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Everything you need to know about product inspection in China

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These are your eyes on a Chinese factory

Suppose you order a batch of children's scooters in China for the first time. You chose a supplier and found the product at a reasonable price. But you feel anxious: how do you know if you can trust the supplier if there are 7,000 kilometres between you? Will the scooters arrive in one piece, and will they be as promised on the seller's website?

To remove such doubts, there is an inspection service. M3Cargo specialists can be your eyes on the Chinese factory. We will check any product characteristics before shipping.

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    The inspection service is helpful for different entrepreneurs:

  • The importers' beginners have a fear of losing money on the wind and not getting the goods at all. They need to make sure that the supplier factory exists at all. Such entrepreneurs order inspections according to a standard set of criteria.
  • Experienced entrepreneurs worry about quality, so they give a specific technical task to the inspector and ask to check for defects. Let's say whether the machine works correctly, whether the backpacks are sewn well, and whether the handle will not fall off the cups.
  • You can not check the product if you already have experience with a specific supplier and there were no questions about the quality of the product. In all other cases, the inspection will save your nerves and money.

It's 10 times cheaper than checking it yourself

Since February 2020, China has been closed to tourists. Therefore, even if you have a carload of money and a bag of time, you will not be able to fly to check the goods yourself. Ordering an inspection is now the only option to see the product before buying without being in China.

Before the pandemic, a trip to China would have cost about $2,500: flight, accommodation, internal transfers, and minimal food. Inspection, on average, costs from $200 - this is cheaper than flying yourself.

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You can check absolutely any goods

M3Cargo inspectors can check anything from machinery, cars, and complex equipment to clothespins. Up to the situation when laboratory tests are required. For example, one day, we were inspecting a chemical production and took samples of the substance to make an analysis.

Among our inspectors are specialists of a narrow profile who can check specific goods —​​ for example, high-tech equipment or controllers. And there are universal ones: they can check everything. We equipped the inspectors with everything they might need for an inspection: from a tape measure to a micrometer.

The price of the inspection does not depend on the complexity of the inspection

We can check anything: from a complex machine to a batch of clothespins. But we can ask for an additional payment of $ 10-20 for travel if the factory is far away.

In any case, we will announce the price before the inspection.

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Approximately 30% of inspections pay off as a result

There are practically no cases when the entire batch of goods is damaged or completely does not correspond to the declared one. But very often, there are shortcomings. Sometimes this is not a critical defect (for example, a scratch on the machine's back cover). Sometimes —‌ critical (for example, a scratch on a mobile phone case).

    The most widespread problems are:

  • Part of the product turned out to be defective;
  • The manufacturer replaces the material or components with cheaper analogs, and as a result, the quality of the product is worse than you expected;
  • Something is missing in the product (the complete set is not as promised);
  • The product was improperly stored, and part of it was damaged;
  • In a large batch, part of the product is different. For example, out of 10,000 yoga mats, one thousand are thinner than the others.
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Problems could be very unexpected. Once, we checked the lamps and looked for a problem in the socket and wires, and found rust on the body of the lamps. We checked the tightness of the thermoses, but noticed that the paint was peeling from them. We were checking a batch of diplomats: folded weight plates inside those diplomats, and when we lifted them, the handle broke off from the diplomat.

In such cases, you can ask the factory to correct the defects or give a discount. As a result, you will more than pay back the money spent on the inspection. From experience, about 30% of inspections pay off in this way.

Check the packaging – it is no less important

The goods may come damaged because the supplier in China has saved on packing. For example, the bumper for the car was packed in a stretched film, and it came in mauled and scratched.

That's why our inspectors also check the quality of packaging for products that may be damaged. After all, if the goods are being pushed or scratched on the road, compensation from the factory will be difficult to obtain: The whole thing is to prove who is guilty of the event - carrier or manufacturer. M3Cargo inspectors check about 10% of the batch.

This is enough to understand the condition and quality of the goods. The more complicated the product and the more parameters you need to check, the more time it will take. If the task is so complicated that the inspector will not fit in the working day - we can send two inspectors. But it will cost more.

You decide what exactly to check

We have our own standard list of criteria. But the buyer usually knows better what he expects from the product. You make a technical task for our inspectors and specify in a step-by-step what you need to check. And we do everything according to the list.

It is better to make check a few days before the shipment goods

Usually, we inspect after the buyer pays 30% of the cost and all the goods have already been made, packed, and prepared for shipment. That way, if we notice a defect, the seller will be interested in fixing it so that the whole lot is bought and the remaining 70% of the cost is paid. It is pointless to check the goods on the day of shipment: the buyer will not have time to receive our report and make an informed decision on whether to send the goods.

You can check the product at almost any factory in China

We have more than 100 inspectors all over China. The main part is in the central provinces' big cities: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Yiwu. Large factories are located there. But if necessary, we can come to almost any point in China. In all the years of work, we had only 2 cities we could not get to —​​ due to poor transport connections.

We can control how your goods are loaded into containers

This is a separate service. If you are not sure that the goods will be carefully immersed and properly packed and that nothing will be damaged —​​ M3Cargo inspectors can also control this process. We will take photos and videos of the loading process up to the moment when the container is sealed.

You will receive a full report the following day

It will have a photo and, if necessary, a video. The inspector will take the maximum number of photos so that you can examine the products from all sides. After that, you can decide whether the product is suitable for you, whether it can be sent, or whether something needs to be corrected.

In order for us to check the product, you don't need any orders or extra documents

    The process is as follows:

  • Write or call the factory to let them know you want an inspection.
  • Tell us the factory's address and telephone number or the manager conducting the transaction, and send a list of criteria that must be checked.
  • We will call the factory and discuss the conditions: who will come and when, who will meet our inspector, whether a pass is required, and other nuances. We don't come without warning, so they can't miss the inspector at the factory.
  • The inspector comes to the factory and conducts an inspection.
  • The next day you will receive a report and decide whether to buy the product or whether something needs to be corrected.