One of the biggest perks of online shopping is quick access to various goods. Customers check a product online, pay for it and receive its home delivery. The good picture about shopping online is that you need not go anywhere!

As more customers are taking to shopping online, it’s important to focus on the quality of the product. Fake sites are operating behind closed doors, therefore aiming at extorting money from customers.

While reading some customer reviews regarding online shopping, DHgate received maximum votes for its negative image. What is DHgate? Is it that bad a site for shoppers? Are buyers falling into an unknown trap while shopping from DHgate?

This article is all about the DHgate shopping site that connects buyers and sellers. Let’s understand some of the major concerns that customers have and why does this site continues to hold its negative picture even today!

What is DHgate? Know the basics of this site!

DHgate is a shopping website, with more than 90% of its sellers hailing from China. As China is considered the ‘’world’s factory’’, you can easily find a variety of goods and products at cheaper rates on this website. The shipping costs are less too. You can directly get in touch with the seller here, check the price online, thereby eliminating the presence of the middle man.

DHgate is not an unreliable website. You can buy the same things here at unbelievable low rates. For example, an electric fan can cost 5 dollars on DHgate. The same fan can cost 15 dollars on another shopping website. Plus, as shipping is free, getting it delivered to your location is easier.

Getting hold of the same product with its same style is cheaper at DHgate than on other websites. Hence, to consider this site as a total scam is not a good idea!

Despite the advantages this site lives with, why does it bear a negative image? What complaints do customers have with DHgate? Is DHgate a good site to shop from? Is its legitimacy real?

This article will guide you through all the points about DHgate!

What are the reasons that make customers believe that DHgate is not at all a good site to shop from?

Some shoppers have complained of terrible experiences while shopping from DHgate. The most important thing about DHgate is to approach the right supplier. Not all sellers on DHgate are fake and provide a rude customer experience.

However, as more reviews come in, there are so many things that go neglected. Customer complaints cannot go unnoticed and are based on personal experience.

A lot of reasons bring out the drawbacks of DHgate. Hence, calling it a scam site is legit due to some of the details below.

1.No credibility of information provided to customers-

One of the basic things that customers are looking for when shopping online is a swift and prompt reply from sellers! But this isn’t the real picture with DHgate. Almost all customer complaints are filled with sellers ignoring the requests of buyers. Product descriptions fail to match the real identity of the product, leading to misguidance.

Sellers, however, get back to the buyer after a week or more, thereby keeping the buyer waiting for a credible reply. Some sellers display a wide range of products on DHgate, to attract potential buyers.

Another factor is that most sellers on DHgate have an additional business store operating on Alibaba. Hence, they do not pay much attention to buyers on DHgate, due to high profits on other sites. As the sales are high on Alibaba, DHgate after-sale stories are mostly ignored. Hence, there are enough reasons to make customers angry!

2.No reply from sellers-

Prompt response from dealers and sellers is the best part of online shopping. But what if you have to wait days for a reply, related to a product you just purchased recently! Well, this is the real picture of DHgate.

Most buyers have complained of encountering a bad and pathetic customer response from sellers. They are not at all involved in the selling process. They don’t even hold themselves responsible or accountable for poor communication. They either remain silent or choose to ignore the buyers.

The accountability of sellers is often seen in images captured by buyers. These include a previous chatting history, unpacked boxes images, etc. As buyers are not protected from cheating, these records can help identify the wrong sellers, their wrongdoings, and actions.

3.Where is the customer service?-

There is nothing called customer service on DHgate. It’s no wonder that customers showcase complete dissatisfaction when buying a product from the site. When some products turn out damaged or delivered without proper packaging, customer service is almost absent.

When calling customer care, your calls are mostly answered. Cases of refund are ignored and there is no promise of a refund in the future. When looking for answers related to damaged products, you do not receive any response.

As a result, buyers give negative reviews on the whole DHgate experience. They have no option other than to keep on trying for an exchange or refund. There are no alternative routes here. It is also difficult to return a simple product like nail polish because the costs of shipping are high.

Hence, these situations can only be termed as heartbreaking and pathetic, thereby proving the irresponsibility of the sellers. Dealing with product disputes is not a matter of concern for DHgate!

4.No refunds?-

Receiving a direct solution from DHgate is a myth. Cases of no refunds have already been registered quite a few times. First of all, buyers can request two kinds of refunds. One is the full payment of the item. The second is exchanging the item and getting a new one.

For both these cases, DHgate is irresponsible. The sellers ignore customer requests and do not pay attention to disputes at all. Sellers will reply to the customer with an inconvenience message. While the buyer waits for days or even a month for the refund, sellers are busy acquiring profits from other sources.

5.Too much time taken for deliveries-

While top delivery companies can deliver international products within 5 days or 7 days, DHgate is least concerned with the delivery time. Shipping is often delayed by DHgate, making it all the more inconvenient for the buyer to receive the product on time.

Even though delays are caused due to reasons like a national holiday, logistics issues, etc, there is no notice of late deliveries because of the same. Instead, buyers wait for days before they receive their parcels.

Most shopping websites send a message to their customers regarding any kind of delivery issue. However, DHgate lacks in the quick response game, making customers desperate for an answer!

6.Are shipping fees charged secretly?-

When you shop online, you will come across the price details of the products. The breakup of the price is provided to inform customers regarding the proper credit of the item. DHgate website on the other hand is said to charge an extra shipping fee, which is otherwise not listed in the selling price of the product.

Free shipping with top shipping companies is not possible, unless and until you get some offers. Sellers on DHgate charge the shipping fee without letting the customers know about it. What you think free shipping is, is not free shipping at all. You end up paying a few dollars extra for shipping, thinking that’s the full price you pay for the item!

7.Prices are raised by the sellers-

Most buyers have complained that they find the wrong price and product information on the DHgate website. For example, you will see the price of a product on the website. When adding the product to your cart, the price changes. This is termed as misinformation of products sold.

Sellers will try to provide an alternative reason for the same. As a result, buyers fall into the scam trap and fail to come out of it. usually, DHgate customer service will leave a message to you, saying they are sorry for the inconvenience caused. They are also trying to resolve the issue caused. However, this is all in just writing, as there is no action done on part of the sellers.

The reason to hike prices on DHgate is that small seller are unaware of the final price tag on the website. Therefore, buyers may get different information about the product when finally purchasing it.

To ensure that buyers are safe from such a scam, it’s important to double-check the information twice. Big sellers are aware of the final product price. Hence, customers will get accurate information on the same.

Is there no security available on DHgate for buyers?

Apart from all the above concerns, one major issue that disturbs most buyers is that there is no shopping security offered by DHgate. Is customer information leaked online? While there have been cases of poor security management, here are the top issues of DHgate summarized for readers.

1.There is no timely response from the sellers. Therefore, buyers keep on waiting, sometimes for a month, to get matters resolved. Most buyers are ignored by the sellers, thereby resulting in complete dissatisfaction.

2.The customer service of DHgate is not suitable enough to tackle buyer complaints and grievances. Most of the issues go unnoticed and unanswered. The service is not updated to provide smooth information to buyers.

3.Most customers in need of refunds do not get one. Whether it is due to unsatisfactory packaging conditions or damaged products, getting a refund takes a long time. Moreover, sellers promise buyers to provide a hassle-free service. In return, customers wait too much, sometimes more than the promised due date of refund.

4.The time of delivery for all kinds of products on DHgate is long. While other shopping websites promise express shipping, DHgate is pretty slow in this regard.

5.Sellers charge an additional shipping fee, which is otherwise not known to the buyers. While buyers find free shipping listed against a product, the sellers are smart to get extra money from you!

6.Finally, most sellers on DHgate list a different price for a product and sell the product for a different price. Buyers are not aware of the same. Hence, they express utmost disappointment.

What is the buyer’s policy on DHgate? Are all customers misinformed?

There are so many cases of poor customer service experience from DHgate, but it’s important to focus on the buyer’s policy. To improve the shopping experience of buyers, staying unfamiliar with the website won’t help. By reading the terms and conditions of the same, buyers will find a clear method of placing orders with DHgate.

Here are some of the things that buyers might have to deal with!

1.Canceling orders which have not been shipped by the seller yet-

To do so, you have to select your order first and click on the ‘’cancel order’’ option. Then, you can request a refund for the same. In case, the seller is unable to confirm the return of the item or the response is delayed, the item gets canceled on its own.

On the agreement page, a product can be canceled within 10 days of placing an order. Plus, a seller automatically cancels an order and initiates a refund, if an item is unavailable or out of stock. In case you have not received your refund, try getting in touch with customer service.

Refunds are initiated back to the place from where the original amount was deducted. It can be your debit card or another payment portal. If you want a refund in your DHgate account, it can be done as well.

2.Updating the tracking number-

Are you unable to trace your current order online? At DHgate, a specific tracking number is available against all your ordered items. This information is available once the products are ready to be shipped to your location. You can click on the tracking option, choose the product and click on submit. You can then check the shipping information of the product. You also receive an estimated delivery time of your order as well.

3.Extra taxes-

Sometimes, buyers have to pay additional taxes when canceling a product on DHgate. This is because your orders are coming from a foreign country and there are additional customs costs involved. Hence, check with your seller whether or not you have to pay any extra taxes when canceling the product. If the product is already available in your own country, the additional taxes need not be paid. Sometimes, sellers deduct the tax amount from the price of the product and refund the rest to the customer. You will find all this information as per the seller you choose to deal with.

4.Showing proof of packaging-

Have you received a different packaging from the one that was promised to you? In this case, you need proper evidence to prove the same. Packaging issues are common. Therefore, you must click a picture of it and send it to your seller. Damaged items are either replaced with a new one or customers can request a full refund. Immediately inform your seller that you have received damaged items and claim your refund!

Is it possible to catch hold of a good seller on DHgate? What’s the reliability?

Small-scale, along with large-scale business operators have their hands tied with DHgate. This means that you get to choose from a bunch of sellers, selling your favorite products online. But how do you distinguish between the real and the fake?

To know that your products are 100% genuine, it’s important to understand the trademarks of a trusted and reliable seller. Hence, here are some of the tips to identify a true seller on DHgate.

1.A professional and trusted seller is one, who sells only one kind of product. You may find variations of the product online. For example, the seller sells only electric fans. But you will find portable electric fans, electric stand fans, etc. Such a seller is authentic and won’t scam the buyer easily. You may also get quick responses from these sellers. If a seller sells too many products together, it’s easier to scam the buyer by providing wrong information to them.

2.A good buyer is one, who provides a clear image of the product being sold. Along with the picture, the specific product specifications, along with the seller’s information are also available. A clear selling policy is attached to the product too. If you come across a product with no details and image, consider it a scam.

3.A good seller is not bound to receive any uncomfortable or disturbing reviews from its customers. A seller focusing on proper buyer satisfaction will try to improve its selling features. People will review a seller based on one’s personal experience. If the buyer isn’t pleased with the seller, it will leave negative comments.

4.A good seller has a rental warehouse, where the products are stored. This means that the seller has good gain in the business as well as earning respect in the market. All the products are listed by the seller following the product policy!

It’s better to avoid unprofessional and scam sellers, who are only interested in looting buyers. These tips will help you distinguish types of sellers and make you aware of certain purchase standards on DHgate!

Is Aliexpress a better option than DHgate?

Aliexpress is also a shopping website, similar to DHgate. The only difference is that Aliexpress concentrates on retail shopping. Buyers can buy all kinds of products here for personal consumption. You can purchase products wholesale from Aliexpress.

When comparing Aliexpress with DHgate, certain things make the former better than the latter. So what makes it suitable than DHgate. Here are the reasons that support the standards of this E-Commerce platform.

1.Aliexpress promises on-time delivery. There are different types of shipping available, including standard shipping, free shipping, etc.

2.The experience of customer service is better with Aliexpress.

Are branded items sold on DHgate?

Sometimes, buyers try to find a replica or look-alike of their favorite brand products online. Too expensive to buy a Gucci bag right? Hence, there is always the replica. But the question is, are replicas available on DHgate? The answer is yes!

Buyers can purchase a lot of luxurious goods on DHgate. The product quality is at its best and the prices are low. Due to its cheap price, most of the luxurious replicas are sold off in a short period.

To make sure that you receive the best replica online, it’s necessary to find a good seller first. As buyers paying a standard amount to get their hands on the luxurious replica, it’s advisable to check the specifications of the seller and the product. If all things seem satisfactory to you, it’s good to purchase the same.

Even though replicas are just an imitation of the real item, read more on the quality of the product. Even if you are paying 20 dollars for it, the item should be certified! If you are facing quality issues, inform your seller immediately.

To purchase replicas on DHgate, buyers can watch a short tutorial video about it. Check for authentic sellers beforehand and buy the same!

So what’s the final image of DHgate? Is it worth it?

To label DHgate as a total scam site and express dissatisfaction won’t be a good thing to do. However, you may take care of a few points before shopping with DHgate.

First of all, try to know your seller. Is the seller reliable or not? Nothing can go wrong if you purchase genuine products from a good seller.

Secondly, to avoid scams, you must understand the conditions of purchasing products from the right seller.

By agreeing to a few markers of shopping online at DHgate, buyers will happen to experience a new feeling altogether! Therefore, give yourself a try and shop online at DHgate today!