Got Scammed on Alibaba? Maybe You Use It Wrong.

By TOM, in Shanghai

29th of Oct, 2025

“If you treat Alibaba like Amazon or costco, don’t be surprised when you get burned.”

That’s the blunt truth most new buyers don’t want to hear. Every week, I see posts from frustrated entrepreneurs saying things like:

> “I got scammed on Alibaba!”

> “Never trust Alibaba again!”

> “Stop using 1688—it’s all fake!”

And sure — many of those stories are real. But here’s the uncomfortable part: **Alibaba didn’t scam them. Their own approach did.**

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## Alibaba Is Not a Store — It’s a Digital Jungle

Alibaba is not Amazon. It’s not Costco. It’s not Best Buy.

It’s basically a **digital Yellow Pages** for factories(99% of them are middle or small business), trading companies, and middlemen of every kind.

You’ll find fake product photos, copy-pasted descriptions, duplicated listings, and “factories” that are just someone with a laptop in a coffee shop.

Add language barriers, slow replies, hidden minimum orders, and unpredictable shipping — and it’s easy to see why first-timers get lost.

Alibaba was founded in the late 1990s to connect Chinese manufacturers with the world. It was never meant to be a retail platform.

So when someone says, *“I got scammed on Alibaba,”* it’s often the same as saying, *“I trusted a random ad on Craigslist.”*

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## How Professionals Really Use Alibaba and 1688

At **TOM SOURCING** in Shanghai, we use 1688 and Alibaba almost every week —

but here’s the secret: **we rarely buy anything directly.**

Instead, we treat these platforms like a **radar** — a place to map industries, find price ranges, identify production hubs, and understand supply clusters.

It’s a research tool, not a shopping cart.

When we find promising suppliers, we don’t just ask for a quote.

We **verify** — business licenses, production capability, and sometimes on-site visits.

Because in manufacturing, trust isn’t built in a chat window — it’s built in a factory.

Many overseas buyers skip this step because it costs time and money.

That’s exactly why they end up paying much more later — in delays, defects, or outright scams.

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## The Real Problem Isn’t Alibaba — It’s Expectations

Buyers expect to click, pay, and receive a perfect product like they do on Amazon.

But sourcing is not shopping — it’s supply chain management.

And factories? They’re not customer service reps.

They’re manufacturers operating in a different culture, language, and business logic.

When you don’t respect that difference, you end up blaming the wrong thing.

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## So, How Should You Use Alibaba?

Think of Alibaba as your **map**, not your marketplace.

- Use it to **understand** pricing trends.

- Use it to **locate** possible suppliers.

- Then **verify** those suppliers through samples, audits, or a trusted sourcing partner.

If you skip verification, you’re gambling.

If you respect the process, you’re building a supply chain.

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## Final Thoughts

Alibaba isn’t evil. It’s just misunderstood.

The platform reflects reality — a vast, messy, and sometimes brilliant manufacturing ecosystem.

Use it wrong, and it burns you.

Use it right, and it can unlock incredible value.

And if you ever need someone who’s walked that jungle a thousand times —

you know where to find us.

*TOM SOURCING — bridging China and the world, one verified factory at a time.*