Dropshipping With Salehoo Review 2023: Is It A Scam? Is Their $67 Membership Worth It?
Salehoo is your one-stop solution to starting a dropshipping business. Salehoo connects you to thousands of suppliers, wholesalers, and more -all while providing you with valuable resources to help you succeed in the world of dropshipping.
Effectiveness
Salehoo has 8,000+ listed wholesalers, but only about a thousand of those offer dropshipping offers. They might need to improve on this if they want to stay ahead of the competition!
Price
Very worth it considering the tools and comprehensive resources provided.
User-friendly
Getting started with Salehoo is not an issue. It’s easy enough for complete beginners to understand.
Service
Customer support is excellent, timely, and always helpful. The community forum has plenty of members and is constantly active.
More and more internet retailers continue to jump on the dropshipping bandwagon.
It’s a competitive playground, yes. But if done right, you’re on the fast track to a profitable business in no time.
Getting started with a product, however, needs to be a calculated move.
Which one is guaranteed to sell? What’s increasingly popular with your target audiences? More importantly -how do you find yourself a trusted, affordable supplier?
What is Salehoo?
Image via Salehoo
Salehoo is one of the biggest online directories targeted towards wholesalers and dropshippers. One of their co-founders -a Simon Slade- started Salehoo after not being able to find trusted, suitable wholesalers for his online business.
Since then, Salehoo has grown to become home for over 8,000+ suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers as well as dropshippers -all to help you connect you to the best products for reselling!
Salehoo was founded all the way back in 2005, with its headquarters located in New Zealand. Their suppliers, however, come largely from places like China, United Kingdom, the United States, and plenty more.
According to their website in 2019, Salehoo has been the guiding hand for more than 137,000 individuals to kick off their online business.
What should you consider before subscribing to Salehoo?
Before starting off with the rest of this Salehoo review, it’s important to reiterate the fact that they do NOT sell their own products itself.
Salehoo merely acts as a wholesale directory. You’re still responsible for browsing through their product categories, contacting suppliers, etc and sorting out the details of product delivery and other factors before you come to an agreement.
But wait. Can’t I just get this information from Google?
Yes, and no.
No doubt, one single search for, let’s say, ‘baby clothes US supplier’ will show you options in the tens of thousands. From then on, you make an educated guess about your supplier, select the products you think would sell, and contact the wholesaler privately -all without the third party.
Salehoo’s main pitch, however, is to eliminate the unnecessary time wasted with guesswork and going in circles.
It breaks down valuable insight as to what sells, what doesn’t, and other important bits of information about your supplier on the first page itself. This dramatically reduces the time needed for you to conduct Google searches, possibly send tens of inquiries back and forth with your dropshipping wholesalers and suppliers, etc.
Be that as it may, there’s no denying the fact that you can still find most of this stuff on Google. It just involves much more time.
We do, however, think Salehoo is a great place to get started.
Total beginners to the world of dropshipping might not be very sure of what product niche to begin with! Much less what to look for in a good supplier, etc.
Salehoo would be a good guide for those who are still struggling with this. Or maybe you’re already an established dropshipper -looking for vetted, legitimate wholesalers and suppliers to grow your business. Salehoo really does work the best for anyone who wants to save time, maximize profits, and find more suppliers to work with!
Features and Benefits
Your dropshipping business is almost ready to take off. Here’s how a Salehoo membership can help with that:
a) Selection of Dropship Suppliers
Image via Salehoo
With Salehoo, you might be getting full access to 8,000 total wholesalers, but that doesn’t mean they’re all available for dropship options.
On their official website, the number 8,000 is displayed loud and proud on their homepage. However, that number drastically drops to only about 1,000+ vetted dropship suppliers, as stated on their products page.
This is one of those situations where it pays off to read the fine print.
A thousand-plus dropship suppliers is still a good deal. Considering they have to go through an exhaustive assessment by Salehoo to make sure they’re all legit.
Being totally honest, though? If the product you have in mind is one that’s in a very unique niche -there’s no guarantee you’ll find it on Salehoo.
What you will find in excess throughout their site are mostly products in fashion and jewelry, gadgets, makeup items, sporting goods, and a few others.
Keeping this in mind -they let you test the waters just a little before committing to their Salehoo membership.
I conducted a quick search just to give you a better idea of what to expect.
Salehoo shows you a rough ballpark figure of dropship suppliers through your niche. Less than fabulous results for e-cigarettes, but beauty tools would present you with a world of options.
You can conduct your own search for Salehoo’s existing dropship suppliers right here.
Nevertheless, Salehoo does want to make your search for quality dropshipping suppliers an effortless one.
You’re immediately shown supplier contact info, delivery charges, product ranges, minimum order quantity, and more without the hassle of asking them back and forth. Salehoo even lets you access the level of customer service provided by these dropshipping suppliers -just so you can be extra sure that they’re a fit for your business.
A good portion of Salehoo’s suppliers does offer worldwide delivery too. That’s one more thing you don’t have to worry about.
You’ll also find that Salehoo’s dropshipping suppliers are quite flexible with minimum orders. Plus, a good 70% of them don’t require you to pay an application fee to get started.
This makes Salehoo much less daunting to get started with if you’re only just a dropshipping newbie with little to no budget.
So, Salehoo has also introduced the ability to assign quick notes to each of your suppliers -all so you can keep track of who’s who and any other memos to keep in mind.
This comes particularly handy if you have more than one individual managing the account!
b) Wide Collection of Wholesalers
Image via Salehoo
Salehoo’s wholesale directory stands at an impressive feat of 8,000+ (and counting!) wholesalers and suppliers both locally and internationally.
What’s even better is the fact that a huge majority of said wholesalers are reputable, big-name brands.
Disney, Adidas, and Oakley are only a handful of brands that offer low-cost but high-quality items for wholesale on Salehoo.
Salehoo performs really well in this aspect. Since the explosion of eCommerce and online businesses, verifiability has become somewhat of an issue.
If you were to pick and choose your suppliers/wholesalers from Google – it’s a little risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. With scammers being super-advanced these days, how do you differentiate originals from the fakes?
Things get especially complicated if you’re running a dropshipping business. The worst thing you could do is to choose the wrong supplier, advertise and deliver fake goods -then end up having your own reputation on the line for this whole mess.
Salehoo guarantees peace of mind with their very, very strict regulations. Salehoo removes all unnecessary steps of you having to order a sample to check its legitimacy and possible issues of fraud.
Because of this, you can just focus on selling genuine, branded items for a handsome profit.
To make your search for products easier, you can use quick filters (by country, delivery options, prices, etc.) to find a wholesaler that meets your criteria.
Joining a Salehoo membership would also mean you get exclusive pricing deals from your wholesalers and suppliers. Some perks and benefits -such as lower prices- wouldn’t be available if you were to simply stumble upon wholesalers on Google.
Note that this isn’t a guaranteed feature of Salehoo, however. There are only select wholesalers who offer such deals.
c) Insightful Market Research
Image via Salehoo
Making money with dropshipping is the easy part. But how do you really get to the point of four or even five-figures in passive income?
Buying low and selling high is one thing.
The secret sauce, however, is being able to focus on a product you know would sell like hotcakes.
Traditionally, you can start with endless research on Google Trends, articles, eBay, and Amazon or statistical reports on best e-commerce products.
With Salehoo’s market research tools -this becomes obsolete. They leave the research totally up to pro analysts; instead of having you waste time with a bunch of possibly unrelated and outdated data that won’t help your business.
Salehoo connects you with the stuff that actually sells. This is based on competition data, successful selling and profitability rates, etc. All of this hard data is instantly shown to you when you’re a member -so you can make better decisions every day.
You could even go the extra mile and hone in on potential trends; way before your competitors catch wind! Salehoo shows you month-by-month sales trends that you can use for advantage when you buy future products.
HUSTLR Pro Tip: Products that are in the low competition range will increase your chances of a sale. Salehoo helps you avoid market oversaturation and getting lost amidst thousands of other online stores -so your product can stand out.
All of this can be saved and used for side-by-side product comparison when you’re about to make a decision. Salehoo shows you data for each average price, an average amount of existing listings, and so on.
d) Resources and Training
Image via Salehoo
Starting a dropshipping business in itself isn’t as risky as starting an online business that keeps inventory. However, there are still tricky paths that could lead to supplier scams, order mishandling, defective products, and a world of trouble if not navigated properly.
To help you master the basics, Salehoo started their very own 100% free ‘guides’ section.
Aimed at the total newbie dropshippers, Salehoo’s training and support consist of article guides and videos. All of them are either narrated or written by Salehoo’s very own team of experts -who have their own experience managing successful e-commerce stores!
Did you know? Simon Slade himself (co-founder of Salehoo) was responsible for co-starting Affilorama; an affiliate marketing site loaded with training and tools for entrepreneurs.
Here’s where you can take a closer look at the man behind these awesome ventures.
Salehoo’s impressive team is armed to the teeth with real-life experience and industry knowledge. Their 50 free guides (the ‘Complete Guide to Dropshipping’ is one of my personal faves!) are exhaustive in detail -covering everything from day-to-day operations to growing your stores via Amazon and eBay.
e) Salehoo Dashboard
Image via Salehoo
Of course, Salehoo has its very own dashboard for you to keep organized!
Salehoo keeps track of each and every supplier, any product data you’re keen on monitoring, as well as your training.
First off – you can read and reply to wholesalers, dropship suppliers, or anyone else from the ease of one inbox.
Salehoo also launched some spanking new features to make the messaging experience as painless as possible!
I once had a friend so intent on starting dropshipping. She started with the works, finding the right product, brainstorming ideas for social media pages, coming up with her unique selling points, etc. All except…reaching out to suppliers.
Why? Because she simply hated the thought of sounding clueless in an email.
Weeks went by trying to learn the proper terms, all so she wouldn’t embarrass herself. It sounds laughable -but is frankly something that I’ve come to learn a lot of people have to deal with!
Salehoo creates messaging templates for everyone a little unsure of what to ask for.
Image via Salehoo
All you need to do is select what you’re interested in finding out (product stock inquiry, price inquiry, etc.) and let Salehoo do the rest. Each and every template is made to sound professional, easy to understand, and gets your point across in no time.
On the other hand, it’s pretty clear that Salehoo has made designed their inbox to include the very basics of sending and receiving text-based messages only.
So although pretty easy to use, it is recommended that you move away from Salehoo once you’ve established a permanent rapport with a supplier.
Salehoo’s messaging interface isn’t the best way to send orders or invoices, handle returns, and all the other stuff that’s needed for a well-oiled dropshipping business.
Salehoo has made its stance very clear on this. Most of their features are only meant at finding you the perfect supplier match through product insights and a little help with training.
Once that’s a done deal, Salehoo leaves you to however you and the supplier conduct future, long-term business.
Other features of the Salehoo dashboard also includes tracking progress with your modules and training.
You can take a look at what needs more work -then jump right back into each module through your dashboard.
f) Affordable Membership Plans!
Image via Salehoo
No frills, no confusing plans. Salehoo’s membership goes for a flat $67 each year. If you’re really sure – then the $127 lifetime plan is also available!
The Salehoo membership gives you access to their entire supplier and wholesale directory, product research analytics, free training tools, and dashboard.
Price-wise? Salehoo is extremely competitive. For less than 70 bucks, it provides you with all the necessary tools needed for a beginner to start with dropshipping.
Be this as it may, I do personally have friends that flat out refuse anything without the guarantee of a money-back.
Salehoo probably does too, since they offer a 60-day refund guarantee in case you’re not totally crazy about their products.
We recommend using these 60 days to find as many relevant products in your niche and do your homework with the tools provided! If you can’t seem to stumble upon high-quality dropship suppliers within the 1,000 something selection – you can still request a refund, no questions asked.
g) Customer Support
Image via Salehoo
Salehoo’s free training and resources offer comprehensive, A-Z solutions for everything concerning dropshipping and starting an online business.
But even if you need a little more than that, they’ve got you covered.
Here’s how Salehoo is prepared to assist:
-
Live Chat
Scroll all the way down to their webpage and click the ‘chat with a Salehoo expert’ button to access this. Their live chat allows you to share feedback and ask questions -although it’s not available 24/7. On their official Contact Us webpage, it very specifically says that they are available 12 hours on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends only. -
Phone
Salehoo doesn’t make it very clear what time their phone lines are open. But it is definitely an option to go with if you have an emergency over the weekdays. If it’s way too busy, then -email and live chat are your best bets at reaching the team. -
Email and Contact Forms
Best use these two options for sharing feedback only since it might take a while!
It’s also always caught my eye how they encourage customers to contact support for anything at all – even if it’s to just pop in and ask them a question about choosing a product to sell.
Personally, I think it’s a very human approach that I think many customers will benefit from.
You’ll also find an active forum on the site that lets you post up questions, answer them, and just plain out keep updated on all things Salehoo.
Currently, they boast about 137k active members and 600k or so posts.
The availability of a forum is always beneficial, especially if you’re using solely using Salehoo to advance your dropshipping business.
It helps you focus on exploring each and every tactic, learning new tricks of the trade, etc – all while joining a network of Salehoo professionals that are seasoned in the world of e-commerce and online selling.
HUSTLR Pro Tip: If you’re engaged in a lengthy discussion or simply don’t want to lose where you left off from the forum – you can keep track of your interactions in the dashboard. Your dashboard also lets you peek into the latest forum activity and see what’s buzzing about, so you can join in on the conversation!
But don’t just take our word for it.
Here’s what various users have to say about Salehoo’s membership:
Image via Salehoo
As far as I can tell, these reviews touch on two main aspects of Salehoo. Customer support and free resources.
Many customers have given the full 5-star rating for quick, efficient response times to all of their questions. They’ve also commended Salehoo’s free guides and training, citing them to be very useful indeed.
It’s high-sung praises for both of these aspects, but of course, there’s the odd complaint.
One or two customers have expressed frustration about the ‘limited options’ and lack of dropship suppliers overall.
Nonetheless, the Salehoo team makes it a point to respond to such complaints in good faith. Most of the time, they connect you straight to a customer success manager – who personally takes on the task of finding suppliers and wholesalers.
Salehoo
Price: $67 per year / $127 for life
Satisfaction Guarantee: 60-day money back
Supplier Location: China, US, UK, Australia and Europe
Dropship Guides: Free training
Product Research: Available
Price: $9 / $49 / $99 (monthly basis)
Satisfaction Guarantee: 14-day free trial
Supplier Location: US and Europe
Dropship Guides: None
Product Research: Available
Worldwide Brands
Price: $299 for life
Satisfaction Guarantee: None
Supplier Location: Worldwide
Dropship Guides: None
Product Research: None
Is Salehoo right for you?
Let’s answer this question by breaking it down to Salehoo’s pros and cons:
PROS
- Vast selection of 8,000+ wholesalers coming from multiple countries
- Strict regulations eliminate the possibility of counterfeit products, dishonest suppliers, and protects customers from all other types of fraud
- Awesome pricing plans! Transparent and provides a 60-day money-back guarantee
- Huge collection of free resources and training
- Trusted customer support
CONS
- Only an average amount of 1,000+ dropship suppliers
- Not ideal for more niche products
- If you’re not using their market research tools or free training -you’re just coughing up $67/year for products that can be found on Google
What are some Salehoo alternatives?
While Salehoo offers up both traditional wholesale and dropship options –Spocket focuses on just dropshipping!
Spocket connects you with dropship suppliers primarily from the US/EU countries.
The main reason for this is to ensure that shipping doesn’t take forever. Suppliers from US/EU countries might cost more than the atypical Chinese supplier, however -so it would be up to you to adjust your profit margins accordingly.
Spocket also has automated features that integrate with WooCommerce and Shopify platforms for you to import products directly to your online store.
Spocket offers a free 14-day trial instead of the money-back guarantee. Their pricing plans range anywhere from $9 – $99/month for a monthly subscription; and $8 – $69/month for an annual membership.
Their official website may look painfully 2005-esque, but don’t let that fool you! Worldwide Brands is the OG wholesale and supplier directory around here -going all the way back since 1999.
Since they’re one of the longest-running directory sites around, Worldwide Brands boasts more than 16 million products to choose from.
Both Salehoo and Worldwide Brands have a very strict regulation process, so you’ll always be sure of the quality you’re getting.
Two of these brands share a ton of similarities, but there’s one huge difference.
Worldwide Brands’ one and only lifetime plan is worth $299! They have a deal now for $224, but there’s no clear time period for when this ends.
Considering there are other directories like Salehoo for $127 -we’re not crazy about those extremely steep charges. Even if it’s a one-off payment, it’s a little risky if you can’t find a good supplier in the end.
Our Recommendation
So – should you start right away with Salehoo?
If you want to save on time and effort, all while immediately connecting with genuine, high-quality suppliers, then absolutely!
Salehoo is the ideal platform newbies who want to learn; and experts who want quality. Its versatility is reflected in various useful tools, products, and free resources that should be used to its maximum extent.
There’s some room for improvement when it comes to the number of dropship suppliers – especially considering the behemoth that is Worldwide Brands.
Given that fact, Salehoo updates it’s products list every 3-4 days with popular, in-demand items. Suppliers are also added on a daily basis, so who’s to say they won’t eventually surpass Worldwide Brands?
In our books, Salehoo is definitely a solid investment for your growing dropshipping business. On the off chance you don’t witness its benefits within the first 60 days, you can always just get your money back.
DISCLOSURE: The HUSTLR goal is to help readers navigate around the digital economy by learning digital skills to achieve their life goals. This blog post may contain affiliate link(s) and any purchase(s) made through such links will result in a small commission to HUSTLR (at no cost to you). However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair in order to help you make the best choice.
Jesslyn has been a senior content strategist and writer for personal finance and side hustles for the past 4 years. She believes in the power of an idea and breaking the rules whenever necessary. Above all, balance is everything. When she’s not writing up a mad scramble, she leans towards wine bars and yoga studios on the weekends.
1 thought on “Dropshipping With Salehoo Review 2023: Is It A Scam? Is Their $67 Membership Worth It?”
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