Every importer has a story about a lighting order that went wrong: the “UL certificate” that turned out to be a screenshot, the 45-day lead time that became five months, the fixtures that arrived with the wrong voltage. Almost all of it was avoidable with a 30-minute vetting call.
Here are the ten things we tell our own clients to verify — and we are happy to be checked against the same list.
1. Factory or trading company?
Ask for a live video walkthrough of the workshop — not a photo album. A factory can show you machines running, a trading company shows you a showroom. If they hesitate on a video call, that is your answer.
2. Certification evidence you can verify
Ask for certificate numbers, then check them with the issuing body (UL Online Certifications Directory, EU NANDO database, etc.). Our guide to CE, UL and RoHS documents shows exactly which pages to request. Request test reports, not just the certificate front page. A serious supplier sends both without a second email.
3. MOQ and how it actually applies
Clarify whether the MOQ is per model, per colour, or per order. A supplier who lets you mix five models across a single 5-piece order line is much easier to work with when you are testing the market with a small first container.
4. Lead time, in writing
Get the timeline broken down: drawing approval → sample → production → inspection → packing → loading. And ask what happens when they miss it — a penalty clause or at least a written commitment says more than a smile.
5. Sample policy
Is the sample fee refundable against the bulk order? How fast is sample production (10–15 days is a healthy benchmark)? A supplier that resists sending samples is signalling something about their confidence in their own product.
6. The QC process, step by step
Ask for their inspection points by name: incoming material check, in-process checks, 100% burn-in test, AQL 2.5 pre-shipment. Ask whether a photo report is sent before packing. And confirm your own third-party inspector (SGS, TÜV, BV) is welcome on-site — no factory worth its salt objects to that.
7. Payment terms that protect you
T/T with a 30% deposit and 70% against the shipping documents is standard. A supplier that offers LC at sight or Net 30 for repeat clients shows they have cash flow and confidence. Beware anyone demanding full payment before production starts.
8. Incoterms — know exactly where your risk starts
FOB and CIF put freight responsibility on you; DDP puts it entirely on the supplier. Compare the two in our port delivery vs door-to-door breakdown. Understand what is included — insurance at 110% of value is the norm. A vague answer on Incoterms usually means they have never actually shipped internationally.
9. Export packaging standards
Lighting fixtures are fragile. Ask about foam-injected cartons, corner protectors, humidity film and palletisation. Ask for their damage rate — a single-digit percentage over the last 12 months is the difference between a professional exporter and a box-shipper.
10. References — then actually call them
Ask for two or three clients in markets similar to yours and follow up. Importers in your own region are the most honest source: they have lived the freight, customs and quality reality you are about to enter.
The 30-minute vetting checklist
- ☐ Live video factory tour
- ☐ Certificate numbers checked with issuing bodies
- ☐ MOQ rules in writing (mix allowed?)
- ☐ Lead time broken down stage by stage
- ☐ Sample policy: refundable? 10–15 days?
- ☐ QC points named + photo report before packing
- ☐ Payment terms: 30/70 T/T or better
- ☐ Incoterms and insurance confirmed
- ☐ Export packaging spec + damage rate
- ☐ Two client references called
The quickest way to test those answers is to price a real specification. Pick three or four fixture types you would genuinely order — an acrylic book-page art chandelier for a display area, a cream acrylic chandelier for a guestroom cluster, a slim alabaster capsule sconce for corridors, an alabaster cube pendant over a bar — and ask for MOQ, lead time and China-port delivery on each. Specific, consistent answers are the point; “it depends” is not.
We answer all ten — on a live video call
Book a walkthrough of our Guzhen facility. Bring this list; we will tick every box in front of you.
Want to run the list against something concrete? Start with a single fixture — for example our K9 crystal chandelier, built to your size — and put the supplier through all ten checks. A small first order is the cheapest way to learn how a factory really operates.