Beware of “fly by night” in China

Recently we had a client who wanted us to visit a supplier in China and check their products before shipping. We called the cell phone provided by our client, but there was no answer. We assume the supplier did not answer because they could see that the call was from China. Later, our US colleague called them and pretended to be a potential customer. He asked if his friends could meet them in their office. They made excuse by saying that they needed to discuss this and asked our colleague to call back later. When he called later, nobody took the phone.
This is a typical case where you have to be cautious. We call it “fly by night” operation. They are likely to disappear after they receive your prepayment.

Here are some points for you to consider to avoid losses.

1. Be aware if the only contact is a cell phone. In China, cell phones are not registered, so you cannot find people by their cell phone number.

2. Be aware if they sell brand name products with a very competitive price, such as cell phones, laptops, Nike shoes, LV bags, etc.

3. Be aware if they ask for prepayment and do not accept sending people to check the products.

4. Be aware if they use a personal bank account or Western Union.

If you find suppliers that meet the above situations, you should be very careful. We cannot be 100% sure they are fraud, because there are some good businessman who use cell phones and personal bank account. But just be extra cautious.

The best way is to have a trusted person to visit the supplier and to check the products. We can offer such a service to save you cost and make sure you purchase good products.