I’m trying to start up an online store. Recently I tried to order some products from AliExpress to check their quality and see if the market wants them. I was thinking to dropship those items. Now I had some issues with AliExpress and the customer support isn’t helpful at all. The issue has been occurring for more than a week now. My payment is being cancelled for security reasons. Which leads to no product being shipped.
What should I do if my store is automated (in the future) and such an issue suddenly happens? I find it disappointing to know that AliExpress doesn’t really offer much customer service.
This made me also rethink my entire business plan. Is it a good business to be in? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on wholesale and being an importer of more valuable items? Keep my own stock?
How do you guys deal with things like this? Ideas?
Drop shipping is okay to start out with when you don’t have enough money to invest in stock. Try to stock and ship products yourself for more control over the supply chain and to offer a better customer experience.
So using Alibaba instead?
No. Use suppliers you find yourself. Build barriers to entry.
How do I do those two things?
Do research to find possible suppliers. Call them to negotiate deals.