DiFFreight Blog How to Check a Supplier on Alibaba — Tips from Professional Buyers

How to Check a Supplier on Alibaba — Tips from Professional Buyers

If you’ve decided to place an order on Alibaba, be sure to study the platform’s rating system. Although it’s considered one of the safest, checking the criteria is the key to getting quality and affordable products. Today, our buyers explain what to pay attention to in supplier profiles.

Criteria for Checking Suppliers

We’ll divide the process of how to check a supplier on Alibaba into several stages: preliminary, test, and control.

Preliminary Evaluation on the Platform

Find the product you’re interested in and open its listing.

Under the title, you’ll see several icons. Let’s break down the meaning of this line (from left to right):

Number of stars. Formed on a five-point scale based on reviews. You can see how many people rated the supplier.
Number of units sold — in this case, over 2,500 pcs.
Rank in the top hot items: the seller holds 2nd place in this category.
Certification. For this product, it means it passed the official testing program established by HDMI Licensing Administrator.

In the third line, you can see the seller/company name. You can visit their page to learn more. Now let’s talk about the icon on the right — Verified. This is one of the quality and reliability marks assigned by Alibaba.

Trade Assurance means that the marketplace is ready to protect your payment if the supplier violates the terms.
Gold Supplier — these sellers pay membership fees on Alibaba. It doesn’t guarantee quality but indicates long-term work on the platform.
Verified — a high level of verification. Alibaba or independent inspection companies conducted an audit: checked legal status, production capacity, management system, and quality control.
Verified Pro — this is the highest level of supplier. They are among China’s top exporters, have excellent production capacity and fast turnaround, stable quality, and customization capabilities. The badge is awarded to companies that have been exporting for more than 5 years.

Next to the verification badge, you’ll see how many years the seller has been on the platform and where their facilities are located.

Scroll to the end of the listing to the “Know your supplier” section.

Here you’ll find more information about delivery timeliness, founding year, production area, average response time, and available services.

When searching, you may see a diamond icon:

It’s used to indicate the Supplier Online Performance Index (SOPI): how well the page is designed, demand, actual transactions on the platform, reviews, and order fulfillment timeliness. Diamonds show supplier activity, but Verified Supplier and Trade Assurance are more important.

In summary: the most reliable supplier on Alibaba is one with Verified Supplier, long experience, Trade Assurance, and readiness to provide licenses, certificates, a quick response rate, and detailed communication.

Ordering Test Samples

Continue your search for a Chinese supplier by ordering a test sample. Many list the price right in the description.

You can also click the “Chat now” button to message the seller. You can negotiate for several samples, customization options, and the size of the test batch. Since Alibaba focuses on export, company representatives generally have a good command of English. If you are satisfied with the sample quality, proceed with ordering a small batch.

Control of the Received Batch

Unfortunately, even if an intermediary has performed well at earlier stages, that’s no guarantee when it comes to bulk purchasing. In this case, warehouse services in China are useful, where you can conduct a thorough inspection:

verify compliance with declared specifications;
reject defective or faulty products;
conduct tests (check if the required functions work).

All this is much easier to do in China itself, to avoid paying for shipping defective goods. We perform not only product inspections at the warehouse but also factory audits.

Delivery of goods from China to Ukraine

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Main Mistakes of Beginners

Checking the manufacturer helps reduce the risk of fraud, poor quality, and delays in production or delivery. The most common mistakes are:

They are tempted by a low price without considering quality and other factors.	A price below the market level is a dangerous sign: in the best case, the product will be mediocre, in the worst — you’ll fall victim to scammers.
They give too much weight to a single criterion.	The supplier’s profile must be analyzed comprehensively. The most reliable indicator is Alibaba verification — such sellers value their reputation.
They don’t request documentation.	Especially if it concerns certified products. A cable may be of good quality, but it can’t be sold legally without a proper certificate.
They ignore the price-to-volume ratio.	On the platform, the larger the bulk order, the lower the price. However, not every business — especially a new one — needs hundreds or thousands of units. Sometimes it’s better to pay more but buy less.
They skip the quality control inspection.	This is a mandatory step when ordering from a new supplier. It’s crucial to ensure consistent product quality.
They don’t know how to ship goods from China.	Alibaba doesn’t always provide delivery options to your country. You’ll need an agent who can organize transportation from China to Ukraine.

Afraid you won’t find a reliable seller on your own? Order DiFFreight’s product sourcing service in China. Our buyers carefully evaluate profiles and find the best offers on the Chinese market.

How to Find a Reliable Chinese Seller

Alibaba is the most convenient marketplace for foreigners, but there are several other options:

Purchases on the domestic Chinese market. The 1688 platform (Alibaba’s subsidiary) also has a solid rating system. Prices are lower there, but communication with sellers is more difficult. You can also look for partners on Global Sources or Made-in-China. These platforms conduct strict audits, filtering out unreliable sellers.
Direct contact with a factory. Many have their own websites or showcase products at trade fairs.
Procurement agents (trading intermediaries). We know the Chinese market well, including the largest players and reputable factories in various niches. Contact us — we can make a direct purchase from China or arrange production according to your requirements.

Finding a business partner who combines safety, reliability, and an attractive price isn’t easy. Many entrepreneurs spend months doing so — speed up this process with DiFFreight’s services!

Use Professional Services

We know how to check a seller on Alibaba effectively and efficiently. Delegate supplier sourcing to our buyers — get the best deals without hassle. We work exclusively under contract and are ready to advise both new and experienced businesses on all matters of cooperation with China.

FAQ

1. What are the key signs of a reliable supplier on Alibaba?

Check for Verified Supplier status, years on the platform, Gold Supplier, reviews, factory photos/videos, and certification documents.

2. What is the difference between Verified Supplier and Gold Supplier?

Verified Supplier means the company has been inspected by a third-party auditor. Gold Supplier is a paid membership indicating business credibility. The best suppliers typically have both.