Terms of Service

Who we are

These terms govern the use of this website and the on-site inspection services offered through it. The service is provided by China Factory Agent, an independent operator based in China. Contact details are on the contact page.

What we do — and what we do not do

We attend a factory that you have already selected, carry out the checks agreed in writing, and report what we observed. We are not a sourcing agent, buying agent, trading company, freight forwarder, customs broker, laboratory or certification body.

• We do not find, recommend or negotiate with suppliers.
• We do not buy, sell, hold or pay for goods, and we never collect the value of your goods.
• We do not guarantee that a factory will produce conforming goods, that goods will pass customs, or that a shipment will arrive on time.
• Nothing on this website is legal, tax or compliance advice.

Inquiries and quotes

Submitting an inquiry does not create a contract and involves no payment. We review the request and may issue a written quote stating the scope, the service fee, the visit window and what is included. A quote is valid for 14 days unless it says otherwise.

A contract is formed only when you accept a quote. If the scope changes after acceptance — a different factory, address, product or date — we will re-quote before carrying out the additional work.

Orders, payment and taxes

When you accept a quote, an order is created with a reference number. Payment of the service fee is taken by card through Stripe at the point of acceptance or as stated on the order page. Work is scheduled after payment is confirmed.

Fees are quoted in US dollars and are exclusive of any taxes, duties or bank charges that may apply in your jurisdiction. Those are your responsibility.

Scheduling, access and cooperation

The visit depends on the factory allowing access on the agreed date. You are responsible for arranging that access and for telling us about any site rules, safety requirements or language constraints.

If the factory refuses access, or the goods are not ready when we arrive, we will document the situation and report. A replacement visit is a new visit and is quoted separately, except where the refusal was caused by us.

Reports and their limits

A report describes what was observed at the time of the visit, on the sample and documents available. It is a point-in-time record, not a warranty of quality, conformity or future production.

Photographs, counts and measurements are recorded honestly, but sampling always involves a margin of uncertainty. A pass result means the inspected sample met the agreed criteria; it does not mean every unit in the order will.

Cancellation and rescheduling

You may reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before the agreed visit. If you cancel later than that, or the visit cannot take place for reasons on your side, travel costs already incurred are charged at cost and the balance of the fee is refunded.

If we cancel for our own reasons, you receive a full refund of the service fee for that visit.

Your responsibilities

• Provide accurate factory details, addresses and contact numbers.
• Provide the specifications, checklists or acceptance criteria you want applied.
• Hold the right to request an inspection at the factory.
• Do not ask us to do anything unlawful, or to misrepresent our findings to a third party.

Confidentiality and intellectual property

We keep your specifications, drawings, photographs and order details confidential and use them only to carry out the work. We will sign your NDA on request.

The report we produce is licensed to you for your internal and commercial use, including sharing with your customer, your factory or your advisers. Reselling or publishing reports as a commercial product requires our written agreement.

Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law, our total liability arising from a commission is limited to the service fee paid for that commission. We are not liable for lost profits, lost orders, storage, freight, duties or the value of the goods themselves.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded by law, including liability for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

Independent contractor

We act as an independent contractor. Nothing in these terms creates an employment, agency, partnership or joint venture relationship, and we have no authority to bind you or the factory to any obligation.

Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the People's Republic of China, and the courts of the place where the operator is established have exclusive jurisdiction, unless a mandatory consumer protection rule in your country says otherwise.

Before any formal step, please write to us: most disagreements about an inspection are resolved by comparing the report with the checklist that was agreed.

Changes

We may update these terms. The version in force is the one published on this page when you accept a quote, and it governs that order.