The Ultimate 2023 Guide to Using DHGate for Designer Inspired Dupes
Table of Contents
- It's okay to use designer names and styles in your search terms.
- In product photos, sellers will often show partial logos or remove logos while preserving the color and style.
- Use the app to reverse image search.
- Search for items on DGHate with a Google image search.
- If there are two prices under the listing, the second price is the retail amount.
- Sort your search results by customer reviews.
- Opt for product listings that have customer review photos.
- Pro-Tip: Be wary of customer review photos that seem fake.
- Ask sellers for "real photos".
- DHGate is not a returns-friendly platform.
- If you don't receive the right item or anything at all, dispute the order with DHGate.
Now, let's go into detail for each step...
1. It's okay to use designer names and styles in your search terms.
While DHGate does not actually allow the sale of dupes on their platforms, sellers have still found a way to make the designer names and styles searchable. Search "yeezy boost 350" and you'll definitely come up with the product. While the exact keywords are not includes in the product titles, I suspect they are in product page meta tags. Either way, using a direct keyword search will get you the results you're looking for...
2. In product photos, sellers will often show partial logos or remove logos while preserving the color and style.
To get around the rules regarding the sales of dupes, years ago, sellers ingeniously starting photoshopping out logos from the product photos. So, if you search for "gucci dionysus" but the search results include an item that looks like the bag in color and style but doesn't have the logos, just know that the item you receive will have logos!
3. Use the app to reverse image search.
If you are searching for designer names and/or product styles but still having a hard time finding your product, use the reverse image search on the app. Designated by a small camera icon to the far right of the search field, the reverse image search will allow you to upload a photo of the product you're looking for...
First, search google and download a photo of the item you're looking for to your phone...
... Then tap the camera icon and upload a saved photo of the item from your phone...
DHGate will search for the exact photo you uploaded or products containing similar photos... Oh, look! There's another example of photoshopped product photos that hide or leave out logos!
Here's a certified DHGate pro-tip: use the "Recommended Products" tab at the top of each individual product page. It will show you a page of the same or similar product from other sellers. It's a great way to comparison-shop for items! To access the menu with the "Recommended" products option, scroll down while on the product page to reveal the menu...
4. Search for items on DGHate with a Google image search.
This next tip is a certified DHGate hack. Sometimes reverse-image searches on the DHGate app still won't return the product you're looking for on. Instead, do a Google image search which includes "DHGate" in the search phrase. Use the image search results to find the product you're looking for...
Search for your product on Google. This search above is for a Goyard St. Louis bag...
Sometimes, the image results may include a DHGate listing that no longer exists or is sold out.
5. If there are two prices under the listing, the second price is the retail amount.
If there is a range of prices under the listing with a low price and a higher price, know that the first price is the seller's wholesale price for that item and the second price is the seller's retail price. The second price is the price you will pay for one handbag...
In this example, $146.12 is their lowest wholesale price and $336.96 is the price for one bag.
6. Sort your search results by customer reviews.
Okay. So you started your search for that special designer inspired item on DHGate and you've got a bundle of listings before you. Before you start tapping items, keep in mind that DHGate has it's own way of ordering their assortment of products in the search results. Your goal is to find the highest quality product out of the entire batch and one that is sold by the most trust-worthy seller. Start by sorting your product search by "customer reviews".
Tap "Sort" at the top left...
Then choose "Average Customer Reviews" from the drop-down menu.
The results will re-sort according to listings with the most customer reviews to the least. Keep in mind that you may end up with listings that have very little reviews or none at all.
7. Opt for product listings that have customer review photos.
Randomly choose any product listing for a fashion accessory on DHGate and there is a 70% chance that the item you receive will not look like the item in the listing photos. This is why customer review photos are so important. DHGate allows buyers to upload photos of their orders after they've received them. Let me tell you, these people are doing the Lord's work because it allows other buyers to see the quality of the seller's item before purchasing. Here's how you look up customer review photos...
While on the product page, scroll down to reveal the menu with the listing options...
If the listing actually has customer reviews (many of them don't), the "Reviews" menu option will show. If the listing has no reviews, the "Reviews" option will be missing... Tap "Reviews"...
The screen will automatically scroll down to the page section with customer reviews. If the listing has customer review photos (not all buyers upload photos with their written reviews), there will be a row of customer photos. Tap the three dots at the far right of the photos to see the rest (if there are more photo reviews than shown)...
Important: sellers have the option of hiding their customer review photos on DHGate. They sometimes do this to decrease the risk of their listing being taken down for selling dupes. Don't be surprised if you save an item with review photos but, later on in the day, the review photos are no longer visible.
If you've purchased a designer inspired accessory from DHGate and you want to upload your review photos, try your best cover up any logos on the item when taking the photo. DHGate sellers will get their listings removed when customer photos reveal that the seller is hawking designer dupes.
8. Pro-Tip: Be wary of customer review photos that seem fake.
Some sellers enter fake customer reviews with photos of their own products. Their aim is to make their listing seem trustworthy. In reality, sometimes they are selling a quality product and sometimes not. Keep your eye out for products with fake customer reviews.
Here is an example of a product listing with fake reviews (hopefully, this listing is still live by the time you've found this article). Let's look at their review photos...
Here is the product in question...
If you suspect the review photos are fake, then also pay close attention to the language in the actual written review. Many DHGate sellers are not fluent in english so check for any awkward phrasing (for instance,"delivery time is too fast". The "customer" in this review is supposedly from England so if this review was authentic, they would have said instead "shipping was so fast" or "item arrived sooner than expected").
Here is an example of real customer photos. The shots were taken in the customer's car, probably right after they picked it up from the post office.
For more information on fake reviews, have a look at this in-depth article on 5 Ways to Spot Fake Reviews on DHGate.
9. Ask sellers for "real photos".
If a product listing does not have customer review photos and you're still unsure about the quality, message the seller and ask for "real photos". Sellers will understand that you want to see photos of the actual item. When you ask, they will respond in one of three ways:
- The seller will tell you that the photos in the listing are photos of the real item.
- The seller will send you photos that were likely taken by their supplier or factory.
- The seller will have the item handy and will send you a few hastily-taken photos of the real item and send it to you.
Most of the time, you will get option 2. Factory photos are usually pretty accurate. Factory photos usually show the products from multiple angles and are set up with the product's packaging in the background (handbag box or shoe box, or authenticity cards for instance).
Here is an example of factory photos. If the seller sends you photos like this where there is good lighting and packaging materials in the background, you can usually rest assured that this is the quality you'll receive.
10. DHGate is not a returns-friendly platform.
Unfortunately, DHGate is not a return-friendly platform. If you change your mind about your order, it's not easy to get a refund. They're not Target or Walmart. The platform has a returns process available but the seller has the option to deny the return. They will usually only accept the return if there was something wrong with the item. Even in those cases, most sellers will offer you a partial refund in place of returning the item for a full refund. And if you actually ship your order back to China, the only shipping service in your area that makes financial sense will probably lose your order during transit.
Here is what I advise if you receive an item you don't like: find an online dupes discussion group that has a buy-sell-trade sub-group ("BST"). Try to sell your item there. You'll most likely lose money on the sale but it's better than fighting with the seller to make a return that will get lost in overseas shipping anyway.
10. If you don't receive the right item or anything at all, dispute the order with DHGate.
If you have a run-in with a dishonest seller, you receive an item not as described, or they don't ship your item at all, DHGate will allow you to dispute your order for a refund.
But it's important to make sure that you keep your conversations with sellers on the platform (and not Whatsapp, for instance). That way, if a dispute arises, the resolution team can easily see what was discussed. Take photos of your items and upload it to the dispute page.
However, DHGate is not great about settling disputes in favor of the buyer. In fact, their claims process is not even seamless. It's not always clear when or how to upload photos and they will make you repeat the same steps for no reason at all.
If you find you're having difficulty filing a dispute through DHGate, go through your bank or credit card instead. I once had to dispute an order with a seller because they deliberately left out an item from my order. I filed a DHGate dispute but their resolutions team did not help me. Instead, I filed a chargeback with my bank. When DHGate saw the chargeback on their end, they immediately issued me a refund.
Final Notes
If you are feeling apprehensive about buying from DHGate.com, that's totally understandable. It's an overseas based platform which leads one to believe that it's sketchy and unsecure. Have a look through our in-depth article on to find out If DHGate is Really Safe.
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