How to Verify a Chinese Supplier's References and Past Clients
A supplier's track record is the best evidence of what they can do for you — if the references are real. How to ask for them, how to actually check them, and how to spot a reference that is a friend pretending to be a client.
The cheapest due diligence you can do is to ask the supplier who else they have served — and then check whether those clients are real. A factory that has delivered for buyers in your region, in your product category, is a factory that knows what your customs, packaging and quality requirements look like. A supplier that cannot name a single real client is asking you to be the first one to find out whether they can deliver.
What to ask for
- A list of past and current clients in your region and product category, with the markets they export to and the length of the relationship.
- Contactable references — a named person with an email or phone number who will actually answer questions.
- Export history: which markets they ship to, the HS codes, and rough volumes. This should line up with their shipping documents later.
- Proof of notable claims: if they say they supply a well-known brand or retailer, ask for evidence rather than accepting the logo on their website.
How to check the references are real
- Call or email the reference and ask specific questions — order size, lead time, defect rate, how problems were handled. A genuine client answers with detail; a planted reference gives you generic praise.
- Ask the reference for something the supplier would not be able to script, such as the last shipment's port, the buyer's own quality issues, or whether they would re-order.
- Cross-check the supplier's export claims against shipment documents, bill-of-lading records or export data services, and against their business licence scope.
- Verify claims of supplying big brands through the brand's own public supplier lists, audit registers or a redacted purchase order the supplier can show you.
The reference mill problem
Some suppliers run what is effectively a reference mill: a small group of friendly companies — or a former colleague — who will vouch for anyone in the network. The defence is to make the reference answer concrete, verifiable questions and to weigh references as only one data point alongside the business licence, the factory audit, the export records and a trial order. No single source should decide the deal.
Red flags in references
- Every reference is 'confidential' and cannot be contacted.
- References that are all in one region or one industry, or that sound like they are reading from the same script.
- Generic praise with no specifics — no order size, no dates, no problems resolved.
- Claims of supplying famous brands with no proof, or a client list that disappears when you ask for contact details.
References tell you what the supplier did for someone else; a small trial order with a pre-shipment inspection tells you what they will do for you. Treat references as the first screen, not the final verdict.
This content is general information to help you verify a supplier before you pay. It is not legal advice. For a specific transaction, contract or dispute, consult a licensed attorney or a qualified trade-compliance adviser.
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