back to article ALIBABA Vs AMAZON: Let the Global Tat Bazaar war begin

Chinese Amazon equivalent Alibaba has unveiled plans to become the dominant international tat bazaar, aiming to shift more Chinese wares to the international market while simultaneously encouraging foreign companies to flog more goods to Chinese punters. The company has launched its B2B import biz, 1688.com, aimed at wooing …

  1. Little Mouse

    And I thought it was eBay that held the honorary title of "tat bazaar".

    I guess I really should try to keep up.

    1. Matt_payne666

      the tat has to originate from somewhere!

    2. Goldmember

      Nah, ebay is on its deathbed. And as an ex ebay seller, I say good riddance.

      1. Nifty

        Deathbed? For small items I read the review on Amazon first, then go to Ebay and buy it.

        As I'm not prepared to do the 6 Amazon click-hroughs to discover the standard UK postage cost while Ebay shows it upfront.

  2. Martin Summers

    Too lazy to use it

    Alibaba? Nah, it's easier to type in Amazon or eBay than that.

  3. frank ly

    re. 1688.com

    Is this of some significance in the Chinese belief of the meaningfulness of numbers, or have all the 'cool' dot-com names been taken already?

    . "Interestingly, Chinese consumers are even buying tea from the UK."

    Ah, the cultural imperialist spearhead force of Tetley Tea Folk. The Chinese have no idea what they've let themselves in for.

    1. Irongut Silver badge

      Re: re. 1688.com

      Maybe they're trying to join the orange lodge to get some shady deals?

    2. Angol

      Re: re. 1688.com

      Tetley Tea Folk on behalf of their Indian owners.

  4. Brandon 2

    a long way

    They've come a long way in just a couple years from a "sketchy" way to find a wholesale vendor to competing with Amazon. I imagine lot of small resellers in the US are not happy, either, about alibaba's proliferation.

  5. Crazy Operations Guy

    "Our biggest advantage is abundance, with 100 million products."

    100 million products and not one of them is the one I was looking for... Was kinda hoping to find somewhere that actually carried a computer with a Loongsong chip in it, figured that at least Alibaba would have one.

  6. CheesyTheClown

    Is it better in Chinese?

    Their English site is so bad I wouldn't buy something for a buck from them. I'm scared topic my credit card number in.

    1. phil dude
      Joke

      Re: Is it better in Chinese?

      probably not...

      Language is a funny thing, as most people cannot choose it.

      But English is, whether by accident or design, is rather an effective communication medium.

      Y'all dig?

      P.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Is it better in Chinese?

      "Their English site is so bad"..."I'm scared topic my credit card number in."

      Whoops.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Alibaba

    Alibaba: Chinese for "sorry, but Google can't find that electronic component you are looking for, here are several pages of dodgy brokers that will sell you a part that claims to be what you want"

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    THERE !! Fixed that for you.

    "Our biggest advantage is abundance, with 100 million fake products"

    (Dont talk to me about SD cards, not one genuine card bought by me from Alibaba sellers last year, every single sodding one was a fake of some description).

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: THERE !! Fixed that for you.

      I've not had a problem with service nor fake components. Every time they contact me to assure them on the seller whether the part is less than two dollars or more than 100. And that's going into the fourth year now.

      Aside: The English chews boulders at times but I've been overseas long enough that I'm used to it.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: THERE !! Fixed that for you.

        The stuff they flog across the large pond may not be fake, but it sure as hell is crappy. The various bits and pieces that I've looked at were basically just crap. Some didn't work off the boat, others fell apart in a matter of weeks. Others functioned but not very well. The Chinese populace may want "high-quality" goods but that's because the local companies produce crap for local and foreign consumption and don't care.

        If you want a good example, look up 40W Laser Cutters. The Chinese have flooded the market and the reviews on these are pathetic. Same for MoshiDRAW the software they need to run. Meh......

        As I recall, we went through this back in the 60's and 70's with the Japanese dumping crap on the market. It wasn't until the locals had access to quality goods and they stopped buying the junk that things changed.

        1. Robert Helpmann??
          Childcatcher

          Re: THERE !! Fixed that for you.

          I think you've got it right, Mark 85. What any group considers "high-quality" is based on what they have had access to and will be subject to change once exposed to something better, whether home grown or imported. It will be interesting to see if Alibaba will be able to open the gates to the market in China or if they will be hampered by the current protectionist system.

  9. Nifty

    They will be hampered by the current protectionist system

  10. earl grey
    Thumb Down

    buy our products cheaper and at high quality

    I don't think the word "quality" means what they think it means.

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