Why verification matters
Most sourcing problems trace back to one root cause: an unverified supplier. Verification is the difference between a real factory and a trading company pretending to be one.
What to verify
- Business registration: the company exists, is registered for export, and the registration matches the name you are dealing with
- Factory reality: a physical factory exists at the stated address with the stated scale — photos of an office are not evidence of a factory
- Export track record: the supplier has actually exported to markets like yours, with documents to prove it
- References: existing clients in your category who can vouch for capability and reliability
Red flags to watch for
- Price dramatically below every other quote — quality is being cut somewhere
- Reluctance to share registration or factory details
- Requests for full payment before any inspection
- Salespeople who promise anything and document nothing
Verification methods
- Document review: registration, export licenses, certificates
- On-site audit: a physical visit to the factory — ours or a third party
- Reference checks: conversations with existing customers
- Small test orders: the cheapest verification there is, before a large commitment
How Procovia verifies
In our Match stage we shortlist suppliers by capability and verify business registration, factory reality, export experience, and references before any introduction. We are supplier-independent — the recommendation is based on fit, not commission.
See also: How to source products from China and our quality control guide.