Chinese supplier raised price after deposit: what now?
Compare the demand with the accepted quotation, ask for evidence tied to your order, and weigh completion against the full cost of switching. Record any agreed change before authorising extra payment, and do not budget on recovering the deposit. For supplier checks and negotiation support, contact Cambridge China Bridge.
Establish what changed after the deposit
Put the accepted quotation, purchase order, supplier acknowledgement, agreed terms, specification and deposit receipt beside the new demand. Identify the seller named on the order and the payment recipient. Record the acceptance date, quotation validity and any price adjustment wording. Separate a buyer-requested change from a supplier demand to increase the price of unchanged goods.
Use the quotation comparison guide for the underlying comparison fields. Here, add a change log showing the accepted position, proposed revision and supporting document for each difference. A revised invoice records what the supplier is asking for; ask it to explain the basis rather than treating the invoice as your approval.
Request justification tied to this order
Ask which material, component, process or delivery item changed, when it changed, and which part of your order it affects. Request the original assumption, revised calculation and supporting purchase or freight evidence, with unrelated commercial information redacted if needed. Ask whether materials were already bought and whether the demand applies to this order or future orders.
Send: 'Please identify the affected order lines and explain the increase against our accepted quotation. Provide the calculation and supporting evidence, confirm production status and materials already purchased, and state the effect on delivery. Please quote any alternative separately.' Follow the double-counting guide if the same cost appears in several charges.
Compare completion with a workable switch
For completion, estimate the remaining payment, proposed increase, outstanding checks, transport and consequences of delay. For switching, include fresh samples, tooling, qualification, replacement production, transport and disruption. Record the deposit already paid separately. Show any proposed refund as uncertain until its amount, timing and receipt are confirmed; do not subtract an expected refund from the switching budget.
Ask for dated evidence of work completed, materials allocated and tooling location. Check whether a replacement can reproduce the approved product and meet your actual need. The second-supplier qualification guide covers that approval work. A cheaper replacement quotation alone is not enough to make switching viable.
Negotiate a defined change, then record it
Possible proposals include completing the existing order at the accepted price, sharing a substantiated increase, limiting an extra charge to affected lines, or applying a revised price to future orders. Ask for alternatives without quietly reducing materials, packaging or inspection. If the supplier proposes a temporary charge, use the surcharge expiry guide.
Before authorising extra payment, obtain written confirmation from the named seller and your authorised buyer. Record the order reference, revised price and currency, affected lines, deposit credit, balance, delivery milestones and payment conditions. Identify which original terms remain unchanged, attach the approved specification, and record any agreed refund or release of goods, materials or tooling explicitly.
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Keep deposit recovery separate from the buying decision
Do not assume refusing the increase will recover your deposit. Keep the order documents, payment evidence, correspondence and production records together. Seek advice before cancelling or withholding a payment that may be due. UK government guidance recommends legal advice when seeking to recover debt from a person or business in another country; this does not establish that your deposit is recoverable.
Give Cambridge China Bridge the accepted order, price demand, deposit evidence and required delivery outcome. Its own staff in China can support supplier communication and checks on reported production status. Keep commercial negotiation, product approval and any legal recovery advice as separate tasks, with a named decision owner for each.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay a supplier's price increase after a deposit?
Check the accepted order and request an order-specific calculation first. Compare the remaining cost and delivery risk with switching, then document any agreed revision before authorising extra payment.
What evidence should I ask for when a factory raises prices?
Ask for affected order lines, original and revised cost assumptions, supporting purchase evidence, production status and delivery impact. General claims about rising costs do not explain your order.
Can I get my deposit back if I reject the new price?
Do not assume recovery. Gather the agreed terms and payment evidence, request a written refund proposal, and seek advice before cancellation. Keep the refund uncertain in your budget until received.
Is changing Chinese suppliers cheaper than paying the increase?
Compare qualification, samples, tooling, replacement production, transport and disruption with the cost of completion. Keep the existing deposit visible and any refund uncertain.