Unhelpful
The Anti-Resource
Tuesday, August 21st, 2007I’ve decided to start a new category here called “Unhelpful”. Now, while it might seem silly to have a category like that on a site like this, I hope that I’ll be able to recommend readers AWAY from certain resources that might not be good for their businesses. I’m calling it “Unhelpful” because I want to cover more than just scams. There are a ton of resources out there that aren’t necessarily scams, but in the end, they’re still more trouble than they’re worth.
Wholesale Central is one of those sites. I want to be very clear by saying that Wholesale Central is not a scam. They offer a legit service and a lot of perfectly honest people do business as a result of their site. On the other hand, if you’re looking to purchase high-quality products from the manufacturer or their authorized distributor, Wholesale Central is not the best place to search.
A quick look at their homepage is probably enough to tell you that it’s not the kind of place that most companies would put their name. Flashing banners and drop shipping ads are everywhere. If you look deeper in the categories, you’ll find tons of generic products, designer look-a-like sunglasses and bags, and enough cheap flea market items to make your head spin.
If you’re stocking products for a community sale stall or convenience store, you may find Wholesale Central to be very helpful. If you’re looking for brand name items, remember that you’re going to spend the least time looking if you just call the company and ask for a distribution contact.
I’m also not sure about how well Wholesale Central polices their merchants. Many of the sites appear to be fly-by-night, very questionable operations. If anyone has more details on what they do to keep their shoppers safe, I’d love to hear about it.