Trade fraud is too scary, but SourcingBiz successfully helped customers avoid it this time.
In the past February, we provided Skechers sneakers procurement agency services to an Iraqi customer, and the customer was very satisfied. This time, the customer invited us to help him purchase a batch of Salomon hiking shoes.
We gladly accept it.
Vague Risks
At first, we thought it was just simple procurement and shipping, but after communicating with the supplier, we started to feel a little worried.
- The supplier’s price is very cheap, even far below the reasonable market price.
- The contact person is male, but disguised as a female for sales.
- The supplier claims he is a factory wholesaler, but we did not find any official documentation from him.
Based on years of business experience, Jack expressed his concerns about risks to the Iraq customer.
Round 1
Jack suggested buying one or two pairs of shoes first and checking the quality.
The Iraq customer agreed.
The supplier stated that they only do wholesale, not retail, and refused.
Round 2
Jack said he can visit the supplier on-site.
The Iraq customer agreed.
The supplier said they have to take a business trip this week, would not have enough time, and refused.
Round 3
Jack said he can wait until the supplier returns from the business trip, otherwise, he won’t proceed with the procurement.
The supplier agreed, provided the address and visiting date.
On Site Visit
On the agreed date, Jack drove to the address, which is a large clothing mall, named ShiShi Clothing City.
The following is the entire process of visiting ShiShi Clothing City, captured by Jack himself using a sports camera.
Jack contacted the supplier, but permanently lost their response.
Obviously, this is a scam.
Many people use various ways, such as low prices to deceive customers into paying for goods, and then disappear forever.
So scary, so crazy… Big problem…
Importers need to be wary of trade fraud, as the cost of protecting their rights is very high. But whether it’s an individual company or a large corporation, we can always see such reports in the news.
Cross border legal litigation will be another trap, as your lawyer will prolong the lawsuit for a hundred years in order to continue receiving legal service fees!
How can we completely avoid it?
This time, SourcingBiz spent 5 hours visiting the supplier and avoiding the risk.
