Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions About Alibaba

Before purchasing wholesale from Alibaba suppliers, it's a good idea to request samples, especially when you need to make adjustments to your pre-made products. Obtaining and viewing samples can ensure the product meets your expectations, reducing the risk of poor quality or products that don't fit your needs.

But many customers who place a sample order on Alibaba will have these questions:

Why are Alibaba samples so expensive?
Can I order a free sample on Alibaba?
How to request product samples from suppliers?
Is there a sample Alibaba application template?
How to pay for sample on Alibaba?
Why choose Jingsourcing to make your product ideas a reality?
In this post, I will objectively analyze these very worrying issues.

Why are Alibaba samples so expensive?

There are two types of samples: ready-made product samples and custom samples.

Ready-to-use product sample

Finished goods mean you purchase the goods from the supplier without making any changes to the product. The supplier only has to ship the goods they have in stock to your country.

At this time, the sample cost is the cost of the product plus the shipping cost. It's definitely not just the unit price of the product you see, as shown in the image below. Depending on whether you're likely to place an order, the supplier may give you the wholesale or retail price of the product. Therefore, you can try to negotiate the sample cost.

Additionally, some suppliers include the sample shipping cost in the sample fee. When you see the shipping cost, you might wonder why Alibaba charges so much for sample shipping.

Samples are usually small packages and shipped via FedEx , DHL , or other carriers. How much does international express shipping cost? Take express shipping from China to the U.S., for example. The shipping cost typically ranges from $30 to $50.

Please note that some sample fees do not cover shipping costs. Therefore, before placing a sample order, you should ask the seller what the sample fee includes.

Custom samples

Sample customization means you want to develop a new product or make modifications to existing products. The supplier requires time and money to manufacture samples for you. In this case, the sample price may be higher than purchasing a stock sample, ranging from tens of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

For example, if you use screen printing to print a simple pattern on a blank hoodie, the cost to make a sample is about $50. If you want to make a sample of a stuffed animal, first make the shape out of fabric and then stuff it; it will cost about $100. These samples are easy to make.

And when it's going to cost you tens of thousands of dollars? Let me give you an example. One of my clients once designed a bathtub table tray similar to the one shown below, but with different materials and designs. It seems like a very simple item. It sells for only $3, but you'd be surprised that they needed to spend almost $40,000 to develop a new one. Why?

Well, you have many accessories made of plastic, rubber, stainless steel, and copper. All of these parts require open molding, and at least four different factories are required to produce these samples, which costs $40,000. Therefore, when your product requires open molding, the fee will be high.

Can you get free samples from Alibaba?

Generally, for your first collaboration, suppliers won't give you free samples unless they're a large company like Walmart , with a large order volume and a high reputation. Suppliers will be willing to send you product samples free of charge. They can also send you more samples than you request if you're happy for them. Because they want to do business with you.

Or, your supplier will reimburse you for the sample fee when you place an order, as a preferential strategy. They don't want to make money on sample orders. They'll be willing to waive some small fees for your mutual benefit and successful cooperation.

Plus, if you want to purchase a sample of an in-stock product at a very affordable price, just a few dollars, the supplier will likely accept your request for a free sample. You only pay the shipping cost.

How to request product samples from suppliers?

When requesting a sample, please provide details of the sample product as clearly as possible, such as specifications, features, functions, materials, colors, sizes, etc. The more information, the better, so the factory can better understand your needs.

Alibaba Sample Application Template

Subject: Request for Product Sample Hoodie

Hello, Hisuper

I have an online store on Amazon (you can add a link to your store here). My main products are… Currently, I have a new product plan and am looking to develop our own high-quality hoodies. The specifications of the hoodies are listed below:

  • Style:Hoodie with pocket in front,as the picture below.
  • Design: Pattern print on the top and back of the sweatshirt, as shown in the image below. All digitally printed.
  • Material: 80% cotton, 20% polyester, 300gsm.
  • Size: According to the size chart.
  • Quantity: 4 samples (2 men's different sizes/2 women's different sizes)

However, in the business world, many people don't know the specific parameters of a product. They simply see a product they're interested in and then want to start selling it. In this case, it's best to provide accurate product reference images and product links, such as Amazon links , so suppliers can better understand product demand.

Remember that the more detailed your product description, the more accurate the quote you'll get. Whether you buy from Alibaba or a sourcing company like Hisuper , you won't get an accurate quote until they've contacted you several times to confirm product details . This is because many factors, such as material, production techniques, size, etc., will affect the price.

Another very effective way is to directly ship the products you're interested in. For example, if you like a plush toy and want to wholesale it from China, you can send it to us. This way, even if you don't know anything about the product, our experienced agent can clearly understand your specifications by analyzing the toy, providing you with an accurate quote, and ultimately manufacturing a product that meets your requirements.

How to pay for samples on Alibaba?

You must pay the sample fee before the seller ships it to you. You can use any payment method on Alibaba , such as PayPal , T/T , online bank payment, online transfer, credit card, Alibaba Pay Later, etc. You can ask your supplier which payment methods they support and choose one.

Why choose Jingsourcing to make your product ideas a reality?

Small minimum order available.

If your order is small and you can't meet the factory's MOQ, many factories will reject it. Also, some products are complex to manufacture. Factories may need to purchase different accessories from different locations. They will consider this cumbersome and time-consuming, so they won't be willing to manufacture it for you.

But we can help you do it because we've been working with our suppliers for a long time and have good relationships with them. Even if the minimum order quantity is small or complicated to manufacture, they're willing to produce for us.

Like one of our clients, he wanted to make a party toy project and found many factories, but they refused. Because built-in mermaids are too complicated and time-consuming to produce. Although he wanted to make 300 pieces and met the minimum order, the factories weren't willing to spend so much time making this toy for him.

So he came to us, and we worked on a solution: find a plush toy factory to make the outer skin and another audio device factory to make the inner audio. In the end, the client was very satisfied with the toy.

Plus, we can help you with all of these important sourcing processes, from sample making and production process monitoring, product quality inspection , and even shipping arrangements . Our comprehensive service can save you significant time and effort, especially if you're inexperienced in importing products from China .

We filtered samples from dozens of suppliers for one product.

We'll first search for samples that meet your requirements from dozens or even hundreds of suppliers. We'll then package the selected samples and ship them to you. This can save you significant time and express shipping costs. You can also compare multiple samples at once and choose the one that best meets your requirements.

For example, one of our clients needed to customize children's forks and spoons. The handles needed to be cartoon-shaped, but they weren't sure what material to use.

We contacted many factories and obtained forks with handles made of various materials, including ceramic, plastic, wood, rubber, stainless steel, and more. We sent them to the customer and provided quotes for various plans for their reference. The customer chose a moderately priced plan based on their budget and desired effect.

We can modify existing products or develop new products.

We've helped over 4,000 customers customize their products. We offer all types of products, including clothing, bags, toys, digital products, accessories, cosmetics, and household items.

We can make simple improvements to existing products, such as printing logos and patterns, changing materials, adjusting appearance, and more. We can also create a new product from scratch, even if you only have a product idea and know nothing else.

When our clients come to us, some with experience provide detailed product design drawings and specifications, while those without experience may simply send us a photograph of a similar product or a simple pencil sketch. We can still help them complete the customization process.

Monthly Product Report: We collect the most popular items from over 1,000 customer orders to help you find your winning product.

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