How to check a sourcing agent's factory relationship
Contact the factory through details you obtain independently, then arrange a joint introduction with the agent. Ask the factory to confirm the named agent, your specific enquiry and the work currently being discussed. Keep its reply and resolve discrepancies before committing. Apply the same check to Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the relationship you want to confirm
Ask the agent for the factory's full Chinese company name, production address and the name and role of its current contact. Ask whether this is an established working relationship or a factory newly approached for your enquiry. A recent introduction can be useful, but it does not demonstrate a history of completed orders.
The guide to briefing a sourcing agent explains how to ask questions that test whether sourcing work was done. This check goes further: obtain confirmation from the factory itself that the agent is discussing your enquiry with it.
Obtain a contact route independently
Search using the factory's Chinese name rather than following only the agent's links. Compare the company name and address on its apparent website with the identity you are checking. Cross-check contact details against a separately found trade exhibition listing or another public source. Copied listings and lookalike websites can repeat the same misleading details.
Call the independently found switchboard and ask to reach the person handling your product enquiry. Ask that person to confirm their role and business email address. An address supplied only by the agent remains an unverified route. If you cannot establish a credible independent route, record the relationship as unconfirmed. Use supplier identity checks separately.
Arrange a joint introduction
Tell the agent that you want to verify the introduction while keeping it involved in the sourcing work. Start a shared email thread or arrange a call with the factory contact reached independently. Ask the factory to identify the agent's company and named staff member, describe their current dealings and confirm who handles your enquiry.
If interpretation is needed, agree who will translate and request a written factory reply afterwards. Where the agent interprets, obtain an independent translation of the reply if you cannot read it. A shared chat, photograph or forwarded message alone does not independently establish who is answering.
Confirm the enquiry, not just recognition
Send a short enquiry summary with your company name, product, specification revision, intended quantity and the stage reached. Share only the information needed for this check. Ask the factory to confirm what it received from the agent, what it has reviewed and what remains unanswered. General recognition of the agent is weaker evidence than a matching account of your actual project.
Use this wording: “Please confirm whether you are currently discussing this enquiry with the named agent. Which specification have you received, who is handling it, and what is the next agreed action?” Compare the answer with the agent's account. Clarify whether the proposed site will manufacture the goods or pass work elsewhere; assess equipment separately using factory capability checks.
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Record the result and resolve gaps
Keep the source of the independently obtained details, the date of contact, the participants, the factory's reply and any translation. Record precisely what was confirmed: current enquiry contact, claimed previous work, or an agreed next action. Factory confirmation supports the relationship check; it does not establish production quality, capacity or permission to make commitments on the factory's behalf.
If the factory does not recognise the agent or your enquiry, pause commitments and ask both parties to explain the mismatch in the shared thread. A changed contact or trading name may need clarification; silence leaves the check unresolved. If confidentiality prevents disclosure, agree a limited verification route before proceeding. For changed bank details, confirm both old and new details through a known phone number, rather than the number in the change message.
Frequently asked questions
Does a factory photo prove an agent works with it?
A photograph may show a visit, but it does not confirm current contact or your enquiry. Reach the factory independently and ask it to confirm the agent's involvement in your project.
What should I ask the factory about my sourcing agent?
Ask whether it is currently discussing your enquiry with the named agent, which specification it received, who handles it and what action is agreed next.
What if the agent will not disclose the factory?
Ask why and agree a limited introduction or an independent check with defined disclosure. Until the factory's involvement is confirmed, treat the relationship as unverified.
Does a new factory contact mean the agent is unreliable?
A new contact can be appropriate for your product. Ask the agent to describe it accurately and have the factory confirm the current enquiry. Do not treat a new introduction as evidence of past orders.