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The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? They never inspect the product for QC. How do they know when the exporter is being dishone

The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? They never inspect the product for QC. How do they know when the exporter is being dishonest?

gboss 6y ago
Yes absolutely. There are plenty of dropshippers that have relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers that only buy from the authentic manufacturer.
- dustingetz 6y ago
  Multiple fallacies in this thinking, see https://thezvi.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/perfect-competition/ https://thezvi.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/perfect-competition/
rumanator 6y ago
> The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? They never inspect the product for QC. It's apparent that dropshippers know they are being dishonest and simply don't care, in a similar manner how fraudsters don't care if their victims get the shaft.
- silverpepsi 6y ago
  I'm going to guess you guys are using code words to talk about eBay and Amazon? My front page of saved searches on ebay is over 50% counterfeits, I complain to eBay relentlessly. Also try hitting amazon.fr and search Balmain. At least 60% counterfeit, just one example. If the governments will do NOTHING to set an example on the largest dropshippers in the world, why on earth would the small fry hesitate to compete in this space? Why should ebay and amazon reap all the profits from stolen intellectual propery?
alexchamberlain 6y ago
Dropshippers don't _have_ to be exporters; there's plenty of companies that will handle an order on your behalf that are based in the US/UK/EU/<insert your country here>. Isn’t this just retail?
- ehnto 6y ago
  It is, and that's what dropshipping was from the start. People negotiating with manufacturers for shipping direct from their warehouses. What you see with the "hustler" dropshippers now is that they are buying from an additional middleman, who is the equivalent of a bucket salesman in a gold rush. Dropshipping existed before Amazon, but Amazon took over fullfilment, and these other middlemen became the suppliers for the people trying to get rich quick with dropshipping.
masklinn 6y ago
> The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? The original concept of dropshipping was that you'd get a product manufactured (or would sell a white-label product, or would be a reseller for a large company), but the product would go straight from the manufacturer to the consumer without having to stop at your own warehouse. It makes a lot of sense in lots of businesses and has no reason to yield counterfeits, it avoids having to hold stock (so your costs are lower which means you can sell for less, or can leave more to the manufacturer) yet the product doesn't have to stop by your warehouse so the buyer waits less. Many sellers or designers don't manufacture their products, they contract the manufacturing to a company with those capabilities (often in SEA), they might QA every piece initially to make sure everything's ship shape, but once every kink has been worked out they only need to sample to ensure the product conforms to expectations (or separately contract on-site QA at the manufacturer), they don't need to personally inspect every product. At that point, if the manufacturer can drop-ship, chances are it's a win for everyone.

The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? They never inspect the product for QC. How do they know when the exporter is being dishonest?

gboss 6y ago

Yes absolutely. There are plenty of dropshippers that have relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers that only buy from the authentic manufacturer.

dustingetz 6y ago
Multiple fallacies in this thinking, see https://thezvi.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/perfect-competition/ https://thezvi.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/perfect-competition/

rumanator 6y ago

> The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? They never inspect the product for QC. It's apparent that dropshippers know they are being dishonest and simply don't care, in a similar manner how fraudsters don't care if their victims get the shaft.

silverpepsi 6y ago
I'm going to guess you guys are using code words to talk about eBay and Amazon? My front page of saved searches on ebay is over 50% counterfeits, I complain to eBay relentlessly. Also try hitting amazon.fr and search Balmain. At least 60% counterfeit, just one example. If the governments will do NOTHING to set an example on the largest dropshippers in the world, why on earth would the small fry hesitate to compete in this space? Why should ebay and amazon reap all the profits from stolen intellectual propery?

alexchamberlain 6y ago

Dropshippers don't _have_ to be exporters; there's plenty of companies that will handle an order on your behalf that are based in the US/UK/EU/<insert your country here>. Isn’t this just retail?

ehnto 6y ago
It is, and that's what dropshipping was from the start. People negotiating with manufacturers for shipping direct from their warehouses. What you see with the "hustler" dropshippers now is that they are buying from an additional middleman, who is the equivalent of a bucket salesman in a gold rush. Dropshipping existed before Amazon, but Amazon took over fullfilment, and these other middlemen became the suppliers for the people trying to get rich quick with dropshipping.

masklinn 6y ago

> The question I'd ask is can a dropshipper avoid selling counterfeits? The original concept of dropshipping was that you'd get a product manufactured (or would sell a white-label product, or would be a reseller for a large company), but the product would go straight from the manufacturer to the consumer without having to stop at your own warehouse. It makes a lot of sense in lots of businesses and has no reason to yield counterfeits, it avoids having to hold stock (so your costs are lower which means you can sell for less, or can leave more to the manufacturer) yet the product doesn't have to stop by your warehouse so the buyer waits less. Many sellers or designers don't manufacture their products, they contract the manufacturing to a company with those capabilities (often in SEA), they might QA every piece initially to make sure everything's ship shape, but once every kink has been worked out they only need to sample to ensure the product conforms to expectations (or separately contract on-site QA at the manufacturer), they don't need to personally inspect every product. At that point, if the manufacturer can drop-ship, chances are it's a win for everyone.