Key takeaways
- Check the legal identity: business licence, unified social credit code and exact trade name
- Know whether you are buying from a factory or a trading company — both are fine, but they behave differently
- Verify certificates and test reports at the issuing body, not on a PDF alone
- Ask for past projects and buyer references, and actually contact them
- Pay to a company bank account in the exact supplier name — never a personal account
- Start with a sample or trial order before a full container
1. Why verification matters
China has excellent manufacturers and a long tail of intermediaries who look identical on a website. Both can work — but you need to know which you are dealing with, and whether the entity that quotes you is the entity you will pay and pursue if something goes wrong.
2. Legal identity: licence and credit code
- Ask for the business licence (营业执照) and read the exact registered company name.
- Note the unified social credit code (18 characters) — it identifies the company.
- Check the registered capital, established date, business scope and address. A scope that does not cover your goods is a warning.
- Confirm the legal representative name, and that the person signing and invoicing matches.
3. Factory or trading company?
Neither is automatically better:
- Factory: direct pricing and control, but often limited to one product line and weaker at export paperwork.
- Trading company: can consolidate 24 categories into one shipment and handle documents, but adds margin and may have less production control.
- What matters: that they are honest about which they are, and able to deliver your whole scope consistently.
4. Certificates and test reports you can actually check
- ISO 9001 and product test reports should name the company and be traceable; ask for the certificate number and the issuing body.
- CE, SASO, SONCAP and similar destination certifications depend on where you are importing; confirm the supplier can provide them.
- Ask for the test report for the exact product and grade, not a generic catalogue page.
- Where possible, verify the certificate number with the issuing body rather than trusting a scanned PDF.
5. References and past projects
- Ask for recent projects in your region and the materials supplied.
- Ask for buyer references you can contact — and contact one.
- Look for photos and video of production, packing and loaded containers, not just renders.
- Check whether the projects they cite are consistent with their capacity and location.
6. Payment safety
- Pay to a company bank account whose name matches the supplier's registered name. A request to pay a personal account or a third-party company is a red flag.
- Check the account name character by character against the licence.
- Confirm the payment terms in the contract: deposit and balance against documents or inspection.
- Be cautious of unusually large discounts for full pre-payment.
7. Sample or trial order first
Before a full container, place a small order or a sample set and judge:
- Accuracy against the agreed specification
- Packing quality on arrival
- Responsiveness when something needs correcting
- Whether the documents arrive complete and correct
8. Communication and documentation quality
How a supplier communicates during the sales phase predicts the after-sales phase. Watch for clear drawings, itemised quotations, and prompt, specific answers versus vague reassurance. Documentation quality — packing lists, invoices, certificates — is a good proxy for operational discipline.
9. Red flags
- Refusing to share the business licence or giving a name that differs from the invoice.
- Prices far below the market for the stated grade.
- Payment to a personal account or a name that does not match.
- No verifiable references, or references you cannot contact.
- Specification answers that stay vague no matter how precisely you ask.
10. How VIGOHOME works with buyers
VIGOHOME is a Foshan-based one-stop building material supplier founded in 2004, operating a 30,000 m² showroom mall and a 50,000 m² warehouse, supplying 24 product categories with published project references in Southeast Asia and Africa. Buyers are welcome to visit the showroom in Foshan, and quotations are itemised against a bill of quantities. See the about page and the Foshan buying-trip guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know a Chinese supplier is real?
Verify the business licence and unified social credit code against the exact trade name, confirm whether you are dealing with a factory or a trading company, check certificates with the issuing body, ask for contactable references, and start with a sample or trial order before committing to a container.
Is a trading company worse than a factory?
Not necessarily. A good trading company can consolidate many categories into one shipment and handle documents well. A factory gives more direct control but may cover one product line. What matters is that they are honest about which they are and can deliver your scope reliably.
How can I check certificates and test reports?
Ask for the certificate number, the issuing body and the test report for the exact product and grade, and where possible verify the number with the issuing body. A generic catalogue PDF is not proof.
How should I pay a supplier safely?
Pay to a company bank account whose name matches the registered supplier name, and check it character by character against the licence. Never pay a personal account or an unrelated company, and keep the payment terms in the contract.
Next: decide where to source with Foshan vs Guangzhou vs Shanghai.