When you live in a western country it’s difficult to come up with a unique idea for a wedding favour that is personal, different and good value for money. I’ve seen people travel to Pakistan and India to buy favours in bulk but there’s a problem with that – luggage allowance! How much can you bring, especially when wedding clothes weigh so much! The next best option is to buy online but buying in quantities reaching hundreds does not come cheap. The best place to look is a website where businesses trade; It’s here that you’ll find good products, the best price and companies which deliver very large packages on a regular basis. You need to deal with companies who have this experience. In this case, the best place to look is a website called Alibaba.com – but, you also need to be careful and below is how:

  1. Request Samples
    Always request a sample (even if you have to pay for this). Through this you will be able to ask for a variety of versions of the product, you will be able to make sure the seller definitely supplies the product advertised and you will be able to assess the quality of the product. Also, you will be able to see whether the product is packaged correctly or whether it might break during shipping. For my wedding favours I ordered crystal lotus’ from China. I ordered a sample which broke before reaching me. I then spoke to the seller and made sure they wrapped each lotus individually in bubble wrap. By the end I was a happy customer.
  2. Do your background checks
    Once you find out the company name, look up their website and see if they’re legit. Check them out on as many social media channels as possible and read as many reviews as you can. The biggest tip here – make sure they let you pay through Paypal! If they don’t give you this option, it’s a no go!
  3. Negotiate
    This can take months. You may have to communicate back and forth with a trader but make sure you negotiate until you definitely reach the lowest price. Since you’re behind your phone/laptop screen, it’s the easiest way to negotiate. There’s no face to face, you can propose any price as a starting point and you don’t have to worry about how the other person will react. Negotiating doesn’t get any easier!
  4. Double check any potential shipping costs
    Try and make sure all costs are clear from the start. Sellers may not mention shipping costs in fear that you won’t go ahead with the purchase. For bulk orders shipping costs can reach a good few hundred dollars/pounds sterling (depending on which currency you’re trading in). The last thing you want it to pay for the whole purchase then the trader message you again asking for the shipping cost which was never mentioned at the start. By this point you can’t get your money back and you have no choice but to pay since you want your product(s).
  5. Use Google Translate
    Chances are when dealing on Alibaba you’ll be speaking to people from various different countries. To avoid miscommunication why not use Google translate. Type your message in English but also copy and paste the translated message from Google Translate and send that to the trader at the same time. There’s no harm if they understand the message in both languages, but you won’t be happy if they misinterpret your message in English only because it’s not their first language. Try and make your transaction fool-proof!