That $75 sample order from Alibaba taught me a $2,000 lesson

I was sourcing custom kitchen gadgets for a small retail run I'm planning. Found a supplier on Alibaba with great reviews and killer prices on silicone spatulas. I figured why waste time with samples when the MOQ was only 500 units at $1.20 each. So I skipped the sample order and went straight for 500 pieces. Big mistake. When they arrived after 8 weeks, the silicone smelled like burnt tires and the handles were wobbly. I ended up stuck with 500 unsellable spatulas sitting in my garage. Now I always order samples first no matter how good the price looks. Has anyone else gotten burned by skipping that step?

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bettyh843mo ago

killer prices on silicone spatulas" and then they smelled like burnt tires? Oh man I'd be so mad. That's rough, I can just picture opening that box and the smell hitting you right in the face.

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williamschmidt3mo ago

Three silicone spatulas from a deal site and the whole kitchen smelled like a garage for a week. Tbh @bettyh84, that burnt rubber smell never really left my spatulas even after washing them five times. Ngl I just tossed them in the end, not worth the headache for a few bucks saved.

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