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Official contract
We fix the scope, prices, timelines and each side’s responsibility. You deal with a company, not a “private trader”.
AQL · Photo & video · Report in 24–48 h
Supplier verification & product inspections in China
Your eyes at the factory: entity verification before the deposit, AQL inspections during production and before shipment, loading supervision. Defects stay in China instead of travelling to you in a container.
$99+
supplier verification
24–48 h
report after the visit
AQL
international standard
The cheapest insurance in China sourcing
Almost every "we got scammed in China" story starts the same way: paid without verifying the entity, accepted the batch from the manager's photos, found the defects at their own warehouse — after the money was gone and the leverage with it. An inspection costs a fraction of a percent of the batch and moves the moment of discovery to where the problem can still be fixed: at the factory, before the final payment.
We are physically in China and work to the AQL standard — the same one chain retailers use for goods acceptance. You found the supplier yourself — we become your eyes at their factory.
Five checks for the five stages of a deal
Each check closes its own risk: from "who am I paying" to "what exactly went into the container". The price is fixed before we start and does not depend on the result.
from $99
Remote supplier verification
Business licence, shareholders, registered capital, litigation, export history and sanctions lists. The answer to the question that matters: does the factory exist, and is it safe to pay them.
from $299
On-site factory audit
An inspector visits the plant: workshops, equipment, raw-material warehouse, real capacity, certificates, working conditions. We tell a manufacturer from a trading company with a rented showroom.
from $199
During-production inspection (DUPRO)
A mid-cycle check: conformity to the approved sample, materials, production pace. Problems get caught while they can still be fixed without wrecking the timeline.
from $199
Pre-shipment inspection (PSI)
The final AQL check of the finished batch before you pay the balance: sampling, defects by class, measurements, packaging and labelling. The main filter before anything ships.
from $149
Container loading supervision (CLS)
An inspector attends the loading: piece count, packaging condition, stuffing plan, sealing. We put on record that exactly what you approved left the factory.
Who inspections are for
Importers with no one on the ground
You work with factories directly but accept batches "from the manager's photos". An inspection costing a fraction of a percent of the batch replaces your own person in China — defects stay at the factory instead of travelling in the container.
Marketplace sellers
Mixed grades and defects at intake mean fines, returns and blocked listings. Checking the batch before shipment costs less than one percent of bought-out "surprises" — and it is the only way to argue with a seller while your money still has leverage.
Buyers of high-value items
Machinery, equipment, furniture for a villa: one item can be the whole budget. A factory audit before the deposit and an inspection before shipment turn "we paid and we hope" into a controlled deal.
Four red flags that call for a check
In our practice, most sourcing losses happen right after the buyer ignored one of these signals.
A price well below the market
30% below everyone else is not luck — it is substituted material, mixed grades or a factory that does not exist. Verifying the supplier before the deposit costs $99 and answers the question of who exactly you are about to wire money to.
Payment to a personal card or "another company"
The bank details do not match the contracted entity, and the money is requested to a manager's card or a "sister company in Hong Kong". A classic disappearing act — stop and verify.
Refusing a video call from the floor
A real factory has its workshop an hour away and is proud to show it. "The plant is far away / filming is prohibited / come yourself" is the marker of a trader or a fraudster.
A young company with no export history
The firm is six months old, registered capital is minimal, there are no export shipments — yet they claim "10 years working with Europe". Chinese registries are public; we check this in a day.
How an inspection runs
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Request & checklist
Send the specification, the contract, or simply a link to the supplier. We agree the inspection checklist: critical points, tolerances, the AQL level for your category.
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Inspector on-site
The inspector is at the factory on the agreed day — in any industrial cluster in China. They work through the checklist, filming photo and video at every step.
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03
AQL check
Sampling to the AQL standard: appearance, dimensions, function, packaging, labelling. Defects are classified as critical, major and minor.
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Report within 24–48 hours
A photo and video report with measurements, a defect table and an unambiguous recommendation: accept, rework, or hold the payment. Plus our advice on how to press the factory.
What the report includes
- Photos and video of the batch, workshops and warehouse
- Conformity to the sample and specification
- Defect table by AQL class
- Measurements, completeness, functional tests
- Packaging, labelling, barcodes
- Recommendation: accept / rework / hold payment
Report in English or Russian, within 24–48 hours of the visit.
Cheaper as a bundle
Discuss your caseTurnkey sourcing has inspections built in
For larger deals the full cycle usually wins: our China sourcing agent service runs factory search, contract, payment and delivery for a flat 10% — with every check on this page already included. Need the goods bought out and paid for as well? See our buying agent service.
An inspection is a negotiating position, not an expense
Factories behave differently when they know the batch will be checked: assembly gets neater, packing gets honest, nobody risks substituting materials. The mere fact of an inspection clause in the contract disciplines the supplier before the inspector ever leaves — an effect you get for free, alongside the report.
And when a problem is found, an AQL report turns "we feel the quality is off" into a formal claim with photos, measurements and a reference to the standard — a language a Chinese factory understands and accepts. Send us your specification or a supplier link — within a day we will tell you which check your deal needs and quote the exact price.
Facts
Why It Pays Off
Designer furnitureup to 80%
Tile / marbleup to 70%
Plumbingup to 60%
Kitchens / facadesup to 50%
Almost any productfrom 20%
The same quality tier — 2–5 times cheaper.
Private projects in Thailand, Indonesia, Europe and the UAE.
Guarantees
Your money is protected
“I paid — and the goods never came” is the main fear of sourcing from China. Here is how we close it at every stage.
We’ll show you the contract and payment schedule on a free consultation.
Get a consultationInspections — FAQ
How much does a product inspection in China cost?
Remote supplier verification through the registries — from $99; a batch inspection with a factory visit — from $199 per man-day; a factory audit — from $299. One day covers a typical batch. The price is fixed before we start; for turnkey sourcing clients, inspections are already included in the 10% fee.
What do you check about a supplier remotely?
Business licence and legal status, shareholders and registered capital, litigation and enforcement records, tax violations, export history, and whether the bank details match the contracted entity. Chinese registries are public — in a day we assemble a picture that answers "is it safe to pay this company".
How fast can you inspect?
Standard lead time is a visit within 2–4 business days of the request — faster in Guangdong's industrial clusters. The report follows within 24–48 hours of the visit. Urgent "at the factory tomorrow" checks are possible subject to inspector availability in the region.
What is the AQL standard?
AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) is the international standard for sampling inspection: how many units from a batch get checked and how many defects of each class are acceptable. It is a common language with the factory: an AQL result is not "we don't like it" but formal grounds to demand rework or withhold payment.
What happens if the inspection finds defects?
You gain leverage while the balance is unpaid: the factory reworks the batch, replaces the defects or gives a discount — and a re-inspection confirms the fix. We help word the claim and press the factory the Chinese way. That is exactly why the inspection belongs before the final payment, not after.
Which cities do you cover?
All the main manufacturing clusters: Guangdong (Foshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan), Zhejiang (Yiwu, Ningbo), Jiangsu, Shandong, Fujian and more. For factories in remote regions we agree the visit accounting for travel.
Can I order a check before my first payment to a supplier?
You should. The right sequence: remote verification of the entity before any deposit, a factory audit for large contracts, a during-production inspection and a pre-shipment check before the balance. Each step costs a fraction of a percent of the batch and insures the whole deal.
How is this different from your sourcing agent service?
Inspections are a point service: you found the supplier and run the deal, we are your eyes at the factory. The full-cycle sourcing agent runs the deal end to end — factory search, negotiations, contract, payment, inspections and delivery for a flat 10% — with every check already included. For larger deals the full cycle is usually better value.
Do you guarantee the inspection result?
The report reflects the state of the batch at the time of the check against the agreed checklist — we stand behind that with our reputation and the contract. We are independent of the factories: the inspector receives nothing from them, so the report is objective. The final decision — accept or demand rework — is always yours, with our recommendation attached.
Does the factory need to know about the inspection?
Yes — the visit date is agreed with the factory, which is standard practice worldwide; write the right to inspect into your contract upfront. A useful side effect: the supplier's reaction to an inspection request is diagnostic in itself. A confident factory agrees calmly; excuses and rescheduling are a red flag we report immediately.
Can I set up inspections for recurring shipments?
Yes — for repeat batches we work on a subscription basis: a fixed checklist, an inspector who knows your product and a reduced rate for regularity. That is how our clients with monthly shipments run it — every batch gets checked without separate arrangements.
