BUYER GUIDE
Seven questions to ask before trusting an agent with a multi-category furniture order — covering factory ownership, quotations, samples, inspection and who actually exports.
Buying furniture from Foshan usually means choosing between three kinds of counterparty: a factory that makes one category, a trading company that resells it, or an independent sourcing agent that coordinates several factories on your behalf. If your order spans more than one category, the third option is often the practical one. Here is a checklist for judging whether an agent is actually set up to do the job — and the questions we would expect a buyer to ask us.
Ask directly: do you own a factory, or do you work with partner factories? Neither answer is wrong, but the answer changes everything else. A factory will naturally steer you towards what it makes. An agent should be able to choose the right workshop for each category, including when the honest answer is that a category is better sourced elsewhere.
Useful questions: where is the team based, how long have they been operating, who visits the factories, who attends inspections, and who is reachable when your market is awake? Furniture sourcing is physical work — showroom visits, sample reviews, carton counts and loading checks. A slick site with no one in the supply cluster is a warning sign. Our Why Foshan page describes the cluster we work in, including the Lecong market area covered in our market guide.
A quotation should tell you the model number, dimensions, materials, packaging method, unit price and the price basis — not just a total. Our price list (PDF) publishes model numbers, dimensions, materials and EXW Foshan prices in CNY across the ranges we source, so a buyer can compare before committing. Ask how variations are priced, what is included in the carton, and what is handled separately. See our quotation and negotiation process for how we build a quote.
An agent who talks about price but not about the written specification will give you a nasty surprise later. Expect a written spec for every model, samples from the workshop that will actually produce the order, and a formal approval step with dated photos. Samples at the bulk price, with no surcharge and single units available, is a reasonable baseline to ask for. Our sample approval guide shows the standard we hold ourselves to.
Ask who checks the finished goods, against what reference, and where. A credible agent has a defined quality inspection step, a consolidation point where cartons are counted and photographed, and a loading record. If several factories are involved, ask for one master packing list rather than three separate ones — our consolidation guide explains why.
This is often glossed over. Some agents export in their own name; others work through a licensed export partner and customs broker. We do the latter, and say so plainly. Ask who issues the export documents, which port the shipment leaves from, and who books the space. Shipments we coordinate generally depart via Shenzhen, with Guangzhou used in some cases. Commercial terms and payment are in our Order Process & Terms.
Give two or three potential partners the same shortlist of models and ask each for a specification sheet, a sample plan and a written quotation. You will learn more from how they answer than from any brochure. Our sourcing services page lists the stages we cover, and our step-by-step sourcing guide walks through a full order.
If you want to test us against that checklist, send us your shortlist or message us on WhatsApp. We will come back with the specification, the sample plan and a clear quotation. More context is in our FAQ and buyer guides.
What is the difference between a sourcing agent and a furniture factory?
A factory produces its own category range. An independent sourcing agent coordinates several partner factories, which is useful when one order spans living room, dining, bedroom, outdoor or office pieces. GAVIN is an agent: we do not operate our own factory, and we say so upfront.
How can I check a sourcing agent is really based in Foshan?
Ask where the team is, how long they have operated, who visits factories and attends inspections, and who is reachable in your time zone. GAVIN has been based in Foshan since 2015; our team handles showroom visits, sample reviews, carton counts and loading checks locally.
Who handles export documents for an order placed through GAVIN?
Export documentation is handled by our licensed export partner / customs broker rather than in our own name. Shipments generally depart via Shenzhen, with Guangzhou used in some cases. The commercial terms are set out in our Order Process and Terms.
