Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers ask before their first order.
Grouped by what you are probably worrying about rather than by what is
convenient for us to answer.
Who you are dealing with.
Are you a factory, a trading company or an agent?
An agent — a sourcing partner, in plain terms. We do not own a
factory and we are not tied to one, which is deliberate: a partner who
owns production has a reason to steer you toward it. We are paid by you
at a published rate, not by the supplier.
How long have you been doing this?
We are a newly established sourcing business. We are not going to put
a decade on this page, because we would be making it up. What we can
describe precisely is the process we run, and that is on this site in
detail.
How big is your team?
Small. We are a new and compact operation, and you will deal with a
named person rather than a ticket queue. We will not tell you a headcount
designed to sound impressive, because you would have no way to check it.
How many factories do you work with?
We do not publish a number, and the reason is practical: we are still
building our supplier records, and a number we cannot evidence would be a
marketing claim rather than a fact. What we do state is what we know
about each supplier we quote, and we mark the rest as under research.
Do you work with buyers outside the United States?
Yes. We work with buyers in any market we can serve properly. Tell us
your destination country early, because compliance requirements and
shipping options change with it, and we would rather build that in from
the start than retrofit it.
Cost, payment and what is not included.
What do you charge?
A flat 5% service fee on the order value, shown as a separate line on
the quotation. No subscription, no monthly retainer, no tier system.
Freight, inspection and testing are passed through at cost.
What is the minimum order quantity?
We do not set one. Real minimums come from the factory and vary by
product and by process, so any single number on this page would be wrong
for most of the products you might ask about. Send us the item and we will
come back with the factory’s actual minimum.
How do payments work?
Milestones are agreed in writing before anything moves — typically a
deposit at order confirmation and the balance against shipping documents.
The exact split is set per order and stated on your schedule, so you always
know what the next payment is buying.
Do you charge a commission from the factory too?
No. We are paid by the buyer, on the invoice, at the published rate.
Being paid by both sides would make it impossible to represent either
one honestly.
Can you quote a landed cost to my door?
Yes, if you tell us the destination and enough detail for an HS
classification. We will show the goods, the freight, our fee and an
estimate of duties as separate lines, so you can see which parts are
fixed and which are estimates.
Sourcing, samples and customisation.
I only have a photo. Is that enough?
Yes, that is enough to start. We will identify what we can from it and
come back with the questions that actually determine the price — material,
dimensions, finish, packaging, quantity. You do not need a technical
package before the first conversation.
Can you develop a product that does not exist yet?
That is OEM/ODM work, and it is one of the things we do. It requires a
specification and usually tooling, and the cost and timeline are quoted per
project because they depend entirely on the product. Send the concept and we
will tell you what it takes.
Can I put my own brand on it?
Yes — private label. We run the artwork conversation with the factory,
obtain a print proof, and do not release production until you have approved
it in writing. Tooling ownership, where a mould is involved, is agreed before
any money is committed.
How long does sampling take?
It depends on the product and the factory, so we quote it per project
rather than publish an average that would mislead you. What we do commit to
is putting the sample timeline in writing at the quotation stage, so it is a
date rather than an impression.
Can I buy from several suppliers in one order?
Yes, and it is common. We collect goods from multiple suppliers,
inspect each one’s goods before they are mixed into the load, and ship as a
single consignment with one document set and one invoice from us.
What happens when something goes wrong.
What if the goods do not match the sample?
The approved sample is the recorded standard, so a mismatch is a
measurable deviation rather than a difference of opinion. Shipment does not
proceed until you have seen the inspection report, and the resolution —
rework, replacement, adjustment or rejection — is your decision with our
recommendation.
What if the factory delays production?
You receive milestone dates before production starts, and we chase them.
When a date moves, you are told at the time it moves. We will not keep a
schedule quiet to keep an order calm.
Will you tell me the name of the factory?
We tell you which region and cluster the product comes from and why we
chose that supplier over the alternatives. We do not hand over the factory’s
name and contact details, and the invoice and documents are issued by us —
which means one counterparty is accountable to you instead of a supplier in
another country you have never met. If direct factory access is essential to
your decision, tell us at the start and we will be straight with you about
whether we are the right fit.
Do you guarantee the goods?
No, and nobody honestly can. Manufacturing has variance. What we
guarantee is a process: a written standard before production, inspection
against it before shipment, and the result put in front of you before the
container leaves. That is the only kind of guarantee that can actually be
kept.
How do you handle my product information?
Your specification, artwork and commercial terms are shared with the
suppliers who need them in order to quote or produce, and with nobody else.
We do not resell enquiries and we do not send your product to a factory
behind your back to get a price.
Question not answered here?
Ask it directly. If the answer is that we are not the right partner for
what you need, we will say so.