What DDS checks before you send money to a manufacturer
Most importers discover the problem too late — after the deposit has already been sent. A manufacturer that looks excellent online turns out to be a trading company; a company that does not actually make the product; or an address that disappears once payment clears. We are built to surface those red flags early — and to tell you exactly what we checked, on which sources, and with what level of confidence.
What we assess — 10 risk categories
For every manufacturer we rate risk across these ten dimensions. They are not sequential stages — they are a full map of the ways a deal with a manufacturer can go wrong.
Identity
Whether the company genuinely exists, and who it actually is.
Manufacturer authenticity
A real manufacturer — or a trading company or agent presenting itself as one.
Product fit
Whether it actually makes the product you need.
Quality and certifications
Evidence of quality standards and genuine certificates.
Production capacity
Real capability to supply your volume.
Logistics and split shipments
Meeting your shipping and delivery requirements.
Commercial reliability
Whether it is a dependable business counterparty.
Communication
Responsive, clear and professional in correspondence.
Regulation and compliance
Regulatory exposure and export requirements.
Fraud and misrepresentation
Signs of deception or misleading presentation.
The evidence we request
Real verification rests on documents, not on statements. The first email focuses on the questions most critical for the specific manufacturer; across the managed correspondence, these are the pieces of evidence we pursue:
- Business licence / company registration
- Factory address + photos or video
- Certificates + certificate numbers
- Product specification sheet
- References for comparable products
- MOQ per model
- Monthly production capacity
- Quality-control process
- Export markets
- Split-shipment capability
- Packaging and private labelling
- Sample availability
Red flags we surface
These are signals that raise risk — and we mark them explicitly rather than smoothing them over.
- No independent website (marketplace listings only)
- No factory address
- No product-specific evidence
- No evidence of certifications
- Unclear company identity
- Language typical of a trading company or agent
- A generic catalogue with no manufacturing depth
- Claims that are not realistic
- A broad, unrelated product range
- Weak export or compliance information
How to read the status
We do not hide behind "green / red". Every manufacturer carries a clear status — and each status means exactly what it says, and no more.
Located
We identified the manufacturer and its sources. This is a starting point — not an approval and not a recommendation.
Under review
We are in the middle of collecting and checking evidence with the manufacturer.
Leading candidate — verify first
The manufacturer whose evidence held up strongest in the check. This too is decision support — not a guarantee: the final verification, against documents and with your bank, is always yours.
A real case · anonymised
We checked a manufacturer that presented itself as a factory. We found a working independent website and a cited certificate with an accessible source — but no verified factory address was located, and the language on the site matched a trading company, not a manufacturer.
We rated "manufacturer authenticity risk" as high, and flagged points to clarify with the supplier — a request for a factory address, photos, and a business licence — before any discussion of price.
That one distinction can be worth an entire deposit.
The honesty boundary: what we do not check
This is the part other products hide — and we put it up front, because trust is built on candour.
- We do not visit the factory in person and we do not carry out an independent factory audit.
- We do not review the manufacturer's financial statements or credit data.
- We are not a guarantor, an insurer, or a party to your transaction. DDS is a decision-support tool — not a guarantee, not insurance, not a warranty.
- "Located" is not "verified." A manufacturer found in a search is a directory record — not an approved partner.
- We show you cited sources and a confidence level — and the final decision is always yours.
DDS provides information and decision support only ("as-is"). We are not an accreditation body, we do not insure the manufacturer, and we do not guarantee the outcome. Every check is accurate as of the time it was performed — re-verify before you transfer money.