Reputable Irish sourcing agents

celticmicky

I'm looking to source a product from China and have it shipped to Ireland. With no experience in importing I would like to get help from a sourcing company.

Can anyone recommend a sourcing agent or company based in Ireland?

Thanks

Peterdalkey

What kind of product is it, many specialise in retail/consumer, others in industrial or by industry.

celticmicky

celticmicky wrote: »

I'm looking to source a product from China and have it shipped to Ireland. With no experience in importing I would like to get help from a sourcing company.

Can anyone recommend a sourcing agent or company based in Ireland?

Thanks

You'll be cutting your margins a lot using an agent, probably 15% off the top which can be the difference between winning and losing.
Just contact a few factories in China via Ali Baba, get some due diligence about current clients and order some samples of what you need. Then you should be able to make a judgement on the efficiency and potential quality. And then make sure you have an order contract in place so they they have to refund you any damaged or below quality goods that may arrive in the main order.

RUDOLF289

Deleted User wrote: »

You'll be cutting your margins a lot using an agent, probably 15% off the top which can be the difference between winning and losing.
Just contact a few factories in China via Ali Baba, get some due diligence about current clients and order some samples of what you need. Then you should be able to make a judgement on the efficiency and potential quality. And then make sure you have an order contract in place so they they have to refund you any damaged or below quality goods that may arrive in the main order.

Hello CelticMicky and El Rifle,

Sure, Ali Baba is an option, however, it is also littered with bad examples. Problem is, if there is a problem, how do you enforce a contract with a Chinese Supplier ? 8000 miles away (give or take) and a legal system that is at best opaque ?

Sure, a sourcing agent will make a living. However, they know they way in China. They have access to a wide range of suppliers across a multiple of industries. They speak the language, understand the culture and may be able to source at a cheaper price to begin with. The most important aspect is, you deal with people in this timezone, that are only up the road and that you can hold accountable in case of problems.

I know a few reputable sourcing companies and I will respond to your PM Celticmicky later today.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

RUDOLF289

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Hello CelticMicky and El Rifle,

Sure, Ali Baba is an option, however, it is also littered with bad examples. Problem is, if there is a problem, how do you enforce a contract with a Chinese Supplier ? 8000 miles away (give or take) and a legal system that is at best opaque ?

Sure, a sourcing agent will make a living. However, they know they way in China. They have access to a wide range of suppliers across a multiple of industries. They speak the language, understand the culture and may be able to source at a cheaper price to begin with. The most important aspect is, you deal with people in this timezone, that are only up the road and that you can hold accountable in case of problems.

I know a few reputable sourcing companies and I will respond to your PM Celticmicky later today.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

I dont disagree with what your saying Rudolf, and perhaps for someone starting off if might be a better idea to do what your saying. But I have shipped a variety of things from china and had a variety of success, it just depends on how you deal with the problems. Its also hard for an agent to do quality control if its an irish company based in Ireland that is doing it. Because they aren;t making the stuff and they aren't packing it.

One order of 10,000 tote bags for example came totally different then the approved samples, different colours, all creased etc, totally useless. The company tried to tell me a poor student had made this mistake and that he would lose his job and a variety of woe is me tales so I wouldnt push for a refund.
I told them I was reporting to them to the central government in Beijing and starting a case against them immediately and they would never be able to sell outside of China again. I had a full refund within two weeks

A couple of weeks later vis a vis some emails I shouldn't have seen I realised the boss of the factory had made up this student and was pretending to be him to not give a refund. So my overall recommendation is go direct but just be very tough about it.

Peterdalkey

I have used a couple of Rudolphs contacts for a very technical and difficult intermediate processed raw material. we have has trial lots and the process is ongoing, the issues have been with what Chinese think is acceptabe and our required specs/quality.
I had been searching and tryong new Chinese suppliers off my own bat but was about to give up, having wated a good few grand on shipping in rubbish trials ( 1-2 tons at a time). Rudi's guys brought some interesting new guys that I had never identified to the table.

Hopefully we will get somewhere but ours is a complex case. His contacts have been very professional and great communicators. Would use them in a heartbeat.

cheers

Peter

relaxed

celticmicky wrote: »

I'm looking to source a product from China and have it shipped to Ireland. With no experience in importing I would like to get help from a sourcing company.

Can anyone recommend a sourcing agent or company based in Ireland?

Thanks

I think you should read the contributions of Rudolf, El Rifle and Peterdalkey and decide which advice best fits your needs.

I get containers from China anyway, so sometimes I take a punt on something, source it from Alibaba, order a few first go, then maybe a pallet, then maybe a container.


Volume and money do talk though.

Expect to pay extra for samples and smaller pallet loads, full containers being cheapest.

Don't bother looking for free anything or "send me some samples for free and I will help you sell it" approach as they have seen all that.

RUDOLF289

Deleted User wrote: »

You'll be cutting your margins a lot using an agent, probably 15% off the top which can be the difference between winning and losing.
Just contact a few factories in China via Ali Baba, get some due diligence about current clients and order some samples of what you need. Then you should be able to make a judgement on the efficiency and potential quality. And then make sure you have an order contract in place so they they have to refund you any damaged or below quality goods that may arrive in the main order.

celticmicky wrote: »

I'm looking to source a product from China and have it shipped to Ireland. With no experience in importing I would like to get help from a sourcing company.

Can anyone recommend a sourcing agent or company based in Ireland?

Thanks

Hello Celticmicky,

have sent you a PM. Look forward to hear further from you

Cheers,
Rudolf289

celticmicky

Thank you everybody for the help and advice. I will reply to your PM this evening Rudolf, many thanks.

mikefm

We use some Chinese agents in Ireland and the UK also - PM if you require their details

asiaway

I am an Irish guy based in China and I do some of this work. let me know if you are interested.

AGriffin123

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Hello CelticMicky and El Rifle,

Sure, Ali Baba is an option, however, it is also littered with bad examples. Problem is, if there is a problem, how do you enforce a contract with a Chinese Supplier ? 8000 miles away (give or take) and a legal system that is at best opaque ?

Sure, a sourcing agent will make a living. However, they know they way in China. They have access to a wide range of suppliers across a multiple of industries. They speak the language, understand the culture and may be able to source at a cheaper price to begin with. The most important aspect is, you deal with people in this timezone, that are only up the road and that you can hold accountable in case of problems.

I know a few reputable sourcing companies and I will respond to your PM Celticmicky later today.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

HI Rudolf289,

I know this message is a few years old, but can you still recommend some reputable Chinese Sourcing Companies?

Appreciate the help,
Alan

blingbling81

Hi Rudold289 & Asiaaway

I see this post is a few years old but just checking if you still have contacts in China that are reputable?

Thanks in advance