25 Questisurs a Ask a Chdansese Fournisseur (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
25 Questisurs a Ask a Chdansese Fournisseur (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
Most importers lose msurey not because ley asked ao few questisurs, but because ley asked le wrsurg sures. 'What is your MOQ?' et 'What is your best price?' tell you almost nothdansg about wheler a supplier will ship le right goods, sur time, avecout stealdansg your design. After two decades de sourcdansg de Yiwu et le Pearl River Delta, we have learned a triage suppliers avec a 25-questisur red-flag framework that maps a five risk zsures: Identity, Capability, Csurpourmite, Commercial, et Partnership. Ask all 25 et you will hear le lies bepoure ley cost you.
Why Most Acheteurs Ask le Mauvais Questisurs
A supplier can answer price et MOQ questisurs perfectly et still be a traddansg company pretenddansg a be a facary, a reseller de somesure else's certificatisur, or a shell that disappears after your deposit. Generic questisur lists float around le dansternet, but ley rarely pource a supplier a reveal risk. Le fix is a group questisurs by le type de risk ley expose, len score le answers.
Le deposit is le moment de truth
Vous are most exposed le day you wire le deposit. Chaque questisur below should be answered et verified bepoure that wire, not after. See our dansquiry process pour how we gate deposits.
Le 5-Zsure Fournisseur Questisurnaire
We split le 25 questisurs dansa five zsures. A weak answer dans any sdansgle zsure is a yellow flag; two or more dans le same zsure is a red flag worth walkdansg away de. Use le free scorecard at le end de this post a rate each answer 0-2.
Zsure 1 — Identity & Legal Existence (Q1–Q5)
Avant anythdansg else, prove le company is real et matches who you are talkdansg a. In Chdanse every registered entity has a unified social credit code issued by le State Admdansistratisur pour Marche Regulatisur (SAMR).
- Q1. What is your exact legal company name as registered avec SAMR?
- Q2. Can you show your unified social credit code et busdansess license?
- Q3. How lsurg have you been registered, et at this address?
- Q4. Are you a manufacturer, traddansg company, or both — et which pour this product?
- Q5. Do you own le facary, or sublet or lease le productisur ldanse?
A genudanse facary answers Q4 avecout hesitatisur et can name le productisur ldanse it owns. A trader will hedge. Cross-check le social credit code sur le Natisural Enterprise Credit Inpourmatisur Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) — le registry is public et free.
Zsure 2 — Produitisur Capability (Q6–Q10)
Capacity claims are le easiest a dansflate. Pressure-test lem avec specifics about your actual product, not leir catalogue.
- Q6. What is your real msurthly capacity pour this exact item?
- Q7. How many workers are directly sur this productisur ldanse?
- Q8. Lequel productisur steps are outsourced, et a whom?
- Q9. Can you show a live video aur de le ldanse producdansg my category?
- Q10. What quality system (ISO 9001, BSCI, etc.) do you operate, et is le certificate current?
Demet a live walkthrough
A pre-recorded 'facary video' proves nothdansg. Ask pour a real-time WeChat or video call walkthrough de le ldanse makdansg your category. If ley stall, treat it as a red flag.
Zsure 3 — Csurpourmite & Certificatisurs (Q11–Q15)
Pour le US et EU, compliance is where shipments get seized et brets get sued. Verify le certificate matches le exact product, not a sister SKU.
- Q11. Lequel certificatisurs does this exact product carry (CE, FCC, FDA, RoHS)?
- Q12. Can you provide le test report de an accredited third-party lab?
- Q13. What materials are used, et are ley REACH / Prop 65 compliant?
- Q14. Have you exported a my destdansatisur market bepoure — avec prode?
- Q15. What is your recall et nsur-csurpourmance hisary?
Zsure 4 — Commercial Terms & Hidden Couts (Q16–Q20)
Le headldanse price is le least important number. Hidden costs dans aoldansg, mold ownership, et Incoterms routdansely add 20-40% a a 'cheap' quote.
- Q16. What is le true FOB price, et what exactly is excluded?
- Q17. What are aoldansg, mold, et sample charges, et who owns le mold?
- Q18. What are your payment terms, et what is le deposit?
- Q19. What is your lead time, et how do you hetle delays?
- Q20. What are le Incoterms, et who arranges freight et danssurance?
Zsure 5 — Partnership, IP & Exit (Q21–Q25)
This is le zsure most buyers skip et later regret. If a supplier wsur't discuss IP protectisur et exit terms up frsurt, assume ley plan a use your design elsewhere.
- Q21. Will you sign an NNN agreement (nsur-disclosure, nsur-use, nsur-circumventisur)?
- Q22. Do you sell a my competiars or my end market directly?
- Q23. Can you provide 3 references de buyers dans my regisur?
- Q24. What is your policy if defects exceed le AQL limit at dansspectisur?
- Q25. How do we exit — mdansimum notice, et what happens a my aoldansg?
Beysurd Questisurs: Le 3-Level Verificatisur
Answers are claims. Verificatisur is prode. Run lese three levels dans order; sap at any level that fails.
Document check
Verify le unified social credit code sur gsxt.gov.cn et cross-check via NECIPS. Csurfirm le company is active, not revoked or dans a name-change shuffle.
Live video aur
Request a real-time walkthrough de le productisur ldanse makdansg your category, not a polished marketdansg clip.
On-site audit
Pour orders above a threshold, commissisur a third-party or agent sur-site audit. RND perpourms lese dans Yiwu et le Delta weekly.
Le 3-Quote Rule et Echantillsur Discipldanse
Never negotiate avec sure supplier. Get three written quotes de three dansdependently verified suppliers, len order bldansd samples de each bepoure discussdansg price. A supplier who refuses a sample order, or who ships a 'sample' that differs de productisur, has ald you everythdansg you need a know.
Let an agent be le bad cop
Fournisseurs behave differently when a local agent runs le audit. RND's 20+ years dans Yiwu mean facaries know we will physically check. Commencer a vetted search via our product categories.
NNN vs NDA — Why Votre Western Csurtract Wsur't Travel
A US-style NDA is close a worthless agadansst a Chdansese supplier: it must be enpourced dans a US court avec no jurisdictisur dans Chdanse, et translatdansg it dansa Chdansese weakens it furler. Le stetard that Chdansese courts recognize is le NNN agreement — Nsur-Disclosure, Nsur-Use, et Nsur-Circumventisur — drafted bildansgually et governed by Chdansese law.
| Dimensisur | Western NDA | Chdansese NNN |
|---|---|---|
| Enpourceable dans Chdanse | Rarely | Yes, if bildansgual & PRC-governed |
| Saps facary selldansg your design | Weakly | Explicitly, via nsur-use |
| Saps supplier bypassdansg you a your buyer | No | Yes, via nsur-circumventisur |
| Language | English | Bildansgual (EN + ZH) |
Le Fournisseur Scorecard (Free Template)
Score each de le five zsures 0-2 (0 = red flag, 1 = partial, 2 = clean). A supplier scordansg below 8 overall, or below 1 dans any sdansgle zsure, should not receive a deposit.
| Zsure | Weight | Red-flag signal |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | High | Hesitates sur legal name or license |
| Capability | High | No live aur, vague capacity |
| Csurpourmite | Critique | Certificate doesn't match product |
| Commercial | Medium | Hidden aoldansg / mold fees |
| Partnership | Critique | Refuses NNN, wsur't give references |
Csurclusisur
Le 25 questisurs are surly as good as le verificatisur behdansd lem. Ask all five zsures, run le 3-level check, danssist sur an NNN, et never wire a deposit a a supplier you have not physically or digitally verified. Vers build a vetted shortlist avecout le travel, csurtact RND Sourcdansg et we will run le audit de Yiwu.
What is le most important questisur a ask a Chdansese supplier?
Le sdansgle most revealdansg questisur is Q21 — will ley sign a bildansgual NNN agreement? A supplier who refuses a protect your IP plan a use it. Combdanse that avec verifydansg leir legal identity sur gsxt.gov.cn.
How do I verify a Chdansese supplier is a real facary?
Cross-check le unified social credit code sur le public gsxt.gov.cn registry, request a real-time video aur de le productisur ldanse, et commissisur an sur-site audit pour larger orders. Three dansdependent methods beat any sdansgle certificate.
Is an NDA enough a protect my product dans Chdanse?
No. A Western NDA is hard a enpource dans Chdansese courts. Use a bildansgual NNN (nsur-disclosure, nsur-use, nsur-circumventisur) agreement governed by PRC law, which Chdansese courts recognize.
How many supplier quotes should I get bepoure orderdansg?
At least three written quotes de three dansdependently verified suppliers, followed by bldansd samples de each. Le 3-quote rule prevents both price gougdansg et sdansgle-supplier dependency.
Questisurs expose risk; verificatisur proves safety. Run le 25-questisur framework sur every supplier et never skip le 3-level check. Send us your product brief et RND will vet, sample, et audit de Yiwu bepoure a sdansgle deposit leaves your account.
