There are many “novice buyers” who encounter endless problems when looking for 1688 agency services, some buyers don’t even know what products they need to buy, on this case we usually give patient guidance and explain the role of the 1688 agency exists.
In order to improve the efficiency of your sourcing request, and for you to be able to buy the right products from China, we have listed the five necessary steps to prepare before sending an enquiry to a sourcing agent, this article is very important!
Understanding the Rules Of 1688 Agent
Different Sourcing Agents in China have different restrictions, usually in terms of commission/minimum order amount/dominant product category/inspection, and export services. It’s a good idea to visit the Home Page in advance to get this basic information, as it will save you a lot of time!
I will then use Union Source Sourcing Agent as an example to list our rules separately.
The minimum order is $2000 USD
The minimum order for Union Source’s sourcing service is $2000 USD. Some other companies may be able to accept orders under $2000 USD and charge a commission of $100 USD or more, but we feel that the commission rate is too high and that smaller clients usually take up a lot of time, so we have decided to increase the minimum order amount to 2000USD, which is a more reasonable order range. Please understand that we are not accepting requests for orders under $2,000 at this time.
Better to choose our advantageous categories
Each agent will accumulate a specific group of suppliers during their long business experience, thus forming their own advantageous categories, which are reflected in the price/quality/knowledge of the products. Of course, if you have a need for products outside of our advantageous categories, we will try our best for you to find the most suitable factory or supplier! Our advantaged categories are above.
We provide Purchasing/Warehouse Storage/Quality Check/ Shipping Service
In fact, in addition to the Product Sourcing service, we also offer everything related to import and export, which can facilitate your sourcing to a great extent. We can also be your “eyes” in Yiwu to find the hottest Chinese products for you, here are some of our services:
- Purchase products for you
Send links or pictures of products u need and we’ll do the rest. In the end, you just have to pay and wait for the delivery.
- Supplier and quality check
We check supplier qualification before the order is confirmed. After receiving the goods, the QC team checks the quality of the product by opening the box.
- Design pictures or custom package
The professional design team can shoot and design logos/pictures for free. We also provide sticker labels/make cards/custom cartons for you.
- Global transport of goods
UNION SOURCE has its own freight forwarder and provides global LCL/Container shipping/customs clearance /goods export & import services.
Learn More About Your Product
You’d better be able to have a preliminary understanding of your product before sending the inquiry, and you can describe to us clearly the basic information of the category/use/material of the product, which can enhance the efficiency of our product sourcing.
What is the specific appearance of the product?
Many products have similarities in appearance. To ensure that you find the product you want, prepare an accurate picture of the product that best matches what you want (preferably labeled with dimensional information), along with an indication of whether you need the accessories pictured.
What is the material of the product?
The picture above is also a round baking pan, the left is made of carbon steel (with non-stick coating), the right is made of aluminum (with anodic oxide coating), do you see it? In fact, there are many similar metal products that are difficult to distinguish material by appearance, and the price of carbon steel/aluminum/stainless steel/zinc alloy sometimes changes very fast in the raw material market, so make sure you tell us what material you want the product to be made of.
What is the purpose of using the product?
For stainless steel flask, there are sports/insulation/children’s points, for sports flask, we usually add portable lanyards and other accessories in line with the sports function in the package. Such a distinction is also reflected in different products. And if you have a requirement for a certain function of the product, we can recommend similar function products at once, so that you can reach a deal more quickly!
Clear Customization Requirements
Please tell us what are your custom requirements? For most of the customers who choose Sourcing Service, there are usually personalized requirements in product logo/label/overpack/color. We will do our best to meet the various needs of our customers.
Clear Delivery Time of Order
In order not to occupy the stock in our warehouse, we usually arrange for the goods to be put into the warehouse three days before the customs cut-off date (before that we have to successfully book and inform about the sailing date). So you need to have a clear idea about the delivery time of goods, if the goods are urgent, we can transport your goods by express/air freight, if you are purchasing in advance (for example, purchasing Christmas supplies at the beginning of the year) we will arrange the order production in advance, but will not immediately into the warehouse for delivery. In short, it is important that you inform us of the timeliness requirements of the goods!
Send an inquiry with a clear excel list!
We rarely require our clients to use an Excel spreadsheet to request a quote, but if possible, an Excel spreadsheet listing the product letter and requirements to send an inquiry is best! (This is what international professional sourcing will do)
A professional purchase request usually includes product pictures, material, color (specification), quantity, link (1688 agent service), and order requirements (customization/delivery requirements) as above.
To summarize, before Send Inquiry, you should do the following five things:
- Understanding the Rules Of 1688 Agent.
- Learn More About Your Product.
- Clear Customization Requirements.
- Clear Delivery Time of Order.
- Send an inquiry with a clear excel list!
