Perhaps some latest phone has caught your attention and you decided to buy it online on Alibaba?
But you don’t know how to go about the process?
Well, if you have been searching for how to buy goods from Alibaba and get them delivered to you here in Kenya, then you are in the right place.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How to buy goods from Alibaba
- How to Pay for the goods through Alipay, PayPal, and Bank transfers
- Tips for finding the best deals while shopping
- Shipping costs
- Alibaba and Aliexpress: which one should you use?
- Best Alibaba Courier Agents in Kenya
How to Buy Goods from Alibaba While in Kenya
You need to create an Alibaba account to buy goods from Alibaba in Kenya. Then, select the product(s) you want to buy, add them to the cart, and check out. Lastly, pay for the goods. You have successfully purchased from Alibaba!
Continue reading for the step-by-step procedure.
Create a free Alibaba Kenya account
Visit alibaba.com to create an account. Fill in your details as shown below
Confirm your email address by inserting the six-digit code they send you.
It should show that your account has been created successfully
Click buy now to start buying from Alibaba
Search for the Products
You’ll use the search bar to search for the items you want to buy.
A buyer can even navigate by using the categories.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, you can Request for Quotation (RFQ) and sellers can reach out to you if they believe they can meet your requirements.
“I want to purchase two pistols and five rounds of ammunition.”
Heck no! There are several products that are not sold on Alibaba:
- Narcotics
- Hazardous products like explosives, asbestos, and radioactive substances
- Firearms or their accessories
- Restricted knives and crossbows
- Police uniforms
- Medical drugs and medical devices
- Adult materials
You can check out the full list of prohibited products on Alibaba.
Compare prices and Item quality
Look at the prices offered by different sellers.
Also, you need to look at the seller ratings before making your final decision.
One thing to consider about Alibaba is that they have a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). This is the lowest number of units that the supplier allows the buyer to order at a time. You cannot order less than this. That is why Alibaba is most suitable for Wholesalers who buy products in bulk.
However, you also need to note that you shouldn’t always strive to buy goods at low prices. Low price, sometimes, is synonymous with low quality. It is good to sacrifice a few bucks to get high-quality goods.
NB: it is always good to check whether the seller had made deliveries in Kenya before.
Place an order
After deciding on the seller, place your order by clicking Add to Cart. Items that can be bought right away are labeled as “Ready to Ship” and shows a “Start Order” button
Enter your shipping address
A shipping address is a place you want your goods delivered.
However, here in Kenya, address line 1, zip codes, and home addresses are not much used.
You can input your County, Sub-county, location, and sub-location as your address. Then, also indicate the code of your town.
For example, Nairobi’s postal code is 00100 and Mombasa’s is 80100.
Lastly, input your Post Office Box Number.
You don’t need to worry. Alibaba has an advanced shipping system that will deliver your goods from China to Kenya. But you can use courier companies if you want your goods delivered much faster. (More on this later).
Pay and wait for it to be delivered
You can pay for your Goods using:
- Bank transfers
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Western Union
- PayPal
Read this guide on how to send money from Mpesa to PayPal.
Courier agents you can use in Kenya
While Alibaba will deliver products to you, sometimes you may wish to use premium courier companies that will deliver the products to you.
I recommend these companies:
- Salihiya Cargo
- DHL
- Electronic Mail Service (EMS)
- Posta
- Kentex Cargo
- Kesom Freight
The following are the shipping costs depending on weight:
| Weight | Cost |
|---|---|
| Under 5 kgs | $10 |
| 5 – 11 kgs | $25 |
| Over 11 kgs | $50 |
Related: How to Start a Dropshipping Business in Kenya
Differences between Aliexpress and Alibaba
Well, you might have heard about Aliexpress and Alibaba, and you are wondering which one to use?
Alibaba is suitable for purchasing goods in large or “wholesale” quantities, while Aliexpress is suitable for retail or single items.
If your mission is to buy only one phone, or a single fridge, I would advise you to use Aliexpress.
NB: You can even use Aliexpress to buy test products before purchasing from Alibaba in bulk.
Alibaba Kenya Contacts
You can contact Alibaba Kenya through their website alibaba.com.
More Tips for Buyers
- Have a complete profile. Sellers like to deal with a ‘real’ person and not a scammer.
- Learn how to search more efficiently. You can incorporate colors or style in your search terms. For example, searching for “white t-shirt” will give you more relevant results than just searching for “shirt”
- Negotiate reasonably. For example, if a seller has tagged $45 for an item, it would be ridiculous to suggest $15 as a buyer. Scenarios like this will make the seller assume you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to not get scammed on Alibaba?
In a marketplace consisting of over 8 million sellers, it is not uncommon to find some dozen scammers.
To prevent getting scammed:
- Carry out all the transaction using Alibaba’s platform.
- Check whether the sellers have been verified.
- Check sellers’ profiles to find out complaints of scams and delivering low-quality goods
Final Word
Founded in 1999 by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, Alibaba has established itself as one of the most reliable e-commerce platforms globally and in Kenya.
Whether it is electronics or kitchenware you seek, Alibaba has got you covered.
Using this guide, you can easily buy goods from Alibaba from the comfort of your home in Kenya.
Didn’t understand something in this article? Leave a comment below.
