In the 1980’s, I worked for a company that imported tools and gage used in machine shops and other manufacturing companies. We worked with a manufacturer in China to have them make gage pins – steel pins that are ground to close tolerances and used to measure holes.
The first shipment came in. The good news is that the parts were made to tolerance. The bad news is they were all rusted. The factory in China hadn’t made this product before, and had neglected to take into consideration the fact that the uncoated pins would rust in the ocean air during the voyage from China to the U.S. The size of the shipment was considerable – around $100,000.00 in value, so we were nervous that the factory would shrug their shoulders and walk away.
We had been working with our supplier in China for some time so there was a basis for relationship, which made all the difference. In time they either credited or replaced all $100,000.00 worth of the pins. The factory began coating the pins in a thick rust preventative and then wrapped each pin, which resolved the rust issue.
If we didn’t have a relationship with that company I shudder to think of what would have happened. It’s not uncommon to hear of a customer with no experience or relationship in China who encountered problems and then had the factory disappear with their money.
When you work with us by extension you’re entering into our relationships in China. We’ve been working with each of our three partner companies for more than 10 years and have successful track records with all 3. This is what takes the fear out of buying from China for a first time importer.