0:00Which platform should you use?
0:02The biggest mistake new importers make is using the wrong one for the job.
0:08Here is a rough map.
0:10Alibaba.com is a global business-to-business marketplace for bulk
0:15orders from verified factories and trading companies,
0:18with built-in payment protection.
0:21AliExpress is Alibaba's retail arm,
0:24built for single items or small quantities, with no minimum order.
0:291688.com is Alibaba's domestic Chinese wholesale
0:34marketplace.
0:36It is the cheapest of the group, but it is built for buyers inside China.
0:42Shein is a fast-fashion retailer and manufacturer,
0:45not a general wholesale sourcing platform.
0:49Amazon and similar marketplaces are consumer retail platforms.
0:54They are useful for buying finished,
0:57already-compliant products in smaller volumes, or for reselling on.
1:03Understanding what each platform is built for is the first layer of scam prevention.
1:09Most scams reported by new importers are really a mismatch between what they
1:14expected, and what the platform was ever designed to do.
1:20Before you open an account anywhere, decide what stage you are at.
1:24Testing a product idea with one unit?
1:27Buying a trial batch of fifty?
1:29Or placing a full container order with a factory you plan to work with for years?
1:35That answer points you to the right platform far more reliably than price
1:40alone.
1:42Pick the platform for the job, not for the price.