The Wholesale Forums

[Anthony]

Before you part with your hard earned cash, it is advisable to find out as much as possible about the goods you are about to buy.

When dealing with large, established wholesalers, whether you are buying online or visiting a wholesaler in person it is important to check the goods that you are purchasing, much like you would in a supermarket buying your weekly shopping. Handle the products and make sure that what you are buying is exactly as the wholesaler has described.

Don’t be afraid to open boxes and take the product out and get accustomed to what you are purchasing. The supplier shouldn’t be worried about you opening the boxes, unless of course it void’s certain warranty’s that are in place, if this occurs then make sure they give you a good reason why you can't open them.

It is important to take a slightly different approach when dealing with catalogue return or liquidator wholesalers. Although the price of products is usually lower that what you would pay if you were buying it new, quality and condition is usually varied. Remember that there had to be a reason for these products to be returned to these wholesalers for cheap liquidation, so make sure you know exactly what that is. For example, you might buy 10 CD Players that have minor scratches and no boxes with them, but the mechanics of the players are in new condition.

Examples of terms that some wholesale liquidators use;

“As New” – Usually an identical to the brand new product with possible visual impairment.

“Guaranteed Working” – Definitely working but appearance will be varied.

“Damaged or Broken” – Fairly self-explanatory, ensure that you understand this before you buy.

“Unchecked” – Be very cautious when buying “unchecked” goods, this usually means that the product you are buying can be any of the above, ie broken or brand new. It can be very mixed so proceed with extra caution if buying un-checked goods.

A tip;

If you are able to repair goods, ie you are an electronics expert there is a lot of money to be made if you buy mechanically broken items. Buy them – Fix them – Sell them….ebay would be an ideal place for this.

Communication and clear visibility to what you are buying is very important to understanding what you are buying. Remember that forums like this are places where you can discuss issues like this with others so don’t be afraid to post some questions.

Hope this helps a few,

Anthony