Sending a Telegraphic Transfer (T/T) payment to a new garment factory involves significant trust. A 30-50% deposit can represent thousands of dollars, sent to an entity you may have only met online. The fear of fraud or disappointment is real. However, systematic verification can dramatically reduce your risk and ensure you're partnering with a legitimate, capable manufacturer.
To verify a garment factory before making a T/T payment, you must conduct multi-layered due diligence: verify their business registration and physical existence, audit their production capability and quality control, check trade references and online reputation, and finally, secure all agreements in a detailed proforma invoice (PI) and contract.
This guide provides a step-by-step framework, moving from basic checks to deeper validation, giving you the confidence to proceed with your deposit securely.
How to Verify the Factory's Legal and Physical Existence?
Before discussing production, you must confirm you are dealing with a real, legally registered company operating from a verifiable physical location. This is the first and most critical line of defense against outright scams.
Verify the factory's legal and physical existence by checking official business registration documents, conducting a video tour of the facility, and using third-party verification tools. Never rely solely on a website or Alibaba storefront.
Digital proof must be coupled with visual, real-time confirmation.
What Official Documents Should You Request?
Ask for and scrutinize:
- Business License : This is the mandatory registration in China. Check the company name, legal representative, registered address, and scope of business. Ensure it includes "garment manufacturing" or similar.
- Export License (if applicable): For factories that export directly.
- Organization Code Certificate.
Cross-check the company name and address on these documents against their website, email signature, and any Alibaba or Global Sources store. Inconsistencies are a major red flag. A legitimate factory like Shanghai Fumao will provide these documents readily. Last year, a client almost paid a deposit to a "trading company" posing as a factory; asking for a business license revealed their registered scope was only "wholesale," not manufacturing.
Why is a Live Video Factory Tour Non-Negotiable?
A pre-recorded video can be stolen. A live video tour via WhatsApp, Zoom, or WeChat is essential. During the tour:
- Ask to see specific areas: Cutting room, sewing lines (look for 5+ lines for medium capacity), finishing, quality inspection, and warehouse.
- Ask to pan the camera to show the factory sign/logo at the entrance and inside.
- Request to speak briefly with a production manager or floor supervisor.
- Note the activity level: Is it bustling or eerily quiet? A real, operational factory has consistent activity.
This live interaction proves the facility exists and is operational at that moment.
How to Assess Their True Production Capability?
A factory may exist, but can it execute your order to the required standard, volume, and timeline? Verifying capability goes beyond counting machines; it's about assessing skill, processes, and relevant experience.
Assess a factory's true production capability by reviewing their equipment, auditing their sample room, examining past similar work, and understanding their internal production management processes. Capability must match your order's complexity and volume.
Capability verification is both technical and managerial.
What Questions Reveal Real Capacity and Expertise?
Ask targeted questions and request evidence:
- "What is your monthly capacity for [your product type, e.g., knit tees or woven trousers]?" Follow up with, "Can you show me the production line for this category?"
- "What is your sample development process and timeline?" A professional factory has a dedicated sample room. Ask for a video of it.
- "Can you show me 2-3 physical samples of similar items you've produced in the last 6 months?" They should be able to ship you reference samples. Examine the workmanship closely.
- "Who will be my main point of contact? Can I meet the QC manager?" This identifies their team structure.
A client of ours once asked to see a factory's past work on technical outerwear. The factory only showed them simple polo shirts, revealing a mismatch in capability that saved them from a failed order.
How to Evaluate Their Quality Control System?
Quality isn't accidental; it's systemic. Ask:
- "What AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) standard do you follow for final inspection?" (The answer should be AQL 2.5 for major defects).
- "Do you have in-process QC checkpoints? Can you describe them?" (e.g., checking after cutting, after sewing).
- "Can you show me your inspection area and tools?" (Look for inspection tables, light boxes for color matching, measuring tools).
A factory that cannot articulate its QC process will not deliver consistent quality. Our QC team at Shanghai Fumao documents every inspection with reports and photos for client transparency, a process you should ask to see.
How to Check Their Reputation and Reliability?
Past performance is the best predictor of future behavior. Investigating a factory's reputation with previous clients provides invaluable, unbiased insights into their reliability, communication, and problem-solving ethic.
Check the factory's reputation and reliability by requesting verifiable trade references, scrutinizing their online footprint (beyond platform reviews), and checking for any history of serious disputes or legal issues.
Reputation due diligence requires looking at both curated and uncured feedback.
Should You Trust Alibaba Reviews Alone?
No. Reviews on Alibaba or similar platforms can be manipulated. Use them as one data point, not the final verdict. Look for patterns: are the reviews generic, or do they mention specific projects? Better yet, use third-party verification services. For example, you can hire a third-party inspection company like SGS or Asia Inspection to conduct a pre-production audit before you pay. This might cost a few hundred dollars but can save thousands. Alternatively, use professional networks like LinkedIn to find employees or past clients connected to the factory and reach out for direct feedback.
How to Effectively Use and Contact Trade References?
When a factory provides references, make the contact meaningful:
- Ask the factory for 2-3 clients who have ordered a similar product type and volume. A reference for socks is useless if you're making blazers.
- When contacting the reference, ask specific questions:
- "Was the factory able to meet the agreed delivery date?"
- "How was the communication during production?"
- "Were there any quality issues, and how were they resolved?"
- "Would you place another order with them?"
A genuine past client will usually share honest feedback, especially if you approach them professionally. We encourage potential clients to speak with our long-term partners because we are confident in the feedback they will receive about Shanghai Fumao's reliability.
What Should Be in Your Contract Before Payment?
The final and most crucial verification step is documenting every agreement in a legally clear contract. The act of creating this document will itself reveal if the factory is professional and transparent. Never send a T/T payment based only on an email quote.
Your contract before payment must be a detailed Proforma Invoice (PI) or formal agreement that includes full payment terms, complete product specifications, quality standards, delivery schedule, and clauses for dispute resolution. It legally binds the factory to their promises.
A strong contract is your ultimate safety net.
What Key Clauses Protect Your Deposit?
The Proforma Invoice (PI) or contract must specify:
- Exact Payment Terms: "30% deposit by T/T within 7 days after signing this PI. 70% balance against copy of Bill of Lading."
- Complete Product Description: Refer to an attached, detailed Tech Pack as an integral part of the contract.
- Quality Standard: "Quality shall meet AQL 2.5 standard for major defects. Approved pre-production sample is the reference for workmanship."
- Delivery Timeline: "Production lead time: 45 days after deposit and fabric/trim approval. Shipment by [Date]."
- Liability Clause: "If the factory fails to ship by the agreed date due to reasons within its control, it is liable for [e.g., discount per day delayed]."
- Force Majeure Clause: Covers unforeseen events.
Having these details in writing prevents "he said, she said" disputes later.
How to Link Payment to Milestones for Safety?
For larger orders or higher risk, structure payments to milestones beyond just "deposit" and "balance":
- 30% - Deposit upon contract signing (for materials).
- 40% - Upon factory providing evidence of cutting completion and in-process quality photos.
- 30% - Against copy of shipping documents.
This gives you more leverage and visibility throughout production. Ensure each milestone trigger is clearly defined in the contract. A professional factory will agree to this; a risky one will resist.
Conclusion
Verifying a garment factory before sending a T/T payment is a methodical process that blends digital checks, visual confirmation, capability assessment, reputation research, and iron-clad contracting. Skipping steps to save time dramatically increases financial risk. By investing in this due diligence, you transform a leap of faith into an informed, secure business decision. The right factory will welcome your scrutiny, seeing it as a sign of a serious, professional partner.
Remember, a trustworthy manufacturer has nothing to hide and everything to gain from transparency. At Shanghai Fumao, we proactively provide verification documents, facilitate live virtual tours, share client references, and insist on clear, detailed contracts—because our goal is to build lasting partnerships, not just one-time transactions. Ready to verify a reliable partner for your next order? Contact our Business Director, Elaine, at elaine@fumaoclothing.com to start the process with confidence.
