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

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.

✍️ Answered directly by Cengiz · Shanghai · Non-AI, 25 years in trade · July 26, 2026

If this is where you are right now, the China Contracts Vault is the deeper version of this same check.