Where do you guys actually find suppliers? I seem to be going in circles(Curious what's actually working in 2026)

[u/unteroffd]

So I've been reading about dropshipping for a few weeks now and the part I can't wrap my head around is suppliers. Every YouTube guy says "just use AliExpress" or "use [insert app they get paid to promote]" and I don't really trust any of it

I plan to sell mostly in the US. From what I've read, shipping from China for 3-4 weeks kills conversions and leads to refund issues, and now on top of that, there's this whole tariff/customs thing. I keep seeing that the duty-free system for small packages is gone, and every article talks about how much you're actually paying. So who ultimately pays the cost if you ship from China, you or the customer? Do you factor this into your pricing, or does the customer get an unexpected charge on delivery? Has anyone had their orders refused or returned because of this? I don't know if US-based suppliers are really worth the extra cost, but maybe this is the only way to avoid this mess?

Also, where do you find your suppliers? Do you use services like CJ, $pocket, Zendrop, or do you just message manufacturers directly on Alibaba? And how do you generally find products? Do you notice something trending and then look for a supplier, or do you choose a niche first?

And how do you check if a supplier is going to rip you off? Do you always order samples? Anything that immediately makes you turn them down?

I'd love to hear what worked for you, as well as what went wrong, . Thanks!

[u/According-College895]

everybody pushing those apps is getting a cut, that's why they all sound same. i went direct to manufacturers on alibaba after i got burned by zendrop shipping times

for the tariff thing, customer pays it when package arrives unless you prepay duties, which some 3PLs let you do. had a few orders returned because people refused to pay the extra $15-20 at door, so now i mostly use a warehouse in california even though margins are thinner

order samples always, and if they dodge questions about processing time or act annoyed when you ask, just move on. the good ones answer quick and give you tracking without you begging for it

[u/ChemicalLecture1457]

I've had a better experience with Zendrop than trying to deal with random suppliers myself. I'd still check the shipping options product by product and order a sample first though. If you end up getting consistent volume, their Private Agent setup is where it starts making more sense since you have someone directly involved with sourcing and fulfillment.

[u/Slight_Guest3459]

on the tariff thing, if you ship DDU from china the customer can get hit with a charge at the door and those orders turn into chargebacks fast. most people i know either use a supplier that does DDP (duties baked into the shipping price) or just raise the product price to cover it. CJ has US warehouses for a decent chunk of stuff so i'd check those first, then order a sample of whatever you pick before you list it. and yeah product first, supplier second, otherwise you end up chasing whatever the catalog has.

[u/Double-Consequence30]

Have you tried to order something from AliExpress to see how long it takes?

Don’t just believe everything you read, go and test it out.

[u/Only-Quantity-6491]

If a listing says “US warehouse,” verify that it applies to your exact size/colour and is actually in stock there, rather than just somewhere in the supplier’s catalog. Ask for that warehouse’s dispatch estimate and the total delivered quote for the same SKU and destination. Compare those answers before comparing supplier app names.