DHGate is probably the best-known alternative to AliExpress, along with eBay and Wish, regarding products imported directly from China. Although the page is quite well known in the United States and China, the truth is that the platform’s name is quite unknown in Spain, Mexico, and the rest of the Latin American countries. For this reason, there are not exactly a few users who wonder if DHGate is reliable. Do the shipments arrive? What opinions do your users have? Is it safe? Let’s see what DHGate is and what are its advantages and disadvantages.
THREE REASONS WHY DHGATE IS SAFE
Are you looking to give away cheap clothes for Christmas? Maybe a compliment for your mobile? Or a soccer horse riding of your favorite team? It is not for nothing that DHGate is the largest portal for Chinese imports, along with AliExpress. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why DHGate is safe.
HE HAS 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Created in 2005, it did not arrive in Spain until a few years had passed. Together with the Alibaba group, currently responsible for AliExpress, it is one of the most important import platforms for Chinese products today.
To assess a product’s quality, always consult other users’ comments.
The website also operates in wholesale purchases, one of the distributors with the highest sales volume worldwide.
THE RETURNS AND COMPLAINTS SYSTEM WORKS QUITE WELL.
Although the customer service is not as efficient as the page promises (we will talk about this later), the truth is that the returns and complaints system is usually quite effective.
If we present a complaint about an order or item we have made on the page, it usually dictates a positive response if the seller does not respond to our request. If we are going to make a return, the process is quite simple and comparable even to the Amazon service.
PAYMENT METHODS ARE SAFE
Although, indeed, the web does not have PayPal as a payment method, the truth is that the native DHGate payment gateway is secure. In addition to being encrypted, credit card data is not shared with any other company-owned server.
FOUR REASONS WHY DHGATE IS UNRELIABLE
Not all the bush is oregano, even less if we are talking about a buying and selling platform whose experience depends not on a professional service but on sellers outside of DHGate. Let’s look at some of the reasons why DHGate is not secure.
DOES NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A PAYMENT METHOD
We have said it on many occasions: PayPal is the safest online payment method. This is because the PayPal service has insurance that allows us to claim the amount owed if the company does not respond to our claims.
Shipping errors, broken items, packages that do not arrive at their destination… Unfortunately, DHGate does not support this payment method. Neither AliExpress nor other import platforms.
THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE DEPENDS ON THE SELLER
Like eBay and AliExpress, the shopping experience within the platform is entirely up to the seller. DHGate is limited to acting as an intermediary when carrying out transactions between the buying and selling parties.
Always take a look at the seller’s rating before buying a product.
For this reason, from the tuexperto.com team, we strongly recommend consulting the average rating of the sellers before purchasing on the Chinese website.
SHIPMENTS DO NOT MEET ESTABLISHED DEADLINES
Again, another of the factors why DHGate is not reliable depends entirely on third parties. By not having a single courier service, the experience when sending items to their destination may vary from one seller to another. Also, from one product to another: the higher its value, the more likely it will be withheld at customs.
However, the general trend of DHGate’s opinions confirms that the delivery time is usually much longer than that indicated on the platform itself. From four weeks to three months and even four and five in some cases.
CUSTOMER SERVICE LEAVES TO BE DESIRED
The options for submitting a complaint or claim to DHGate customer service vary. The platform’s first option is based precisely on contacting the buyer directly. If there is no response from the latter, the DHGate service will act as a mediator to act as a judge when issuing a sentence.
The problem is that the system usually leaves a lot to be desired. Automated responses, emails that do not get a response, and contradictory indications state that most users have had a problem with vendors outside the web and have filed a complaint with the DHGate service.
CONCLUSION: IS DHGATE RELIABLE?
If we limit ourselves to talking only about DHGate, we can affirm that the platform is secure. It is for the security of your payments and the options it offers to process a complaint. Customer service is quite limited, although we will not have to resort to it unless the seller does not respond to us or we want to raise the complaint with the company to obtain objective mediation.
Another of the great drawbacks of the web is that the delivery period is quite long. It also does not accept PayPal as a payment method, like AliExpress and the rest of the import pages. Roughly speaking, we can safely conclude that DHGate is safe, although, from tuexperto.com, we recommend analyzing the products to buy and evaluating the sellers.
If we buy products with a cost exceeding 100 euros, the best option is to resort to stores based in Europe that offer a series of guarantees. Nothing that we do not recommend with other platforms of this type.
I am a writer with eight years of experience writing in business and technology. I always carry a passion for learning and discovering new knowledge.