The Ultimate Guide to DHGate Replicas

This is an unofficial shopping guide for DHgate.com. It is mainly designed for users looking to buy fashion designer replicas on the site; although the average DHgater may also find some valuable tips along the lines. All the information presented was collected from my own personal buying experience, interaction with different DHgate sellers and online research. The goal is to educate users in making better decisions while showcasing some basics and features of the site.

Last update: April 1, 2022

Table of contents:

1. Introduction: DHgate, a gateway for designer replicas

2. The ‘repworld’ today: state of business

3. Buying reps for the first time: things to know before ordering and 3 common newbie mistakes to avoid

4. Setting up some goals

5. Welcome to DHgate: what to expect and some basics

6. DHgate sellers: who is our typical ‘friend’ and the new wave of hybrid sellers

7. How to find a reliable seller?

8. Tips in finding listings

9. The art of the deal: buying with confidence

10. Conclusion

Notes:

• All $ amounts are in USD

• All screenshots shown were taken from the DHgate app

DHgate.com (DHgate | DH | simplified Chinese: 敦煌网 / pinyin: Dūnhuángwǎng) is universally known as the ‘Amazon-like gateway for designer dupes’ and for many buyers, it has become their entry point to the ‘repworld’: super easy to order, free standard (or fixed rate) shipping and a buyer’s protection plan on every purchase. But whether you are a newbie or a seasoned veteran, buying designer replicas can be confusing, overwhelming at times and filled with countless roadblocks along the way. Let’s face it: placing orders from the comfort of our homes has never been easier; but finding that treasured item at the best possible quality within our budget can often become a perilous adventure. With so many sellers, factories and batches, it is understandable to feel a little or completely lost. While the site offers a straightforward interface for ordering, finding sellers or listings is a lot more complicated, as product pictures are blurred and designer brand names cannot be used in the item description due to trademark and copyright bylaws. For beginners, this may seem like hunting for a treasure without a map. But worry not, there are many roads leading to the ‘El Dorado’. With some planning and research, anyone can make their shopping journey in DH a happy ending story every single time. In this tutorial, I will be focusing on the art of buying fashion designer replicas in DHgate by presenting some basics of the trade, what you need to know before ordering, what to expect to see and find on the site, along with a few buying tips and winning strategies in making the best out of your orders.

Today, we are truly living in the golden age of fashion designer replicas: in a not so distant time, there were only a few handful factories producing rather expensive low quality items. There’s no denial that the rise of the Chinese middle class fueled the fever for luxury consumption. This combined with the birth of Millenials in a digital era propelled the ‘repworld’ high into the stratosphere.

At any given time during a calendar year, one can expect more than 100,000 fashion designer replica goodies in stock and ready to be shipped anywhere in the world. Contrary to popular belief and despite the current economics, production costs for reps are actually getting lower (except on a handful of items). Competition, automation and high demand are pushing factories to produce ever more with better quality for less. But do not expect prices to go down. Expect having better goodies for the same dollar amount that you have previously paid. Thanks to all the Millenials who over the past few years have truly taken the replica business by the horns: now they are the ones dictating the pace of the game and steadily overtaking all sides of the business from the previous generation. For you as a consumer, there has never been a better time to shop than now! We are currently living in a buyer’s market where there are as many rep sellers as (Western) buyers out there. Therefore, never settle on the only DHgate listing that you could find or the first seller you come across with. Always remember this: you have the absolute power and the final word to any deal. Use it to your advantage.

When shopping for fashion designer replicas for the first time, be ready to venture into some very unknown territory. Compared to their retail counterparts, gone will be any official ‘repsite’, the exact item descriptions (materials used, etc) and any MSRPs (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail or Rep Price). With that in mind, please note that reps rely instead on a grading system that can be very complex in nature as the level of quality depends on the actual factory that produces them. In a standard manufacturing process for example (when an authentic piece is in hands), factories tend to produce the highest graded (1:1 or mirror quality) batches first in very limited quantities before ‘stripping’ them of some signature elements and using cheaper materials to make them more fake looking for the lower quality batches. Some popular items (produced by one factory) can have up to 5 different versions with every single one of them having its own unique blueprint. The challenge for buyers and even sellers is to source for the best ones available when there are hundreds of factories out there. Some are known for making very high quality reps at low/mid range prices; while others specialize in specific brands. In all, items produced by a factory can be divided into 2 large groups:

1. The permanent perennial collection: the most popular items or ‘the instant classics’ that have been sold by the thousands, tested and reviewed by many buyers over time. These are massively produced throughout the year and never seem to run out of stock. As a buyer, you will have no difficulty finding several different batches of the same style. 2. The new season collection: items featured in the latest fashion shows or factory designed (fantasy) for the new season. Depending on their popularity, only a handful will ever be produced again. Beware that, in order to cash in as early as possible, many of these items are released weeks or months before the real ones are dropped into retail or online stores. As a buyer, you may not find any product listings with reviews; so you will most likely be a guinea pig (first known person to order). Your advantage on the other hand is that you may very well be purchasing a ‘first batch’. These are notoriously known for being the highest graded batch (of the same tier) a factory makes during a production run. This applies especially for bags and clothing. For example, if a style gets hot and sells out quickly, factories will try to meet the high demand; but by doing so, some corners may be cut resulting in poorer quality items.

From here, each rep is then compared to other factories producing the same item. They can then fall into a different quality group based on the materials used, the overall craftsmanship and the details that are off compared to the authentic piece. Some less popular or more niche branded items may only be found in one quality type.

As a rule of thumb, prices often dictate the quality of an item: the higher the better. Although the rule may be simple enough, always ensure to compare different listings/sellers/reviews/pictures/prices/extras to see which one suits you the most. This will be part of your homework. If you plan on buying replicas on a regular basis, all your research if done thoroughly will earn you some valuable experience; which will eventually allow you to spot in a glimpse the differences between batches and their overall price ranges while meeting many ‘friends’ along the way. In addition, if you are a newbie, please avoid these common rookie mistakes at all costs:

⛔ The Picture Dilemma: product listings with a substantial price gap but using the same pictures do not mean that they are the exact same product. Do not think that you are saving money by buying from the cheaper listing. Beware that when asking for real pictures, sellers will in most part provide you with the factory/studio pictures. Depending on what you are buying and from whom, most will not have the item on hand. Once you have placed an order, they will then buy it from the factory and have it shipped to you;

⛔ The Impulsive Syndrome: unfortunately, many inexperienced users buy from the first listing that they stumble upon into. While the item may be up to their standards, most unsatisfactory deals are caused by buyers not knowing exactly what they paid for. Buying designer replicas is not and should never be a gamble. If you are reading this, then you should know that you have many tools now available at your disposal to make smarter decisions;

⛔ The ‘Bait and Switch’ Trap: always beware that there are unscrupulous sellers out there selling low quality items at high prices or promising one thing but delivering another. Be cautious and use due diligence especially if it is your first time ordering from a store. If a deal is too good to be true, it often is. For example, a seller claiming to sell a 1:1 piece for a very low price or the opposite, a seller selling a low quality item at a very high price.

Buying reps is no wonder a big challenge. A game in which you need to stay on top by researching, communicating with various sellers and seeking help whenever needed. As a buyer, take your time by never leaving any stones unturned. Otherwise, you will be just rolling the dice and risk getting an unpleasant surprise when you open up your package.

On your quest for your desired item, be prepared to navigate through some murky waters; in the sense that the definition of quality can be very much subjective from one buyer to another depending on your knowledge or personal experience with the retail world and how believable you want your reps to look and feel compared to the authentic item. Every buyer is indeed unique. Each one of us will have our own buying strategy, budget and set of boundaries; but at the end of the day when our package arrives, we all share one common feeling – that wow moment when we say to ourselves: “Geez, this is amazing! Kudos to me”! 😊👏👏👍👍 Before placing your first order(s), be sure to set up some goals:

1. What quality am I looking for or how close do I want it to be from the authentic?

2. What is my budget and will it allow me to get something up to my expectations? Remember that a bag or a pair of shoes costing $50, for example, will not be in the same level of quality as one going for $150 for the exact same style. If you have high standards, it may be more beneficial to save your money and pay extra to avoid a negative experience.

3. Do I need extras (i.e. brand boxes, original packaging, custom embossing, faster shipping, etc)?

Once you have answered all of these questions, it is time for the hunt games to begin! Congratulations, you’ve signed up to DHgate and you are ready to embark on a journey to the fashion designer underworld!

If you ever plan a shopping trip to China (or any country selling reps), get ready to explore different districts each one filled with an endless number of shops, stalls, middlemen and scammers along your way. On your journey, one thing strikes you: the vast majority of shops that you visit only have the cheap low/mid quality batches displayed on their shelves. When you inquire about the higher quality ones, sellers whether tell you that those need to be ordered in advance (and ask you to come back later) or ask someone to take you to a more secluded location within vicinity. With DHgate, the setting is nearly identical: most of the stores you encounter on the site will only have the cheap budget items listed. The reason is very simple: for every very high or mirror quality item sold, 20-30+ lower to mid quality ones will be sold in more affordable prices. That same ratio is also closely reflected on the number of stores listing the very high quality (2-5%) vs budget (95-98%). As a result, DHgate has in some unintended ways acquired a reputation as a marketplace for inferior quality items. But, as you will learn in this guide, what you see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg.

In preparation of your first order(s), let’s ascertain some important basics and facts when shopping in DHgate:

🔶 Every DHgate seller is a reseller or a middleman. Never believe sellers claiming that they are a ‘factory’. Factories are forbidden by the platform and honestly, they have no interest in selling directly to a consumer on a one on one basis. Some sellers however may own some small workshops (producing specific niche items or custom making existing ones); but they have nowhere near the production capacity of a normal factory;

🔶 Stores are independent from DHgate and act more as marketplace sellers. DHgate on its end has almost full control of a store’s wallet and issues penalties whenever disputes are opened;

🔶 There are no real discounted/sale/liquidation items in product listings. If you ever see one with a % discount (See an example here on a 84% off marked down item), never believe that the item is actually ‘on sale’. Businesses never sell at a loss and you always get what you pay for (Further down however, you can find some money saving tips);

🔶 Due to the website restrictions, sellers can only display a limited number of listings in a store; which do not represent even 1% of everything they sell in most cases. Because of that, many sellers will open multiple stores advertising different or similar products in the hopes of generating more store traffic and orders;

🔶 When shopping in DH, you will eventually come across many shops with this🏅badge; which represents the highest grade a store can obtain: the ACE status. To be awarded (this is renewed every year), stores must meet a certain sales target the year before. Simply put, these are the ‘cash cows’ of the site. Many of the ‘usual suspects’ will have no trouble meeting the threshold year after year. If you are a beginner shopping through item listings, your first purchase(s) will very much likely come from one of these stores;

🔶 Buying from a high rated/top seller does not guarantee that you will be satisfied. Deals can go sideways for many reasons;

🔶 The number of transactions of a store may not always reflect the total # of items that were sold (as you will learn further ahead, one transaction can be split into multiple orders and fake reviews can add to that toll);

🔶 A store with only a few transactions does not mean that the seller can not be trusted. As mentioned earlier, one seller can run various stores across the platform and in most cases, sellers are genuine people who will go great lengths to satisfy you as a consumer;

🔶 Fake reviews are now widely spread throughout many listings including those from top sellers. This is a controversial subject in many ways. One that can be viewed as a double edged sword. On one side, genuine sellers rely on them for 2 ‘legitimate’ reasons: 1) fake reviews add ‘orders’ to a listing; which keeps it from being taken down and 2) to promote a product that the seller deems to have good selling potential by including pictures in reviews. On the negative side, fake reviews are simply wrong because: 1) they serve as a tactic from scamming sellers in making potential buyers believe that the product they are buying is actually of good quality when in fact it is not and 2) if you are able to spot them (most are fairly easy to do so), they may very well sway buyers away instead of attracting them to buy. For more information, here’s a quick guide in spotting fake reviews.

Over the years, DHgate has steadily evolved into a mega shopping ecosystem filled with life where you can make some amazing deals and connect with a vast network of designer replica sellers capable of providing your ‘holy grail’ item at the right price. Sellers are without a doubt the backbone and flesh and the heart and soul of the whole DHgate website.

But who are they exactly? They are young (most in the 18-30 year old age group predominantly women), ambitious and tech savvy. Some do it as a part time gig, some are all in. When shopping in DH, you may eventually stumble into one of these: a multimillion dollar seller running many successful stores, a small workshop owner, a dropshipper, a seller-agent, a middleman liquidating overstock inventory or a recent high school graduate starting his first business. They come from all walks of life living in different parts of China, have distinctive business models, but one common goal: make money and lots of it.  Because they are fully independent from DH, they have a total freedom in terms of pricing and types of items sold. Their success however will depend on a few (controllable) factors and the good old Lady Luck!

As they will all learn down the stretch: selling in DHgate is no easy task. With all the competition and DH’s ever improving counter measures against replica listings, only the fittest will survive. Of all the popular platforms, DHGate is probably the one with the highest fees charged to sellers (Addendum of fees):

• Orders of $1-300 are hit with a 20% commission fee while $300+ ones go down to 10%;

• On top of that, many stores opt to pay membership fees of up to 30 000 CNY (Chinese Yuan)/year (roughly $4,800 in today’s market). Some large store sellers (especially the ones selling bags and sneakers) claim that this is actually a requirement once the store starts piling up orders;

• Over the past few years, DHgate has also started offering advertisement services notably in TikTok (fees vary between $1,000-$3,000/year).

Obviously, membership paying stores are entitled to privileges that include:

• An increased number of listings allowed in a store (the higher the membership status, the more products that store is allowed to list);

• Better protection from listings being taken down;

• More visibility/priority in DH’s search engine;

• Automatic renewal of listing prices (You may have noticed that 1-90% off in a price listing and the time left: listings for non-paying members are only renewed by the system within 24-72h during which prices may be greatly inflated).

These perks may have a huge impact on how a store performs. Therefore, many sellers will struggle to keep their shops opened for long; which partly explains the very quick turnaround of shops and listings across the site.

Another important aspect to take note is that many sellers open multiple stores and collaborate between themselves. In China, collective power (family & friends) is a force to be reckoned with. If a business is successful, others will be keen in joining in; thus creating a chain of stores supporting each other out. This is one of the most powerful elements for any business in China and something that has become deeply embedded in DHgate as well. So if you come across product listings that are very similar in their description, pricing and pictures or stores that have very similar names, do not be surprised if they are run by the same seller or that they are affiliated stores. This interconnectivity along with how factories have changed their modus operandi (more on that in the upcoming chapters) has created a brand new species in DH’s ecosystem: the hybrid seller. Think of a large surface store where you can buy shoes, clothing, bags, accessories, home decor, jewellery and more all under one roof. A large chunk of DH sellers has recently adopted this hybrid business model. For example, a store that only has bags listed can also offer shoes and clothing (through albums or catalogues). As long as you know exactly what you are getting and trust the seller, there are many advantages in shopping this way: finding exactly what you are looking for, better pricing (especially if you buy multiple items), QC pics are usually offered as courtesy and faster shipping lines. Through reviews and referrals in this subreddit, many of you are already familiar with this way of shopping.

As previously mentioned, behind every store, there is a (re)seller that specialises in some types of items (at different quality grades), has his/her own channel of suppliers and offers a distinctive buying experience (level of service/communication). Finding a good reliable supplier for your fashion designer goodies is without a doubt the essence of the game in DHgate. Product listings will all be taken down one day, but stores/sellers will always live long after. Finding a reliable seller can be compared to finding friendship or love online. You meet someone, have a few chats and then you ask yourself: do I want to take it to the next level or can I trust that person? If the answer is yes, then time to hit that “Place the order” button!

As with any healthy relationship, communication is the key to any deal and that before, during and after an order is completed. This is by far the most important part that is often overlooked. Good sellers will always provide you support and help fix any issues that may arise. Unfortunately, there is no workbook or definitive guide in finding love nor reliable sellers. The only thing you can control is who and how you approach them. With that mindset in place, here is a common approach that you can add to your playbook:

1. Look into their store to see the type of items they have to offer, their prices and any reviews (if available). If you are curious or interested in any items you see, ask for real pictures;

2. If the seller replies and the pictures provided are to your satisfaction, continue communicating by asking any questions you may have about the item. Some other questions may include:

• Do you sell high quality batches (if the items listed in the store are of budget/low quality)?

• Do you have a Yupoo album with all items that you sell?

• Is that your only DHgate store or do you have others?

• Do you provide QC pictures before shipping?

Product listings are getting more and more difficult to find, as DHgate bans more and more keywords in its search database. In addition, for those who are more familiar with the site, listings can be temporarily disabled by DH whether as an evading tactic to safekeep them or because they were deemed to be counterfeit items. Unfortunately, there are no magic tricks or secret recipes in finding the exact item that you are looking for, except if that item is a very popular one.

• Use keywords. For example: 1) ‘monogram tote’ for a LV Neverfull bag or 2) ‘flying jumpman’ for AJ sneakers:

• Use the image search

• Search in this subreddit

Many of you may also go on a ‘treasure hunt’ by spending countless nights hopping from one listing to another, scrolling down to see similar listings that will eventually lead you to stores from which you will browse through their listings in the hopes of finding some hidden gems. This is the average DHgater right there: ‘screen shopping’ and adding gems to that treasure chest! If you still can’t find what you are looking for, message sellers that sell similar products. Chances are that they will have it in their ‘backstore’.

Whether you are about to place your first order or your 100th, DHGate offers a vast selection of replica designer items at any budget. One can buy in a multitude of ways: from active listings with picture reviews, no picture reviews but from a high rated seller or through a seller’s album (select which items you want and pay through DHgate). Here are 10 winning rules, strategies and DH features that anyone can use in order to make their shopping experience in DHgate a positive one:

1⃣ Communication is the #1 rule for every single deal. Always message a seller prior to placing an order. You may be wowed by the picture reviews, but always be cautious and use due diligence before buying to avoid any unwanted surprises. Make sure your questions and concerns are answered before ordering or before the package is shipped. Never let yourself feel pressured. You always have the final word after all. Some sellers may have more difficulty communicating in English, so please be more patient and understandable;

2⃣ Price is negotiable for every single listing in DH (except for social savings). Many sellers are flexible with their listing prices. For example, if you intend to buy from a listing with no transactions or reviews or multiple items from the same store, message the seller, bargain, settle on a price and place your order in DHgate as follows:

• On the order page where you select the method of payment, there is an option called ‘Pay later’. By selecting that and placing an order thereafter, the seller will still be able to see it and modify the price to the one you both agreed to. Beware that there is a deadline to have these orders completed/paid. This option can also be used as:

1. a negotiating tool in which you can force a seller to accept an offer “give or take” or;

2. a ‘holding on’ button in case you are not sure in buying and/or simply because you have some DH coupons expiring and want to use them beforehand.

3⃣ Listing prices can change over time. If you are interested in buying an item from a product listing, add it to your cart or in your favourites and follow its price to see how it fluctuates over time. Always research and plan your purchases ahead;

4⃣ Store membership | Loyalty Program: Superfan or VIP customer of a store? Loyalty can get you a long way, as sellers often reward returning customers in many ways such as with discounts, freebies, etc. In a buyer’s market, customer acquisition is priceless for businesses, as they all look to build long term relationships instead of a one-time deal. On that level, DHgate has implemented a ‘store membership’ program that has yet to fully take off. Their goal was to give stores the ability to offer discounts to returning customers after they had reached a certain $ amount of orders within that store; but due to limitations or just lack of interest, not many if any sellers at all have signed up for this feature so far. By contrast, unofficial ‘loyalty programs’ do exist under a seller’s discretion. If you are very satisfied with an order and would like to deal with that same seller again, make sure to ask for discounts or freebies on your next order. Some stores even list this feature in their item descriptions, so make sure to read them (especially if you are a first-time buyer from a store);

5⃣ DHgate Coupons and the best time to buy. Coupons are and should be an important part of your shopping experience, so use them on every order.

• 🎟There are 7 ways to get them:

1. Entering a code (use our search bar to find them);

2. Exchanging DHgate coins;

3. Clicking on a sale icon or on DH’s weekly Insider days;

4. Clicking on the ‘pop-up bubble’ (appearing from time to time);

5. Special birthday and Insider coupons and

6. Spinning the Lucky Draw ‘slot machine’ (that does not always work).

7. From time to time, DHgate may also send some directly to your account. Sometimes, you may find these in notification/spam emails or just out of nowhere!

• 🎟Stacking up DH coupons: a great hack in saving some extra bucks is to stack up DHgate coupons. The goal is to use as many as you can. Sellers do not care how many of these coupons you use as long as you pay the total amount of the order (before discounts). Therefore, you can place multiple orders by splitting its total cost. Before you do that, make sure to message the seller first explaining your intentions. Please follow this easy set up tutorial as an example.

The best available coupons or the best time to buy is during major sales that occur about 4-6 times during a calendar year when DHgate offers multiple daily 15-25% off coupons. The discount value normally increases as the sale progresses.

6⃣ Always try looking for sellers selling high quality items. They are normally ranked higher in the supply chain (closer to factories); which gives them premium access and pricing to the limited sought-after high quality batches. Cheap budget items are widely available and very easy to find (for both sellers and buyers). Sellers who only sell budget may not be the most knowledgeable in terms of quality wise, since they may have only seen and handled the lower tier items;

7⃣ New items or batches (replacing older ones) are released every single day. Most sellers may not know the differences (if any compared to the previous batch that they sold) until they have received the item from the factory. It is also not uncommon for sellers to source for different factories or suppliers when an item is sold out; which may look and feel slightly different to what you expected to receive. Hence, the vital importance of finding sellers who provide QC (Quality Control) pictures or PSP (Pre-Shipping Pictures) in order to avoid receiving disappointing or defective items;

8⃣ Your success relies on 3 areas: 1) Buying experience, 2) quality control skills (being able to determine the overall quality of a product from the seller/factory pictures) and 3) working with reliable sellers that you can trust;

9⃣ Your 4 mottos: Search, research, communicate and order. Repeat.

🔟 Be respectful of every seller. Please be reminded that selling reps is an illegal but somewhat tolerated activity in China. Selling though is not as easy as it seems. On the contrary, as with any high risk high reward business, its players must take extreme precaution at all times. So the pair of shoes, bag or jacket that you ordered with a few clicks from thousands of miles away was probably collected by the seller (from a factory or middleman) at 4 AM at an undisclosed location, brought home in a hurry, QC pictures taken (if applicable), packed and shipped. Trust is the highest virtue of the trade when buying reps. Remember that you are not only investing in a goodie, but also in the person you are buying from. That ‘friend’ of yours has a name. Learn it. He/She will appreciate it.

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