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.
Jump to: who you are dealing with · cost & payment · sourcing & samples · when something goes wrong
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 at a published rate — 5% of the goods value, shown as its own line on the invoice.
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 sequence is set out here 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We do not publish a number, and the reason is practical: we are still building our supplier records — the records we can search are mapped here — and a number we cannot evidence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 appear as their own lines, separate from our fee.
What is the minimum order quantity?
We do not set one. Real minimums come from the factory and vary by product and by process — the product line pages show what each category is usually ordered in — 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.
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 — the consolidation step. The contracting entity and the invoicing details for your order are confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
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 (how the check runs). 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.
What the 5% covers · The full sequence · What we decline · A worked example