The request sequence
Ask for a written specification for a named product. Ask for a live video call from the factory at a time you choose, not a pre-recorded tour. Ask for the lot number of the sample they send, then reorder that shade later and ask them to match it against that lot.
Each request is trivially easy if production and records exist. Together they are almost impossible to fake.
Test the material, not the story
Run the wash-cycle test on the sample: five to ten washes with normal brushing, assessing tangle, shed, shine loss and colour drift. Do it before the first bulk order, not after.
Clarify one piece to check for coatings. If the feel changes dramatically, the sample was dressed.
Structure the first payments
Keep the first order small and pay in full only at a level you can afford to write off. Move to staged payment terms once a supplier has delivered twice consistently. Our own structure is 100% on the first order, then 50/50 thereafter — deliberately conservative on both sides.
Any supplier resisting a small first order is asking you to underwrite their risk.
Buyer Questions
Will you do a live video call from the factory?
Yes, at a time you choose, and we will show the stage you ask to see rather than a prepared route.
What are your payment terms?
100% on the first order, then 50% deposit and 50% before dispatch on subsequent orders.