Can I find reliable China suppliers only through WeChat chat?
Question
Several China suppliers I contacted were reluctant to answer phone calls or videos, and conversations were basically conducted through WeChat and WhatsApp. I want to know whether WeChat communication alone can judge whether the other party is reliable, or whether there is a phone call or video to continue.
Answers (1)Write Your Answer ↓
It is definitely not enough to rely solely on WeChat chat to determine suppliers, but in actual business, many small and medium-sized foreign trade factories do mainly rely on WeChat to communicate. This in itself does not mean that they must be scammers. The key depends on whether you can find cross-verification points.
What really worries people about WeChat communication is the following scenarios. For example, the other party is never willing to make a video directly, and all they show you are photos or videos taken by others; for example, the other party does not know about the details of the factory. If you ask the machine model, he will say "this is a trade secret", if you ask the number of workers, he will say "a lot", and if you ask the production capacity, he will say "based on customer demand." These reactions are particularly common on WeChat, because typing can be blurred and video calls cannot be hidden.
According to our past experience, when real factory managers are asked about the specific machine model and workshop layout, they can answer immediately because they look at these things every day.
A pragmatic approach is that you don't need to refuse WeChat communication, but instead cooperate with several enhanced verification actions. First, ask the other party to make a WeChat video call during normal working hours on weekdays, ask him to walk around the workshop with his mobile phone and take a few clips while the machine is on. If you tell him,"I'm flying to China next week and want to see the scene in advance," the other party's cooperation will generally be much higher. Second, ask the other party to take a clear photo of the machine's nameplate seen in the video and send it to see whether the model and factory year on the nameplate are the same as the other party claims. Third, require the other party to provide a PDF quotation or PI with an official seal, which must contain the company's full Chinese name, unified social credit code and specific bank account information. Real companies can be opened at any time, and suppliers that are put together on a temporary basis often push and block.
After receiving the quotation, you must conduct the next step of company background investigation. Submit the full Chinese name or unified social credit code in the quotation to CheckChinaCompany. You can get the corporate credit report within 12 hours. At this time, you can focus on paid-in funds, number of social security personnel, establishment years, legal proceedings, company address, etc. Through corporate credit reports, you can roughly confirm whether a supplier is reliable.
WeChat can help verify whether the other party is a high-quality and reliable supplier, but we cannot rely on WeChat alone.
WeChat circle of friends is the most critical place to verify a supplier. Real salespeople will continue to publish product adverti*ts, holiday notices, and daily workshops in their circle of friends for several years. If my circle of friends prohibits viewing, limits the number of viewing days, and has no content, I will not take the risk of choosing such a provider. If the circle of friends has only nearly a year of product advertising, there is a high probability that it is a new company.
In addition to viewing the supplier's circle of friends, you must also determine whether the other party's WeChat has been verified by real name. The confirmation method is very simple. Find a reason and transfer a small amount of money to the other party through WeChat. If the other party can accept it, it has been verified by real name.
Real cooperation definitely requires signing a contract or conducting it through other third-party guarantee platforms. Simply trading through WeChat is very risky.
People Also Ask
Is it risky to find China suppliers only by relying on WeChat chat?
The risk is actually quite high. We can't see the real factory qualifications of the other party through WeChat alone. Many scammers only use WeChat to communicate and do not provide official company information. It is best to cooperate with the company's qualification inquiry before cooperating. Don't just believe in verbal promises.
Can China suppliers contacted by WeChat directly make payments?
It is not recommended to directly send private transfers to suppliers on WeChat. There is no platform guarantee for private transfers, making it difficult to recover money after being cheated. Give priority to third-party guaranteed transactions, and consider payment after confirming that the company's qualifications are fine.
How can foreign buyers select reliable China suppliers through WeChat?
First of all, we must verify the other party's true industrial and commercial information, not just look at the promotion of WeChat circle of friends. Try to ask for a video connection to visit the factory and confirm that it is a physical business. After communication, try to use formal foreign trade channels as much as possible, and don't limit yourself to WeChat chats throughout the entire process.