Is your supplier really a factory?
Have us check the Alibaba store before you wire the deposit. Within 24 hours you get a one-page report from Chinese public records: who the company really is, what it has been sued for, and what to do before you pay.
$29 per supplier. Refunded if the report tells you nothing useful.
- Store says
- Manufacturer, 12 years
- Registry says
- Trading company, 14 months
- Registered address
- Office tower, 9th floor
- Insured staff
- 3
- Court cases
- 1, as defendant
- Our advice
- Small first order, inspect before shipping
What the report tells you
The real company behind the store
A store name on Alibaba is a marketing name. We find the legal entity that signs your contract and receives your money, with its registration code, age, capital and legal representative.
Factory or trading company
We compare the licensed business scope, the registered address, insured staff numbers and permits. You see the evidence, not just the answer.
Lawsuits and red flags
Court cases as defendant, unpaid judgments, penalties, abnormal-operation listings, and recent changes of owner or address. Eleven checks, each marked clear or flagged.
What to do before you pay
A plain recommendation for this order: go ahead, go ahead with conditions, or do not pay yet, plus the steps that protect your deposit.
How it works
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Pay $29
Use the pay button on this page. If we cannot identify the company behind the store, you get a full refund.
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Send the store link
After payment you see the address to send it to. Tell us what you plan to order and roughly how much. If the seller sent a proforma invoice or a business licence, attach it.
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Get the report in 24 hours
A one-page PDF in English or Spanish. Reply with questions and we answer them.
Why the records are hard to read yourself
Chinese companies are registered under their Chinese names only. The English name on a store page has no legal standing, so searching it in a registry often finds nothing, or finds the wrong company.
The official registry and the court databases are in Chinese. Matching a store to its legal entity, and knowing which findings matter, is the part that takes a person.
Who does the checking
FactoryOrNot is run by one person: a native Chinese speaker based in the Netherlands, who previously worked at Cainiao, Alibaba Group's logistics company, and at APM Terminals, Maersk's port operator.
Every report is researched by hand from live records. It is not an automated data dump.
Per supplier, one time
- One-page report within 24 hours
- English or Spanish
- Follow-up questions by email included
- Full refund if the report tells you nothing useful
After paying, you see the address to send the store link to. Payment is collected by DutchPass Premium through Stripe. VAT or sales tax is added at checkout where it applies.
Questions
Is a trading company a bad sign?
No. Many good suppliers are trading companies. The problem is a trader that claims to be a factory, because you pay a hidden margin and lose control over who makes your product. The report tells you which one you are dealing with.
Does this replace a factory audit?
No. Nobody visits the premises. The report covers public records and risk signals. For large orders, use it to decide whether an on-site audit or a pre-shipment inspection is worth paying for.
Can you guarantee the supplier will deliver?
No one can. A clean record lowers the risk; it does not remove it. The report says what the records show and what we would do in your position.
What if you cannot identify the company behind the store?
We tell you, and we ask you to request the business licence from the seller. A seller who refuses to share it has already told you something. If we cannot produce a report, we refund you in full.
Do you check suppliers that are not on Alibaba?
Yes. After paying, send a company name in Chinese, a business licence, a website, or a 1688 or Made-in-China link.
Will the supplier know I checked them?
No. We only read public records and never contact the supplier.