Over the last decade or so, online selling has expanded to a truly global scale. For USBs, the story is no different with thousands of suppliers now selling flash drives and USB Memory Sticks over the internet day-to-day. While this has made life easier for buyers, there are still things they should be made aware of especially when ordering from outside of the UK.
What should customers look out for when buying from overseas?
Can the seller be trusted? – Customers should always ask themselves whether or not they truly trust the source that they are buying from, do they know someone who has used the seller before perhaps who can vouch for them?
Does the website seem authentic? – While there are plenty of businesses out there with well-built websites and means of communication, not all can be just that. If the content on a website is poorly structured, not clear or translated incorrectly customers should avoid. Always check as well to see if the business is using a secure web address (HTTPS), while there are websites out there that may not use this, individuals should always trust the source they are accessing before proceeding with any purchase or passing over personal information.
Is there a way of getting in touch with the seller? – Is there a listed phone number or email address you can use to contact the business? If so, does it work? – In general, are they putting up barriers to stop you communicating with them?
Talk to someone who may have used the seller before.
Does the website work? Is it safe to use?
Is it easy to communicate with the seller?
At USB2U we have a dedicated phone number, email address and secure website that you can use to communicate with us. As well, we operate from a secure business location that you can easily find via Google Maps. Our 5000+ Trustpilot reviews should also give you a strong indication that we are a trustworthy and honest company.
Why should you buy USBs from a trusted UK supplier?
As a supplier of USB sticks and flash memory, we get told quite often by customers that they can get what looks like ‘our products’ much cheaper from China- this country being the main manufacturer of USB flash memory.
However, whilst USBs ordered from the Far East might look the same, the internal components can vastly differ. We have heard multiple stories from customers who have taken the plunge to purchase directly from China and end up coming back to us and complaining that they have paid in full for an order only to find that they never receive their goods or receive faulty products and afterwards are unable to get their money back. This is part of the risk of buying from a supplier you do not know or can fully trust. There are obviously some genuine suppliers that can offer good quality products, but there are also those that will tend to deliver low-grade products that most likely won’t work, that’s if they even bother to send them out in the first place!
Ordering USBs from an untrusted source could result in faulty or missing goods.
We will regularly go out and meet our Chinese suppliers to ensure they meet the standards expected by our customers.
USB2U has worked hard to develop long-lasting relationships with reputable Chinese factories who offer Grade A chip-sets for our USB products. Regularly we’ll go out and visit the factories in which the products are made to ensure they meet our standards and help us to bridge the communication gap between our customers and suppliers to resolve any issues that have occurred as quickly and efficiently as possible. We also audit them annually and have supplier contracts in place to protect our customers.
Even if the Chinese manufacturer that you are ordering from appears to be reputable and the price of a flash drive is cheaper, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the ordering process will be as straight-forward as it would be if you were to order from a UK supplier. When working with USB2U you have every means to come back to us if you are not happy with the goods, however, it’s very doubtful that the same customer service or processes can be applied to overseas sellers. For the sake of spending that little bit extra, you are affording yourself peace of mind and a hassle-free buying experience.
Below are just a few more reasons why customers should seek to order USBs from a UK supplier such as USB2U, including favourable lead times, regulations and processes.
No issues getting products through customs
Easier returns processes and policies
Faster lead times when ordering UK stock in general
Products conform to EU regulations
Want to find out more about our USB products? Email our friendly sales team who will be happy to help at sales@usb2u.co.uk or visit www.usb2u.co.uk