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Welcome to a solo exporters [music]
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Today, let's talk about a supplier trap
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that is very difficult to handle in the
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real [music] world of international
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trade. A dangerous supplier rarely looks
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like [music] an obvious scammer.
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In fact, they often look highly
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Their website looks great.
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Their product [music] photo look real.
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Their sales people respond quickly.
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Their quotation looks perfect and
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The communication feels smooth.
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And this is why exactly why many foreign
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buyers [music] get trapped.
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At the beginning, the supplier seem
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experienced. They understand what you
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want. They [music] answer your questions
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They may even sound more professional
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than other suppliers you have spoken to.
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comes to a price negotiation.
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Let's assume the order value is not
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huge, maybe a few hundred dollars,
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>> just a small trial order. You push for a
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heavy discount. And surprisingly,
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they accepted without much hesitation.
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At this [music] stage,
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buyer need to be honest with himself.
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If you don't understand the real
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production cost, and you are only
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negotiating based on [music] a gut
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the supplier can read you very quickly.
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They can [music] tell whether you are an
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experienced buyer or not.
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If they realize [music] you don't
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understand the product,
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the cost, the material, you may become
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an easy target. Because now they know
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you [music] are negotiating, but they
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you don't really know what you are
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negotiating about. So, you [music] pay
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the deposit, and then that's exactly
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when the relationship change.
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Before payment, they were very
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After payment, if you don't contact
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them, they don't contact you. No [music]
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updates. No clear production milestones.
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Eventually, the delivery date arrives.
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"Is the order ready?" And then suddenly,
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"The materials have been delayed.
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The factory schedule is full.
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There is an issue with the packaging.
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>> One delay leads to another. One excuse
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>> But here is the critical part. They
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they will not deliver. [music]
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They never disappear completely.
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They just keep telling you, "Don't
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worry. We're working on it." And that is
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why this trap is so frustrating. A
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delayed self is not always a red flag.
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The real problem is a delay with no
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concrete solution. If you lose your
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patience and say, "Fine, cancel the
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order and return my [music] deposit."
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They may simply reply,
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"We've already prepared the materials.
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The deposit is non-refundable." But if
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you keep waiting, you may still never
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receive your goods. So,
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what's the real game here? [music] The
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goal is not always to run away with your
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The goal is to keep delaying you until
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[music] you eventually give up. Because
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the order value is relatively small,
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they know you are unlikely to file a
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The legal fee may cost more than the
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order itself. You might think [music]
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about calling the police, but in many
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cases, this looks like a contract
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not a clear case of criminal fraud. This
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is exactly why having a reliable partner
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on the ground in China [music] matters.
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If your supplier knows you have a
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trusted representative in China,
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someone who can visit, inspect,
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>> verify, and follow up locally, these
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games become much harder to play. In
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trust is important, but control is
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everything. Thanks for watching. This is
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your Solo [music] Export Whispers,
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breaking down the reality of the Chinese