Learning how to differentiate legitimate home business opportunities from scams is important.  At first glance, all work-at-home businesses or dropshipping businesses offered in the market may seem genuine but once you take a closer look, you’ll see that many of these opportunities are actually rip-offs. Take a look at the following signs of home based business or dropshipping scams:

No track record of history. One of the best ways to find out whether a dropshipping opportunity is fake or real is by checking the dropshipping company’s track record.  This isn’t possible if the company is too new or has only been in the business for a few months or less than a year.

Find a dropshipping company that has been in business for at least 5 years or longer so you can use its track record to check its legitimacy and stability.  Also, check from the Better Business Bureau if the company has received any complaints from its clients in the past.  If there were complaints files against the company, examine how these conflicts were resolved.

No physical address and telephone number. A real dropshipping provider must have a physical location where its main operations take place.  Whenever possible, personally visit the manufacturer or supplier you intend to partner with.  If it’s not possible to visit, check the validity of the address that the dropshipper advertises.  Perhaps you may ask some friends or relatives who live near the area to check out address for you.

Most dropshipping scammers use fake addresses or do not give out this important information at all.  Scammers often request interested applicants to call their cell phone number or send an e-mail to get more information.  Instead of using their office, seminars may also be held in hotels, parks, diners and other public places.

Pay now, earn later. Are you requested to send in a one-time payment through money transfer?  Are you required to pay a “registration fee”, or “membership fee”  to get hired.  If so, then this is a major red flag that the dropshipping business could be a scam.  If you’re encouraged to invest a considerable sum of money to receive your “starter kit” or “sales kit”, it would be best to look for another opportunity that doesn’t require any payment.

Product descriptions are not clearly defined. What exactly does the dropshipper sell?  What kind of products does it offer?  Is it know to manufacture or supply high-quality products?  Real dropship providers should be able to clearly define what they offer.

To be sure, it’s wise to ask for samples of the products that you’ll be marketing.  Do your own research and find out feedbacks from customers who had the chance to use the product.  Are they satisfied with the product they received?  Was their order delivered on time?  Did the product arrive in good condition?  These are important aspects of the dropshipping products you need to know.

If you’re in a buy and sell business and is thinking about expansion, have you thought about partnering with a dropship wholesaler? If you haven’t considered the possibility, here are the benefits that you can enjoy from drop shipping:

• Cut inventory costs. Instead of doing the inventory yourself, the task is done by your dropshipping company. You don’t have to rent or lease a storage space. And because you are purchasing wholesale merchandise, you can enjoy lower prices from your drop ship wholesaler.
• Cut your shipping costs. Paying for the delivery costs of your shipment can add up to your expenses. On the contrary, your dropship wholesaler takes care of the shipping so you can get even more savings.

• Enjoy faster deliveries. Having a dropshipper to partner with can speed up the delivery of your customer orders. Who doesn’t want to get their orders at the soonest possible time? Naturally, being able to deliver your goods more quickly gives you the edge over your competitors.

• Simplify your tasks. Managing a business can be difficult and stressful. Dropshipping enables you to focus on your marketing tasks without having to worry about the actual selling and delivery of the products.

Finding A Reliable Dropship WholeSaler – the Challenge
Is it easy to find a dropshipping company that can be trusted? With so many companies offering dropshipping services, choosing the right one can be a tough challenge. The only way you can make the right choice is if you take the time doing your research.

Use the internet to find the information you need. Attend trade shows and exhibits. Use business-to-business dropship directories. Check the background and reputation of each dropshipping company you’re considering. You can also check from the Better Business Bureau if a particular dropshipping company has received complaints from its past and present clients.

Another way to find out more about a dropshipping company’s services is to ask around. Interview other merchants or retailers in your region. If they’re using dropshipping services, which company are they in partner with? What can they say about their dropshipping wholesaler? Are the satisfied with its services? Would they recommend it to other entrepreneurs?

True, you can’t answer these questions if you won’t do your homework. However, spending time in researching and comparing companies is better than making the wrong choice. Otherwise, partnering with the wrong dropshipper can badly reflect on your business.
Remember, you’ll want a drop ship wholesaler who can deliver its promises. The ideal drop shipping company should not only demand reasonable fees. It should also be able to guarantee the high quality of the products you’ll be selling. More importantly, they should be able to guarantee the safety of the shipment of your customer orders.

Finally, once you’ve made the choice, make sure that you clearly understand the Terms and Conditions of your dropship wholesaler. Carefully review your contract and be particularly aware of the fees and costs of the dropshipping services. Make sure that are no vague clauses or missing lines in your contract where additional words or sentences can be added after you’ve signed the document.