Have you ever met bad experience that your supplier disappear after you sent payment to them?If you have met,then it means you should learn from the past and gain experience to avoid meeting this kind of siuation again in future! In this article,we will share you a bad experience we had met in life recently and hope by our thoughts and tips we learned can help you avoid bad situation happen in your business.
Tables of Contents
- Story happen to our life
- Our thoughts after this experience
- How to avoid bad situation happen by choosing unreliable supplier on the plateform?
- Tips on the solution if you ever met any scammed experience on plateform
Recently we have customer visit and they are from Lebanon. They come at a sudden without any notice or contact us in advance during our lunch break time so they feel sorry to disturb and suggest that they can go now and come later after our break time but we insist their stay because we want them to feel free to come and stay as their own place. So after that they went to our showroom to check all the beautiful dresses. They are attracted by our dress quality and styles as they can tell our quality is very high made and most of styles are made by handmade beading.So they choose some styles to ask for prices. Things go well till I receive a short call from Meituan customer service(something similar as yelp.com in western countries). After I hang off the call, customers are curious to know why I look bit desperated after this phone call. Then I start to share the story with them which make them very shocked as they thought all chinese people are nice and wonder why I donot call the police for help!
Well, generally speaking Chinese people are good but it does not mean there are no bad people exsiting in China.Secondly our police wont help us handle this kind of case in China unless you are an important person who have strong power and good money to make the claim (such as goverment officer or super star like singer or famous person) . Besides, If they did handle, I guess their work will never end because it happens every day.
The story happened about one month ago. I select one photography studio from Meituan plateform and then paid full amount(About 115USD) for one package on this plateform.The service content for this package is to take and edit photos,make different kinds of album as final product to keep etc.In the end we spent time going there to take photos but after that, we cannot reach them anymore while we are supposed to go there again to select photos and then they can start making album process.They donot reply message or phone call. We donot know what happened with them so contact Meituan plateform for help. Finally after investigation they told us this studio have closed the shop and the boss run away. What they can do is to compensate half of the package amount to us which I donot think it makes sense.Firstly we paid full amount on the plateform but donot receive any service or product from the shop in the end.I am supposed to get full refund instead of paying the loss by my side. Secondly, we pay to take photos in order to celebrate our daughter one year old anniversary and now they ruin our memory and plan which is quite frustrating.We trust the plateform so choose supplier there and paid full amount on plateform, so it should be the responsiblity of plateform to solve this issue by communicating with the owner of the shop to compensate our loss even though it is not too big loss.
As a platform that everyone trusts,they should not only consider earning commissions from merchants and consumers, but also need to strictly control all merchants entering the plateform to ensure that they have certain capabilities to manage their business,rather than allowing any merchant to enter the plateform for display their service or product. We donot mind that platform is always on the win side to make good money from each deal but they should also set up strict rule for merchants who want to enter the platform to ensure they have guaranteed money to pay in case they cannot provide the service or product to customers due to some reasons. These are some thoughts after this impressive experience.
In following, we would like to share some ideas regarding how to avoid bad situation happen by choosing unreliable supplier on plateform based on this time experience.Hope it would be helpful for you!
When it comes to sourcing evening dresses online, finding a reliable supplier can make all the difference. A wrong choice may lead to poor quality, late delivery or even worse which will bring you lots of headache,not only waste time and money.
We’ve met many customers who got scammed experience because they trusted the wrong store/supplier on the platform. Based on our experience, here are some practical tips that can help you avoid these situations and find trustworthy suppliers for your business.
1, Before you decide to place any order with a new supplier on a platform, it is better to check their reviews and ratings so you can get to know what other buyers are saying. Reviews can give you a general idea regarding their reliability, quality, service, and delivery etc. You should not only look for good ratings, but also pay attention to what people complain about.Be cautious if the shop or supplier has only a few reviews or if the comments look too perfect — they might not be genuine.
Tip: While you’re reviewing ratings, also look for reviews outside the platform if possible such as forums etc
2,Contact the supplier online (wechat/whatsapp)
Most platforms have online chat tool but don’t stop there.Try to connect with them on Wechat or WhatsApp to have a more deep conversation.
This step helps you understand how quickly they respond,how clearly they communicate and do they seem knowledgeable or patient etc?
- During the conversation,you can ask questions about product price,lead time, shipping, returns etc — how they respond will gives you a general impression about them
- Also by chatting,you can check if have any language barrier between each other as communication is also one important key for business relationship.
3,Make a phone call or video call if possible to verify if they are real exsiting. This is one of the most effective ways to judge reliability.Because talking online cannot ensure it is real person who you are talking to,maybe it is AI online robot who help answer the questions which you never know.
During the call,you can ask questions like:
- “How long have you been in the evening dress business?”
- “How do I place the order?”
- “What I should do if I place the order with you but you donot ship me the dresses I want?”
- “Can you take photos or videos to show me before shipping or we can do video call to see the dresses I ordered if that is possible?”
Tips: Making a phone call or video call is very necessory step to do as it can avoid fraud happen to you.
4. Verify company credentials as a reliable supplier won’t hide their identity.You can ask them for :
- Business license or export certificate
- Factory or showroom photos
- Website and social media pages
5. Order a sample before placing bulk order(If you have bulk order request)
Even if everything looks perfect online, always order a sample first — especially for fashion products like dresses. This allows you to check their dress quality and fitting etc.
Some suppliers always put nice model photos online without making out the real dresses so what you see online may not be what you will get in the end.In this case you should be careful and it is better to ask them share the real puppet photos before ordering.
However,If the sample matches your expectations, you can proceed with more confidence.
6. Evaluate their production & delivery ability
A good supplier should be able to handle your order , custom requirements, and delivery etc. You can ask below questions such as:
- “What’s your production lead time for 100 pieces?”
- “Which shipping methods do you use?”
Kindly Notes: Be careful if the supplier:
- Offers very low prices
- Avoid sending samples or business license
- Always give unclear answers
- Has poor communication or always delay replies
These are signs that the supplier might not be as reliable as they appear.
Quick Checklist: Here’s a a summary before you order from any new supplier:
- Check reviews & ratings
- Chat via platform, WeChat, or WhatsApp
- Make a call or video call
- Verify company credentials
- Order a sample first
- Evaluate their production & delivery ability
However,If you’ve ever met any supplier scam on a platform, it can be very stressful and frustrating.But don’t give up too soon! There are several practical things you can do to reduce the loss hopefully.
Here are some effective tips — based on both real experience and trusted online resources — to help you handle the situation smartly.
1,Call the Supplier Immediately
Once you notice something suspicious, it is better to call the supplier directly.
If they still answer the phone, there’s a chance this may be a misunderstanding or a delay rather than a full scam. If they never answer the phone,then it means something goes wrong.
2. Ask your friend or agent to help verify their address if you have any local contact here. If not,you can also contact us for help!(By any chance that you see this article,it means fate bring us together and we are friends already)
If you have a Chinese friend, business partner or agent, you can ask them to visit the supplier’s address. Many scams happen when the address listed online doesn’t exist or belongs to a different company.
A local visit helps confirm if the business is real and still operating.
- If the supplier still exists but has communication issues, your local contact might help
- If the address is fake, you’ll have solid proof when reporting to the platform.
3. Contact the platform’s customer service or dispute center
Every platform (Alibaba, Made-in-China etc.) has a customer service team for dispute resolution.
- Attach screenshots of your chat history, invoices, payment records etc.
- Ask about their buyer protection or compensation policy.
Most platforms have deadlines for dispute claims — so the earlier you contact them, the more chances you will get support from plateform.
Kindly notes: Please keep all evidence organized as the proofs are your best protection.
- Chat records, emails, screenshots of the purchase order
- Bank receipts, PayPal or credit card statements
- Photos of the product (if received) or missing shipment
Having a complete documents or proof can help your case when you report to the platform or your payment provider.
4. Check payment method and request reversal
If you used credit card, PayPal, or an escrow service, you might still be able to dispute the payment.
- Contact your bank or payment provider and explain the situation.
- Provide proof that the supplier failed to deliver or sent fake goods.
5. Report the supplier in public social media and forum etc
Except the platform, you can help others by reporting the scam to other public social media, forum, buyer facebook groups etc. This can also put additional pressure on the platform or supplier to resolve your case faster.
Besides,sharing your experience can help others avoid similar losses and improve safety across the platform.
6. Seek legal or professional help if needed
If your loss is significant,you can consider to consulting a business lawyer (especially those familiar with China trade cases).
While this may take time and cost some fees, it can be worthwhile for large orders.
Final thoughts
Finding the right evening dress supplier online doesn’t have to be stressful.
Take your time to do research, communicate clearly, and start small before placing big orders. Once you find a reliable and responsive supplier, you’ll save time, reduce risk and grow your business with confidence.
After all, good business starts with good partnerships — built on trust, quality, and communication.Hope you have good luck with your business and never meet bad or scammed experience in life!
