Supplier check · from £195 per supplier
Check a Chinese supplier before you pay a deposit
You have found a supplier, perhaps on Alibaba, at a trade fair or through a contact, and they want a deposit. We check who they really are and whether the company you would pay is the company you think you are dealing with, then give you a written verdict.
From £195 per supplier
Plus VAT, paid before the check starts. The price for your supplier is confirmed before you pay. A supplier check is usually included in the quote when you order goods through us.
Ask for a supplier checkWhat the check answers
- Is this a real, registered company, and what is its legal name?
- Is the trade name on the website and quote the same company that will invoice you and receive your money?
- Do the seller on the invoice, the exporting company and the bank beneficiary match?
- Are the certificates it sent issued to that company, in date, and for the right scope on their face?
- Which of its claims are backed by evidence, and which are only claims?
- What should you ask for, or check, before paying anything?
What we check
- Business licence: legal name, unified social credit code, registered address and business scope, compared with the national enterprise credit register.
- Legal and export records: whether the company can export and which entity issues export invoices.
- Seller, exporter and bank beneficiary: confirmed to be the same company, or the difference explained.
- Certificates and test reports sent by the supplier: holder, scope, validity dates and certificate number, read on their face; where the issuer runs a public register, we check it.
- Public footprint: website, email domain, trade-platform listings and how they fit together.
- Claims against evidence: capability, customers, cost savings and lead times marked as evidenced or unverified.
Sample report (names removed)
Based on a real check we ran in October 2026 on a supplier that approached us. The company name, contacts, website and certificate numbers are removed.
Custom wire-harness and cable-assembly maker, Dongguan, Guangdong
Proceed with conditionsSuitable for a quotation and samples against a real drawing; do not place a first order until the certificates are confirmed with the issuers and the factory has been seen.
| Legal identity | Resolved | The English trade name used on the website and emails is not the registered company. In writing, the supplier confirmed the registered Chinese company that issues export invoices. That legal name should appear on the contract, the invoice and the bank account. |
|---|---|---|
| Business licence | Checked | Licence received; legal name and unified social credit code recorded. Scope covers electronic connecting wire and harness manufacturing. |
| Quality certificates | On their face | Automotive quality-management and environmental certificates issued to the registered company, apparently in date. The ISO 9001 copy first sent had expired; a renewed certificate was supplied on request. Not yet confirmed with the issuing bodies. |
| Scope | Note | One certificate excludes product design. The supplier confirmed it builds to the customer's drawings and bill of materials, not from a stock catalogue. |
| Public footprint | Weak | Few independent references online. Outreach came from a tracked email subdomain, which is normal for marketing software but proves nothing about the factory. |
| Claims | Unverified | A stated 20–40% cost advantage and the customer logos in the brochure are marketing claims without evidence. |
Before paying anything
- Confirm the certificates directly with the issuing bodies.
- Ask for test standards and compliance evidence for the exact cable assembly you need, not a generic certificate.
- Request a quotation and samples against your drawing.
- Arrange a factory visit before the first meaningful order.
What you receive
- A written report in plain English, with one of three verdicts: proceed, proceed with conditions, or stop.
- The evidence behind each finding, and what is still unverified.
- A short list of the questions to put to the supplier and the documents to ask for before paying.
What the check does not do
- It is a desk check of the company and its documents. It does not visit the factory: a factory audit by our own staff in China is from £395 a visit.
- It does not test your product or prove it meets UK rules. The exact model's Declaration of Conformity and test reports are a separate step, which we can list for you.
- Certificates are checked on their face and against public registers where available; some issuers do not publish one, and we say so.
- It reduces the risk of paying the wrong company. It is not a guarantee that the supplier will perform.
Timing
We send the report within 3 working days of payment. The check starts once payment arrives; if the supplier is slow to send its documents, we tell you and the 3 days count from when they arrive.
How ordering and payment work
- Send the supplier's name, website or listing link, and the quote or proforma invoice if you have one.
- We confirm the price for that supplier.
- You receive a UK VAT invoice from Piggy Pineapple Ltd (trading as Cambridge China Bridge) and pay by bank transfer. The check starts when payment arrives.
- You receive the written report within 3 working days.
Related
Questions buyers ask
How much does a Chinese supplier check cost?
From £195 plus VAT per supplier, confirmed for your supplier before you pay. When you order goods through us, supplier checks are usually included in the quote.
How long does a supplier check take?
The written report arrives within 3 working days of payment. If the supplier is slow to send its documents, we tell you, and the 3 days count from when they arrive.
Is a supplier check the same as a factory audit?
No. A supplier check is a desk check of the company and its documents. A factory audit is a visit by our own staff in China to see the factory, its capacity and its processes, from £395 a visit.
Can you check a supplier I found on Alibaba or 1688?
Yes. Send the listing or the company name. We check the registered company behind it and whether it is the company you would pay.
What happens if the check finds a problem?
The report says what we found and what it means: for example a different company receiving the money, an expired certificate, or claims without evidence. You decide whether to go ahead, ask the supplier for more, or look elsewhere.