Who pays for the samples?
Quite often Chinese suppliers expect you to pay for the samples. It is true that so called suppliers, trying to sell you something by pretending it to be a sample are quite common in Chinese internet space. Nevertheless, it is best not to jump to conclusions whenever you are asked to pay for the sample, especially if you don’t have any experience of cooperation with this supplier. The fact is that the number of “fake” buyers is growing steadily. They contact suppliers pretending to be interested in some products, and order samples for personal use, disappearing after that. Suppliers try to protect themselves from those “buyers” by asking to pay for the samples.
This is particularly relevant for shipments within China (e.g. for consolidation or testing), as domestic shipment tariffs are very low. If you request to send the samples abroad, and you are willing to cover the shipping costs, the supplier is not likely to have doubts about the seriousness of your intentions. In this case the chances of the sample being free are much higher.
Who pays for the shipment?
- International sample shipments
Gone are the days, when you could fill your house or office with free stuff, just communicating with numerous suppliers. Nowadays the suppliers are much less likely to pay for the international delivery of your samples. It is fine if the supplier expects you to cover these expenses, especially if you don’t have any experience of cooperation with each other.
- Shipments within China
Domestic shipment tariffs in China are very low (usually just 2-4$), so the suppliers usually cover these costs themselves, in case you have paid for the sample itself.