/Market Analysis & Strategy
Question
How do you pick a reliable supplier so your whole business doesn't die on shipping times and refunds?
Posted by •11/22/2025
One thing that really scares me about dropshipping is relying on suppliers I don't control.
I keep seeing horror stories about:
- Packages taking 30+ days to arrive
- Wrong items being sent
- No tracking updates
- Damaged products
- Suppliers ghosting when there's a problem
I'm still in the product research phase, but I don't want to choose a "winning" product and then have my whole brand destroyed because the supplier sucks.
What are your actual, practical rules for choosing a supplier?
- What minimum rating do you look for?
- How many orders/reviews is "safe"?
- Do you always order a sample first?
- Do you prefer AliExpress, CJ, Zendrop, or private agents?
If you've been burned before, what did you miss that you wish you checked earlier?
I keep seeing horror stories about:
- Packages taking 30+ days to arrive
- Wrong items being sent
- No tracking updates
- Damaged products
- Suppliers ghosting when there's a problem
I'm still in the product research phase, but I don't want to choose a "winning" product and then have my whole brand destroyed because the supplier sucks.
What are your actual, practical rules for choosing a supplier?
- What minimum rating do you look for?
- How many orders/reviews is "safe"?
- Do you always order a sample first?
- Do you prefer AliExpress, CJ, Zendrop, or private agents?
If you've been burned before, what did you miss that you wish you checked earlier?
3 Replies
•11/22/2025
This is gold. I was 100% just sorting by lowest price and calling it a day.
Didn't even think about having a backup supplier or actually testing their communication before running ads. Going to order samples first and treat the supplier like a real partner, not just a link on AliExpress.
Didn't even think about having a backup supplier or actually testing their communication before running ads. Going to order samples first and treat the supplier like a real partner, not just a link on AliExpress.
•11/22/2025
Also, don't sleep on the benefit of **paying a bit more** for a better supplier.
Newbies always choose the cheapest cost per unit, but:
- If you pay $1–$2 more per unit and get 7–10 day shipping instead of 25–30 days
- Your chargebacks drop
- Your PayPal/Stripe accounts stay healthy
- Your reviews are better
- Customers actually come back
You can literally charge $5 more on the front end for "Fast tracked shipping" and cover that difference.
Cheap suppliers are actually very expensive in the long run.
Newbies always choose the cheapest cost per unit, but:
- If you pay $1–$2 more per unit and get 7–10 day shipping instead of 25–30 days
- Your chargebacks drop
- Your PayPal/Stripe accounts stay healthy
- Your reviews are better
- Customers actually come back
You can literally charge $5 more on the front end for "Fast tracked shipping" and cover that difference.
Cheap suppliers are actually very expensive in the long run.
•11/22/2025
Biggest lesson I learned: **you're not just picking a product, you're picking a logistics partner**.
My personal checklist now:
1. **Order history & reviews**
- Minimum 1,000+ orders on that specific listing
- Rating 4.6+ stars
- Read the 3-star reviews (they're usually the most honest)
2. **Photo reviews**
- Look for real customer photos, not just the supplier pics
- Check if the product in real photos actually matches what you want to advertise
3. **Communication test**
- Message the supplier BEFORE you start selling:
- Ask about shipping times to your main country
- Ask what happens when a package is lost
- Ask if they can put your logo/thank-you card later
- If they reply with 1-word answers or take days to respond, move on.
4. **Shipping options**
- Avoid the cheapest "AliExpress Standard" only options if they're 20–30 days
- Look for lines that reliably do 7–15 days to your target country
- If 90% of your audience is US/EU, prioritise suppliers with local warehouses
5. **Test orders**
- Yes, always order at least 1 sample to yourself
- You're going to need content anyway (unboxing, photos, etc.)
- You'll see real shipping time + real packaging
6. **Backup supplier**
- Find at least 1 backup listing for the same product
- If your main supplier runs out or messes up, you can switch quickly
I lost about $800 in refunds on my first store because I went with the cheapest supplier with almost no reviews. Never again.
My personal checklist now:
1. **Order history & reviews**
- Minimum 1,000+ orders on that specific listing
- Rating 4.6+ stars
- Read the 3-star reviews (they're usually the most honest)
2. **Photo reviews**
- Look for real customer photos, not just the supplier pics
- Check if the product in real photos actually matches what you want to advertise
3. **Communication test**
- Message the supplier BEFORE you start selling:
- Ask about shipping times to your main country
- Ask what happens when a package is lost
- Ask if they can put your logo/thank-you card later
- If they reply with 1-word answers or take days to respond, move on.
4. **Shipping options**
- Avoid the cheapest "AliExpress Standard" only options if they're 20–30 days
- Look for lines that reliably do 7–15 days to your target country
- If 90% of your audience is US/EU, prioritise suppliers with local warehouses
5. **Test orders**
- Yes, always order at least 1 sample to yourself
- You're going to need content anyway (unboxing, photos, etc.)
- You'll see real shipping time + real packaging
6. **Backup supplier**
- Find at least 1 backup listing for the same product
- If your main supplier runs out or messes up, you can switch quickly
I lost about $800 in refunds on my first store because I went with the cheapest supplier with almost no reviews. Never again.