Anyone use Alibaba.com?

[ztirffritz]

NPR did a piece on Alibaba.com a few days ago and it piqued my curiosity. I started poking around and the next thing I know, I've requested quotes for 2500kg of UHMW-PE sheets from 2 different vendors in China, machined into the shapes that I want for a business that I run, and delivered to my door. Early estimates indicate that they'll be about 3 times cheaper than a vendor in Florida doing the same thing, and shipping is actually less too. I suspect that the vendor in Florida is actually buying from China too, so I'd actually be paying for shipping from China to Florida and back to the the NW US. I'm not sure that I'm ready to make the plunge and order through Alibaba yet, but it is interesting.

It seems that you can order anything that you can think of through Alibaba.com. Go ahead. Try to think of something, then search to see if it is available. I found fake dog poo, the ugliest iPhone cases you can imagine, a used Boeing 737, an oil tanker...

[Paul F.]

I've used their aliexpress.com site, which specializes in "end user" quantities rather than big wholesale lots of pallets and cargo containers full. Mixed luck... some good stuff at uber-cheap prices, and some utter junk at uber-cheap prices. But to be fair, in every case, I got pretty much what I expected (my expectations were not overly high for some items...).

[Buzz]

What Paul F. said... ya gets what yous pays fer.

[Robert M]

zt,

I've used the aliexpress.com site as well. Same results as Paul. One thing to consider is if you have an issue with an item, don't expect any support from the manufacturer. Buying a cheap dashcam? Sure, use Aliexpress.com. Buying critical components for a company? The order might live up to your expectations, be they good or bad and, if bad, consider yourself SOL.

Robert

[NewtonMP2100]

the 40 thieves, maybe......??

[max]

NewtonMP2100 wrote:
the 40 thieves, maybe......??

China can do quality work, IF you insist and PAY for it.
You still have to know your vendor, like anyplace else.
If you are looking for quality, Alibaba is not the place for it.
You need to inspect the supplier in person, understand his capability, his background, his thinking, the way he does business.
In any case, once the money changes hands there is no recourse, no matter what you are told....