Download the Ali Baba app in Russian. How to buy on Alibaba: step by step instructions. Therefore, the general algorithm of work for you will be as follows
Alibaba.com– a unique business application for operating system Android. Allows you to interact with the Alibaba.com marketplace. Alibaba allows you to wholesale millions of products around the world. Many manufacturers from China and other countries offer their goods and services. It is for mobile access to this resource that the application is needed.
Alibaba.com is a great and balanced program with a nice and intuitive interface. Its purpose is full access to the Alibaba site, communication with other users and transactions. The application will be very useful for representatives of both small and large businesses, wholesalers and resellers, intermediaries and importers. Its rich functionality allows you to make communication and orders with suppliers more pleasant and efficient.
Peculiarities:
- Weight of products available for order;
- Convenient sorting by product categories, delivery type and many other parameters;
- Ability to create "Bookmarks" - important goods and sellers;
- Communication with partners in real time;
- Applications for goods are made almost instantly using text, graphics, video or audio request.
- Mobility allows you to resolve all issues as quickly as possible;
- Accounting for logistics in orders;
- Intelligent protection from the trading platform - will protect against scammers and unscrupulous entrepreneurs.
The application is installed as standard and does not require additional actions. Requires network access to function correctly. An excellent solution for all users who actively use or intend to use Alibaba. Very comfortable and quality product.
Download business application Alibaba for Android you can follow the link below.
Developer: Alibaba Mobile
Platform: Android (Varies by device)
Interface language: English
Condition: Free (Free)
Root: Not Needed
The Internet is full of possibilities. With it, you can not only communicate and relax, but also make purchases. For example, mass. This operation does not require special knowledge. But there are exceptions. Ordering online is more difficult when it comes to international trading platforms. Today we will figure out how to buy on Alibaba. What kind of service is this anyway? What tips and tricks will help you buy products from this site? With the right approach, the process will not cause much trouble to users.
About the site
What is Alibaba? It is one of the leading wholesale buying services in the world. This page is a kind of trading platform. Here, suppliers can offer their products to users.
Alibaba is not an online store, although some people call it that way. On the service, users ask questions to suppliers, form orders, study the products offered. And manufacturers create product descriptions, upload their photos and answer questions.
On Alibaba, you can order both wholesale and retail. The main thing is to know how to make purchases. After all, we will not have to deal with an online store, in which everything is extremely simple and clear.
Briefly about orders
How to buy on Alibaba? To begin with, it is worth understanding what actions the whole procedure boils down to. At the same time, it does not matter what kind of purchase we are talking about - piece or wholesale. The algorithm of actions will be the same in both cases.
How to buy wholesale and retail on Alibaba? You must adhere to the following steps:
- Register for the service.
- Log in to your account using user-created authorization data.
- Find the right product.
- Submit an inquiry with clarifications about the product.
- Negotiate the terms of the deal and confirm the purchase.
In other words, the user does not put the product in the shopping cart. He sends the corresponding request to the manufacturer. 
In addition to the proposed algorithm, you can buy on Alibaba in another way. Namely - place your request on the site in the form of an ad and wait. Then the producers themselves will send proposals for a deal.
Registration
The first thing you should pay attention to is registration. Without it, it will not be possible to bring the idea to life. Every user who wants to figure out how to buy on Alibaba must go through this process.
Registering on Alibaba comes down to the following steps:
- Go to Alibaba.com.
- In the upper left corner, click on the "Register" button.
- Fill in the fields of the future profile. Here you need to specify: full name of the customer, company name, phone number in international format, email and password to enter. You also need to enter the verification code from the picture.
- Select profile status. You can become a supplier, a customer, or both at the same time.
- Click on the "Submit" button.
Ready! All that remains now is to follow the profile activation link. It will come by email.
How to buy on Alibaba retail or wholesale? Now you can consider in more detail each stage of the order formation.
About search
How to buy on Alibaba? As already mentioned, you need to find a product on the marketplace. It is possible both to search through a special line of the service, and to form a personal request. In the first case, the user will view ready-made offers, in the second case, suppliers themselves offer products.
Searching for products on Alibaba comes down to the algorithm:
- Open the service website. It is advisable to log in with your username and password.
- Enter in the search bar (it is located at the top of the page) the name of the product of interest.
- Click on the "Find" button.
No further action is required. A list of ready-made offers will appear on the screen. You can select a product from a specific supplier. 
Sometimes it happens that the search result is null. But this does not mean that Alibaba does not have suitable products. There are some tips you need to follow to increase your chances of a successful product search.
Namely:
- Reduce the number of words in the search query. The more concise and precise it is, the higher the chances of a successful search.
- It is desirable not to form too precise and specialized queries.
- One request - one item. It is not possible to search multiple products at once on Alibaba. The results of the operation will be inaccurate.
- It is not recommended to write the country of origin in requests. For this purpose it is necessary to use a search filter.
- Words like "supplier", "seller" and so on do not need to be written in the search bar.
- If you could not find the desired product, you must remove all quotes from the query. Sometimes they make it difficult to find the right product.
- You can exclude all queries with a certain word from the results. To do this, before the corresponding inscription you need to put "-". For example, "cosplay costume - Yuna". In this case, all requests containing "Yuna" will be deleted.
You can increase the chances of a successful product search by creating a purchase request. This is a kind of ad in which a person indicates the product that he needs, as well as the conditions under which the product will be purchased.
Choose a product
How to buy on Alibaba retail or wholesale? After the user makes a search, he will be on the page with the results of processing the operation. The selection page is a list of offers from suppliers. All companies working with Alibaba are registered on the service.
To simplify the search for specific products, you can use a special filter. It is located on the left side of the page. With its help, a clarification is introduced for a specific product. For example, you can select the country of origin, color and size.
Below the search bar is the Suppliers field. Here you can leave only offers from sellers with one or another status. The following options are possible:
- Free Member - a provider with a free account. Many recommend not to buy from such sellers. Fraudsters are often found among them.
- Gold Supplier - sellers with verified online data. Such suppliers can already be considered for further cooperation.
- Assessed Supplier - verified sellers who have been verified by the Alibaba representative office. These are 100% working organizations.
On the left side of the search page, the user can view information about the company. Here you can see the legal address of the seller, responses to applications, the number of transactions. 
Product data
Once all the previously listed steps have been completed, you can select a specific offer and study it. To open information about a product, you must click on the corresponding block in the search results. You can click on the photo.
The product information will appear on the screen in expanded form. You can also see photos of the offer here.
Supplier contact
How to buy on Alibaba without intermediaries? The next step is to contact the supplier. This step allows you to specify the details of the order. For example, find out the exact price of a product or find out the terms of product delivery. Some providers do not work with certain countries. In this case, the order will not be available to the user.
In total, there are several ways to contact the seller:
- Use the "Submit Request" feature. Here you need to write your questions about the product.
- Start placing an order. To do this, you need to click on the appropriate line.
- take advantage third party program to communicate with vendors. You need to download and install the Trade Manager app for yourself. Next, the user finds the right supplier and asks him about the products.
As a rule, it is the first option that is used most often in practice. How to buy on Alibaba?
Forming a request
To do this, the seller must believe in the reliability of the buyer and answer all his questions. After all, Alibaba is a trading platform with which many serious companies cooperate. I don't want to waste time on those who are not really going to buy anything. Therefore, you have to adhere to some rules for writing queries.
To contact a seller on Alibaba, you need:
- Log in to the site with your username and password.
- Search for products and select a specific product.
- Click on the "Submit Request" button.
- In the window that appears, write a letter to the seller.
- Click on the "Submit" button.
- Wait for an answer.
This algorithm of actions helps to contact the suppliers of a particular product. But what are the rules for a quick response? 
A user submitting a request to sellers on Alibaba must:
- Write text only in English. It is advisable to use short and clear sentences.
- Write complete information about yourself - personal data, position, what company the user represents, region of residence, field of activity.
- Describe the specific product (what you need) - color, size, features, estimated purchase volume.
- Ask questions about the minimum quantity of products for the formation of an order, as well as the cost of goods in a particular case.
If the user does not know English, it will help him Google translate or other online translators.
Message center
Further communication with the supplier will take place through the message center. It can be accessed by selecting the appropriate line in the "My profile" menu.
The message center works like an email or instant messenger. This service is the area of trade formation. Here you can conclude a contract online or download a finished contract. If it is not a dropshipping, you need to click on "Place an order online".
Order formation
How to buy on Alibaba? After the person contacts the supplier, you can place an order. To do this, in the product window you need to click on the "Order" button. Or, as already mentioned, click on "Place order".
The user will have a form of bargaining with the seller. This field specifies the quantity of goods, their cost and terms of delivery. All that remains for the user is to click on the "Confirm order" button. If the seller agrees to the deal, he will quickly respond to the request. 
Delivery
Now it is more or less clear how to buy on Alibaba. Free shipping is here. The fact is that when placing an order, this feature must be given special attention.
The buyer must complete the delivery form. It indicates the date of receipt of the goods and the time allotted to the seller for the formation of the order. Alibaba usually use FOB. In this case, the shipping cost includes all shipping costs.
But there is also free shipping. Some suppliers in bulk purchases do not require the buyer to pay extra for the transportation of products.
You can use mail order or express delivery. Such services are more expensive.
There is no customs fee for delivery if the total value of the order does not exceed 1,000 euros. It is important to remember that customs services themselves can evaluate products. Therefore, all the features of free shipping must be agreed with the seller.
Choosing a payment method
How to buy on Alibaba? The step-by-step instructions presented earlier imply the completion of the operation by paying for the goods. In Russia, today you can use only 2 ways to deposit funds. The product payment window will open after the user enters the delivery data.
Residents of the Russian Federation can pay for orders on Alibaba:
- by bank transfer - recommended when using the order for commercial purposes;
- by credit card - if the goods are paid by the piece or are not subject to duties.
As soon as the customer chooses a payment method, he will have to indicate the details of either a bank account or a credit card. All that remains now is to click on the "Confirm Order" button.
Private individuals
That's all. Now it is clear how Alibaba works. How to buy for a private person here? It is enough to adhere to the previously proposed algorithms. Difficulties may arise when registering a new user, but nothing more. 
Many users prefer to use the services of intermediaries. These are companies that order in bulk from Alibaba and other Chinese services. In this case, you will need:
- Contact an intermediary.
- Specify the product on Alibaba that you want to buy.
- Discuss the terms of cooperation.
- Pay for the services of an intermediary and deposit money for the order.
- Wait for the goods and receive it within the specified time.
How to buy on Alibaba without intermediaries and unnecessary problems? Many say that individuals cannot independently make purchases on this service. A similar site called "AliExpress" has been created for them.
Results
Now it's clear how Alibaba.com works. How to buy for a private person here? You can register as an individual entrepreneur and make regular orders. Or just register on the service and coordinate purchases with suppliers.
However, if you want to buy goods on Alibaba, it is better to use the services of intermediaries. Sellers on the marketplace studied rarely work with private individuals. With intermediaries, ordinary people are more likely to buy a particular product.
Hello. In the last article, I briefly talked about . And one of the options was the Alibaba website. In this article, we, together with Alibaba employees, have prepared instructions on how to search, buy and order goods on Alibaba. The instructions are detailed and understandable. But additions to this instruction will soon be released, in which some points will be analyzed in more detail.
About Alibaba
Alibaba is the leading international bulk purchasing platform serving millions of customers and suppliers around the world. With Alibaba, entrepreneurs can ship their goods to companies in other countries.
Suppliers (exporters) publish information about themselves and their products (including photos, detailed descriptions, specifications, delivery terms, etc.) on the Alibaba website.
Buyers (importers) search for goods and suppliers on the site, send requests for prices and negotiate deliveries.
Alibaba is not a store! This is a platform where suppliers publish their products!
Briefly about ordering on Alibaba
Now I will talk briefly, and then we will go over in more detail. Alibaba has a collection of suppliers' products that you can buy. The whole point of the site is as follows:
- You register on the site;
- Find the right product;
- Send a request for more information on prices and conditions;
- If everything suits you, then make a deal.
Those. here you do not add goods to the basket, but send requests to suppliers!
But you can also place your order on the site in the form of an ad and receive offers from suppliers. Well, now let's talk in detail about all the processes.
Product search
There are two approaches to purchasing from Alibaba. You can use the search function to find the product you are interested in, or you can leave a buyer's request yourself and wait for a response from suppliers.
Searching for products is pretty simple:
- open Alibaba home page
- Enter the name of the product you are interested in in the search bar
- Click the "Search" button
Tips for using search:
- If the results are not suitable, try reducing the number of words in the query. For example, instead of "carbon fiber bike frame" try searching for "bicycle frame".
- Avoid overly specific or specialized queries such as "4X4 Honda ATV".
- Look for only one item at a time.
- Don't include the name of a country or region in your search, such as "shoes China". For these purposes, use the filters in the search options.
- Do not include the words "supplier", "seller" and so on in the request, for example, "shoe seller".
- For precise searches, use quotation marks (" "), such as "power adapter".
- If you didn't find what you were looking for, try removing quotes from the query (e.g. power adapter)
- To exclude results with a specific word, use a minus sign in front of that word. For example, querying power adapter -usb will exclude results containing the word "usb" from the search.
You will increase your chances of finding the right product and supplier if you additionally place a Purchase Request. Purchase Request - A free ad that is displayed to vendors. In it you can specify what exactly you are looking for and under what conditions.
In addition, there are 12 categories on the main page, browsing through which you can get acquainted with the latest in the industry and get new business ideas.
Product selection
When you search through the search bar or by category, you somehow end up on the search results page. All products on the page are provided by suppliers registered on Alibaba. Please remember that Alibaba does not supply goods itself.
On the left side of the screen there are filters that make it easier to find the right product. With their help, you can choose, for example, color, size or country of origin of the goods.
Immediately after the search bar and navigation, there is a supplier filter that allows you to leave suppliers with the status you need.
- Free Member- free account. Do not buy from these vendors!!!
- Gold Supplier- Suppliers with verified data online. Does not give a 100% guarantee, but can already be considered for cooperation.
- Assessed Supplier— verified suppliers who have been verified by a company representative who went to the production site, personally checked all the documents, made video and photo reports. These are the most reliable suppliers and you can safely buy from them.
In addition, on the left side of the search page, you can find basic information about the supplier of each product. You are presented with its legal name, statuses, the number of recent transactions and the percentage of response to applications.
For example, for the product in the screenshot, we see that the name of the supplier is "Shenzhen Kingkong Electronics Co. Ltd., has been a Gold Supplier for 7 years, has been purchased 2 times in the last month, and responds to 71.9% of incoming messages. To send a request to this supplier, just click the orange "Send Message" button.
To the right of the photo is a block of information about the product. Please note that prices are for guidance only and you should write to the supplier for the most up-to-date information.
Product information
Want to know more about a product? Click on the photo to go to the product page, which contains pictures, its characteristics and description.
In the right part of the product description page there is a block of information about the supplier.
We recommend placing orders with supported vendors Trade Assurance(yellow fortress icon with a dollar sign in the middle). Then you can protect yourself to the maximum from force majeure circumstances.
Price clarification
To find out the price of a product, you need to write to the supplier. Since Alibaba is a platform for business, the cost of goods from contract to contract may vary. It depends, first of all, on the planned batch of purchase of each item, further plans of partners and the situation on the market.
There are three ways to contact a supplier:
- Submit an inquiry - if you need to start a conversation with a supplier, learn more about a product, or request a catalog. How to correctly present your company to the supplier, and what information about the product you need to specify can be found here.
- Start an order - in case you are sure that this product is exactly what you need and you want to go directly to the auction.
- The third option is to chat with the supplier through the Trade Manager program. Please take into account the time difference with the supplier.
In order for the seller to understand the seriousness of your intentions and answer you in as much detail and as quickly as possible, you need to correctly compose and send a request. It must contain the necessary information, namely:
- Information about you (what is your name, what position do you hold) and about the company (what company do you represent, what industry do you work in, region, etc.);
- Description of the product you need (quality, color, size, specifications, your planned purchase quantity, etc.);
- Questions about price and minimum possible lot of purchase (MOQ).
After sending the request, the supplier needs some time to respond. When the supplier responds, Alibaba will notify you via e-mail that you specified during registration.
Placing an order
Now let's start placing an order and work with it.
Message center
After receiving a response from the supplier, your next place to negotiate is the Message Center. In order to get to the message center, you must click on the appropriate link in the "My profile" drop-down menu on the main page.
The message center works according to the logic of an electronic mailbox. By opening a message from your supplier, you get to your trade center with him, in which the deal will be concluded. Next, we will explore the message center from top to bottom point by point:
In the message center, you negotiate the points of the contract with the supplier. You can do it online or download a ready-made contract. If you are entering into a supply contract directly with the supplier, upload it to your trade center with the supplier. Otherwise, select the "Place an order online" option.
Order
In this part, the bargaining with the supplier takes place. Select the quantity, and desired unit price, and click Confirm Order. In case the supplier agrees with your terms, he will also confirm the order. Otherwise, he will introduce favorable conditions for him, and will wait for your answer.
The final version of the order is the one that was confirmed by both parties.
In addition, you can add other products and services to your order from both the Alibaba catalog and other sources.
Delivery
Pay close attention to this item. You need to fill in the agreed shipment date or the number of days that you give the supplier to ship the shipment after it is ready.
ATTENTION: before confirming the order, make sure that you have agreed with the supplier on the date of cargo readiness and that it corresponds to that indicated in the trade center.
As a rule, suppliers sell wholesale lots of goods on FOB terms. In this case, the price includes all expenses until the cargo is put on board the ship at the port of departure. Further organization of delivery is the responsibility of the buyer. If you do not have experience in logistics, it is recommended to contact a logistics company. Logisticians are provided with contacts of the supplier or agent in China, which the supplier has appointed, and then they organize the delivery. In addition, logistics companies can offer their own delivery and payment scheme, which will help reduce overall costs.
Therefore, the general algorithm of work for you will be as follows:
- Search for a supplier and discussion of conditions
- Obtaining a preliminary packing list with prices, sizes, weights and names of goods by item
- Search for a logistics partner in Russia, calculation of delivery and customs duties
- Conclusion of the contract and payment via TT
- Providing the necessary data to logisticians.
- Delivery to the agreed point
It is also possible to send by mail or express delivery services, but it will be much more expensive. Express delivery service will invoice you for customs duties. The possibility of sending the goods by express services must be discussed with the supplier.
If the value of the cargo does not exceed 1000 euros, then no customs fee is charged, but it is worth remembering that the value of the cargo is determined by the customs database.
We will have a separate guide on logistics, but I can’t tell you when yet.
Payment
Currently, 2 types of payment are available for Russia:
- Telegraphic transfer (TT, bank transfer) - recommended for any commercial (for profit) consignment.
- Payment by credit card - when paying for orders of 1 piece, samples or batches not subject to customs duties.
Conditions
In the conditions field, describe all the characteristics of the product in as much detail as possible. Also, any other information for the supplier can be included here.
Conclusion
Well, that's the whole process of ordering goods on Alibaba. It seems that it is difficult, but having tried 1 time, in the future it will be easier. The most important thing is to immediately find a logistics (transport) company. There are a lot of them now. Call and check the terms.
If you have questions, ask in the comments. I will try to answer them and involve Alibaba employees in communicating with you. Also, stay tuned for a few more articles on working with Alibaba.
