Returns: How do you e-cig suppliers make a profit?

[robw]

I do business with China all the time. I have imported in the $100 range and in the many thousand dollar range and never once used a broker, payed fees or had any problems. China suppliers on alibaba are in stiff competition with each other and the days of huge bulk orders are over. I can order $50 worth of supplies at wholesale price and not worry about anything with customs. The key is the negotiation skills of the buyer.
The only down side is customer service is zero after sale. But when an atomizer cost $2 who the heck cares.

 

[candre23]

Profit is not a dirty word.

Absolutely. As I tried to point out in my previous post, buying this stuff from China and trying to resell it is not as easy as it sounds. There is definitely some hassle and risk involved. There is already a lot of competition, so margins are pretty low by necessity.the only way a distributer can stand out is providing excellent customer service. Those that do are more than deserving of the couple extra bucks they charge. I suspect that a lot of these super-cheap dealers won't be around too long once people realize they're only in it to make a quick buck.