Supplier Verification and Factory Audits
Before you move any money, we determine who you're actually dealing with, what they can produce, and what we couldn't confirm.
Who this service is for
Buyers about to send a deposit to a company they only know by email, and buyers who want written grounds to keep or replace an existing supplier.
Problems this solves
- A trading company presenting itself as a manufacturer.
- A business license whose registered scope doesn't cover the product being offered.
- A workshop that looks good in photos but can't meet your quantity or tolerances.
- Certificates handed over as images that actually belong to a different company.
What we check
- Business license, registered scope, registered capital and legal representative, read in Chinese and cross-checked against the public registry.
- Whether the company is the manufacturer, a trading company, or both.
- Production equipment, condition of the workshop, and evidence that this category is actually made on site.
- Capacity against your quantity and timeline.
- Quality process: incoming material control, in-line checks, final inspection, and whether records are kept.
- Certificates presented, verified with the issuing body where that's possible.
What you get
- A written, dated report with photos showing what we saw and who we spoke to.
- A separate list of everything we couldn't verify and why.
- A clear recommendation: proceed, proceed with conditions, or don't proceed.
An audit is a snapshot of one location on a given day, carried out by us rather than by an accredited certification body. It reduces risk. It is not a certificate, and we never describe any supplier as "100% verified".
What stays your responsibility
Where our responsibility ends. We coordinate and document. The factory is responsible for its own production and for complying with the laws of its country. You are the importer: you decide the technical, safety, labeling and certification requirements for your destination market, and we inspect against the standard you define. Your customs broker handles classification, duties and clearance; damage in transit is a matter for cargo insurance. This is set out in the terms and conditions.
Verification questions
Can you audit a factory I found on my own?
Yes. That's the most common case. Send us the name and address exactly as the factory gave them to you.
Does the factory know you're going to visit?
Usually yes, since access has to be arranged. We can also attend as part of a production visit, which lets us see the site under normal working conditions.
Is this a social or environmental compliance audit?
No. Those audits require an accredited body and a defined standard. If that's what you need, we'll tell you so instead of selling you something more limited.
Check the supplier before you send a deposit
Send us the company's name and address and we'll tell you what verification would cover and how much it costs.
Or email us at info@aecglobalsourcing.com.