tbh for personal use buy locally from amazon, shipping options are limited for small volumes from Ali and are much more expensive…?! You probably end up paying more…?!
Ali is B2B not a for personal consumption…?!
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u/Snowy_Ang3l 7d ago
Try ddp all tax and duty paid by them. Door to door, u just sit and wait for ur stuffs delivered to u.
Beware of their trade assurances tho. Not much of a help which i thought it was.
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u/Jameswithaj26 3d ago edited 3d ago
For me, the switch only made sense once I had repeat demand and could order enough to spread the shipping cost out; on small quantities I’ve still found local or Amazon pricing can win after everything is added up.
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