Merchants looking for free dropshipping platforms will bump into Eprolo at some point. Eprolo is one of the older platforms, having been launched in 2018. It’s a reliable platform that has grown in popularity in recent years.
It’s one of the better-known services in this space and has a lot to offer merchants looking for an all-inclusive option.
But it is not devoid of flaws. In this Eprolo review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the platform and see what it can do for your business.
What is Eprolo?
Eprolo is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that provides its users with access to thousands of vetted suppliers and millions of products. The platform is designed for merchants who want to source products from China and sell them online around the world.
Eprolo offers a wide range of features, including product sourcing, order management, supplier management, shipping management, and more, all from one easy-to-use interface
The platform also offers a number of value-added features, such as supplier performance ratings, product reviews, order tracking, and more. These features help merchants to save time and money by streamlining the sourcing and selling process.
Who can use it
Eprolo is designed for ecommerce merchants looking for a hands-off, all-in-one solution for sourcing and selling products online. The platform is suitable for merchants of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise companies.
They offer one-click integrations with all the major ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more. Integrations are also in place for marketplaces like eBay, Shopplazza, and Shopline.
This makes it easy for merchants to get started with Eprolo, regardless of their existing ecommerce setup.
You might be interested in our: Top Dropshipping Agents Review
What are the key features of Eprolo?
Eprolo was set up at a time when single-roof dropshipping services very few and far between. It was one of the few platforms that offered an all-inclusive solution for ecommerce merchants looking to source products from China.
But the competition has exploded around it. While the platform has evolved over the years, it still offers a comprehensive set of features for its users.
Some of the key features include:
1. Sourcing from vetted suppliers
Eprolo offers over a million products in 10 categories and 107 subcategories that it sources from its network of over 5,000 vetted suppliers. The platform’s team of product managers and quality control team vet the suppliers on the platform to ensure that they meet Eprolo’s high standards.
You can also source from other third party marketplaces like Aliexpress, Alibaba and more, as Eprolo offers direct integration.
This is a valuable feature for merchants who want to source products from China without having to worry about the quality or reliability of their suppliers. It’s also a huge time saver considering how time-consuming it can be to vet suppliers on your own.
2. Easy to find products
Trying to find a winning product from amongst a million can be cumbersome, especially for startups and new businesses. Eprolo’s product sourcing team curates products on the platform and highlights the best-sellers in each category.
The platform also offers a number of filtering options, such as price range, supplier rating, orders placed, shipping time, and more. They also have a top 100 trending products section that’s updated daily.
This makes it easy for merchants to find high-quality products that are in demand and likely to sell well. It does take away the exclusivity though.
3. Global warehouses
Most dropshipping services have warehouses in China. But Eprolo has a network of 26+ warehouses located around the world, including multiple ones in the US, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan and Thailand.
This is a valuable feature for merchants who want to sell to customers around the world, as it ensures that products can be shipped quickly and at a lower cost. The MOQ for stocking in these warehouses is also pretty low at just 100 units.
All products are shipped first to their China warehouses before being redistributed to the global warehouses. This helps to keep shipping costs down.
4. Automated order fulfillment
Eprolo offers a number of features that automate the order fulfillment process. This helps to save merchants a lot of time and hassle when fulfilling orders.
For example, when an order is placed on your store, Eprolo will automatically update your order status and send you an email notification. They will also track the product’s journey from their warehouses to your customer’s doorstep.
This is a great feature for merchants who want to free up their time to focus on other aspects of their business.
5. Print on Demand
The Print on demand marketplace is a feature that allows merchants to sell custom-printed products without having to carry any inventory.
Eprolo has a network of print providers located around the world, which means that they can offer high-quality printing at a competitive price. And with no minimum order requirements, it’s easy to get started with print on demand.
Just pick from one of their 500+ printable products, upload your design, and start selling. Eprolo will take care of the rest.
This is a valuable feature for merchants who want to sell custom-printed products without any hassle.
The benefits of Eprolo
Eprolo offers several key benefits to ecommerce merchants.
Here are the key ones.
1. Multiple sourcing options
With Eprolo, you have the option to source from their private inventory pool, which is their own network of suppliers, or from other third-party marketplaces like Alibaba and Aliexpress.
This gives you more flexibility to find the right product at the right price.
2. Branding
One of Eprolo’s stand out features is their branding capabilities. They have a wide array of tools available to help businesses with everything from developing their brand strategy to designing and launching their brand identity.
Their team of experts will work with you to understand your business goals and develop a branding strategy that will help you achieve them. They even use customized scotch tape as well as packaging, a small but important detail nevertheless for businesses that send out physical products.
On top of that, Eprolo also offers design services for businesses that need help with their brand identity. This includes logo design, business card design, and even website design.
They have a team of experienced designers who will work with you to create a unique and professional looking brand identity that reflects
3. Express shipping
Eprolo offers express shipping to most parts of the world. Club this with their global warehouse locations and you’ve got a business that can get products to customers anywhere in the world quickly and efficiently.
This is perfect for businesses that rely on fast shipping times to keep their customers happy. It’s also great for businesses that are just starting out and can’t afford to have long shipping times as it will negatively impact their reputation.
4. Easy integrations
Eprolo is easy to set up and get started with. You can sync your Shopify and Woocommerce stores in a jiffy and start selling your products to a global audience.
They also have a wide range of marketplace integrations available that makes it easy to connect your store with the tools and services you need to run your business. This includes eBay, Shopplazza and Shopline.
On the other hand, if you seek a custom integration, the Eprolo API makes it possible to connect your store with just about any service or tool out there.
5. Automated fulfillment services
Eprolo offers a wide range of fulfillment services that businesses can take advantage of. This includes product sourcing, warehousing, packaging and shipping.
Once you import your products into Eprolo, they will take care of the rest. This includes storing your products in their warehouses, packaging them up and shipping them out to your customers.
The fulfillment process is completely automated. This way, you can focus on other aspects of your business and leave the cumbersome bits to them.
The top Drawbacks of Eprolo
In theory, a service like Eprolo seems like a godsend for ecommerce businesses. However, there are a few drawbacks that businesses should be aware of before signing up.
1. No transparency about suppliers
A lot of its marketing material harp on the fact that you get multiple sourcing choices. They have their private inventory pool as well as the ability to source from other third-party marketplaces.
However, they are very vague about where exactly these products come from. It’s evident that they source in bulk from Chinese suppliers. But you will never come into contact with these suppliers. All communication goes through Eprolo.
This lack of transparency can be a dealbreaker for businesses that want to have more control over their supply chain or those that require certain certifications from their suppliers.
You’re also at the mercy of Eprolo when it comes to quality control. While they do state that they have a quality control team, it’s impossible to know how rigorous their inspection process is. This could lead to a lot of headaches down the road if you end up with a batch of products that are subpar.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Get full supplier contact details
At Sourcingbro, we have always emphasized on complete transparency when it comes to our supplier network. We believe that businesses should have all the information they need about their suppliers before making a decision.
This is why we provide full supplier contact details for all of the suppliers in our network. This includes an updated price list for the products you source. This way, you will know exactly what you’re paying for.
We also provide a direct line of communication to the supplier so that you can get in touch with them directly if you have any questions or concerns.
2. Shipping time and costs tend to be inaccurate
Customer reviews state how Eprolo’s quoted shipping times and costs are often inaccurate. This may be because they base shipping costs based on estimates rather than actual product weight.
Also, shipping charges from Chinese logistics companies tend to fluctuate around the year.
However, this can be incredibly frustrating for businesses that need to meet certain shipping deadlines. It can also lead to a lot of unanticipated costs if the actual shipping costs end up being higher than what was quoted.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Get accurate shipment billing every time
Sourcingbro goes the extra mile and stays on top of these changes for you. We automatically apply the shipping rates to your account when the Chinese carriers update them.
This way, we can make sure that your shipment billing is accurate and up-to-date. We will also provide shipping charges based on the actual product weight rather than estimates.
This way, you can avoid any surprises down the road and have a better idea of your shipping costs from the get-go.
3. Customer service is available only after 9 PM EST
Eprolo’s customer service team is based in China and is only available during Chinese working hours. This means that they are only available via email from 9 PM to 6 AM EST.
This can be a major issue for businesses that need assistance outside of these hours or those that are located in different time zones.
It can also lead to a lot of frustration if you need to wait a full day or more for a response to your inquiry.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Get one on one attention and flexible customer service hours
At Sourcingbro, we believe that businesses should have access to customer support whenever they need it. This is why we have a dedicated customer service team that is available to answer your questions 24/7.
We also have account managers that are assigned to each client. This way, you will always have someone to speak to about your account and your sourcing needs.
4. Inventory is not accurate or guaranteed
Inventory management is one of the most important aspects of any business. However, it can be difficult to keep track of the product inventory when you’re sourcing from multiple suppliers.
This is especially true with Eprolo as they do not have a centralized inventory system. This means that their inventory levels are often inaccurate and are not guaranteed.
This can cause a lot of problems for businesses that need to maintain a certain level of inventory. It can also lead to lost sales and frustrated customers if products go out of stock unexpectedly.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Get real-time inventory updates with our inventory management system
At Sourcingbro, we have developed a simple and straightforward Inventory Management System, which gives you accurate inventory levels.
This way, you can always be sure that the products you need are in stock and available for purchase. We can also set up automated re-orders so that you never have to worry about running out of inventory again.
As a general rule, we always have multiple suppliers for each product. This way, you can always be sure that you have a backup plan if one of our suppliers goes out of business or is unable to meet your needs.
5. Have to pay upfront for fulfillment
Just like most oher dropshipping fulfillment companies, Eprolo requires businesses to pay for their products and services upfront.
This can be a major issue for businesses that are just starting out or those that have limited capital. It can also lead to cash flow issues if you are not able to sell your products quickly enough to cover the cost of fulfillment.
In most cases, it will take payment processors a few days to release the funds. This can further compound the issue as you will not have the funds available to cover the cost of fulfillment.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Get flexible payment terms
At Sourcingbro, we understand that businesses need flexibility when it comes to payment terms. This is why we have a weekly billing cycle and offer flexible payment terms.
You can choose to pay for your products and services upfront, or you can opt to pay on a weekly basis. This way, you can free up some cash flow and avoid any issues with your payment processor.
The Bottom Line
Eprolo does tick many of the boxes when it comes to dropshipping fulfillment. They are a one-stop shop for all your fulfillment needs and they offer competitive pricing.
However, there are some areas where they fall short. Their customer service team is only available during Chinese working hours, which can be a major issue for businesses in different time zones.
Their inventory management system has flaws, which can lead to issues with stock levels.
With Sourcingbro, you get one on one attention from your account manager and flexible customer service hours. We also offer DFY inventory management service, so you can always be sure that the products you need are in stock.
We also offer flexible payment terms allowing a smoother cashflow. If you seek a reliable business partner for your ecommerce sourcing and fulfilment needs, let’s talk.
