Is a cheap China supplier quote real? Check it before you pay
A Chinese supplier quote far below the others, combined with 100% upfront bank transfer, is a reason to pause payment. It does not prove fraud, but it leaves you exposed if the goods never arrive or the specification changes. For a small trial order such as a few pallets of LED lighting, compare the exact components and test evidence, verify the company and its bank beneficiary, and agree an inspection and payment milestones before sending money. Cambridge China Bridge can review the quote and identify the questions to resolve.
What's included
- A preliminary review of your supplier quote, product specification and payment terms.
- Review seller, exporter, business licence and bank-beneficiary details, and identify documents to request.
- Check freight terms and destination charges; compare landed costs and flag evidence gaps.
Price
The preliminary review is free. Further work, including inspection, shipping or comparison quotes, is quoted separately if you want it.
What you receive
A written preliminary review with questions to put to the supplier before payment. An audit or inspection is a separate scope, agreed if needed.
These labelled sample reports show the format of separately agreed audits and inspections; this service does not automatically include both checks.
See what our reports look like: sample factory audit · sample inspection report
Before you pay: a short quote-check checklist
- Explain the low price. Compare the same specification, quantity, packing and delivery terms. Thinner copper or other materials, lower-spec LED chips or power supplies, missing required testing or certification, hidden trader margins and excluded charges can explain a gap. A teaser price followed by a specification switch is another possibility; price alone cannot tell you which applies.
- Reduce payment exposure. A 100% upfront bank transfer leaves no unpaid balance to hold back over quality. Negotiate terms such as 30% deposit and 70% after a passed inspection, with the specification and balance trigger in writing. These terms reduce exposure; they do not guarantee delivery.
- Check the legal company. Obtain the business licence, exact Chinese legal name and unified social credit code (USCC), then check the registry independently. Match the bank account name to the contracting company; investigate and document any exporter or collection-agent difference before payment. Confirm changed bank details through a previously verified contact.
- Ask for evidence for your model. Request a specification sheet, relevant test reports and conformity documents, a sample and dated photos or a live video of production. For LED strip lights, pin down strip length, copper specification, LED type, power, voltage and any claimed waterproof rating. Photos and samples do not prove the whole batch matches.
- Choose a payment route with understood limits. For an eligible Trade Assurance order, put the agreed specifications and timing in the order and pay only through its designated payment route; protection is subject to the order terms and claim deadlines. For a larger order, discuss a letter of credit with your bank: it deals with compliant documents, not a guarantee of product quality.
Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
We reply the same working day to confirm receipt and arrange next steps.
Is 100% upfront by bank transfer safe for a first order?
It puts the full purchase price at risk before you can check the goods. It is not proof of a scam, but for an unverified supplier it is a reason to pause and negotiate. A possible alternative is a 30% deposit with 70% payable after a passed pre-shipment inspection, against a written specification and clear acceptance criteria.
Trade Assurance applies only to an eligible order paid through the designated route, subject to its terms. A letter of credit may suit a larger order, but bank charges and document requirements matter; banks examine documents rather than the goods. Neither replaces supplier verification or inspection.
What should a pro forma invoice from China include?
A pro forma invoice is the supplier's offer in invoice form. It should name the buyer and the seller, with the seller's registered company name; describe the exact goods, model and specification; give the quantity, unit price and currency; state the Incoterm and named place, such as FOB Ningbo or CIF Felixstowe; and set out the payment terms, how long the price is valid and the company bank beneficiary.
Read it line by line: each line is something to confirm before paying. A very low freight line on a CIF quote can be recovered in UK destination charges, so ask for the UK destination agent and its tariff and compare the full landed cost.
How do I check the company on the pro forma is the real factory?
Ask for the seller's exact Chinese registered name, business licence and unified social credit code, and compare them independently with China's national enterprise credit register. The seller on the pro forma, the exporting company and the bank beneficiary should be the same company, or the difference should be explained with supporting documents.
A registry record shows the company exists; it does not show who controls the receiving account, or whether the seller makes the goods. The business scope and a factory audit tell you whether it is a factory or a trading company. Never pay a personal account for a company sale, and confirm changed bank details through a contact you have already verified.
What are the red flags on a Chinese supplier's quote?
The main red flags are a bank beneficiary that is not the seller, full payment before anyone has checked the goods, a trade name with no registered company behind it, generic certificates and a balance with no clear trigger. For each one there is something specific to ask for before you pay.
| Red flag | What to ask for before paying |
|---|---|
| The bank beneficiary is a different company or a personal account | A corrected pro forma naming the seller's company account; if a trading company is involved, documents explaining its role |
| Bank details changed by email | Confirmation through a contact you verified earlier, not through the email that announced the change |
| Full payment before production or dispatch, no inspection | Staged payments, with the balance due after an accepted pre-shipment inspection report |
| An English trade name only, no Chinese registered name | The Chinese legal name, business licence and unified social credit code, checked against the national register |
| CIF with very cheap sea freight | The UK destination agent and its tariff, so you can compare the full landed cost |
| A generic certificate, or one issued to another company | The Declaration of Conformity and test reports for the exact model, issued to the company you are paying |
| Balance due 'when ready', with no trigger | The event that makes the balance payable, in writing, such as a passed inspection |
What should I check before paying the balance?
That the finished goods match the order, through a pre-shipment inspection of the actual goods; that the seller, the exporting company and the bank beneficiary are the same company; and that the compliance documents for the exact model are in hand. We set these out for your order in the review.
What does a quote check cost?
The preliminary review of your quote or pro forma is free. A full supplier check, Level 1 (desk check) of the CCB Verification Standard v2.0, is from £195 per supplier plus VAT, with a written report within 3 working days of payment. A factory audit is from £395 a visit and a pre-shipment inspection from £275 per inspector-day, plus VAT, with the price confirmed before we start.
When you order the goods through us, a supplier check is usually included in the quote, and audits and inspections are usually included too; complex checks that need a third party are charged extra, agreed first.
Do I have to use you after the review?
No. You can go ahead with your own supplier using the review. If you want help with inspection, shipping, UK customs or a comparison with other factories, we quote for that.
How are you paid if I order through you?
If you order through us, we charge a service fee, included in our quote or listed separately in an itemised quote: our service fee on samples and bulk we buy is 10% of the goods and freight, agreed before you order. Single services keep their own prices (supplier check from £195, factory audit from £395, inspection from £275), and the preliminary review stays free. We take no kickbacks or commission from factories, and the review does not depend on you ordering through us. For a large or high-value order, an independent inspection company can inspect the goods as well.
We are not in the UK. Can you still check a Chinese supplier's quote?
Yes. The checks on the supplier, the bank beneficiary, the documents and the inspection scope work for any destination, and we can price the goods to your own port or door in GBP, USD or EUR. Import duty and rules in your country are confirmed at enquiry.
What you get
- A preliminary review of your supplier quote, with the findings explained in plain English.
- Landed cost built from your quote: duty, import VAT, UK port and destination charges, customs clearance and delivery to your address.
- Freight lines checked: a very low sea-freight figure on a CIF quote can be recovered in UK destination charges, so we confirm those costs before you pay.
- Supplier checks: the seller on the invoice, the exporting company, the business licence and the bank beneficiary should be the same company, and we tell you exactly what to ask for.
- The compliance documents to request for your product, such as the Declaration of Conformity for the exact model, the English manual and test reports, not just a generic certificate.
- Before the balance: a pre-shipment inspection of the actual goods or a factory audit can be arranged, and like-for-like quotes from other factories if you want a comparison.
- Buying from outside the UK, for example in Uganda, Ghana, Kenya or Nigeria? The supplier checks are the same: we confirm the seller's Chinese legal name and unified social credit code, the exporting company and the bank beneficiary before you pay a deposit, and inspect the goods before the balance. Your destination customs entry stays with your local clearing agent.
How it works
- Send the quotation or proforma invoice, the product specification and your delivery address.
- We review the price terms, freight, supplier details, commodity code and documents.
- You receive a written preliminary review with the questions to put to the supplier.
- If you want, we price the UK-side costs, an inspection before the balance, or quotes from other factories.
- You decide how to go ahead.
Supplier check from £195, report in 3 working days: see what it covers and a sample report →
How we check factories and goods, and the proof
Every check follows our published CCB Verification Standard v2.0. Factory visits are made by our own staff in the Pearl River and Yangtze River deltas; if an inspection company is appointed for you, the report names it.
- Factory audit: From £395 a visit (one day on site), plus VAT; the final price depends on location and scope and is confirmed before we start. Written report usually within 48 hours of the visit. Sample factory audit report
- Pre-shipment inspection: From £275 per inspector-day (Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu), plus VAT; the final price depends on location, product and scope and is confirmed before we start. Photo report usually within 24 hours of the inspection. Sample pre-shipment inspection report
Default inspection sampling: zero critical defects, AQL 2.5 major and AQL 4.0 minor (ISO 2859-1, general level II), inspected once at least 80% of the goods are packed.
Real project: for a UK electric-vehicle charging operator we ran inspection and factory communication. A Jiangsu candidate did not meet the requirements; after reviewing a third-party check we chose a Zhejiang factory, which now ships about three pallets a month. Read the case
We are not an accredited inspection body and issue no certificates; laboratory tests and social audits go to accredited firms, and you receive their reports.
Cambridge China Bridge in brief
- Buying from Chinese factories since 2021 (the company was incorporated in September 2022), for our own businesses and for clients on the same terms.
- Our own staff are based in China, at two bases: the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan) and the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu). They visit factories themselves.
- Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
- Audits and inspections are usually included in the quote for an order placed with us; complex checks that need a third party are charged extra, agreed first.
- Orders run from a first trial to scheduled full containers; the factory’s own minimum is stated in the quote.
- In one project, a UK EV charging operator cut unit cost by 70% and scaled 3× faster. In another, a multi-site Cambridge café chain saved 50% on packaging.
- A UK company in Cambridge and London: Cambridge China Bridge is the trading name of Piggy Pineapple Ltd, company number 14385590.
- Send 1–3 products you buy now and what you pay. We compare the same specification, quantity, inspection and delivery scope to establish a cost benchmark.
- A reference call with a past client can be arranged, with that client’s agreement.
How we charge
Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
Our service fee is 10% of the goods plus the freight we arrange, included in one delivered price or shown separately in an itemised quote, and agreed before you order. Bulk we buy for you starts at about £1,000 of goods. We take no kickbacks or commission from factories.
Questions buyers ask
They want a 30% deposit and the balance before shipping, or against a copy of the bill of lading. Is that normal?
Yes. A 30% deposit with the balance before shipment, or against a copy of the bill of lading, is common on orders from Chinese factories, and 50% up front is also seen on machinery built to order. In each case you pay in full before the goods are in your hands. Pay only the company named on the contract, with the bank beneficiary under the same name, and make the balance due only after an inspection of the finished goods against your specification. On larger orders, a letter of credit or a smaller deposit can be negotiated.
How can I tell whether it is a factory or a trading company?
Look the company up on China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) by its unified social credit code. A manufacturer's business scope normally includes production of the product, and its registered or production address should match the factory you are shown. A live production-line walkthrough or a site visit can help verify production capability, but neither guarantees the quality of your order. A trading company is not a problem in itself if it says so and the price reflects it; a trader presenting itself as the factory is a warning sign.
How do I know whether the price is fair?
Compare like with like: the same specification, materials, quantity, packing and Incoterm from at least two other suppliers. A price well below the others usually means a different specification, lighter materials, or costs moved elsewhere, such as freight or destination charges. We can benchmark the quote against other factories as part of the review.
How does the cost benchmark work?
Send 1–3 products you buy now and what you pay. We compare the same specification, quantity, inspection and delivery scope to establish a cost benchmark. Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
My supplier quoted CIF with very cheap sea freight. Is that a problem?
Not necessarily, but on a CIF quote the UK destination charges usually fall to the buyer, and a very low freight line can be recovered there. Ask for the UK destination agent and its tariff, and compare the full landed cost rather than the CIF figure.