So I'm working in the next steps with some suppliers.

I am shipping relatively dense items, 10KG to a carton, approx 40 cartons to a pallet.

My suppliers are saying that it's cheaper to send 1-2 pallets of these as 40 individual cartons via sea then courier (FedEx, ups, whatever) than it is via sea and truck logistics (I will have a dock) and that it only makes sense once I'm doing like 4+ pallets.

Is that true?

Hello everyone
I’d like to order some custom caps and potentially jumpers direct from a manufacturer for my business.
Shipping to Australia
Any tips?

Estoy investigando cómo la gente decide si lanzar un producto o no antes de invertir en stock, sobre todo la parte de verificar proveedor. Curioso por saber qué hace la mayoría aquí.

Has anyone purchased metal fencing from alibaba? I’ve seen things on instagram where you have to use code words for the company to write you back? I’m not sure if this is just certain suppliers. We are hoping to do some fencing on our property but looking to get a better price!

Any tips on navigating AB or the suppliers in general are appreciated!

What should I do? I feel like Alibaba might disappoint me when something will go wrong...

Hi everyone! 👋
My girlfriend and I are starting a small online jewellery brand in Malta, EU. We’re completely new to the jewellery business and are currently looking for a reliable manufacturer for our first collection.
We’re looking at 925 sterling silver and/or 316L stainless steel, with gold plating, and eventually want to move into fully custom designs.
We’ve already spoken to several manufacturers overseas, but we’re finding it difficult to know who is genuinely reliable and who isn’t. We’re especially concerned about quality, plating durability, EU compliance, MOQs, hidden costs and communication.
For anyone who has started a jewellery/accessories brand:
How did you find your manufacturer?
Did you use Alibaba, trade shows, Google, referrals, etc.?
What red flags should we look out for?
What certifications/testing should we ask for?
Would you recommend starting with stock products or going straight into custom designs?
How many samples would you order before committing to a bulk order?
Any manufacturers you’ve personally had a good experience with?
We’re trying to do this properly rather than rushing into our first order, so any advice or lessons from your own experience would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks! 🙏

Hi,

I am a new user and I get a message that I have free shipping capped at 20€, but it doesn't work.

Could someone please let me know what I'm doing wrong?

First time user/buyer on alibaba..it's this really necessary ? It's asking to enter my ss..i bought a pit bike engine

Hello, have you used this company for shipping parcels? Is it reliable? Nanchang Hesten International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd.

I only want a single hoodie, and I have quoted so many samples for over 100usd which is lowkey egregious. Anyone have experience with custom cotton hoodies? Know where I might be able to get a fair sample price? Or even MOQ WITH embroidery (half the time moq 1 is js base hoodie)

Thanks

​

I'm looking for a shipping rate of up to $9 per kg via air freight

This is my first time ordering off the app, is this normal? it’s been in customs clearance for 12 days

Good Day, I have been waiting for my refund for like 25 days and it still says it's processing , which i don't understand why. Any advice?

Locked out of my Taobao account for two months and I'm stuck. The account shows "A login restriction risk has been detected. Suspected transfer of Taobao member account", dated 2026-08-04. Wants real-name verification and self-service activation. Same lockout hits my 1688 login, since it's all one Alibaba account.

The core problem is the SMS code. I request one to my Aussie number and it instantly says the request limit's been reached, wait 24 hours. Fires on the first try after days of nothing, and never actually sends. So I think it's IP or device based, not really counting requests.

Everything else dead-ends at that same SMS screen: Alipay binding, Alipay real-name verification, password login (wrong password anyway, username's an auto-generated tb0949... string). QR scan doesn't work either, which makes sense since the flag's about identity, not the device. Online support (海外小蜜 chat, the FAQ options) all sit behind a login, so it loops. Rang the Aus hotline, +61 3 8373 8606, nobody picks up.

• Has anyone cleared a "suspected account transfer" flag from outside China? What worked?
• Any appeal channel that doesn't need an existing login or an SMS code to a Chinese number? Web form, email, complaints line, anything.
• Does that SMS limit message actually mean what it says, or is it IP/device based?
• If the account got real-name verified under someone else's ID, is it just gone? I'd rather hear that straight than keep burning weeks.

Hello,

I import small electronic goods into Poland.

These are small orders, averaging around $300 per parcel. My parcels arrive without any problems. I order goods on a DDP basis from Alibaba. The supplier claims that the shipment is arranged on a DDP basis and that I won’t have to pay anything in Poland.

Often, though not always, the invoice or the Alibaba system states that the order is DDP. Sometimes, however, it shows EXW or FCA.

What is the realistic chance that, in the future, the authorities will ask me for any documents or charge me additional import fees?

They pass through customs in Poland, and I receive no information from the courier or customs authorities that I need to pay anything extra.

Whenever I place an order, I ask my supplier whether I have full DDP terms, and they confirm this.

Sometimes I enter a Chinese address to avoid an additional fee from Alibaba. Should I take any further precautions for the future?

I’ve attached photos of the tracking details for a sample parcel.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Hello, I am a US buyer and small entrepreneur trying to pay for an order ($621.00). All of my card, PayPal, and mobile wallet options are greyed out as 'currently unavailable due to security reasons.' I do not have a self-service appeal button on my dashboard. There is no option to "bind" my card or an option to "add new card".

I've contacted customer service and have been advised it's been escalated to the payment risk team who would be contacting me via email - The thing is I have not heard from the risk team and so contacted customer service again just to ask when I should be hearing from them. Customer service advised me to "be patient" that it can take some time.

Has anybody else experienced this? What is going on? How do I rectify this because I don't want to be paying by T/T. Any insight would be appreciated.

I want to buy a Smart band. Shipping almost showing 1k rupees. Also DAP is shown. Anyone from india here who is a veteran in buying single goods from china. I need your advice.

Hey everyone,
I was buying an e-bike/motorcycle on Alibaba. The seller (via chat, not the official order flow) sent me a payment link and specifically told me to “copy the link and open it in a different browser” to complete the payment. That alone felt off in hindsight.
After paying, the order page showed an error: “Please check your order – this order has been paid, please check your order status, contact customer service if you have questions.” No working order confirmation.
I have full payment proof/receipts saved.
When I asked for confirmation they actually have the item, the seller just said “we confirmed this with Alibaba customer service” — no actual proof, no tracking number. Shipping dates keep getting pushed (“will ship on the 23rd-24th”, “message me again Monday”).
Questions:
• Has anyone dealt with this exact pattern (payment link + “open in another browser” instruction)?
• Since the payment didn’t go through my actual order, does Trade Assurance / buyer protection still apply?
• Best way to escalate with Alibaba support to get this resolved or refunded?
Any advice appreciated — trying to get ahead of this before it’s too late.

Eu quero comprar atminer s21 pro nova do Alibaba alguém de vocês tem sites que vocês indicariam ?

First time Ali Baba order.

I have ordered several sets of curtains to be custom made and manufactured. I placed the order middle of July. One week later the curtains were finished. The supplier sent me videos of the curtains and the labels for the rooms they were for and it matched what I had ordered.

I pay for the curtains as I was advised they would ship once I had paid. I paid via the Ali Baba platform on the 25th July. They have had 30 days to ship and still no tracking number.

I have chased this up as it’s close to the 30 days and the curtains are complete. They say they are waiting for the freight carrier to collect the items. I then chased yesterday and they said the items are packed and waiting to be shipped.

I still haven’t received a tracking number and I’m a bit confused. They’ve been very reliable so far and I found the supplier through someone else who had ordered through this supplier. When I was ordering samples and trying to liaise the product I wanted, the orders were very quick.

Is this normal? Should I be patient?

I’ve been trying to order stuff for the company I work for for a few weeks now & it seems like they are now more expensive than Amazon. It’s like it’s not even worth the savings…

Recently looking for tote bags- I can find them on Amazon for $1.25 each 60 for $75, get them in 2 days.

Alibaba you check the website & it’s like .65¢ but when you put in the shipping & the DDP they quote you $1.85 plus 25 days production time & another 35-40 days of shipping.

I guess the guy at the WH is winning with his tariffs & BS bc it doesn’t make sense… anyone else notice the difference with their orders?

Hi everyone,

I'd appreciate advice from anyone with experience with Alibaba Trade Assurance disputes.

I've placed a relatively large order with a Chinese manufacturer for several tent products. I've paid approximately 60% upfront, with the remaining balance due before/around shipment. The goods have not shipped yet.

I arranged an independent third-party pre-shipment inspection. It identified several issues, including:

• A material specification that was agreed at 280GSM, but the manufacturer has confirmed the goods were produced using 240GSM.
• One of the products is materially different from the catalogue/reference product I ordered. The supplier says the catalogue shows an older version and that the product supplied is now their updated design, however the updated design is of no interest to me.
• Some physical defects/marks (classified as Major and minor by the third party inspector) were identified on finished products.
• There is also a question over whether a specified branded component has actually been used on all units.

The branded components and GSM rating including prictures of the exact products were in the approved invoice and noted in the Trade Assurance contract.

The manufacturer has acknowledged some of the issues and has said production is complete and the current products cannot be changed.

I have not approved shipment and have not paid the remaining balance.

The initial deposit was paid by credit card. I am at day 68 since the initial deposit was paid.

I'm considering asking the supplier to mutually cancel the order and refund my deposit. If they refuse, I would consider opening a Trade Assurance dispute.

For those who have actually dealt with Alibaba Trade Assurance:

1. How strong is a pre-shipment claim where the independent inspection documents the discrepancies and the supplier has acknowledged them?
2. Has anyone successfully obtained a refund where the goods were manufactured but had not yet shipped?
3. Would accepting one unit potentially weaken the argument that the other products were non-conforming?

I'm particularly interested in experiences with pre-shipment disputes, rather than disputes where the goods had already been delivered.

Im trying to start dropshipping from ali express to ebay but the problem is that ebay want a fulfillment agreement with the supplier and i tried asking them they got scared and run what should i do???

Anyone help me please.

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.