Alibaba has 150,000+ Gold Suppliers. The badge means they paid for verification โ€” nothing more. Here's what to actually look for on a supplier's profile.

Years in Business

Alibaba shows "Years in Business" on the profile. Less than 3 years = high risk. 3-7 years = moderate. 8+ years = established. Cross-reference with their business license date โ€” we've seen discrepancies.

Transaction History

Ignore the total transaction amount โ€” it's easily inflated. Focus on: number of transactions, average transaction size, and repeat buyer rate. A supplier with 100+ small transactions and 30% repeat buyers is more reliable than one with 5 huge transactions.

Response Rate

Above 90% is good. Below 70% means they're unresponsive. Check the average response time too โ€” under 4 hours is professional.

Product Specialization

A supplier selling 500 types of products across 20 categories is a trading company. A supplier selling 50 products in 2-3 categories is likely a factory. Factories specialize โ€” traders diversify.

Photos and Videos

Look for photos of: production lines, factory floor (not just showroom), workers on the job, raw materials, and finished goods warehouse. Stock photos and catalog images suggest a trading company. Ask for a live video tour.

Reviews

Read the 1-3 star reviews โ€” not the 5-star ones. What do unhappy customers complain about? Quality issues? Late delivery? Poor communication? If you see the same complaint repeatedly, it's a pattern.