Most mistakes when importing from China are not about “tricky suppliers” — they are gaps in checking: paying before the factory is verified, skipping the sample, ignoring carton sizes. Together they eat the margin of sellers on Kaspi, Wildberries and Ozon, where the shelf price is already fixed. Part of the work can go to a sourcing agent: ChinaGoGlobal verifies factories, buys goods, receives them at the nearest of its warehouses in China and ships them to Kazakhstan, Russia and beyond.
Why mistakes when importing from China cost so much
Importing from China is a chain: supplier, payment, production, inspection, shipping, customs. An early mistake rarely shows up at once — usually only when the goods have arrived and the money is spent. That is the worst moment to fix anything: a deposit is hard to recover, remaking a batch takes weeks, and returning goods to China almost never pays off. The list below follows the stages of a purchase.
Mistakes in choosing a supplier and paying
Mistake 1. You didn't verify the supplier
The classic beginner's mistake is to believe anyone who calls themselves a factory. On 1688 and Alibaba many trading companies pose as manufacturers: they resell factory goods with a markup and shrug at quality problems. There are scammers too, with a polished catalogue, a “Gold” badge and a bank account in an individual's name.
What to do. Ask for the business license (营业执照) and make sure the company name matches the payee. Check the company's age, export history and address. For large orders, book an on-site factory verification: an inspector films the plant and checks the paperwork. See how to verify a factory in China.
Mistake 2. You paid 100% upfront
Full prepayment is the norm on 1688, and for small platform orders it's fine: the payment goes through the platform and the buyer has transaction protection. With a factory under a direct contract, 100% upfront removes your only leverage: until the balance is paid, the factory has a reason to deliver on time and to spec. Once it has all the money, your order's priority drops.
What to do. The usual split for contract orders is 30/70: 30% to start production, 70% after the finished batch is inspected, before dispatch. Fix payment terms and delay penalties in the proforma invoice or contract. See how to pay a supplier in China.
Payment to a personal account
If a factory asks you to pay to an employee's card, a personal Alipay account or a company with a different name — stop. It is either a middleman or a scheme where you will never prove you paid. Pay only the company named in the license and the contract.
Mistake 3. You skipped the samples
Listing photos on 1688 and the real product can differ in material, density, smell, shade and stitching — sometimes it's even a different factory. Order from a picture and you find out when 500 units are already in your warehouse.
What to do. Order samples from two or three suppliers and compare them with what already sells on Kaspi or Wildberries. The approved sample is your reference: record its photos and specs in the order and check the batch against it. If a sample is slow, ask for detailed photos and video first.
Mistake 4. You ignored the minimum order quantity (MOQ)
MOQ is the minimum quantity a factory will produce at the quoted price (起批量 on 1688, Min. Order on Alibaba). The mistake has two forms: you build your numbers on the listing price and the factory usually raises it by 20–50% below MOQ; or you take the full MOQ without testing demand and freeze money in stock that sells three units a month.
What to do. Ask for the price at your quantity. If the MOQ is high, negotiate a mixed batch (several colors or sizes) or find a trading company that sells small lots. For tiny trial orders it is often easier to buy on 1688 or Taobao through a buying service, test demand, then approach the factory with real volumes.
Mistakes in production and packaging
Mistake 5. You didn't inspect the batch before dispatch
While the goods are in China, defects can be fixed: the factory will rework, replace or discount. Once the batch has left, you have almost no leverage — returns are expensive and a dispute from a distance usually ends in nothing. Yet many ship “blind”, relying on the factory's own photos.
What to do. Inspect before dispatch, at least on a sample basis. For mass-produced goods the AQL standard applies: a random sample is checked and defects counted as critical, major or minor. For small batches, counting and checking every carton is enough. ChinaGoGlobal does quality control at the factory or at its warehouses in China and sends a photo and video report — you decide whether to ship or demand a replacement before the goods leave China.
Mistake 6. You saved on packaging
A factory packs for the domestic market: thin cardboard, no corner protectors or film, fragile mixed with heavy. Fine for delivery within China, not for 7–14 days in a truck with several transshipments. The result: broken mugs, dented cosmetics boxes, scratched electronics.
What to do. Write packaging requirements into the order: five-ply cardboard, stretch film, corner protectors for electronics, bubble wrap for fragile items, carton labels. For marketplace goods, agree on unit packaging and barcode labels right away — repacking in Kazakhstan costs more than reinforcing cargo at the consolidation warehouse.
Mistakes in shipping and import
Mistake 7. You forgot about volumetric weight
A carrier charges for whichever is greater: actual or volumetric weight. Volumetric weight comes from carton dimensions — for air, volume in centimeters is usually divided by 6,000; road and rail carriers use their own factors. For light, bulky goods — toys, textiles, plastic organizers — it can be two or three times the actual weight, doubling the freight bill.
What to do. Ask the factory for carton size, weight and units per carton, work out the batch volume and get a quote on both weights. For bulky goods it is sometimes cheaper to switch method: air is strictest on volume, road and rail more forgiving. Get a rough figure in the shipping calculator; the exact amount is confirmed at the warehouse after weighing.
| Shipping method | Transit time from dispatch | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 2–3 days | from 2 kg |
| Road | 7–10 days | from 10 kg |
| Truck | 10–14 days | from 10 kg |
| Rail | 20–30 days | from 1 metric ton |
| Sea | on request | on request |
Mistake 8. You didn't insure the cargo
Cargo goes through several transshipments, sometimes an inspection. Cartons get crushed, part of a batch can go missing. Without insurance the carrier's liability is usually limited and rarely covers the full value.
What to do. Insure the cargo whenever the batch value matters. At ChinaGoGlobal insurance costs 2% of the goods' value: if insured cargo is damaged, you are paid the full value of the goods or the same goods are reordered at the company's expense. For a batch worth thousands of dollars that beats any dispute with a carrier.
Mistake 9. You didn't prepare the documents
Goods without documents formally can't be imported or sold. To sell on Kaspi, Wildberries or Ozon you need proof of origin and conformity: usually an invoice and contract, a customs declaration and, for many categories, an EAEU certificate or declaration of conformity. Footwear, clothing, children's goods and some other categories also need mandatory marking in Kazakhstan and Russia — without it the marketplace will not accept the goods at its warehouse.
What to do. Find out your category's requirements before paying the supplier, not after the cargo arrives. Ask the factory in advance for what certification needs — composition, description, test reports. Or delegate customs clearance and certification help to ChinaGoGlobal — the cargo arrives with a set of documents for customs and the marketplace.
Mistake 10. You chose the supplier with the lowest price
This mistake sums up most of the others. The lowest price on 1688 is rarely the price for the same product: usually a different material, thinner plastic, fewer accessories, no packaging, or a price for an MOQ of ten thousand. Sometimes it's bait from a middleman who, once paid, says “that model is out of stock” and offers another — dearer.
What to do. Compare the landed cost at your warehouse, not the unit price: goods + delivery in China + packaging + international freight at volumetric weight + customs and certificates + losses on defects. A supplier 10% dearer but with proper packaging and stable quality often wins. See what makes up the cost of goods from China.
Checklist: how to avoid these mistakes
Run through this table before every new purchase, especially the first from a new supplier.
| Mistake | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| No supplier verification | License, payee matches the company, on-site audit for big orders |
| 100% prepayment | 30/70 terms in the contract, pay only the company account |
| No samples | Samples from 2–3 suppliers, reference recorded in the order |
| MOQ ignored | Price at your quantity, mixed batch, test via 1688 |
| No quality control | AQL inspection, photo and video report before dispatch |
| Weak packaging | Packaging spec in the order, repacking at the warehouse |
| Volumetric weight ignored | Carton dimensions from the factory, quote on both weights |
| No insurance | Insurance at 2% of the goods' value |
| No documents | Certificates and marking sorted before paying |
| Chosen on price | Compare landed cost at your warehouse |
The one-check rule
Between every payment and the next step there should be a check — documents, sample, batch, carton dimensions. It adds a few days, but those days separate a profitable purchase from a loss.
What you can hand to a sourcing agent
A buying agent in China handles what needs the language, local presence and Chinese payment tools. ChinaGoGlobal has been a sourcing agent since 2024 for sellers on Kaspi, Wildberries, Ozon and Amazon, wholesalers and manufacturers from Kazakhstan, Russia and the CIS, and covers the stages where money is most often lost:
- Supplier search and verification — shortlisting factories, checking documents, visiting the plant.
- Buying goods on 1688, Taobao, Pinduoduo, Alibaba or direct from a factory — no Alipay, no Chinese.
- Quality control with a photo and video report before dispatch.
- Warehouses and consolidation in China (Foshan, Guangzhou, Yiwu, Khorgos): receiving, counting, repacking, merging orders into one shipment.
- Shipping by air, road, truck, rail or sea, insurance at 2% of the goods' value.
- Customs, documents and certification — the cargo arrives with documents for marketplaces.
Fees and commission are quoted on request once a manager sees the task. The full list is on the services page.
Where to start
Planning a first purchase, or already burned by one of these? Message a manager on WhatsApp with product links (or a description), the quantity and the destination city — Almaty, Astana, Moscow or anywhere else. They will say which checks you need and quote buying, inspection and shipping.