Business
Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran is joined by Adrian from the team to discuss the dangers you face if buying parts for your product's mass production from Taobao.
Taobao is a convenient Chinese online marketplace where you can purchase almost anything, usually at a decent price. If you can jump onto the site and find a vendor and quickly place an order, where's the harm in that?
This bypasses a secure sourcing process and impacts your product's quality, safety, and compliance negatively...here's why.
Show Sections
00:00 - Greetings + why not to take checked baggage on flights within Europe + the UK's 2-day heatwave 😂
01:59 - Today's topic: Why not to buy parts from Taobao to use in mass production?
02:40 - What is Taobao?
10:36 - Scams and other issues on Taobao.
11:32 - Why buying parts from Taobao for use in early proof-of-concept prototypes is fine.
13:00 - More advanced prototypes and mass production are not the same as proof-of-concept.
15:55 - 5 reasons why using Taobao parts for mass production is not a good idea.
- Batches may vary each time.
- The item on your BOM might suddenly be delisted.
- You buy subject to Taobao's terms and conditions.
- The vendor probably has little liability for performance or quality issues.
- They might not be a real company.
27:06 - Could your IP be at risk when dealing with Taobao vendors, and will you get the best price?
28:29 - You can't really pay and get an invoice (fapiao) that is needed for business purchases.
30:58 - The lack of transparency and control.
32:06 - Wrap-up.
Related content...
- If you really want to check out Taobao, visit their site here (just don't buy production parts!)
- Get help from Sofeast to source great suppliers and benefit from more stability and better prices.
- Read our 80+ page eBook: Ultimate Guide To Sourcing From China And Developing Your Suppliers
- Learn how to source your own suppliers in China by listening to our DIY Sourcing from China Series
- Does your China factory sell your products on Taobao.com?
- How to complain about counterfeit/fakes on Taobao
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