How to pay on Alibaba

[danvalen]

Hi,

Is there anyone who could someone shed some light on Alibaba for me as I'm planning on buying from there for the first time?

I'd like to buy a batch of items worth around $US2000 and want to pay by Paypal by genuine credit card as it seems to be the safest way.

Do I go through Alibaba and click 'start order' and what happens then once I do?

Or do I ask the supplier for an invoice and then just send money straight to the seller through Paypal like that? If so, what kind of information does the invoice need to include in order to cover me?

Also, do I send money in USD currency or in default currency of GBP?

Thanks and sorry for the noobishness!

[muzzie]

It will create an account at AliPAy, which will be linked to your AliExpress / Alibaba account. Then it will be possible to pay with a CC. They accept any CC. Never ever pay the seller other than through the AliPay, as it guarantees Buyer Protection.
All prices are in USD, so your card will be charged in GBP, and then converted to USD by VISA internal exchange rate.

[danvalen]

Is it always the case that you click 'start order' on Alibaba, as in is it unsafe to send money to the seller's PayPal email address/account without 'starting an order'? If my Paypal account is empty and I use a credit card to fund the entire $2000 payment, will that cover me if the item doesn't arrive/arrives damage/they send something instead of what I bought? Thanks

[trosky]

I will talk to the supplier first A LOT and ask questions email back and forth and build a relationship before ordering. And after that I will do no more than $500 for the first order to cover yourself, and this is AFTER receiving a sample to make sure quality is good. Do not buy $2000 worth of product on first order, and never straight to their PayPal, go through alipay.

After a few orders you can work directly with the supplier if you want and always 30% first and rest after order is complete and ready to ship and pictures of product are received.

Follow this and you will cover yourself from most bad suppliers

[Callidus]

It's always best to message the seller first and then they will usually ask you to pay via a link (Alibaba)