Is DHGate Legit?

As an online marketplace, DHGate inevitably attracts some rotten apples. Put simply, some sellers scam their customers. But, thankfully, they’re in the minority. In that respect, DHGate is entirely legit. Besides, they aren’t responsible for every purchase made on their website.

Ultimately, customers should pick their sellers carefully. As a safety-net, DHGate has comprehensive buyer protection policies in place. Read on for more details.

Is It Safe?

DHGate is as safe as any other online marketplace. Their prices are low, which is why the site is incredibly popular. Note that DHGate isn’t only for individuals, but businesses as well. It’s a wholesale site, with a vast selection of products.

DH stands for Dunhuang, a Chinese town integral to the Silk Road. The company is actually based in Beijing, but you can shop on the site from anywhere in the world. Since their base of operation is in China, shipping to the U.S. can take a while.

This has caused many false rumors to circulate. Some people don’t even wait for their product to arrive before using review sites to badmouth DHGate. True, some sellers have scammed their buyers and never shipped the products. But like we said before, this is, in many ways, a factor out of DHGate’s control.

In this scenario, DHGate promises to return your money in full, as you can see on their site. Which, on the face of it, appears safe. But what do reviewers have to say?

What About the Reviews?

DHGate averages around 3.5 out of 5 stars on most legitimate review sites. In fact, that’s its exact average rating on Trustpilot, with more than 22,000 reviews. It has the same score on Sitejabber, with over 6,000 reviews.

Note that most of the reviews are either excellent or straight-up bad. The people who were satisfied with DHGate are in the majority on most review sites. People that leave bad reviews for DHGate don’t realize that DHGate isn’t at fault if a seller was sketchy regarding the quality of their product.

They’re mostly dissatisfied over long shipping times, which are expected since the products are mostly coming from China. From the reviews, we can gather that the DHGate experiences are subjective, and vary for each customer.

Some are very satisfied, while others wish they never used the site. That brings us to the next question.

Should You Buy at DHGate?

It’s a tough question, and not the one we should really answer for you. This site has been around since 2005, and it surely wouldn’t be so successful if it weren’t legit or safe. Ultimately, the reason why the site is so popular is because of its low prices.

You can find some items much cheaper than on Amazon, eBay, or any other prominent Western online marketplace giants. However, if you’re going to make purchases on DHGate, be cautious. Always assess the seller first, looks at their rating, sale history, and whether or not they respond to customer questions.

If sellers have a good reputation, and they’re cooperative, you can probably trust them. Remember to factor in the shipping, return policies, etc. Purchase from sellers you think are honest and be patient while waiting for your product to arrive.

In case you never receive the product, you can rely on the DHGate buyer protection we mentioned earlier. From a buyers’ perspective, please note that DHGate accepts most major credit cards.

It’s Up to You

Now you know that DHGate is legit and safe. But you can’t say for sure if the seller you want to buy from is legit. That’s both the conundrum and risk you take when you use DHGate. Remember our tips when you decide to buy from this or any other online marketplace. When all is said and done, the site itself isn’t at fault if your seller is irresponsible.

Have you already made some DHGate purchases, or are you planning to make them in the future? How did it go for you? Are you satisfied with the product and the service in general?

Let us know in the comments section below.