Hi Andrew,

I have found a supplier through a site you recommended called smallvolume.com, they are selling GHD hair strengtheners and what seems like a too good to be true price, should I risk a small order?

Thank you in advance for your help. I am so glad I found your site; I was about to give up, thank you so much!

Louise

Dear Louise,

Thank you for your question!

In general, SmallVolume.com only deals with legitimate suppliers. However, in this case it looks like you have stumbled upon one of the few exceptions. In all likelihood, a fake supplier added these GHD hair strengtheners to the SmallVolume.com system without the website administrators having knowledge of it.

SmallVolume.com cannot filter out every single questionable listing from their directory. They simply don’t have the time or the power to do so. Hence, there is always the possibility that a scammer or two will slip through.

Here’s my advice: Never, and I mean NEVER source branded products from China, no matter who you’re working with. You cannot get legitimate branded products from China. As a general rule, this is foolproof. Several different types of items are routinely counterfeited by Chinese factories such as:

• Copyrighted DVDs and Software Packages
• Branded Clothing
• Golf Equipment
• GHD Hair Strengtheners
• Mobile Phones
• Brand Name Shoes
• Designer Bags
• And More…

If you see any of these products for sale from a Chinese distributor, they are probably dealing in fakes.

And yet, as bad as this is, it’s nothing next to the worst that could happen. At least with fake dealers they will send you something. Many scammers these days will instead just take your money and then disappear the next day. I’ve seen this happen to people over and over again. The supplier offers them iPhones or laptops for ridiculously low prices only to disappear once they have the money.

Sometimes, they will contact you after a few days and say that your package got stuck in customs and that you need to pay even more money in order to get it back. Needless to say, after paying the money, you will still never see the products. Common products marketed in this type of scam include

• Playstation and Xbox Consoles
• Pioneer DJ Equipment
• Electric Scooters
• Personal Computers
• Camcorders
• Digital Cameras
• And More…

If you want to be safe, simply don’t deal with any Chinese distributor offering products that fit into the categories I’ve listed above. You can’t afford the pain and suffering you will have to endure if you do.

In the end, it all comes down to common sense. If it doesn’t seem to make sense that a website is selling Sony Pro Camcorders for $400 when they normally go for $2000 on Amazon, then there is a reason for this. IT’S A SCAM! If something doesn’t look legitimate, don’t get involved in it.

Happy selling,
Andrew

P.S. It wouldn’t hurt to let SmallVolume.com know about the supplier you mentioned who was selling counterfeit items. I’m sure that they’ll want to resolve this issue as soon as possible!

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