Is DHgate a scam website? I noticed that some people were asking the same question on the Internet. As always, safety is the biggest concern for online shopping, especially for cross-border online transactions. I hope my illustration below can help clear your doubts—if you are one of those who asked the question.
1. As an officially registered wholesale company based in Beijing, DHgate has been serving global buyers and sellers worldwide since 2004. A scam company can’t have been existing for such a long time.
2. By far, the page rank of DHgate’s website has grown to 6. As we know, Google will never credit an illegal website with such a high page rank. Also, when you search for “wholesale” or “China wholesale” in Google, you will see DHgate ranks top on the first search result page. This means Google has recognized the huge traffic and authenticity of DHgate—Google tends to place the most-matching websites with the search terms at the top of all related search results.
Page Rank of DHgate.com
“Wholesale” Search Results in Google
“China Wholesale” Search Results in Google
3. DHgate is the PayPal’s largest client in the Asia-Pacific region. As a transaction platform, DHgate has an Escrow buyer protection system. All payments made by buyers are not sent directly to individual sellers’ accounts. Instead, DHgate holds the payments until buyers confirm that they have received the orders and are happy with them. So you when buy items on DHgate, you can be confident that your money will not be taken without getting the order you place. Also, if you are not happy with the order received and you open a dispute against the transaction, DHgate will not release the payment to the seller until the dispute is solved between you and the seller.
Actually, a close look into the complaints about DHgate on the Internet shows that, the most “DHgate scam” comments came out simply because of misunderstandings. Below is a very typical example I’ve found from the discussions about DHgate:
Many buyers mistake DHgate as a seller who sells and ships purchase orders to buyers. Some complained that DHgate sent items in wrong sizes, colors or styles. It was a huge mistake. DHgate is a transaction platform, aChina wholesale site for small and medium sized merchants, bridging millions of global buyers and Chinese sellers or manufacturers. They do not send orders to buyers themselves. Instead, they provide information and transaction service to both buyers and sellers. That also explains why you are able to get the lowest prices for the items you want—when you buy a certain item, you can find the lowest price from the perfusion of sellers.
I believe that, as a rising e-commerce star in China, DHgate.com should value its credibility very much. Their services may need improvements in some aspects, but they can’t be scammers. Here I should remind you that, when you shop on DHgate, you need to check carefully the credibility of the seller from the seller’s feedback profile. Also, always remember to contact the seller to make sure the item has all the specifications or functions as described. These two actions will greatly reduce your risk shopping there.
Click to read more DHgate reviews.
Other reliable China wholesale websites:
(Note: Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)
October 5th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I have used these trade sites to make a living and so far have had no problems. I just as of yesterday just placed an order on DHgate. I have also used trademic dot com another site like dhgate. However there are scammers out there! I have been looking to buy apple products from a seller NOVO Trade and when I checked them out fully seen that they are scammers! So don’t buy from NOVO TRADE!!! I recommend searching their user name like I did and dig dig dig, them maybe if serious ask for email address them write and ask for website if they have one! Then dig dig dig.
Novo Trade I found out has multiple websites and when I looked and serached everyone they all turned out scamms or no longer working BAD Gateway!
So be care full when dealing with suppliers!
October 12th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
I bought some things from there with no trouble. It is like chinese ebay (buy it now format). Only hard to communicate with your seller. (listings/contact will read goofy and things can easily be misunderstood/hard to get details 90% of the time)
It isn’t a scam though. Just imperfect global commerce due to language/cultural barriers. The money you pay with (as long as you go through dhgate- never ever use western union or such) is held in escrow until you click to confirm you received and are happy with your order.
It is safe as any. Do be careful if you are buying certain items though as china is the worlds manufacturer and counterfeiter. For example – I would not purchase something like narcotics such as percocets,lortabs, what have you from a place such as dhgate/alibaba because unless you send it off to a lab – who knows? Food/tobacco products either. Also use common sense. a 50 -70% off what it goes for here is fine but don’t expect to buy say a genuine tiger hide rug for $50 or a $15 iphone. Also keep in mind shipping charges. If you are buying heavy items EMS (the only service that doesnt take 2-3 months to get) really really adds up for high poundage items. often the sellers won’t provide the costs until after anyways – so check the est rates to est weight of product as well.
But for toys, electronics, clothes, materials and general goods – have at it. One way or another – it is coming from china anyhow. Why get ripped off at crazy american prices when the chinese can rip you off (by their standards) in a much kinder way.
October 25th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I ORDER WIGS FROM DHGATE FROM A SELLER BY THE NAME OF SALE-SHOP. HE
SENT BAD KNOCK OFFS. THE WIGS LOOK LIKE THEY TRIED TO COPY THE STYLE, AND THEY DID A BAD JOB. I SPENT $47, THANK GOD IT WASN’T MORE. STAY AWAY FROM DHGATE!!!!!
December 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 am
They are SCUM!!! If u make living from it you are scumming people! They sell counterfeit product to you and you are reselling it! They sell FAKES worldwide causing a lot of damage to Worlds economy. AVOID AT ALL COST AS U WILL LOOSE UR MONEY! Their safe policies of buyer protection are all crap as they resolve refund claims in seller favour!!! BEWARE!!!
December 24th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
My wife just purchased what she thought was a legitimate apple I-4 telephone thinking she got a good deal by-passing AT&T monopolies and what she thought was an inflated $600 for an unlocked I4 phone. When the phone she bought got here, nothing worked like she expected so she went to an AT&T store where she found that the phone was a fake. This phone was an imitation sent from China and it’s sad that this site is allowing fraudulant merchants to do business here. I can only hope they read this response and stop this vendor from selling fake products.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:18 am
Hi – I bought stuff from several sellers on DHGate which never arrived. I complained to DHGate and to their specific customer service email address. Customer service email was returned undeliverable and DHGate never replied. I will try to get my money back through my bank. Fingers crossed. Total scam site – some sellers probably genuine, but you wouldn’t know which ones. KEEP AWAY FROM DHGATE ALTOGETHER!
January 5th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
i dont think dhgate is a scam. i bought a game controller and delivery was good.
the only scammers is the one selling on dhgate. you have to choose trusted sellers.
January 8th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Was going to buy some golf clubs from here has anyone had luck with ordering this item
January 27th, 2011 at 10:54 am
DHgate.com іѕ a Beijing-based China wholesale website serving Chinese sellers аnԁ global buyers.
It is a platform. It do not sell products.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Here is the story of my buy.
Order # 1005262956
I bought this item in September, the shipping was fast, but there was one tiny problem, the item doesn’t work at all. So I spoke to the seller and he told me it is ok no problem, just send the item back, here where the problem starts. I asked them who going to pay for the shipping back, they told me it will be me, but on there page “Return shipping must be paid for by the buyer if there is not any quality problem.” There is definitely quality problem. Anyhow they left this question open and told me just send the item back and they will see. During this conversation I did try to find the way to get my money back but it was useless, they told me they have to receive item first than they will refund my money. During this time the dispute was open, but I has no idea it can be expired. I send the massage to dhgate they told me don’t worry just wait till the seller will get the item back, so i relaxed. Then all of the sudden this deal tern to complete on the page because the dispute has been closed and deal close automatically in month!!!??? Anyway, after all this trouble item was successfully delivered. I have a confirmation of delivery CC168 068 573 CA at http://www.canadapost.ca But now seller refuse to give me my money back by telling me next thing’s: I didn’t receive the item, I will pick up the item. The Item was not there. We can’t find the item. Somebody else picked the item. We will go to the post office to find out. Post office closed for Christmas. Wait for Monday. Post office closed for new year. Wait for 3 days. That was a last excuse. I can’t arguing with them no more, they start to ignoring me. It is NOT POSSIBLE solve this problem with them. They hold my money, they hold the item. I don’t know where else to go.
Seller don’t answer no more on my requests. DHGate told me to apply to “aftersale” department, they told me to send the pictures i did it and they don’t answer no more.
Stay AWAY!!!
February 21st, 2011 at 11:44 pm
I ordered from DHGate, looks like a company that has been around so long would take better care of the customers. The seller (STAY AWAY FROM SELLER: BESTONLINE) said they shipped the item on Jan 27th, then the excuses began. First there was the Chinese and Japanese new years, then there was a tracking number that couldn’t be tracked, the seller (bestonline) then gave some crazy excuse saying they have two numbers and just sent the wrong one, next there was the tracking number to a “ghost waybill” which is the term used by DHL when I called them (the shipper goes online and sets up a shipment but never has it picked up, when you try to track it, the shipment just keeps showing Hong Kong, the shipper has to pay nothing to set it up and you think it is enroute to you since you have a tracking number), then when I set up a refund through DHGate, they send me a notice that the seller refuses my refund. I contacted the seller, bestonline, who is telling me that they shipped it and they will give me a refund when I send the items back, and keep sending me an update for the same waybill located in Hong Kong STILL. DHGate has some small window for next week to get them involved which is wrong since it has been almost a month and I still have nothing with a seller who is not willing to refund my money and definately did not ship out the items. I used Paypal and I think I just need to report them so I can get a refund. Please, if you feel like DHGate is good, try to use the customer service numbers or email contact and see where you get with that, I even tried to use the blog/customer forum but it won’t let me post a comment and just has that my group can’t post a blog (I find it odd when I am a customer who has purchased from them). What I found is that IT IS ALL A SCAM!!!!! BEWARE!!!!
April 2nd, 2011 at 10:49 pm
I purchased dress from seller who showed clear photo of dress I requested. Dress received from seller is nothing like dress I ordered. Seller refused requests for refund. Escalated to DHgate dispute. I sent photos of dresses for comparison and clear explanation of differences. DHgate closed resulution without explanation to me and paid seller. I would not trust DHgate to help buyer they only are there to protect seller.
April 4th, 2011 at 12:28 am
I ordered from this site 2 phone last year and bouth were different then ordered.
After 6 weeks i just drop it to rubish bin.
This year i get again diferent phone then ordered and top of it half of it was not workin.
Very bad conection hardly can call anybody.
I found is that IT IS ALL A SCAM!!!!! BEWARE!!!!
Do not buy anything from this site
April 7th, 2011 at 3:33 am
I bought phone from this site seller:robot:
i received phone different from i ordered.Top of if this phone is faulty as well
1. I order phone with diferent specifications
2. 11.Calendar,To do list,Alarm
12.Caller picture,caller Ring Tone,caller video
ITEM NOT ON PHONE YOUi received!
3. BATTERY Lithium Batteries
COLOR black
STANDBY TIME About 100-120Hours
TALKING TIME About 2-3Hours
real STANDBY TIME 36HOURS
real TALKING TIME 32 MINUTES
ON PHONE i received!
4. Compass
NOT WORKING ON PHONEi received!
5. WiFi-
NOT WORKING PROPERLY,HAVE TO BE 2-3METERS FROM HOTSPOT TO WORK
ON MY MOTOROLA I HAVE FULL SIGNAL ON PHONE i received JUST HALF signal
IN FRIENDs place NO SIGNAL ON PHONE, MY MOTOROLA FULL SIGNAL
Now DHGate want me send the phone for partional refund only and me pay return mail “$30″
The I will perhaps end up like ROMAN
Keep out of this site!!
I bought about 15 items from DX Dealextreme and always received as specified no problem at all.
But DHgate sting no one should buy from it.
September 20th, 2011 at 2:03 am
Disagree with you. While it is true that DH Gate may offer many people the opportunity to purchase goods at lower prices by utilizing a variety of sellers, it is still up to DH Gate to do what they advertise and what they represent … be THE company. Monitor the quality and integrity of the sellers they contract with (and don’t kid yourself – get a big cut from) and take responsibility for errors and bad product. They boast of a great Return policy, great Guarantee, Confidence in your Purchase with all the fancy logos and icons on their website. Until you have to return something. Then they hide behind their wall of “You must contact the seller directly”.
Silly Buyer to think you were actually buying from DH Gate. You thought you were. You were on their website, filling your cart with their products just like you would do with a company like Overstock who sells a variety of products with a variety of brand names. But NO. You were buying from some little Chinese man in some little town cranking out a poor product and there is no way he’s going to listen to your complaints, much less refund you your cost. You, Silly Buyer, are left with absolutely no recourse, a product that doesn’t work, fit or never arrived at all and months of frustration trying to deal with a company that amounts to little more than a fancy website and a method to take your money. Silly Buyer beware. Do not buy here. But if you do, try disputing the charge on your credit card.