How to get FREE Product Samples from Alibaba & Aliexpress & Dhgate
As someone who's worked with numerous suppliers and received a variety of products from both direct manufacturers and resellers, I know that the first step in starting an e-commerce business can be tricky—especially when it comes to getting those first products.
One of the most common questions I hear is how to score free product samples.
Today, I'll walk you through how to request free samples from AliExpress and Alibaba, so you can test products before committing to bulk orders.
Let's dive in!
Aliexpress Product Tester - Is it Legit?
Aliexpress is doing a LOT of giveaways recently because of the competition they've had since covid, I mean it makes sense.
If you reach out to a seller to showcase their products, more often than not, they will send you a free tester, provided you have a blog or a Youtube channel and so on.
I've personally got free cameras (Thanks Akaso), sneakers, phone accessories, gadgets and more. One thing I haven't experimented with is the makeup stuff, well because I don't use makeup.
But I reckon it should be a similar process too. Just mail the company directly or message the seller.
Get Free Product Samples via the AliExpress App
The AliExpress app for Android and iOS is a great place to request for free samples of your favorite products.
Requesting for samples is rather easy and all you have to do is install the app on your phone and raise a request to the seller. If approved, then the requested products (2 is the limit) will be added to your cart.
You can follow these steps to apply for free samples via the AliExpress app.
- Start by downloading the smartphone app from the App Store or Play Store.
- Login using your registered account.
- Now click on Freebies and Reviews in the app.
- Upon clicking this option, you will be able to view a list of items that you can request a sample of.
- Choose any two products and click on Apply for Free.
- On the next page, enter your billing and current address and then tap on the terms and conditions.
- Only after accepting the T&C will your request be sent to the manufacturer/seller.
Approval normally takes a little while
(approx 3 working days), so be patient while the seller goes through your request. You must also note that your aliExpress account should have a minimum of $0.01 as the balance before submitting the samples request.
Aliexpress Free Samples
To get free samples on Aliexpress, you can reach out to the seller on the chat platform. Every seller on Aliexpress can be contacted through chat whether you have purchased through them or not.
Why should you get samples?
If you are new to the game, then you need to understand that China doesn’t work in the same style as “What you see is what you get”. In a lot of cases, what you see on the product page is not what you receive. This can be due to various factors, but some of the most common factors are.
- The supplier has just copied the catalogue images of some other company
- The supplier’s products are not as good looking as the ones on the catalogue
- The supplier cannot be bothered about taking pictures of his products and uploading them online.
Now the truth of the matter is, you don’t know what you’re dealing with!
When you deal with a supplier to get a sample, you learn a lot more about the process.
- You know how the supplier communicates
- You understand about the shipment process and the time taken
- You understand how customs work in different scenarios,
- Finally, you know how the product is
This is why you should get samples.
How to get Free Samples From China
Well, there isn’t always a guarantee and don’t expect a supplier to ship an electric scooter as a free sample. A free sample generally works for smaller products. Some of the examples are
- Phone screen protectors
- Stickers
- Mugs
- Cables
- Chargers
But a supplier will go out of his way to avoid a free sample if they find you aren’t genuine enough. They deal with a lot of customers who are looking for free products every once in a while and they will be able to figure out who you are.
Here are some techniques to get a Free sample.
- First of all, be genuine with the way you deal with them. Here is an example of a bad way of dealing with your potential supplier - “I guarantee to give you a huge order if you give me a free sample”. A supplier is smart. If they know you have big money, why would you not pay for a sample?
- If the product value is less such as a screen protector. A supplier may send you one as a free sample as it doesn’t hurt them much. It costs them a few cents and there is nothing lost.
- If the product you are purchasing has numerous versions, you can ask the supplier to pack the different variations in one box and give you a standard rate for all of them. This is something they see as more genuine because you want to test the product range
- If you have a website. You can share the details of your website with them and show them the traffic that you get to allay their fears and it shows that you are genuine.
- You could also show screenshots of your interaction with other suppliers and tell them you are making a comparison and you have received the other supplier’s product and would like to test theirs.
- Offer to pay a reasonable amount for your samples the first time and when they do business with you, they will know you are genuine and provide you with free samples in the future.
Paying for a sample - Why and How?
If you are a serious buyer, then it makes sense to pay for a sample. This shows that you are genuinely interested and will make you stand apart among other people requesting the same thing. When you also pay for a sample, they take you more seriously and reply to you faster, giving you the best service.
If you are wasting time negotiating a free sample, then you aren’t on the right track. You would rather pay for the sample and then receive the product and form a good relationship with your supplier.
How much to pay for a sample?
This is where things get tricky and a lot of people feel they are being conned by their supplier. But the truth of the matter is, a lot of suppliers do charge retail rates even for sample products. They do this so that they can avoid retail customers trying to get a good deal.
The best way to deal with this is, pay for the sample with retail rates and if you are happy with the product, you can ask the supplier to refund the amount when you place a bulk order.
Most suppliers will be more than happy to do this, as they get a bulk order. So paying retail rates are not unheard of for a sample.
If you are getting a large number of samples, then you can request the supplier to charge you bulk rates that they would charge in case of a MOQ order.
The one thing you need to be careful when paying for a sample is the shipping cost. Shipping costs from China are generally inexpensive for small orders and take 15 to 20 days to reach you. If your supplier is charging anywhere over $50 for a small shipment then you need to be wary.
What is the safest way to pay on Alibaba for a sample?
Generally, most people pay for the samples using Paypal. Paypal is a trusted source by both the supplier and you and it’s a good method for transferring the amounts. The other methods for transferring are Western Union, but it isn’t a recommended channel. Before you pay, make sure you do research about the supplier and understand the clients they’ve dealt with, the work they’ve done. You can always ask them to send actual pictures of the product via chat before you even book a sample.
How to Get Free Product Samples from Alibaba
Alibaba has recently introduced the concept of 'Free Sample Center'. This is where sellers can participate in the programme to give away products to potential buyers.
You need to be a genuine buyer with a legitimate business to enrol in this program. Here are some rules for the Alibaba Free Sample Center. To avail free samples, this is what a buyer needs to do.
- Buyer needs to fill out an application with the company information and pass this information to the seller
- The seller will evaluate by their own accord, if the buyer is eligible or not
- If the buyer is eligible, then the seller and buyer will discuss the shipping costs
- The seller will then ship the sample.
How to request product samples from a supplier
In the screenshot above, we have a Alibaba page that has some pertinent details regarding the supplier. Here’s how to verify the supplier and get a free sample.
- Check the supplier's age in the marketplace: In this instance, it’s been 7 years, which is a good sign of longevity. This particular supplier is also verified and have assessed videos, pictures, factory inspection reports and verified production lines. This means it’s very likely that the supplier has pictures of their products, even though they might not uploaded it. You can ask for all these details from the supplier.
- Check the reviews for the supplier : Reviews are a clear tell tale sign of the staus of a supplier’s performance. They reply to 93.5% of their customers and under 24 hours. They also have a decent rating. You can see the majority of the business of this supplier is from Western Europe. This gives you an idea if they will be your ideal supplier based on location.
- Shipping Fee: The shipping fee might seem like a big amount. But when you click on it, you will see the shipping cost per piece. You can use this as a base to negotiate with the supplier
4. Contact Supplier: Finally when you are ready to get in touch with the supplier for a sample. Click on the ‘Contact Supplier’ button. Here you can fill a form with the details you require and give them some extra information that piques their curiosity and shows that you are genuine too.
The best part about this form is, you can choose to receive incoming messages from similar suppliers if this supplier doesn’t respond within the stipulated time, which gives them an impetus to reply quickly.
You can also upload your business card to the Alibaba website and have that shared with the supplier.
How to Get Free Dhgate Samples
One way to actually check and see the free sample stuff on Dhgate is to search for items with free samples like this link. Or search for "free samples" in the category you are looking for.
Free Samples from Manufacturers
Getting free samples from suppliers may seem like a fun thing to do, but its serious business. If you want to be taken seriously you cannot bargain for a free sample every time. A person who pays gets better service. So it's suggested to pay for your sample and build a better long term relationship with your supplier.
In terms of Alibaba, a few sellers have a minimum order quantity of 100 odd pieces and so on. And when it comes to high-end products, Alibaba sellers don't really give out free samples. In this case, you need to renegotiate and ask for a smaller minimum order quantity.
If you are looking for the best selling products on Alibaba, check it out here
Types of samples
There are various types of samples available on request, some are listed below.
Counter samples
A tried and tested method, this requires a customer to first send a sample of the product they wish to purchase in order to show the producer the quality expected, and will receive a counter sample made by the producer to test.
Factory sample
The easiest and quickest to source, these are readymade samples such as textiles and spare parts. These can be ordered to test the producers manufacturing quality.
Production samples
Usually for use by existing customers or government quality regulation agencies, these are random samples taken from a batch of in production goods, either for laboratory or functional testing.
Custom samples
Mainly made for customers with specific requirements, they are made from scratch and can sometimes be delayed. Today even 3D printed samples are available.
Virtual samples
It can be a 3D model with which various stress tests can be performed digitally, or a simple 2D rendering to know whether your design has been reproduced correctly.
FAQs
Can I get free samples on Alibaba?
Yes, free samples are available from most sellers, just drop them a message in the chat. Most will oblige with reasonable sample requests.
How long does it take to make product samples?
Depending on the complexity in the design of the product and materials needed, it can take anywhere between a week to a few months.
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