Keep a trial-order quote valid while testing
Ask the seller to confirm the exact quote scope, expiry date and what keeps the price fixed while samples and UK safety checks are pending. Agree how to extend the hold and what any payment secures, permits and refunds before paying. Keep production approval separate. Coordinate the written terms with Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify exactly which prices are held
Ask the seller named on the quotation to confirm the product specification, quantity per variant, packaging, currency and delivery basis covered by the hold. Identify the quotation revision and list held prices separately from estimates or excluded charges. Use the quote comparison guide to resolve missing scope before negotiating validity.
Ask whether the hold covers goods alone or also samples, tooling, checks and freight. Record separate expiry dates for costs with different validity periods. For a port delivery, use the trial-order port quotation guide to define the endpoint. Holding the goods price does not establish that the complete delivered cost is fixed.
Agree a deadline that fits the checks
Obtain the expected sample dispatch, delivery, testing and review dates from the people doing the work. Use these to propose a calendar expiry date, time and time zone, allowing room to review results and corrections. Ask what action must happen before expiry to retain the price: written order acceptance, payment or another agreed step.
Businesses making, importing, distributing or selling consumer products in the UK are responsible for their safety. Keep the safety review as a separate decision rather than rushing it to meet a quotation deadline. Use separate sample and commercial approvals to record which decisions remain open.
Write the extension conditions before delays occur
Agree how to request an extension, who can confirm it and whether the price remains held while the request is being reviewed. Address late sample dispatch, laboratory delays, failed checks, corrective samples and missing supplier documents. State the evidence needed, such as a revised sample tracking record or laboratory schedule, and whether an extension needs fresh written acceptance.
Define which changes reopen the price, such as a different material, quantity or packaging. Ask the seller to identify the affected quotation lines and explain any proposed increase before you approve it. Set a reminder ahead of expiry. If no extension is confirmed, mark the price as awaiting reconfirmation and request a revised quotation before committing.
Clarify any payment requested to secure the hold
Before paying, ask whether the money is a sample charge, reservation fee, material purchase payment or order deposit. Obtain the amount, currency, recipient, purpose and permitted work in writing. Confirm whether it is credited against the order and whether it reserves only the price or also stock or production capacity. Ask whether paying it commits you to buying the trial order.
Agree what happens to the payment if checks fail, samples arrive late, the specification changes, the seller cannot supply or you cancel. Specify any refund conditions, deductions, supporting records and repayment deadline. Match the request to that agreement using invoice matching before payment. If material purchasing is permitted, record what may be bought and how unused material and its cost will be handled.
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Send a request and obtain explicit confirmation
Suggested wording: “Please confirm the identified trial-order quotation is held until the agreed expiry date, time and time zone while samples and UK safety checks are pending. List held prices, exclusions and the action required before expiry. Confirm the extension procedure for delays or corrective samples, and any changes that reopen pricing.”
Add: “For any payment needed to secure the hold, confirm its purpose, permitted work, order commitment, credit and refund conditions. Keep bulk production on hold pending our separate written release.” Fill in the quotation reference and proposed deadline before sending. Ask for explicit acceptance or a revised proposal, rather than treating silence as agreement. Share the response with Cambridge China Bridge and its staff in China so they can coordinate factory follow-up.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I ask a supplier to hold a quote?
Base the request on expected sample delivery, testing and review dates. Propose a clear expiry date, time and time zone, with an extension procedure for delays.
Does paying for samples secure the trial-order price?
Ask for separate written confirmation. Record whether the payment covers samples only, holds the goods price or commits you to an order, and what work it permits.
What if UK safety checks are delayed?
Request an extension before expiry and attach the revised testing schedule. Obtain written confirmation of the new deadline and held scope before relying on the original price.
Can I get a price-hold payment back if tests fail?
Agree the outcome before paying. Ask for written refund conditions covering failed checks, corrective samples and cancellation, including deductions and the repayment deadline.