Services & Pricing
A risk-scaled funnel that meets you where your risk is: free screen, Spec Match, procurement execution, remote audit, on-site verification. Start small; scale as trust is earned. Every price on this page is the same price we quote in writing. No two rate cards.
How we work
Read your spec. Find the right maker. Then audit.
Read your spec
Send the spec sheet, an OEM part number or a project scope. We read it first; no call needed to start.
Find the right maker
We match your voltage, efficiency and test-standard requirements against real manufacturer data, and shortlist the suppliers that actually meet them.
Audit before you commit
Free screen first; then Spec Match, Procurement, Remote Audit or On-Site Verification only where the risk is. You pay per stage, not per guess.
All 10 tiers at a glance
Same prices, same deliverables as the cards below, side by side for quick comparison. Click a tier name for details.
| Tier | Price | Delivery | On-site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Screening | Free | funnel entry | No |
| Spec Match | $600 | fixed · 48-hour turnaround | No |
| Sourcing Brief | $1,200 | fixed · 5-day turnaround | No |
| Procurement Execution | $2,500+ | per engagement · flat fee, no commission | No |
| Remote Audit (Standard) | $2,500 | per supplier | No |
| Visit Accompaniment | $400 / day | per day, 3-day minimum · our staff travel costs billed at cost | Yes |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection | $600 | per shipment · booked ≥ 7 days ahead | Yes |
| Ongoing Monitoring | $1,500 / year | one supplier · 4 quarterly re-checks · saves $900 vs. four Spec Match tiers | No |
| On-Site Verification | Quote | per supplier · scoped after a call · travel billed at cost | Yes |
| Billable Hours | $175 / hour | billed in arrears | No |
Free Screening
Within 48 hours, a go / hold / walk read on one Chinese factory.
Free
funnel entry
Get a free screenFor whom
You just received a quote from a second-tier Chinese manufacturer and want a first read before you reply. No commitment; just a signal.
Deliverables
- Submit one factory name + product category
- Get back one go / hold / walk verdict plus one core reason
- No report, no call — just a fast signal so you can decide before you commit.
The free screen is a hook, not a deliverable. It returns a directional signal only; it does not replace a paid assessment.
Spec Match
Send a reference model or a spec sheet. Get back 3-5 matching candidates, each pre-checked for litigation, certificates and tariffs.
$600
fixed · 48-hour turnaround
Find the matching candidatesFor whom
You know what you need (a reference device or a spec sheet), but you don't know who makes a matching candidate, or whether that candidate is safe to buy.
Deliverables
- Reverse-engineering of key parameters from your reference device or interpretation of your spec sheet
- Name-collision and IP-ownership pre-screen in your target market: we flag models whose name or type designation collides with a registered mark, and tell you when to bring in your own IP counsel
- Shortlist of 3-5 Chinese manufacturers whose product line genuinely covers those parameters
- A one-page equivalence table: your spec vs. each candidate, with gap flags on the three parameters that matter most
- China public-litigation record check: dishonest-debtor and travel-restriction records, plus affiliated cases from published judgments
- Identification of obvious parameter / spec logic contradictions in the datasheet
- Authenticity verification of core certificates (UL / IEC / TÜV) against official databases
- US Section 301 tariff-exemption pre-screen: does your product HTS code fall in the current waiver list, with a flag on the 2026-11-10 expiry risk
This is a sourcing shortlist with the full risk pre-check built in: who makes the candidates, whether they are mark-collision-free, litigation-clean and certificate-genuine. The next step up is the Sourcing Brief, which adds per-candidate written ranking.
Example equivalence table: ABB ACS880 vs three matching candidates
| Source | Model | Rated voltage | Rated current | Efficiency | Current THD | Protection class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference (ABB) | ACS880-04-630A | 690 V | 565 A | 98.3% | < 3% | IP42 |
| Candidate A | GD800-690-560 | 690 V | 560 A | 98.1% | < 5% | IP31 |
| Candidate B | CHF100A-630T | 690 V | 565 A | 97.8% | < 8% | IP42 |
| Candidate C | SKT-630-690 | 690 V | 600 A | 98.0% | < 4% | IP54 |
Sample comparison: your report uses your reference device.
Sourcing Brief
Everything in Spec Match, plus preliminary factory screening on each candidate.
$1,200
fixed · 5-day turnaround
Get a sourcing briefFor whom
You want more than a list of names. You want each candidate pre-screened for litigation, certificate authenticity, and whether it's a real factory or a trading office, before you spend time talking to any of them.
Deliverables
- Everything in the Spec Match tier
- Preliminary factory screening on each candidate: business-licence scope, social-insurance headcount, litigation and dishonest-debtor check
- Certificate authenticity pre-check (UL / IEC / TÜV) against official databases
- A written recommendation ranking the candidates, with a go / hold / walk flag on each and the single biggest risk called out
The Sourcing Brief is the bridge to the audit tiers. Once you pick a candidate, the Remote Audit or On-Site Verification takes you from "looks safe on paper" to "verified on the factory floor."
Procurement Execution
We close the deal as your executing team, negotiation, contract, inspection, shipment. You sign the contract with the factory directly.
$2,500+
per engagement · flat fee, no commission
Commission procurement executionFor whom
You have an approved shortlist and want one team to run the rest: negotiate terms, lock the contract, schedule inspection and manage shipment, without a middleman mark-up.
Deliverables
- Negotiation and final contract locking on your behalf, with performance parameters written into the contract terms and tied to the test data
- Factory-facing coordination: inspection scheduling, FAT witnessing, production-line sample consistency checks
- Shipment and trade-compliance management: Incoterms, documentation, Section 301 tariff-exemption checks
- One point of contact, the engineer who owns your technical file end to end
Includes
- One 60-minute Q&A with the engineer at kickoff
- Weekly written status notes until handover
Excludes
- Factory purchase price and payment terms, you contract directly with the factory
- Factory QC liability, held by the factory under your contract
You sign the purchase contract with the factory directly; quality responsibility sits with the factory, not with us. We never act as a middleman and never take factory commission, our fee is flat and published.
Remote Audit (Standard)
Pure remote delivery. Contract hardening when your engineering confidence is already high.
$2,500
per supplier
Commission a remote auditFor whom
You already trust the technology and mainly need the paper to match it: performance promises written into the contract terms and anchored to test data before you sign.
Deliverables
- Cross-check audit report: raw test-data logs vs. datasheet claimed values
- Independent anti-fraud tracing of UL / TÜV / SGS certificates through official databases
- Bilingual OEM contract rebuild: performance parameters written in verbatim → stepped liquidated-damages schedule → delivery-and-payment milestones tied to inspection results
- One 60-minute Q&A session (pre-recorded Loom walkthrough + live)
Visit Accompaniment
Coming to China to buy? We accompany you day by day: itinerary, factory visits, interpretation, lodging and transport.
$400 / day
per day, 3-day minimum · our staff travel costs billed at cost
Plan your visit with usFor whom
You are flying to China for factory visits or a trade fair and want a competent, independent local team at your side: someone who plans the route, books the hotels, interprets the technical talk, and quietly watches for red flags you might miss.
Deliverables
- Day-by-day itinerary: factory visit sequence, realistic travel windows, trade-fair scheduling
- An engineer or senior sourcing manager at your side all day, with technical interpretation (zh ⇄ en)
- Hotel and inter-city transport booking; airport pickup and drop-off
- After each factory visit: a same-evening written note of what we saw, including any red flags
Includes
- Technical interpretation zh ⇄ en
- Itinerary redesign on the fly when a visit turns out to be a waste of time
Excludes
- Your international flights and visa fees
- Hotels, meals and inter-city transport for your party (we book them for you; you pay the actual cost)
- Factory gifts or banquets; we keep the integrity discipline wherever we go
Billed per day with a 3-day minimum. Our own travel costs are passed through at cost, never marked up. We never sign factory acceptance documents and we never announce pass/fail on site; what we see goes into your written note.
Pre-Shipment Inspection
One shipment, one inspection. We verify goods, quantity and marking at the factory before you release the balance.
$600
per shipment · booked ≥ 7 days ahead
Book an inspectionFor whom
You already have a supplier and a PO, and the contract says "balance against inspection report". You need an independent pair of eyes at the loading dock — not a full audit, not a sourcing exercise.
Deliverables
- Quantity count against packing list, with sampling per AQL 2.5 (level II) unless your contract specifies otherwise
- Workmanship check on a random sample: finish, assembly, visible defects
- Specification spot-check against your datasheet: nameplate values, ratings, markings and rating plate photos
- Function / power-on test on sampled units where the factory test bench allows
- Packing, inner protection and export marking check against your stated requirements
- Same-day written report with timestamped photos; a pass / hold verdict you can wire the balance against
Includes
- One full working day at the factory (re-inspection after rework quoted separately)
- Photos and video clips delivered with the report
Excludes
- Factory acceptance tests (FAT) requiring witness protocol — that is the On-Site Verification tier
- Travel and accommodation outside the factory's city; billed at cost if incurred
We verify and report; we do not sign the factory's release documents and the verdict is ours, not the factory's. If rework is needed, the same inspector can re-inspect at a reduced re-visit fee. Travel is billed at cost, never marked up.
Ongoing Monitoring
Your supplier risk-checked every quarter, for a year. Litigation, certificates, tariffs — re-run and re-flagged before they bite.
$1,500 / year
one supplier · 4 quarterly re-checks · saves $900 vs. four Spec Match tiers
Start monitoringFor whom
You have a supplier you work with all year — repeat POs, a framework agreement, or a long production run. A one-off check was true on the day it was issued; litigation status, certificate validity and tariff rules all drift. This keeps the file current.
Deliverables
- Quarterly re-run of the Spec Match checks: litigation, dishonest-debtor and travel-restriction records, affiliated cases
- Certificate status re-verification (UL / IEC / TÜV) against official databases each quarter, including suspensions and expiries
- Section 301 tariff-exemption tracking: expiry warnings ahead of the deadline, not after
- A written quarterly note: what changed, what it means, and whether your exposure has moved
- An alert between quarters if a red-flag event surfaces (a new public judgment, certificate suspension) — you hear it from us first
Includes
- All four quarterly reports and the in-quarter alerts
- Review window you can reschedule ±2 weeks per quarter
Excludes
- Factory visits and inspections — those stay in the On-Site / PSI tiers
- Additional suppliers; each monitored supplier is its own subscription
Priced per supplier per year, billed annually in advance. Four quarterly re-checks plus in-quarter red-flag alerts. Cancel at renewal; unused quarters are not refundable mid-term. An annual subscription costs $900 less than four ad-hoc Spec Match tiers.
On-Site Verification
We go as your authorized technical representative, with or without your engineer on site.
Quote
per supplier · scoped after a call · travel billed at cost
Request an on-site quoteFor whom
You need boots on the ground before a critical PO: FAT witnessing, sample-unit consistency checks, and independent imaging, executed strictly as your representative, never as the factory’s auditor.
Deliverables
- Pre-trip alignment with your engineer on equipment type, known concerns, and the metrics to verify; transport and lodging plan
- On-site FAT witnessing and production-line sample-unit consistency check, 1-2 days, with a 5-minute "director briefing" before each test
- Independent timestamped imaging records; integrity discipline (no factory banquets, no private WeChat)
- Within 48-72 hours: a Factory Visit Technical Memo / On-Site Performance Verification Report with independent risk flags
Includes
- Local transport at cost, billed with the invoice
Excludes
- International airfare and hotel, booked directly by your side or pre-paid
- Requires advance booking and a scope confirmation before the visit
Quoted per engagement after a scoping call. Travel is never bundled into the fee. We do not sign factory acceptance or release documents, and we do not announce pass/fail on site, every finding goes into the written report.
Billable Hours
For the in-between work: demand letters, negotiation chairing, VO risk review.
$175 / hour
billed in arrears
Scope a taskFor whom
Typical uses: bilingual commercial demand letters grounded in the contract terms, chairing cross-border technical negotiation, reviewing variation-order (VO) risk.
Deliverables
- Scoped ad-hoc work, billed per task or standalone
What we don't do
The boundaries are as important as the services. Three things you will never see from us.
- We don't certify equipment. We check whether claimed certificates are real and relevant; certification itself is the lab's job.
- We don't act as a sourcing agent that takes factory commission. We're paid only by you.
- We don't sign acceptance or release documents at the factory. Every conclusion goes into our own written report, not theirs.
Travel and accommodation are never included in service fees. Remote and On-site audits require travel arranged by your side or pre-paid via advance invoice.