Buying & Negotiation
Why Your Chinese Supplier Went Silent (A Decoder)
Review the last request, working calendar and agreed milestone, then use a clear follow-up and an authorised escalation path.
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Buying & Negotiation
How to check suppliers, compare quotes on one basis, negotiate MOQ and protect your payments before an order goes ahead. If this is your first order from China, start with supplier verification and quote comparison.
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Buying & Negotiation
How to Read a Chinese Business Licence (Before You Wire Money)
Read Chinese licence fields and compare official registry records; registration alone does not prove factory capacity or payment safety.
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Samples: How to Pay, Ship, and Read Them Like a Buyer
Agree sample cost, scope and approval references before comparing supplier samples and confirming production requirements.
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Buying & Negotiation
PO Clauses That Actually Get Honored in China (and the Ones That Don’t)
Record order-specific obligations, payment evidence, correction and release responsibilities; seek advice on legal enforceability.
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The One-Page Spec Sheet That Prevents Most Sourcing Disasters
Record product identity, declared materials, dimensions, function, packing, evidence and approval in a controlled specification.
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How to Brief a Sourcing Agent (and Get Better Quotes, Faster)
The quality of what you get from any agent is set by the brief you send. A working agent on the seven lines that turn "find me a good supplier" into...
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Your First China Order: A Step-by-Step Buyer Checklist
Plan a bounded first-order trial with supplier evidence, samples, written terms, agreed checks and receiving records.
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Backup Suppliers: When One Factory Is One Too Few
Qualify a backup supplier with an agreed trial, approved sample, verified scope and a written switching plan.
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The Reorder Trap: Why Your Second Order Is the Riskiest One
Check for specification, material, packing and supplier changes before treating a reorder as the same approved order.
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How to Buy from 1688: The Honest Guide for Importers
Compare domestic quotations with export, payment, delivery, inspection and compliance scope before deciding how to buy.
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The Golden Sample System: How Retail Buyers Lock Quality Before Production
Every quality dispute I ever sat through as a retail buyer — every single one — eventually arrived at the same question: compared to what? The goods are...
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Your Supplier Just Lowered the Price Again. Worry.
Review why a lower quotation is possible, compare the specification and assess delivery exposure before paying a deposit.
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Your China Shipment Arrived Defective. Here’s the Playbook.
Document affected quantities and findings, review agreed remedies and organise correction before deciding the next order.
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How to Negotiate MOQ With Chinese Suppliers — From a Buyer Who Used to Set Them
Separate product and packaging minimums, compare actual surcharges and choose a trial quantity from demand and exposure.
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How to Pay Chinese Suppliers Safely: Terms, Paperwork, and the One Scam That Catches Professionals
Agree payment milestones, recipient verification and release evidence for the actual order; no payment split is universally safe.
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How to Compare Factory Quotes from China: Rebuild Them on One Basis First
Rebuild every Chinese factory quote on one basis: spec, packaging, FOB port, tooling, cartons and freight. With a worked three-supplier example.
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How to Verify a Chinese Supplier Before Paying a Deposit
Four checks before your deposit: the licence on GSXT, factory or trader, certificates and test reports, and the bank account. With red flags.
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