Selling portable GPS units online? According to one powerseller it is a financially rewarding sector to be in but one that is not without its perils. Find out how to avoid them.
It is quite amazing how far the technology used in portable GPS systems have gone in providing users an excellent array of navigational applications as well as other functions that go beyond its core applications. The popularity of these devices can benefit you as a reseller,
particularly with low-priced models available in the market which you can get from wholesalers. You must however, practice discretion and care when selling these units.
In the past, portable GPS navigational devices can be bought only from OEM manufacturers like TomTom, Garmin, Rightway and Magellan. These branded units are a bit pricey and can go from $250 to as high as $650 or even more depending on the model. Now, portable GPS devices from Chinese manufacturers have entered the market, distributing a wide array of units with wholesale prices of less than a hundred dollars which you can sell at retail prices of less than $150 – much lower than their OEM counterparts.
** Things You Should Know when Selling Portable GPS Units **
There are however certain considerations that you should take before dealing with Chinese wholesalers of portable GPS devices. The following discusses some of these items which can guide you in having a successful business.
* Working with Chinese Wholesale Suppliers
Working with Chinese suppliers half-a-world away can be perplexing at first, particularly if you have doubts with the authenticity of what these suppliers are offering. There are however, ways for you to confirm this.
You can find suppliers from reputable online gateways and global trade facilitation companies that are focused in the Chinese market. These portals lists suppliers, rates them and provide third-party verification as to the authenticity of the business, much like what the BBB does in the US and Canada. Choose suppliers with a Gold or equivalent rating from these directories as well as the verification seals from third-party groups.
* Hardware
Chinese products have a reputation of having lower quality as a compromise for the very low price tags. Although this may be true to some extent, you can still check out the detailed product description and technical details about the hardware of the using you will be selling.
Although it may be difficult to have a one-to-one comparison with OEM suppliers as most of these manufacturers do not disclose their internal hardware specs, you can still check out if the items listed in the China specs are of good quality or not.
Check out if the processors used are of reputable quality such as the ARM926EJ or the Samsung CPUs. The GPS chipset receiver is also very critical but reading a high-sensitivity SiRF Star III chipset in the listing would be a good sign.
* Software
To minimize the cost of these wholesale units, Chinese suppliers ship GPS-enable hardware without a pre-installed licensed software. Although most of these devices run in standard commercial software like Windows CE, Symbian and Android, it would still be a good practice to check what particular applications can be used with the unit or not.
High-end units may require specific commercialized applications or software from OEM manufacturers. You can check compatibility by running an evaluation version of these applications. Portable GPS units that have lower specifications can run with free or open source software which you can readily download and install.
* Incentives
To compete with resellers distributing branded devices and encourage customers to buy from your listing of China-made portable GPS units, it would be a great idea to give them some incentives. You can be creative in what you can offer as long as you don’t infringe on intellectual rights or licensing requirements from other products.
Good examples would be to offer customers with a free SD card which they can use on their units. You can throw in some MP3 or video files of popular music and MTVs as a bonus. For more ‘intellectual’ type of customers, you can offer free eBooks instead. Aside from that, offer free accessories like audio cables, headphones, bags and other items that would surely catch their attention.
* Disclaimers
Finally, you should be aware of the limitations of your products and protect yourself from any untoward backlash by providing disclaimers. Such disclaimers include informing customers that you only sell GPS-enabled hardware and do not include licensed software. You can also put disclaimers about proper use and safety precautions while using their portable GPS units. This includes warnings about combining driving and activating the TV functions of your device among others.
Delving into the portable GPS device industry can be a very lucrative business if done right and you have studied all the ins and outs of the market. Taking care and planning everything ahead can assure you of success and help you avoid all the pitfalls that you may encounter along the way.
