How to Successfully Shop on DHgate

So, if you haven't heard of DHgate yet - I'm here to welcome you to the world of global purchasing. This is an opportunity to purchase amazing designer inspired items for just about anything!

What I have purchased on DHgate: purses, shoes, sunglasses, jewelry (haven't received yet), swimsuit cover up, hats, and athletic clothing.

DHgate can be great for saving money, but it can also be very confusing to use. And to complicate things even more, there's some sellers that are great and some that are not so great. In addition, there seems to be a lot of fake reviews. So, here's my tips for successfully shopping on DHgate!

1) Download the App - the app is way easier to navigate!

2) Searching for a specific item - Keywords: Try a few key words; it's rare that you can put in the exact item name and will be able to find a match. For example, if I'm looking for the Coussin PM bag - I would try searching "LV Coussin PM" OR "Coussin PM" OR "Designer Crossbody" OR "Designer Bag"

- I recommend NOT using the designer name. And sometimes when searching for a good seller - on very specific items, I will see what other sellers naming convention is and then use a few of those keywords. For example: let's say I'm looking for the Louis Vuitton "OnTheGo PM" bag that is green jacquard velvet for the LV Match capsule. (This is actually a bag that I have purchased). This is a very special edition bag, so there's not many sellers. I did find a listing for the bag, but there were no reviews and the seller didn't get a great rating. But, I used a few of the keywords from their posting and was able to find a handful of sellers.

3) Reviews: there's a few things to watch for when purchasing. There can definitely be a difference of quality between sellers. Reviews is the best way to solidify your purchase. I typically don't purchase anything that has less than 4.7-4.8 star reviews. However, I have found that a lot of the reviews are fake. So, don't base your purchase off the rating on the reviews alone. You have to take the time to read through the reviews. It's ideal to find reviews with photos as well. You can see the quality in the photos pretty well. Also, some people will start their review with "This is a real review." You will notice pretty quickly if the reviews are fake. The fake reviews don't make a lot of sense and will use words that I would personally use while describing a purchase. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the reviews. If there are any poor reviews, they are going to be listed at the bottom. If I see a very very poor review, I do not purchase from that seller.

4) Photos: You will notice that the photos in the posting for the item - the logos are blurred out or removed or changed. I get this question a lot when people are looking at the links that I give them for my purchases. You have to look at the keywords to ensure it's the item you want. If you are still unsure with reading reviews and seeing photos in the reviews, you can actually message the seller and ask for real photos of the item. It may take some time, but they will get back to you with photos where you can see the real logos and usually can tell the quality in the photos.

5) Price: With purse purchases, I have found that around $60 - $72 seems to be the right price for a good quality purse. Shoes are $40-$60. Lululemon items were $46 for a sweatshirt and $19 for leggings. There are cheaper options, but again, base everything off the reviews and don't go for the cheapest option.

6) Seller Reviews: One other cross-check you can do is looking at the sellers overall feedback/transactions as well. I typically don't purchase from any sellers with less than a 97-98% Positive Feedback reviews. You can scroll down on the item post and you will see a section called "Store." You can see how many transactions they have done and their overall ratings. This is where you can also click the message button and message the seller. In addition, if you find a seller that you like, you can head to their store and purchase items from that seller.

Combing through the hundreds of listings can definetly be overwhelming. You can also sort the results based on "Best Selling" or "Average Customer Reviews." But again, be mindful of the fake reviews. I usually put a few of the same items in my cart and then go back when I have time to really read through the reviews before pulling the trigger.

When it comes to shipping, I don't typically pay more than $8 for shipping. If I see shipping for $12-$20, I try to find a different seller. Shipping has taken anywhere between 2 weeks - 4 weeks. With the shipping times, you absolutely have to be proactive if you are wanting specific items for special occasions, such as vacations, weddings, etc. But trust me - the worth is ALWAYS worth it!

All in all, I know it can be overwhelming and a little bit of a process to find the item that you want. And for me, it takes a few days or even weeks to pull the trigger on items. That's exactly why I want to make things easier for you and let you purchase the exact items I purchase! But, if you are looking for specific items, I hope this helps! In the long run, it's definitely worth it and you can save A TON on designer items!