posted on August 27, 2007 07:04:38 AM new
I could use some advice from anyone here who is so inclined.
I am looking to get into drop shipping and have no idea where to start. Are there ways to get drop ship lists for companies without getting ripped off?
What are the downsides to drop shipping? Is it possible for an individual to make a profit drop shipping?
Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks
[ edited by capolady on Aug 27, 2007 07:04 AM ]
posted on August 27, 2007 07:55:59 AM new
If you don't mind my suggestion...
Make a new username for your drop-ship business. When dealing with drop shipping, you are only as good as the companies you tie in with. On Ebay, you are only as good as your name and ratings. I would hesitate putting my ratings on the line with a drop shipper.
posted on August 27, 2007 10:18:54 AM new
Tom will be here to tell you about his wonderful experience with dropshipping.
I just want to remind you of one seller's experience with dropshipping,it was posted on this forum years ago-
She sold an electronic item for over 700 dollars and the buyer paid via palpal.
(Paypal expects us to ship within 7 days after payment is received.)
Her dropshipper did not ship promptly and the buyer filed 'item not received' and won.
The item finally arrived but it was too late,the buyer ends up getting the item free.
Paypal may have changed the terms,if you plan to accept paypal payment,you should become familiar with all its terms,it is no different than any credit card transaction,you are expected to ship either immediately or within 48 hours and Paypal gives us 7 days.
Also do some reading on FTC and what it has to say with running a mail order business and credit card acceptance.
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Lets all stop whining !
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posted on August 28, 2007 05:31:40 AM new
I agree with the other posters. Do a lot research and homework. I did some a few years and decided drop shipping wasn't for me. I selected about dozen possible items and looked on eBay and discovered there were 100's sometimes 1000's of others selling the same product. Also read lots of horror stories about DS as well as some good news.
My suggestions
New user ID.
Payment by chk or Mo no PP in the beginning
Invest only as much as you are willing to loose. You may not but....
Prepare to be burned, ripped off, etc by the drop shipper,customers or both.
Do a lot of CYA work.
As the seller you pay the drop shipper. if the customer doesn't get the widget or it is damaged it is on you to fix the problem.
Refund, new widget etc,
Insure everything!
Finally I beleive if you are willing to take the risks you can make money but not much!!! The DS gets most of the gold.
posted on August 29, 2007 10:27:06 PM new
I dealt with a company in Texas several years ago that sold leather goods, knives,kitchen goodies ect. We were going to an indoor flea market at the time and our sales were very strong,most of what I was buying was already sold when I ordered. So I got the bright idea to add drop shipping to my online store. Bad move, they would have half the stuff I had sold and one item they dropped from their catalog was a damn coo coo clock that I sold several of and had to refund the money to several people, I was not a happy Santa.
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posted on August 30, 2007 08:07:07 AM new
Once I sold a 6 ft tall 3 panels screen and my dropshipper substituted it with a different design.The buyer is not happy and wants to return the item,and the dropshipper wants more money as he underestimated the shipping charge!
posted on August 31, 2007 07:07:10 PM new
About 75% of the products on my website are drop shipped, and have been for over 5 years, so I can give you some first hand experience.
1. World Wide Brands has a pretty good list, but you will pay through the nose for it. They do not drop ship, but they provide a database of manufacturers who will drop ship or who will sell in small bulk orders. They are the only "list supplier" that I would recommend (I'm not affiliated, but subscribed to the database "way back when."
2. You don't want to have a middleman if you can avoid it. You want to find the actual manufacturer who will drop ship for you. Most of my drop shippers are the actual manufacturers. Be aware that most manufacturers won't do this for you. You will have to do your research.
3. Real drop shippers will not require you to pay a monthly fee. If you have to pay a fee, you are dealing with the middle man and you are paying close to retail prices.
4. You will probably have to pay a drop ship fee, even if purchasing direct from the manufacturer - it costs them more to process and ship single quantity orders than to ship in bulk.
5. You will need a resale license to show you are a real retailer.
6. Find a niche and settle in it - work at that niche for a good while before branching out. Get to know the suppliers in that niche. If you can attend trade shows, all the better - ask the manufacturers and suppliers there if they will drop ship for you. You'll find things that aren't being sold by everyone else and their dog (sorry, Ralphie!) Do not rely on drop shippers you find online - most of them are just middlemen or scams. Do not sell what everyone else is selling. Do not use companies like Doba that are a rip-off.
7. I do not sell drop ship items on eBay. Even though the suppliers I have are excellent and I have a long established relationship with them, most of them do not have real-time inventories available for me, and I have been burned before, even by the best of them, especially during the holiday season when everything is selling like hotcakes. With my website customers, I can provide a cushion for shipping times in the event something is backordered - but eBay customers want things shipped next day - so they only get the things I actually keep in stock.
8. Drop shipping isn't impossible, and it isn't a scam but you have to be very careful. Good luck!
