Manufacturer or trading company
Find out who actually makes the goods. A trading company can be fine, but you should know whether you are dealing with the factory or a middleman.
For importers and buyers
Deposits and advance payments are hard to recover once they leave your account. Learn how a supplier really performs from buyers who have already ordered from them.
Importers commonly pay a sizeable deposit up front on a first order. A polished website, a factory video and a friendly sales contact cost the supplier almost nothing to produce, and none of them prove that goods will arrive on time and as specified.
References from other buyers do. TradeRepute only accepts references from verified companies that can show invoices, bills of lading or contracts naming both parties, so the record reflects real shipments rather than marketing.
What to check
Six checks on any overseas supplier
Delivery performance
Do shipments leave and arrive when promised, and how does the supplier handle delays?
Quality consistency
Is the production run the same standard as the sample? Ask other buyers whether the specification held across orders.
Deposit and payment instructions
Treat any last-minute change of bank account as suspect and confirm it by phone using a number you already trust.
Communication and responsiveness
Suppliers who answer promptly before the deposit and disappear afterwards are a recurring pattern in trade disputes.
Claims and returns
How are defects and shortfalls handled? Dispute handling is one of the five scores in every report.
Process
Vet a supplier in three steps
- 1
Search the supplier
Look them up by name, website or registration number before you agree to any deposit.
- 2
Read the references
Unlock the report to see scores and anonymous references from buyers who traded with them, each backed by evidence.
- 3
Protect the payment
Choose milestone payments, an inspection or a documentary payment method that matches what the record tells you.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically, and not automatically the opposite. A new or small supplier may simply have no verified history on TradeRepute yet. Treat the absence as a reason to use stronger payment protection and an independent inspection.
Related guides
Know who you’re trading with before you commit.
Search is free. You only pay to unlock a report when verified references exist.