What is DHGate?
DHGate is a Chinese marketplace based in Beijing that aims to develop independent Chinese businesses by acting as the sole intermediary between sellers and buyers who may be individuals or supporters of a business.
Its direct competitor is therefore Aliexpress and offers similar services: A large catalog offering any type of product (furniture, clothing, sports equipment, electronic equipment) 9 out of 10 DHGate sellers are Chinese, and most of the products offered come from small businesses, not from factory-made products.
Some sellers use DHGate to sell excess product that is not sold at a more affordable price.
If you want to be the intermediary between seller and buyer or simply to be supplied with products constantly, then DHGate will not be able to meet your demand.
In general, the products offered are one-offs and therefore not posted at regular intervals. (one-time supply and not systematic).
 Is DHGate fair?
DHGate remains a must with a turnover of over 100,000,000 per year, all thanks to the traffic generated between sellers and consumers using this distribution channel.
Don't worry, if you order what you need, you will get it!
However, it is possible that the quality you want is not what you expect, because it is such a dense market that there is an incomparable diversity of quality for each product.
This makes it a very criticized distribution channel, with a 2-star review on Trustpilot.
But we must make a distinction! These criticisms are not against the platform, but against the seller who does not care about the quality of their product.
DhGate is not the seller, it is only the distribution platform that seeks to delight both parties: buyers and sellers.
That is why they have put in place extensive safeguards to avoid these very annoying situations.
Is buying from DHGate safe?
You should not think, due to the pejorative opinion, that DhGate is a bad distribution site, contrary to what you may think, the site offers a guaranteed return and refund service when a product does not match what you thought you would receive.
Even if a dispute arises between you and a buyer, DhGate will sort it out and if your case is favourable, will offer you a refund.
This security for the buyer is not limited to that, DhGate will keep the money invested by you until your product is delivered, so you will have to confirm your receipt and explain that you have received what you wanted so that the seller can be paid.
DhGate then plays the role of the fraud eradicator to ensure the most reliable service and can suspend a seller's funds in case of scam or inconvenience.
To sum up, DhGate is safe because :
- DhGate keeps an eye on your delivery situation and makes sure that your satisfaction is met.
- DhGate plays the role of a third party who decides in case of a dispute with the buyerÂ
- Sellers will only get their money in the event that the buyer is satisfied.
These privileges are not taken into account in case you negotiate directly with the seller, so go through DhGate!
Why DH gate hold a bad reputation when it comes to quality?
 In reality the problem comes from the user's demand for quality of the product received.
In China, the quality requirements are different from what you are familiar with.
But 90% of the salespeople are Chinese, so you have to adapt to their requirements.
In Europe or in the USA, every product is subject to a very strict quality control.
On DhGate, sellers are desperate to unload their surplus products at unbeatable prices, so be aware that the quality may be lower than you would expect.
You just need to understand how to spot products of a quality that might satisfy you to use DhGate.
Quality control will never be optimal, as sellers due to their exceptional sales, leave and come back.
How to buy from DH Gate without facing scams?
Here is a tutorial to make your purchases safely :
Step 1: Create an account, because it is by going through DhGate that you will benefit from additional protection thanks to their "buyer protection" policy
To do this: Go to DhGate.com and click on the "sign inâ button on the top right (don't worry, this process is free)
Step 2: Search for the products you want to buy and start to see which ones might meet your requirements.
To put it aside and find it again to make your comparison after selection, add the items you think are good to your basket. This option appears when you click on the product sheet.
To get closer to the quality you are looking for, click on the seller's profile to see what other products they sell (and therefore see if they specialise in one type of product or are more versatile in the type of product).
How to proceed a DH Gate seller evaluation?
There are 4 main options available to you to judge the quality of the seller's service and object.
To find them, open the seller's profile at the top left of the page.
The first one: the time of practice, favoured by sellers who have been practising for 2-3 years.
The second one, the opinions: Think of the salesmen has more than 95% of positive remarks.
Second to last: Product quality: look for products with above average quality control.Â
The last one: Efficient customer service with an above average rating.
Always consider sellers with at least 3 stars per category!
So remember to read both negative and positive reviews, don't make any mistakes!
The page of a seller represents the window of this last one, in other words think of looking if this last one took time to put its logo or even to make efforts of presentation.
For each seller, a "shop category" is displayed on the left of the page.
This category allows you to confirm whether the product you want is supplied by a seller who has made it his speciality and is an expert in it, or a seller who takes any product he finds at a good price and tries to make a profit on it.
 How do I know and check DHGate delivery times?
To begin with, you should know that most of the products you find on DhGate are shipped from China with ePacket shipping.
However, the most confirmed sellers have storage locations in the United States.
To reduce your costs, find a seller who has a storage location in your shipping destination.
This ensures that the product is in high demand and therefore satisfies the majority of buyers.
For those who do not, delivery can vary from 2 weeks to 2 months.
It is therefore possible that certain sellers offer you the delivery costs if the duration of the latter is very long.
Be sure to keep track of your product's arrival date, as the buyer protection program guarantees that you will receive your product before the deadline.
How can I pay for my order?
Once you have added all your products to the shopping cart, click on "checkout" and fill in the shipping information.Â
DhGate accepts most credit cards, but online banks such as Paypal are not available.
Here is a complete list of accepted credit cards:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American express
- Dinners club
- Discover
- Union Salary
- Maestro card
- Bank transfert
Point to know, to accumulate loyalty points and have significant advantages, pay by credit card because by transfer, the option will not get you any.
If you wish to cancel your purchase in case the delivery time is too long, you should also consider all the means that are not the transfer.
Combining DhGate's buyer protection with your credit card gives you solid security.
How to cancel your purchase?
Depending on the timing of the request, the process can vary. Up to 2 hours after confirmation of your purchase, you can cancel it by pressing "cancel order" on the order page.
After this time, the process is still possible, but it takes longer to complete. You will have to click on "Request a refund" and wait for a reply from the seller.
If no response is received within 7 days of your request, you will receive an automatic refund.
In this case, the seller can refuse the request and send the package before the date issued. For more security, remember to do it within 2 hours after the purchase.
How can to mobilize DHGate Buyer Protection?
When your items arrive, check the product for quality defects and act as quickly as possible if it is not what was agreed.
You have 90 days of buyer protection, but do it as soon as possible to make sure you get your money back.
In the event that they don't respond, no problem, open a dispute and your request will be taken into account by DHGate who will do the rest.
What to evade on this portal?
During your search for the right items, you will come across many branded items such as Nike, Gucci and others. Don't be fooled! They are counterfeit!Â
Do not try to buy or sell them, it is illegal! During customs control, you risk confiscation of the object in the best case and in the worst case of penal consequences.
For your own safety, avoid all protective items such as motorbike helmets or bicycles, because even if the price seems more attractive, your life or health could be affected.
It is common for the photos displayed to be different from the real thing, especially as each country has different standards, so it is important to respect the standards of your country.
Small tips: Think of buying an article to see the quality of it before making a larger order.
Conclusion: Should you buy from DhGate?Â
Actually, if you see a product that is a bit too cheap, beware! Lower your standards or in the event that you are not necessarily looking for a top quality product, you will be satisfied! DhGate can be similar to Aliexpress or eBay but with less noble products, but more varied due to the multiple small companies that offer their products on the site. DhGate is not a distribution site to which you become loyal as a seller, it is more of a transitional site until you have developed enough to ensure the transition of your business. But it must be said that it is as secure as any other distribution site and there is no risk of scamming thanks to the security system offered by DhGate. Its major problem that may raise doubts is its quality control which does not ensure high quality products.Â
DocShipper China is here to help you, which is why we have set up a sourcing service. This service makes it easy for you to find the best supplier and perform professional quality control. Contact us today!
