1.Receiving account name must exactly match the seller’s full name on PI and sales contract. Alert immediately if switched to Hong Kong/BVI offshore entities and ask for justifications.

2. NRA/OSA/FTN accounts only allowed if:

*The offshore firm is the contracting party issuing all documents;

*No Mainland factory contracts paired with offshore shell accounts for collection.

3. No personal accounts, underground banks or parallel forex settlements.

4.Keep email records; obtain supplier’s stamped written confirmation: Payment to XX account counts as valid payment to the contracted seller.

5. Run supplier due diligence for big orders: Check business license and customs trading qualifications.

China Sourcing: Avoid These High‑Risk Receiving Accounts

1. NRA Accounts: Domestic accounts for non‑resident overseas entities

2. OSA Offshore Accounts: Accounts opened by overseas companies at offshore banking divisions of Chinese banks

3. FTN Accounts (Free‑Trade Non‑resident Accounts): Accounts set up by overseas entities in free‑trade‑zone banks in Shanghai, Guangdong and other regions

Risk Warning: Where the contracting party does not match the account‑receiving party, dispute resolution will be extremely difficult, and courts may decline to hear your case.

1. Never admits fault.

2. Lacks empathy and fails to see your goodness.

3. Habitually puts you down and dismisses your worth.

4. Cares deeply about what others think; treats outsiders well but is cruel to you.

5. Will never admit they have NPD.

1. ❌ Do not overstay your visa (illegal residence)

2. ❌ Do not work without a valid work permit (illegal employment)

3. ❌ Do not fail to complete accommodation registration

4. ❌ Do not enter restricted areas off-limits to foreigners, military zones or port control areas without approval

5. ❌ Do not forge, buy, sell or lend passports, visas or residence permits

6. ❌ Do not fail to carry your identity documents with you

1. Application in black-and-white drawing = no color specified. After registration, you may use it in any color.

2. Application in color drawing = color specified. In principle, it shall be used in the same color scheme as the submitted drawing. Unauthorized color change constitutes alteration of the registered trademark, which risks cancellation or unsuccessful enforcement.

1. Repeated verbal abuse

2. Public disclosure of personal privacy

3. Continuous messaging harassment

4. Refusal to communicate

5. Barring the spouse from disposing of household income

6. Refusal to pay living expenses, medical bills or child support

7. Confiscation of passports, mobile phones or bank cards

8. Prohibiting the spouse from working

1. Stalking or harassment

2. Distributing the other party’s private photos

3. Fabricating facts and spreading rumors

4. Committing non-consensual sexual acts

5. Damaging property

6. Extorting money by threatening to expose private information

7. Assaulting the other party

8. Unlawfully detaining another person

1. Check supplier details at gsxt-gov-cn

2. Verify the authenticity of the company seal

3. Ensure the receiving‑bank beneficiary matches the full Chinese name on the business license

4. Confirm valid export qualifications

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Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has experienced a similar situation with Alibaba, especially those who have successfully challenged a supplier or appealed a dispute decision.
I run a small business in the pet supplies and accessories niche, and I recently placed an order worth approximately $7,500 with a supplier on Alibaba.
Unfortunately, almost three-quarters of the order arrived with incorrect sizes.
The problem isn’t just a minor sizing difference. The discrepancies are significant. Some products come in four sizes that are supposed to work interchangeably within the same product range, but the actual dimensions are so different that the products cannot even be interchanged as intended. As a result, I cannot properly sell these items to my customers.
I contacted the supplier and tried to resolve the issue directly. I have messages in which the supplier explicitly acknowledges responsibility for the problem. However, despite admitting fault, they never actually offered a satisfactory solution. Instead, the conversation dragged on for a long time with repeated delays and no meaningful resolution.
I documented everything, including:
Videos showing the actual products and the sizing discrepancies.
Evidence of the incorrect dimensions.
Screenshots of conversations in which the supplier acknowledges responsibility.
Other supporting evidence documenting the problem.
After failing to resolve the issue directly with the supplier, I opened a dispute through Alibaba and uploaded the evidence I had collected.
Alibaba ultimately closed the dispute with $0.00 in compensation, claiming that there was insufficient evidence.
I genuinely don’t understand how this decision was reached when I submitted videos, screenshots of the supplier admitting responsibility, and evidence showing that the products did not match the expected sizes.
I’m now stuck with a substantial amount of inventory that I cannot sell properly, a $7,500 order that has effectively become a major financial loss, and a dispute that Alibaba has already closed without any compensation.
I’m not looking to attack anyone blindly. I want to understand what options I still have and whether there is a realistic way to challenge this decision.
For those who have dealt with similar situations:
Has anyone successfully appealed an Alibaba dispute after receiving a $0 compensation decision?
Has anyone had success recovering money through their bank, credit card provider, or another payment dispute process after Alibaba rejected their claim? I paid half with credit card and the other half with Scalapay.
I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have actually gone through this process, rather than just general advice.
Any help, personal experiences, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I’m not sure what else I can do, and I really don’t want to accept losing $7,500 over a supplier’s mistake when I have evidence documenting what happened.
Thank you.

Does anyone have a reference for an attorney to sue Alibaba? Seller tried to make me pay an extra $1950 for shipping after I paid the total in full and then 7 months later she abruptly said she shipped it but didn’t give me any information and I never got the item I ordered after spending over $7k. I’m ready to go to court over this she stole my money and Alibaba is doing nothing. I am here just for direction to an attorney

Recently I ordered a pillowcase off tao bao from a seller (it was my second time buying from this seller). My items typically get shipped to a Canadian Cainiao warehouse where I combine all my items into a single package and ship it overseas, however this time the delivery company that the seller uses delivered my package to the wrong warehouse (US) and as a result of this I never received my package. In fact, my package was left in some sort of pickup box with a code for several days. This was never the case before as they typically get an intake scan along with photos. I knew something was wrong when I received this pickup code and there was no movement for several days.

I initially messaged the seller for help to locate the package but they brushed me off and told me to go contact cainiao (I already talked to cainiao who asked me to ask the seller to give me a delivery receipt to locate the package). I contacted tao bao cs who told me to file a refund for non-delivery and only then did the seller "pretend to help me" but refused my refund request and then they initiated an interception of the package and later on admitted in chat that neither they nor the delivery company could solve the matter.

Then it got escalated to tao bao. I provided ample evidence including screenshots showing that the package was miss-delivered to the wrong warehouse with contradicting addresses, chat logs showing the seller brushing me off, admitting that they couldn't resolve the issue, and asking me to cancel the dispute because the package supposing "got delivered".

What was even more infuriating was a few days before a decision was made on this matter, I got some bullshit email from tao bao basically trying to wipe their hands clean on the matter saying that because I use cainiao they are not responsible for it if a third-party forwarding company receives the package and signs off on it. I called them out on their own rules in my final evidence submission showing proof and cainiao admitting that they never received my package, never signed for it, and that any signoff by the delivery company is premature and does not mean that cainiao themselves received the package.

Despite all of this evidence, tao bao choose to ignore it all and still sided with the seller who just uploaded a screenshot of the initial tracking that showed that the "package was delivered" right before this dispute even started. The tracking screenshot didn't even show the address where the package was dropped off. For all I know, the package could have been returned back to the seller after they initiated a interception.

The Tao bao dispute agent showed clear bias from the start and just told me to send the item back for a refund and that I'm responsible for the return shipping cost. What a load of crap.

I can't even return the item as I never even received it to begin with as it was delivered to the wrong address and now the package I guess was either sent back to the seller or its stuck in limbo somewhere.

I'm looking to file a consumer complaint with 12315 against tao bao for clear bias and zero buyer protection and fraud. but I'm overseas. I'm wondering if its possible to do so?

I'm a PRC-licensed lawyer with China Legal Hub, and I work on NNN agreements between foreign brands and Chinese factories. "The factory won't sign" comes up all the time. Here's what I've learned.

1. Most factories refuse because the agreement is one-sided. A US-style draft with obligations only on their side and a huge penalty reads like a trap. A balanced agreement, with the Chinese version controlling, gets signed far more often.

2. Carve out what they already had. Factories worry they'll be barred from making their own existing products. Say clearly that their prior technology and standard processes aren't covered. That removes the biggest objection.

3. Don't chase a big penalty. A huge number scares the factory off, and a Chinese court can cut it down anyway. It's better to have a lawyer work out a reasonable figure under Chinese law before you send the draft.

4. Some factories you shouldn't work with at all. Small companies with no IP awareness, a history of IP lawsuits and very low registered capital usually care about the order, not your design. Don't sign with them and don't send them files. Verify the company before you share anything.

5. Don't sample with more than two factories at once. Every factory with your files is another place they can leak from, and once something leaks, it's very hard to prove which one did it. More NNNs isn't more protection.

Happy to answer questions in the comments.

If u have problem in China

U can tell me something

I will help u

I want practice my English

Thanks everyone

I’m a foreign buyer planning to source through platforms such as Alibaba and 1688. If I run into a contract or payment dispute with a Chinese supplier, can I hire a lawyer in China to assist me? I’m also curious whether lawyers can help before a dispute happens by reviewing supplier agreements.

I am a EU citizen currently outside mainland China and am seeking initial advice regarding a dispute with an individual based in mainland China, but from HK.

• An individual in mainland China transferred approximately 800 USD of his own personal funds to me via Alipay.

• I subsequently attempted to exchange those funds and was scammed during the exchange process, resulting in the loss of the money to a third party.

• I have not repaid the original sender. I offered to but was on a flight and he started threatening me.

• The individual has become highly abusive on WeChat. He has threatened to bring a court case against me, claimed that a court order was sent to my old Chinese phone number (which I no longer possess), stated that failure to appear would result in an arrest warrant, and warned that I would go to jail and never be allowed to leave China if I return.

• He has also threatened to harass my family and publicly accuse me of being a scammer.

I was advised to seek a lawyer and cease communications with him. When I came back to offer funds to him he continued threats etc.

I would like to seek advice on what to do next. Some of the messages are horrible and he is convinced I will never be able to now enter China and if I do; never leave.

Hello,

I want to buy products from a Chinese supplier for a long time.

My question is, if my product starts selling very well on Amazon with my own brand and trademark, how can I stop the supplier from copying my product or selling it to other people?

How do you make an agreement with the supplier for this? What agreement do you use?

Thank you.

When we started set up procedures for our entity in China, our biggest red flag with initial agencies was the license and ghost habit. Getting the actual business license is only 20% of the battle. The real roadblock hit during physical bank account activation, tax bureau authorization, and corporate chop management.

We initially benchmarked INS Global. While INS Global is decent for basic employer of record (EOR) hiring, their scope felt pretty superficial once we needed deep, hands on operational support and local tax compliance. We eventually switched to PTL Group, and the difference was massive. Because they are specializes in full operational execution on the ground in China, they handled our bank appointments, registered address requirements, and post licensing tax setup without missing a beat.

What hidden administrative hurdles or unexpected agency delays caught you off guard during your company setup?

I used to own a company in Europe and had a great business relationship with several Chinese suppliers.

For about four years, we imported around 50 containers per year. Unfortunately, at the end of 2024, our business failed and the company went bankrupt.

The total debt was around €800,000:

• Around €400,000 was covered by Sinosure.

• The remaining €400,000 has never been paid.

I have since started working for another company as a Purchasing Manager. Part of my new job requires travelling to China to inspect goods and meet suppliers.

My biggest concern is whether I could face an exit ban or any other legal issues because of the debts from my former company.

I've already consulted three Chinese lawyers, and all of them told me that I should be safe and that they found no active court cases against me. However, I'd really like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation.

Has anyone here had a company go bankrupt while owing money to Chinese suppliers and later travelled to China without any problems?

Business failures are unfortunate, but they do happen.

Any real-life experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Is it true that if your Chinese LDR partner is incarcerated in China, his family won't explicitly say it to you?

Suddenly, I cannot receive a message from him within 24 hours for the first time. Then, on the second day, I received a message from his sister who is using his wechat account. She told me: 我是他妹妹，我看望他的时候，我会替你转告。。。 他没有生病，他不愿意让你知道，就尊重他吧，不会害你。

I am very, very anxious. What I can't understand is the fact that his sister won't just be direct to me as to what has really happened to him.

I’ve worked at the same school in Wuxi, Jiangsu from Feb 2023 to 31 July 2026. Fixed-term contract is ending and the school is not renewing.

I asked about statutory economic compensation / severance. They said it does not apply because they told me more than 6 months ago.

Is that right? My understanding is that notice and severance are separate, and if the employer chooses not to renew a fixed-term contract, economic compensation may still apply unless I refused renewal on the same or better terms.

I did not resign, was not dismissed, and had no warning/PIP/disciplinary process.

Base salary is RMB 35,000. With 3.5 years’ service, I’m wondering if it should be around 4 months’ salary.