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Supplier Vetting Checklist

Use this checklist to vet a Chinese supplier yourself. It covers legal status, production capability, quality systems, certifications and payment safety, so you can tell a genuine factory from a risky one.

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Red Flags: When to Walk Away

  • The supplier refuses to provide a business licence or factory photos.
  • They insist on full payment upfront, or payment to a personal bank account.
  • Their prices are far below the market average.
  • They claim to manufacture everything (for example, electronics and textiles).
  • They cannot provide a single reference or verifiable certificate.

The 35 Checks

The checks are grouped into five areas. Open a group to see its checks, or print the checklist to work through it with a supplier.

1. Company Verification

Checks 1–7
  1. Verify the business licence (ask for a copy and check the expiry date)
  2. Confirm the registered capital
  3. Check the business scope includes manufacturing your product
  4. Verify the export licence (direct exporter, or exports through an agent)
  5. Confirm the official company name and address match the invoice
  6. Check the domain name registration (age and ownership)
  7. Verify the landline number by calling it

2. Production Capability

Checks 8–14
  1. Live video walkthrough of the factory, cross-checked against photos on sourcing platforms
  2. Confirm the number of production lines
  3. Check which processes are in-house and which are outsourced
  4. Compare monthly production capacity with your order volume
  5. Ask for photos of similar products on the production line
  6. Confirm lead times for sampling and mass production
  7. Check warehouse conditions for raw material storage

3. Quality Control Systems

Checks 15–21
  1. Verify ISO 9001 certification (quality management)
  2. Ask for the quality control manual or procedures
  3. In-house lab equipment or third-party lab test reports for your product
  4. Confirm incoming quality control (IQC) for raw materials
  5. Confirm in-process quality control (IPQC) checks
  6. Confirm final quality control (FQC) before packing
  7. Ask about the defect rate and the replacement policy

4. Social Compliance and Certifications

Checks 22–28
  1. Environmental policy or ISO 14001 certification
  2. Check social audit reports (BSCI, SEDEX, SA8000)
  3. Request product certificates (such as CE, RoHS, UL, FCC)
  4. Verify certificates with the issuing body
  5. Confirm the child labour policy
  6. Check safety standards in the factory
  7. Ask for references from current clients (European or Western markets preferred)

5. Financial and Transaction Safety

Checks 29–35
  1. Verify the bank account name matches the company name (never pay a personal account)
  2. Check the payment terms (typically a 30% deposit and 70% balance)
  3. Confirm the supplier accepts a letter of credit (L/C) for large orders
  4. Ask for recent third-party audit or inspection reports before paying a deposit
  5. Check for any history of legal disputes
  6. Confirm sample payment methods (PayPal is acceptable for samples only)
  7. Sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before sharing your designs

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is CE marking, and do I need it?

CE marking shows that a product meets EU health, safety and environmental requirements, and it's required for many product types sold in the EU, including PPE, medical devices, machinery and electrical goods. Not every product needs it, but if yours does, the importer is responsible for making sure it's genuine. We check every supplier's CE certificates to confirm they're valid and cover the exact product you're ordering. This matters, because doctored certificates are common. Some factories ship the goods, take full payment and disappear, and a buyer in the EU who has paid a factory directly has very little legal protection. Because we have our own company in China, we verify that certificates are genuine, and we have legal standing if something goes wrong.

How do I avoid scams when buying from China?

To avoid scams when buying from China, verify the supplier's business licence, check certificates are genuine, inspect samples before mass production, and never pay the full amount up front to an unknown factory. Common scams include fake factories run by middlemen, doctored certificates, and goods that don't match the approved sample. Watch out, too, for emails that appear to come from a supplier announcing new bank details: fraudsters often pose as suppliers to redirect payments. If you ever receive payment instructions, always check with us directly before paying. Our team in Ningbo has spent 20 years learning to spot these warning signs, so you don't have to.

Can you help with a supplier I found online, like on Alibaba?

Yes. Send us the listing and we'll check the supplier and get a real quote. Prices on platforms like Alibaba are often optimistic ranges designed to attract buyers, and a full quote is usually higher. Many sellers also claim to be manufacturers when they're actually trading companies or middlemen. We verify who you're really dealing with, and what the true price is, before you commit. And even a genuine factory price is only the starting point. It usually leaves out transport to the port, samples and courier fees, sea freight, export documentation, customs duty and VAT on arrival, and freight forwarder charges. We give you the full landed cost up front, so there are no surprises.

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