In cross-border furniture trade, many buyers are not worried about high product prices. Instead, they are concerned that the goods arriving at the port are inconsistent with the agreed samples. Some furniture suppliers even become unreachable after receiving payment.

This results in a waste of time and energy, as well as various subsequent troubles. Those official websites displaying photos of neat and clean production workshops may belong to trading intermediaries run by just two or three people.

To reduce the risks of cross-border procurement and allocate capital and energy more efficiently, Click2Connect recommends that you conduct an in-depth vetting of suppliers from the following 5 aspects.

 1. Business License and Scope of Business

Many trading companies name themselves like furniture factories. But you can spot the difference by checking their business licenses.

To avoid being deceived by trading intermediaries, buyers need to ask suppliers for a copy of their latest business license. Focus on verifying whether the scope of business includes terms like "production, processing, manufacturing".

If it only lists businesses such as "sales, import and export, consulting", the entity is definitely a trading company or intermediary.

Join us to connect with brands

    Sign up to easily connect with your favorite brands and make the most of your experience.

    Register now for free：https://click2connect.ciff-gz.com/register 

 2. Factory Site Inspection and Video Verification

The factory photos displayed on the website are not necessarily those of the actual production facilities.

Such photos can be purchased online. Some are even directly stolen from others. When confirming the supplier's actual production workshop, you can try initiating a video call unexpectedly during the local working hours.

Request to tour the supplier's production workshop. Do not schedule the video call with the supplier in advance. If the supplier refuses to show the actual production situation with excuses like "poor signal in the workshop" or "relevant personnel not being available", it usually indicates that their office and factory are not located at the same place.

 3. Institutional Endorsement and Factory Audit Reports

Any verbally guaranteed quality reports are false. One way to identify a trading intermediary is to check whether the supplier has third-party endorsements.

For example, factory audit reports issued by internationally authoritative third-party organizations such as SGS, TÜV or Intertek. Such reports can be directly viewed on the Click2Connect platform.

In addition, while checking the reports, you need to verify if the report date is within one year of validity. Check if the number of personnel and machinery equipment stated in the reports match their promotional materials. Trading intermediaries run by a few people do not have third-party factory audit reports.

 4. Consistency Between Bank Account and Account Name

Avoid the following situation during furniture procurement: the counterparty name on the contract signed with the supplier is one company. But the payment is required to be remitted to an offshore account of another company or an individual.

When signing the contract, buyers need to verify the account name of the payment account. If the payee account name does not match the information on the business license. Or if the supplier frequently changes the receiving account. You need to be alert to the extremely high financial risks hidden in such situations.

On the Click2Connect platform, all suppliers' transaction accounts must undergo real-name authentication. This prevents such fraud incidents from happening, providing buyers with an extra layer of security.

 5. Technical Detail Reserve and Solution Design Capability

Trading intermediaries are good at selling products. But they may not be proficient in product production processes. Buyers can raise highly professional technical questions.

For example: What is the brand of the edge banding machine? What is the abrasion resistance test value of the product fabric? How to control the moisture content of solid wood within 8%?

For such questions, sales personnel from genuine factories can quickly provide professional and detailed answers. In contrast, sales personnel from trading intermediaries usually respond that they need to verify the details. Then they have to consult the actual upstream factories. As a result, buyers have to wait a long time to get a reply.

Summary and Recommendations

Distinguishing between trading companies/intermediaries and genuine factories is to eliminate information asymmetry and avoid cooperation risks. With transparent information, buyers can effectively reduce the cost losses caused by goods damage and rework.

If buyers pay the factory-direct price but only receive intermediary services without after-sales guarantee, their profits will be greatly reduced. They may even face additional losses.

On the Click2Connect platform, buyers can directly connect with source factories that have undergone on-site verification. The platform keeps online records of all factory audit videos, production qualification documents and historical transaction records for future reference.

It achieves full-process traceability and accountability. This makes the cross-border procurement process clear, definite, controllable and risk-preventable.

Popular related articles:

1. Top 10 Metal Beds Manufacturers in China: Business Info for Sourcing
2. Top 13 Reliable Plastic Furniture Suppliers in China
3. Top 20 Ergonomic Office Chair Manufacturers in China | Factory Direct Supply
4. Top 32 Asian Robust Metal & Stainless Steel Furniture Manufacturers & Brands: CIFF Guangzhou Exhibitors List
5. Top 30 China Well-crafted Dining Table & Chair Manufacturers | Factory Sources
6. Top 38 Chinese Sofa Manufacturers & Suppliers List at CIFF Fair 2025
7. Top 24 China Metal Furniture Manufacturers (CIFF): Dining Sets, Beds, & Storage