Service Details
Guided Imports is a full-service sourcing and supplier management company.
They offer the following services for a flat fee: product sourcing, supplier negotiation, product validation, sample rating & consolidation, quality control, inspection, production reporting & updates and purchase agreements, product photography, FBA prep & bundling, logistics and shipping, and payment and fulfillment services.
Guided Imports is US-owned and based in Shenzhen, with a team of 15 experts.
Pricing & Trial
| Price Range |
| Sourcing and manufacturing services start from $500 for 10 hours of support. On-Site Quality Control Inspections from $199. Contact the supplier for a personalized quote. |
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ashleywilkes1862670
Not what I expected
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Summary
I listen to The Amazing Seller and I've been using this company based off of his recommendation now for about 8 months and it's been nothing but a total hassle. Back and forth emails where I do most of the work and research and all they do is tell you what you need to do. In addition to that, there are ADDITIONAL FEES, so don't think that the sourcing fee is all you pay. You also have to pay the manufacturer their sample fee, the shipping fees, etc. They -- Guided Imports, also take forever, sometimes to respond to emails. So don't use them if you're in a hurry for anything. It's easier to just source things on your own. The only reason why I give them one star is for their inspections, but let me tell you something -- they use Topwin. Just go and hire Topwin yourself. They're the best and treat every customer the same. The worst part about Guided Imports is their website which is always crashing. Not at all what I expected and when I'm done here, I am going to stop using them.
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sharktank8811
Fantastic operation
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Started using Guided Imports in 2016 since I wanted to scale my business. They are essentially my purchasing office in Asia and act as my overseas satellite location. Very impressive so far, in that It's been mostly hands off for me and my team. They have their processes down and they execute them. Having done business in Asia for a decade Im familiar with the pitfalls and expect some setbacks whenever I'm dealing with china, and to a lesser extent Vietnam. Surprisingly, not a single one so far, which tells me they know what they're doing. The Good: Hands off, as advertised, HUGE time saver, great staff The Bad: None yet. PS. For those of you in the same boat with more than 10 SKUs and are constantly in need of some type of help overseas , they have a monthly program that I don;t see advertised on their site. I pay a monthly fee and they handle everything. Saved me a significant amount of money over their advertised packages. May want to ask them if it makes sense for you. Not sure if I'm supposed to mentioned it, but whatever.
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BradenInc
Very pleased overall
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Used Guided Imports after hearing Scott Voelker recommend them on one of his Amazing Seller podcast. Tested them out by purchasing their A-Z service package that basically handles everything. Having done business in China for years, I expected the timeline to be slow, as is usual for Asia. Was surprised it didn't take quite as long as I thought. Had them source a product I was having trouble finding. They found 8 (I think) supppliers. After getting samples from them all, they even took a bunch of photos and wrote up a report about each sample. After I decided on the supplier, they lined up 2 additional factories to act as back up suppliers. I can't believe I've never thought of this. They said it's a safety net just in case the primary supplier screws up or something happens and the order doesn't get done. Thought that was a great idea and will be doing this from now on for products I source on my own. Overall everything came out great. They literally handled everything. This is the first time I didn't spend anytime on anything China related, other than picking out the best sample and signing a few docs for customs and shipping. Initially thought the cost was high, but after having used them, I think it actually saved me money. Not sure yet as final numbers won't be done for a while. I'll try to come back and edit this review when I find out. Only thing I would improve is the emails. I'm one that loves getting an email every day. They are more efficient with their email communication. Granted they prepare a report and update it every day that I can access that shows me every bit of info I could want, but they don't send out much info via emails. Maybe I got 20 or so emails? Like this said, I'm one that likes an email every day. That's my review. I'll Try update when I get numbers.
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daneharper
Great experience so far
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I started using Guided Imports early 2016 to handle my private label sourcing and importing in China. I had previously done all of the sourcing and everything myself, but as my business started to grow, I knew I wanted to focus more on marketing and growing revenue than I did with dealing with China. I tested them with one product and they really impressed me with their process. They provide a cloud based report that I can access anytime that gives me instant information on everything that's happening with my product. From sourcing multiple factories, getting samples, testing samples, price negotiating, prepping my product for Amazon, photographing my product for Amazon, quality control reports, shipping, and a lot more I'm sure that I'm forgetting. Botton line is that I no longer have to do anything related to China which has allowed me to work on my sales and marketing and grow revenue. Initially I was nervous, as there were some delays, but after my account rep called and not only explained that the factory ordered the wrong materials, but also showed me their communication, I was put at ease. Honestly, I should have known. From doing business with China for years, I should have known that delays and unexpected issues are a part of everyday business in China. That's part of the reason I wanted to outsource this part of my business--I was fed up! Anyway, I've been very happy and have since handed over all of my products as well as having them handle any new products. Plus, this might sound a bit biased, but I really like having my business handled by a fellow American. I've met the owner twice and have been impressed. It's more peace of mind than anything. One thing they could improve: I'd like to see them put together a sourcing trip or something for the Canton Fair. I've seen other companies offer something like this and I've been tempted to sign up. That's really the only thing I'd want to see.
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pcpsl
Highly recommend them
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I have used the team at Guided Imports for the last 2 years and have been extremely happy. It was a big help that they are actually in China and can see what's happening...Really made our business much more streamlined having one vendor handle all of our sourcing and logistics in Asia. Was impressed with their service and communication as they keep us updated constantly on project and products via a comprehensive report that we can access via the cloud. This allows us immediate feedback and ensures we are all on the same page.