Banggood vs DHgate : A Comprehensive comparison

Introduction

Whether you’re an end-user buyer or SME business owner considering using Banggood or DHgate for your eCommerce shopping needs, here are a few key things you need to know about both platforms.

What is Banggood?

Banggood is a B2C and B2B Guangzhou-based eCommerce platform that sells a wide range of products directly to consumers and small and medium-sized businesses.

Although it primarily started as an electronics eCommerce store, today, Banggood is a lot like Amazon in the sense that you can find just about anything on there, with the platform claiming to have over 1,000,000 superior-quality, affordable products in over 30 categories.

Although most of Banggood’s net sales come from the US, UK, and Europe, it has 37 global warehouses —at the time of writing this— and a global logistical network for international shipping.

Banggood: The Pros

· Various partnership programs: Bangoood has multiple partnership programs, including drop shipping, affiliate, wholesale, and Fashion Blogger partnership programs.

· Does not allow third-party sellers: Banggood does not allow third-party sellers. Instead, it sources products directly from suppliers and manufacturers and lists them for sales.

· Low costs: Banggood has a direct supply chain connection with over 100,000 reliable suppliers in China, which allows the platform to offer bargain prices. That means whether you want to purchase products for your dropshipping business or a few items for personal use, you can get the best value for money.

· Variety: Banggood has tons of products choices —as mentioned, the platform claims to have over 1,000,000 superior-quality products in over 30 categories.

· A wide range of warranties: Banggood has a healthy list of buyer protection guarantees and a well-defined returns policy, making it easier to know when you can and can’t get refunds —and the process.

· Different shipping options: Banggood offers a variety of shipping options, including Express and Priority shipping, with shipping and delivery taking anywhere from 2-60 days, depending on your location and the point of origin:

Banggood: The Cons

· Miscellaneous cart fees: One of the most common complaints is that Banggood adds cart fees when purchasing products like tech and electronics. These fees include various insurances and tariffs that can marginally increase the cost of items, especially for a business owner.

· Not the best shipping reputation: Another common Banggood complaint is their hit and miss shipping and delivery process. While some users have nothing but rave reviews about shopping on Banggood and getting their goods delivered promptly, and in one piece, many others complain of extended shipping times and receiving broken products —or products that don’t match the order.

· Wanting customer support: Another common complaint among Banggood’s users is unresponsive customer support. One Trustpilot user went as far as saying that their Banggood customer service experience was “garbage.”

Let’s now focus on DHgate:

What is DHgate?

Founded in 2004 by Diane Wang and officially launched in 2005, DHgate is one of the largest, Beijing-based, B2C & B2B, cross-border eCommerce marketplaces. According to DHgate’s about us page, the “DH” in the brand’s name references Dunhuang, a strategically-placed, former Silk Road city located in modern-day Gansu province, China.

DHgate is a lot like the well-known Alibaba and AliExpress in the sense that, fundamentally, it connects global buyers (end-users) and small to medium-sized businesses (B2B) to small and medium-sized Chinese suppliers and manufacturers.

According to a Google Featured Snippet from Business Wire, as of Jan 2021, DHgate claimed to have connected more than 36 million registered users and buyers in more than 223 countries to 2.3 million Chinese suppliers and suppliers in other countries too.

DHgate: The Pros

· DTCs: Since 2017, DHgate has consistently developed its Digital Trade Centers (DTCs) designed to make it easier for SMEs to inspect products before purchasing them. It now has DTCs in the US, UAE, Southeast, and Southwestern Europe.

· Tons of suppliers: With more than 2 million sellers, DHgate has no shortage of suppliers from which to choose.

· Direct communication with suppliers: One of the best things about DHgate is that you can contact suppliers directly, which is especially ideal for businesses owners who want to negotiate better deals for bulk purchases. Fortunately, most suppliers are prompt with their replies, either by email or the in-built chat system.

·  Seller rating system: DHgate buyers (individuals or SMEs) can rate sellers based on product quality, logistics and shipping, and customer service. This is especially useful because it can help you avoid low-quality products and fraudulent sellers.

· A variety of payment methods: DHgate supports various payment systems, including PayPal, Western Union, Direct-to-bank wire transfers, credit cards, and many more, depending on the country, with a primary focus on buyer protection, no matter the chosen payment method.

DHgate: The Cons

· Low-quality replicas: Not all products on DHgate are low-quality replicas of known brand names. However, a large percentage is, and you have to be especially mindful of which suppliers you shop from to ensure you get the best value possible.

· Hit-and-miss handling, shipping, and delivery system: While some buyers have very positive things to say about DHgate and its logistical systems, others have a negative experience with some sellers, making the shipping system somewhat unsystematic overall. Fortunately, you can hedge against this by choosing suppliers with positive handling and shipping reviews.

· A “could-use-improvements” customer service system: In most instances, you will deal with suppliers directly because each supplier has laid-down refund and returns policies. However, in those few instances where you need to contact DHgate directly, perhaps because of an unresponsive seller, you may not have the best customer service experience because, like other similar eCommerce platforms, wanting customer support is a common complaint.

Banggood vs. DHgate: Features Comparison

Bangood vs. DHGate: The Key Differences

Although Banggood and DHgate are both B2C and B2B eCommerce platforms, making them very similar, they also have some key differences in the following categories:

Product Range

DHgate has a larger product range of the two platforms, with over 32 million products, while Banggood’s has over 1,000,000.

Here, it’s worth noting that DHgate is a multi-seller platform, allowing it to have a wider product range in different categories, while Banggood does not allow third-party sellers. Instead, it sources products directly from a curated list of trusted suppliers and manufacturers.

Partnership programs

Of the two, Banggood has the better-developed partnership programs, including Drop Shipping, Wholesale, and Fashion Blogger programs.

On the other hand, DHgate’s most prolific program is its affiliate program. However, because it’s also B2B, DHgate also supports wholesaling, with many DHgate sellers offering drop shipping and even private labeling services. DHgate also runs the DHport, a platform that connects SMEs and Chinese manufacturers, suppliers, and wholesalers.

Refund and buyer protection policies

Banggood has a very comprehensive list of buyer protection guarantees and policies. For example, the platform offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, a 7-day DOA policy, a 180-day quality protection policy, and several others.

On the other hand, with DHgate, sellers are responsible for curating store-based return and refund policies, with the DHgate customer service desk only mediating conflict between buyers and sellers in certain situations, like failing to receive goods, which gets you a full refund.

Shipping

Both platforms have a robust logistical network that allows them to ship products globally.

However, compared to DHgate, Banggood has a better shipping structure that offers standard, expedited, and express shipping.

Comparatively, DHgatelets sellers determine which shipping methods to use. Key shipping options are rail, ocean, air freight, and courier shipping via DHL, EMS, UPS, and TNT, varying delivery timelines depending on the shipping method and destination.

Top 6 Banggood and DHgate Buying Tips

Whether you’re buying from Banggood or DHgate, you can do the following few things to enhance your shopping experience:

1. Read customer reviews and product feedback: Although Banggood and DHgate have different business models, remember that fundamentally, they both sell products made by small and medium-sized Chinese suppliers and manufacturers. Therefore, the best way to avoid low-quality and fake products, especially on DHgate, is to check customer reviews before purchasing. In an ideal situation, only buy well-reviewed products, and in the case of DHgate, also factor in the seller’s rating: a 4.5-star rating and above is the safe zone.

2. Don’t overlook product descriptions: Carefully go over product descriptions to ensure you know what you’re getting yourself into with every deal you close. Remember that the images on some items may differ significantly from the information on the description. It’s best to avoid such products.

3. Where possible, use PayPal: Banggood and DHgate both support PayPal. That’s good because using PayPal to make your purchase will give you an added layer of buyer protection that will come in handy —you can always dispute PayPal transactions.

4. Be patient with the shipping process: Shopping from Chinese suppliers does not have the best shipping reputation. Accept this fact and learn to be patient with it. Therefore, while you will get most of your products in one piece and on time, you may also experience shipping delays and other related issues, like broken products. Accept this, prepare for it, but always hope for the best.

5. Don’t buy large orders; at least not at first: Purchase one item first or the minimum order quantity before committing to a large order. That way, you will test out the delivery process and see if the products you get are of the best quality possible. Committing to a large order without verifying product quality and whether the indicated shipping time is correct is a recipe for stress, especially for a small business owner.

6. Develop your communication skills: At one point or the other, as you continue shopping on Banggood and DHgate, you will run into issues that require you to communicate directly with sellers or the customer support team. Having well-developed communication skills will ensure you can communicate the issue(s) at hand well, which will increase the chances of a speedy resolution.

Conclusion

As you have seen from this comparison and analysis, Banggood and DHgate have very similar service offerings. However, they are also individually unique.

To sum up, if you don’t want to work with third-party suppliers, Banggood is your best bet, but if you want to get offers from multiple suppliers and negotiate the best deal possible, DHgate is the better platform for it.

No matter which platform you use, remember that due diligence is the secret to success or failure, especially if you’re a small or medium-sized business owner.

Additionally, remember that if you’d rather avoid negotiating directly with Chinese suppliers and manufacturers, you can always work with a qualified dropshipping agent. A good dropshipping agent can make the process easier by helping you source products at good prices, manage and store inventory, fulfill orders, and so much more.