Question 1

How do I know if my supplier is a real factory or just a trader?

Accepted Answer

You have to check where they actually make it. Ask who does the molding, who runs the production. Sometimes the company you are talking to is a third party, and your product is made somewhere else, not in that factory. A real maker can show you the line. A trader gets uncomfortable when you ask to see it.

Question 2

My supplier wants the deposit sent to a personal bank account, is this normal?

Accepted Answer

No, you do not transfer to a personal account. If the money goes to a personal account, there is no official invoice, no fapiao. And if there is no fapiao, then if something goes wrong later, you cannot use it against them officially. You have nothing to stand on. Keep it company to company, always.

Question 3

What hidden costs sit between the factory price and my door?

Accepted Answer

There are always costs in between. The factory price is never the final price. Ask exactly what is included. If you want it delivered a certain way, that is another cost. If you want a proper invoice, you pay tax on it. Freight, duty, customs, all of it sits between the quote and your door. Ask before, not after.

Question 4

Are Chinese certificates real, how do I check one?

Accepted Answer

Certificates you can buy. A lot of factories buy them. So the paper alone means nothing. You have to check where they got the certificate, who issued it, and dig into it properly. Do not trust the PDF, trust the source behind it.

Question 5

How do I make a contract that actually works in China?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what kind of contract you make and how you make it. A contract can hold in China, but only if everything is done in order, the right way. This is the part most people get wrong, and it is the part I set up properly for clients. Do not sign something you copied off the internet and assume it protects you.

Question 6

We are small, under 50k, will a good factory take us seriously?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they will take you seriously, depending on how you talk to them. Are you looking for short term or long term? And you have to talk to the owner, not just a sales rep. A Chinese dinner and a glass of baijiu with the owner changes the whole game. That is the real game changer. The rest I can tell you personally.

Question 7

Who owns the mold I paid for, and how do I prove it?

Accepted Answer

You prove it by checking where the mold is actually made. Sometimes they give it to a third party and you are not even sure who holds it. That is why you check on site. Get it in writing whose mold it is, and confirm with your own eyes where it sits. Otherwise the mold you paid for is not really yours.

Question 8

How do I stop a factory changing materials without telling me?

Accepted Answer

You stop it by having someone on the ground checking the factory. When a factory knows nobody is watching, that is when the material quietly changes. Someone representing you, who can appear any day, keeps them careful. Eyes and ears on the ground is the only real answer.

Question 9

The factory went quiet after I paid the deposit, what now?

Accepted Answer

This is why you make a real agreement before you pay, not after. A proper signed contract first. And you visit, or you send someone to be on site, so this does not happen. Once the money is gone with nothing in writing, you have no leverage. The time to protect yourself is before the deposit leaves, not when the replies stop.

Question 10

Should I visit the factory myself or send someone?

Accepted Answer

It depends. If you are already coming to China, go and see it. But is it worth a flight only for this? Back and forth is already more than a thousand dollars. That is what I do for clients. I go to the factory, I film it, I call you on video and show you the floor live. And because they know I have a company here in Shanghai, they know I can show up any day. That keeps them careful.

10 Questions Answered From Shanghai