Online businesses and markets are fast becoming the norm and people prefer online forums to make purchases rather than going to physical markets.
However, in addition to convenience, online markets also present a high chance of scamming. The scammer can easily disappear and the buyer is left without any leads to get back their money.
For this reason, it is essential to take precautions before making any purchase so that the online market can flourish with trust on all sides.
Alibaba.com has come up with a solution for this in the form of their Trade Assurance service.
Trade Assurance is a free service by Alibaba.com designed to create trust between suppliers and buyers. It is a protection service that ensures that one’s product is produced to the highest quality as the customer expected, and the payment is given on time.
If any issue arises between both parties, the representatives of Alibaba.com intervene to settle the dispute through the dispute resolution process. They are present through the whole process from investigation to mediation and reimbursement. Moreover, they also provide buyers with guarantees of Quick Refunds, Easy Return, and on-time delivery.
Before making a purchase, the customer is advised to look at the supplier’s Trade Assurance icon.
After negotiating the terms of your order, agree on the safeguards such as on-time shipment safeguards and pre-shipment product quality safeguards. These terms should be negotiated before signing the contract.
Alibaba is present as a mediator during all processes from purchase to shipment in the case of any contract breach.
This creates a sense of security for both parties and opens doors for future dealings as well.
If you are a buyer, then there are only four easy steps as listed below that you need to follow to make a secure purchase on Alibaba.com;
· You reach an agreement with the supplier, starting a Trade Assurance order.
· Pay through Alibaba.com and make an online payment or pay through a wire transfer.
· Once the payment is received, Alibaba lets the payment through to the supplier.
· In case of any issue with the order, the buyer can get refunds or compensation through Alibaba.com
Every payment made through Trade Assurance is encrypted and processed quickly in under 2 hours.
If you belong to an eligible country, you can take advantage of Alibaba’s Easy Return service to return faulty products for free.
Generally, disputes are uncommon on Alibaba.com but unexpected situations can arise anytime, so one has to make sure to be secure on all fronts. Alibaba recommends the buyer to:
· Make sure to work with suppliers covered under Trade Assurance
· All communication between buyers and suppliers should take place on Alibaba.com so that it can be monitored. The chat history can be used as evidence if a dispute occurs.
· The Trade Assurance contract should include product quantity, product specifications, and shipment information. Attachments of all specifications should be included as proof in case of disputes.
The On-time delivery ensures that you receive your order on time, otherwise, you may receive compensation. This step is important because it keeps the supplier attentive to the orders they ship for the customer through Alibaba.com. Furthermore, they also provide logistic services through which the buyer can track their order from anywhere in the world.
However, the customer has to make sure that if they wish to file a dispute, it should be done within 30 calendar days. For high-level buyers, they must not exceed 60 days before bringing up an issue with the order.
Alibaba Trade Assurance also provides after-sales protection which includes on-site installation, repair, and free replacement services for eligible products. Many buyers have reviewed and praised Alibaba.com for their trade assurance as they consider it a very secure process.
The Product Inspection Service is also included in Trade Assurance. It allows the buyer to demand a third-party inspection of the product before shipment.
Alibaba is also very flexible about where they receive the payment from. They allow credit/debit cards, Paypal, Apple Pay, and more through online checkout. They support over 20 currencies to save the customer from conversion fees on purchases.
In the case of cancellation of an order within 2 hours of payment and before shipment, the buyer can claim the full and immediate refund. Some countries included in their easy return policy are Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the Czech Republic.
To find Trade Assurance suppliers, the easiest way is to filter your search for Trade Assurance when searching for products. On the product details page, a comprehensive list of all protection provided by the supplier through Alibaba.com is given. The suppliers that fall under the Trade Assurance category have an icon next to their name on the storage or Messenger.
In the case of ready-to-ship products, the process of making an order is quite easy but for custom products, the supplier has to be contacted directly to settle a contract through Alibaba.com.
For refunds, the buyer has to apply on Alibaba.com, and once the application is approved, they generally refund you within 7 business days. However, it can also differ depending on your payment method.
In this manner, Alibaba.com has created a secure platform where both buyers and suppliers can place their trust in one common entity and carry out their dealings without the fear of being scammed.