Is DHgate Legit/Safe? How to Buy From DHgate Safely?

Compared to Alibaba, Dhgate has lower requirements for buyers. Buyers with only a small amount of start-up capital can purchase from Dhgate.com. This is why Dhgate.com is so popular.

We found that many buyers are full of yearning for Dhgate.com, but they dare not proceed because of the experience of other people being deceived online. So is it safe to buy from DHgate? After SourcingArts investigation, it is found that buyers’ negative comments on Dhgate are mainly as follows:

• DHgate estimated delivery time issue
• DHgate customer service questions
• The DHgate project is not the same as the description and photo
• DHgate refund issue
• DHgate lost my money: the order was not received and the payment was made to the supplier
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Most of the problems are caused by the merchants selected by the buyers, and some are related to the rules of the platform.

SourcingArts will introduce in detail below whether DHgate is safe and let you know how to avoid these problems, so that you can purchase from DHgate legally with more confidence.

What is dhgate?

Perhaps in most people’s minds, Dhgate.com is the same B2C retail platform as Amazon.

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In fact, DHgate is a B2B platform like Ailibaba. Dhgate.com is a small online trading platform, and the key points are “online transactions” and “small amounts”.

Dhgate.com was founded in 2004 and is now a popular trading portal for Chinese wholesalers.

Traders here mainly sell their products to some small importers, and they want to buy a smaller quantity of goods from the manufacturer than usually possible (because they usually set MQO [Minimum Quantity Order]).

Recommend Reading: How To Get Low MOQ on Alibaba?（Ultimate guide）

Most sellers on DHgate set the price of goods based on the quantity that buyers want to buy. Usually even one item can be purchased but the price will be higher. The more goods you buy, the lower the price.

On DHgate, you can not only find manufacturers (few) and wholesalers (more), but you can also find dropshippers who agree to deliver goods on your behalf.

Dhgate allows importers from all over the world to buy a small amount of Chinese goods at wholesale prices. But the main market of Dhgate is still in Europe and America, with overseas warehouses in Belgium, Spain and Poland. Especially in the United States, Dhgate has 5 overseas warehouses in the United States.

Dhgate.com’s products are mainly consumer products, unlike Alibaba where industrial products are sold.

How long does DHgate takes to Ship?

dhgate estimates that the delivery time will be 3 to 15 working days. But the shipping time also depends on the shipping method you choose. The receiving country and address, the time and quantity of the order processed by the seller.

The following is a real case：

“DHgate almost ruined my wedding. Ordered my wedding dress on March 6 and expected it to arrive not later than April 1st. Emailed Seller three times requesting status and got ambiguous response “don’t worry, my friend” and nothing else. Dress finally arrived on my porch late evening of April 17th! With my wedding scheduled for April 23 (less than a week away) my panic was off the charts. Dress’s actual measurements did not match what was posted on the website (I’m size 4 and the dress was size 6). Rush alterations costed twice more than the dress, not to mention the aggravation.“

There are two key factors that will decide when you will receive your items.

Item Processing Time

The processing time is the time it takes for the seller to prepare the item(s) for shipment. There are different processing times for different items depending on product category and volume.

Usually it is around 3 to 15 working days—specified by seller according to the item’s stock status.

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Dhgate Shipping methods
Delivery time varies with shipping method.

If you choose free delivery service on Dhgate, merchants will usually ship via ePacket, China Post and other economic transportation methods.

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For economic transportation, the delivery time will be very long. In addition, packages may be delayed, damaged or even lost.

For economic shipping methods, you cannot track delivery information in the destination country. In other words, it is difficult to find out which step of the package went wrong.

If you do not receive the package at the agreed time, the seller will usually arrange a refund. (Except for some special circumstances)

If you choose commercial express such as DHL, UPS, etc., the seller usually does not provide free delivery service. Unless the buyer bears the freight of the commercial express,

If you choose UPS, DHL, FedEx and other commercial transportation methods, you can get a relatively accurate time, usually 5-7 days.

Read more articles about delivery time: A Complete Guide To Shipping From China (2021 Update)

Most sellers state in their product listings that they will provide free shipping, which is just a way to attract buyers. In fact, they will not provide free shipping for all shipping methods.

It is recommended that you do not buy expensive goods on Dhgate. If you choose commercial express delivery, you will have to pay high shipping costs. If you choose economic express delivery, there may be a risk of delay or loss.

For expensive products, when you do not receive the goods within the expected time or the package is lost, the buyer is not willing to refund.

Is DHgate Legit/Safe?

DHgate is safe and legit, but whether the seller on Dhgate is safe and legit depends on which supplier you work with?

Dhgate.com, like Alibaba, does not sell products. It is just a channel for suppliers to display and sell products.

Therefore, like other e-commerce platforms, there may be some scammers on Dhgate.com, but this does not mean that the platform is unreliable.

The platform of Dhgate.com is absolutely legal. But you must remember that there are different traders registered on DHgate, not all traders are reliable. To minimize the risk of fraud, some steps need to be taken.

DHgate Customer Service Question

Buyers cannot get a reply from the customer service in time or cannot get a reply from a real person but a reply from a robot.

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For questions that cannot be answered in time. There are several possibilities:

The threshold for becoming a Dhgate.com merchant is low.

Both individuals and businesses can become merchants of Dhgate.com. Individual sellers only need an ID card, not a trademark.

Moreover, Dhgate.com mainly relies on order commissions to make profits, and the platform usage fee is also relatively cheap, with quarterly 299 yuan; half a year 598 yuan; one year 999 yuan (choose one of three).

Therefore, many small sellers or individual sellers will open e-commerce stores on DHgate. There may be only one person operating the store and completing all processes including arranging delivery and after-sales service.

Therefore, they cannot respond to the buyer’s problems in a timely manner.

There are some irresponsible businesses on the platform.

As a platform, Dhgate.com cannot determine the moral quality of its businesses.

There are some suppliers whose e-commerce store is like an online grocery store. They will display a variety of products and thousands of hot-selling products in their online store.

Generally speaking, for such online stores, they cannot provide good after-sales service.

They upload products in batches through some means, hundreds or even thousands, which is their sales strategy. This kind of business only wants to make quick profits by selling some hot-selling products, and does not pay attention to product quality control and brand building.

They have not even seen these products themselves, they just cooperate with the factory, and the factory will ship to them when a buyer buys it. So they don’t pay special attention to after-sales service,

The main online sales channel for some sellers is Alibaba.

DHgate is just an additional channel for them to handle inventory. Therefore, they will not invest too much time in operating a store on DHgate.

For example, many suppliers that operate B2B businesses open stores on Alibaba, and their orders are mainly from Alibaba.

But if they have sufficient inventory, they can clear the inventory on DHgate or Aliexpress. So they will not care more about the after-sales service of DHgate or Aliexpress.

The DHgate item is not the same as the description and photo

This problem actually exists on any platform.

Many buyers’ pictures are not taken by themselves, but are obtained from suppliers or stolen from other suppliers. Especially for those merchants who upload hundreds or even thousands of products in bulk, their pictures are basically provided by their suppliers.

So there are cases where the product does not match the picture or description.

The best way to avoid this situation is to check product reviews before placing an order to see if there are any complaints from buyers.

If you have received a product that does not match the photo or description, you can file a dispute. But you must provide sufficient evidence to be able to get the support of Dhgate.com.

DHgate is not a party, they just judge who is responsible for the problem based on the evidence provided by the buyer and the seller. Sometimes both buyers and sellers are dissatisfied with the result of the judgment.

Therefore, as a buyer, you should keep sufficient evidence to prove that the seller is responsible for the problem, including chat records, unpacking videos, and pictures of defective items.

The color/style is not as described:

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For example: the color is not as described.

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For example: the style is not as described

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Logo not as described:

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For example: did not order the logo, but received the item

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There is a logo on it. Materials not described:

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For example: materials not as described.

Please be sure to submit clean, detailed photos to illustrate the item

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Mode is not as stated

DHgate lost my money: the order was not received and the payment was made to the supplier

This situation is usually caused by courier companies, especially when buyers send products through economic express delivery such as EMS and e-Packet, the packages are more likely to be lost.

In this case, you can also apply for a refund, don’t let your Dhgate confirm receipt. You can no longer get a refund or compensation after confirming the receipt.

The seller charges shipping, but the product listing shows free shipping.

The freight is related to the mode of transportation and the volume of goods.

As we said earlier, if you choose free shipping on DHgate, you will usually ship via ePacket, China Post and other economic transportation methods.

If you choose commercial express such as DHL, UPS, etc., the seller usually does not provide free delivery service. Only when the value of the product is high, the seller can provide free commercial express delivery.

Most sellers state in their product listings that they will provide free shipping, which is just a way to attract buyers. In fact, they will not provide free shipping for all shipping methods.

Conclusion

Dhgate is similar to Amazon, and is basically more inclined to buyers. If there is a dispute, the buyer will win more than the seller.

DHgate has established the “Return Policy”.  The “Returns & Refund Guarantee” is a promise provided by sellers for their products sold on DHgate.com.

When item(s) are bought on DHgate.com and are not as described or process any quality issues, the buyers will receive assistance to resolve the problem.

DHgate.com will also offer additional assistance if the seller is not cooperative. 

There are 2 clauses greatly protect the rights of the buyer:

Returning item(s) for any reason:  Within the time set by the seller, you can apply for a refund. The seller will bear the freight and the buyer will pay in advance before the seller receive the goods

Returns or Refunds accepted if the product is not as described:  If the received products are not as described, the buyer can communicate with the seller to apply for the returns or refunds. The seller will bear the freight and the buyer will pay in advance before the seller receive the goods.

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In addition, DHgate.com has set a requirement for on-time delivery.

Once the seller uploads the shipping tracking number to the website, the buyer can view and submit a “return and refund” request at any time.

If the buyer finally receives it but not within the delivery time, DHgate.com will give a partial refund or a full refund based on whether you keep the package.

Why is DHgate so cheap?

Dhgate.com’s suppliers are all from China. Like other Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms, Dhgate.com’s price advantage comes from “Chinese factories.”

China’s cheap labor and cheap raw material costs are the reasons why “Made in China” is cheaper than products produced locally in other countries.

The brand products sold in Dhgate are all fake items, so the price is much cheaper than the genuine ones.

Dhgate.com’s merchants are also divided into two types, one is a manufacturer that produces products, and the other is a wholesaler who purchases in bulk from the manufacturer.

In China, there are basically no wholesalers buying from middlemen. Therefore, the products of Dhgate.com prevent the second middleman or even the third middleman from earning the price difference.

Does DHgate sell fake stuff?

Yes it is.

About 99% of the products sold as brands on DHgate are replicas. However, some sellers provide fairly high-quality copies.

These businesses selling  knockoffs will not use the brand name, nor dare to include the brand’s LOGO in the picture, otherwise it will be deleted.

There are two main restrictions on the sales of fakes by Dhgate.com merchants:

One is that Dhgate.com prohibits the uploading of replicas, and the other is the law does not allow the sale of fake brand products, and products cannot pass the customs safely.

In fact, from the beginning, Dhgate.com became popular in China because it could sell knockoffs. If Dhgate.com now bans all imitation brand products like Amazon, then Dhgate.com will lose a large number of merchants.

Uploading replicas on Dhgate.com requires certain skills to pass the review.

For example, the main image cannot carry the brand logo, the title cannot carry all kinds of implied brand words, the picture cannot be copied directly, it cannot contain the deformed words (part of the word) of the registered trademark, and the picture has no obvious smear marks and so on.

Many tips for uploading fake products on Dhgate.com can be found on the Internet.

General logistics channels cannot mail replicas, EMS and international express officials generally do not accept personal mailing of such items.

If you mail branded products abroad, you need to obtain an official import and export license from the brand, otherwise there is a certain probability that the customs will detain the goods, and the customs deduction needs to provide corresponding proofs, such as the purchase invoice of the goods, transaction records, etc.

Only when the customs finds that there is no problem with the goods can the customs be cleared smoothly.

Therefore, fake brand products cannot be sent from mainland China by our usual international express.

Hong Kong’s customs are easier to pass than the mainland, so many merchants use the HK channel of international express delivery to mail replicas. Not only replicas, Hong Kong’s international express can also send electronic products, magnetic products and other products that cannot be mailed through normal channels.

By solving the above two problems, merchants can sell replica brand products on Dhgate online.

You may buy products that are 99% similar to the genuine ones on Dhgate.com, but this is related to the price. Don’t try to buy products that are the same as genuine products at very low prices. Quality is always related to price.

You can check the product before placing an order through the following points:

• Due to copyright reasons, the brand is hidden in the photo, title and description, so in order to ensure that you receive a copy with the brand logo, tags and checkboxes, the buyer’s real photo comments.
• If the product does not have any feedback, check the seller’s rating. If there are more than 100 orders and the positive rate exceeds 95%, the seller should be fine.
• More, you can send the seller PM and ask for real product photos.

Can I trust DHgate with my credit card?

The DHgate platform processes transactions in order to exchange funds through the website—rather than directly between buyers and sellers—which increases security and buyer protection.

As a large and mature website, DHgate is a legitimate website, and DHgate is safe for your credit card information.

According to DHgate’s buyer protection policy, funds will be escrowed until the buyer confirms the receipt. Therefore, the merchant cannot get the details of your credit card.

It is safe to pay directly through Dhgate.com. Do not make private payments to merchants through any offline channels. This is abnormal.

The DHgate website supports these payment methods.

How to find a reliable seller on DHgate?

As a platform, Dhgate cannot determine the moral quality of its merchants. It can only avoid problems to the maximum extent and try his best to protect the interests of buyers after the problems arise.

So the best way for buyers to avoid trouble is to choose a trusted merchant.

As can be seen from the above scams, these problems usually exist in small sellers and grocery stores. So you’d better choose large-scale and professional sellers for cooperation.

By doing so, you are more likely to obtain high-quality products and reliable after-sales service.

There are 6 tips for identifying professional sellers on DHgate.

1. View supplier background

Check the supplier’s background carefully, and if possible, check their stores on other platforms: Alibaba, AliExpress or Wish. Remember, good suppliers will not only set up shop on DHgate. If I check the supplier background, is DHgate safe? No, the supplier background check is just a reference.

2. View supplier’s product category

Generally speaking, professional sellers have one thing in common: they only sell one type of product in their store.

For example, when you search for “desk lamp” in a store, you will find that all products in the store are lights.

When I searched for “window curtains” on DHgate, and then clicked into one of the seller’s stores, I found that there are many different categories of products, and there are a large number of products in the same category.

I have already mentioned that the after-sales of such grocery sellers are not satisfactory and cannot respond to buyers in time. In addition, due to too many product categories, they cannot manage products well and may provide incorrect product information.

3. Choose a safe payment method

Is DHgate’s offline payment safe? Never choose offline payment when buying from DHgate, no matter how familiar you are with the seller or how harmonious your relationship is.

Remember, if you pay offline, a one-off dispute may bankrupt you. Therefore, you must choose a safe payment method when purchasing at DHgate.

4. The image is natural and true, and the product information is clear

Professional sellers will provide good product listings, including natural and true appearance pictures and clear product specifications. They will provide a clear after-sales policy.

In addition, reliable sellers will not provide ambiguous product information or use unreal photos to urge you to place an order.

5. View dhgate reviews

You should pay attention to the negative reviews of the store instead of focusing too much on the positive reviews. Because if people are satisfied with the product, they may not leave a good review, but if they are not satisfied with the product, they will leave a negative review, explaining the defect or buying experience.

6. The seller-owned warehouse is in your country

Generally, only large sellers rent overseas warehouses, and most of them have long-term business plans. In addition, their products may have a better potential market.

The above 6 tips can help you make a safer purchase on Dhgate and avoid encountering unreliable suppliers.

DHgate vs Aliexpress, which one is better?

Dhgate VS Alibaba

Platform positioning

Dhgate.com is a small online trading platform, and the key points are “online transactions” and “small amounts”. Dhgate.com’s orders are generally less than US$500, while Alibaba focuses on information release and offline transactions, and the order amount is generally large.

Customer positioning

Dhgate.com’s customers are mainly foreign small retailers, mainly offline shop owners or eBay shop owners. Alibaba’s customers are targeted at foreign SMEs.

Product Positioning

Dhgate.com is mainly daily consumer goods, while Alibaba covers the entire industry and industrial products account for a large proportion. Industrial products can hardly be seen on Dhgate.com.

Merchants

Most of Dhgate.com’s sellers are individual sellers, with very few distributors and factories, and strictly speaking, they are not suppliers. Most of Alibaba’s suppliers are distributors and factories.

Business model

Dhgate.com’s revenue mainly relies on membership fees, advertising fees, and transaction commissions.

Alibaba’s words are mainly membership fees and advertising fees to achieve revenue.

DHgate VS AliExpress

Platform positioning

AliExpress is a B2C model, the main customers are consumers.

Dhgate.com is a combination of B2B and B2C, and its customers are more wholesalers and store owners.

Requirements for merchants

AliExpress requires sellers to be businesses and have their own trademarks.

Dhgate.com allows companies and individuals to become merchants with lower requirements.

Market positioning

AliExpress currently sells its products mainly to Russia and Brazil. There will be a small number of orders in other countries,

The main markets of Dhgate.com are developed countries such as Europe, America and Canada.

Like Alibaba, Dhgate.com is an absolutely safe and legal platform.

However, Dhgate has lower requirements for merchants, so buyers are more likely to encounter irresponsible buyers. Therefore, you must be more cautious to buy on Dhgate.com.

Dhgate is famous for replica brand products. Don’t expect to buy genuine products on it, but you may buy products that are very similar to the genuine ones.

Quality is always related to price. Do not buy products with unusually low prices, or you may be disappointed.

Final thoughts

Buying from Alibaba is easy, but the difficulty is choosing reliable suppliers. Therefore, before placing an order, you need to comprehensively evaluate the supplier from many aspects.

If you want to find a China sourcing agent, you can contact us, With SourcingArts, You Don’t Have to Be an Sourcing Pro to Price Better And Genuine Manufacturer From China

Give me a shout in the comments below or on Facebook Group if you have any questions!