Tell us your supplier's city and what you are worried about.

A re-inspection is charged as a normal visit at the same USD 130 per man-day. The rate covers one visit, so a second visit is a second day. We would rather state that plainly than advertise a discounted "second look" and recover it elsewhere in the invoice. Where rework is limited and the factory is ready, the return visit is usually a single day.

Full-time employees. Everyone who visits a factory for you is on our payroll and came out of the established third-party inspection agencies, where they were trained in AQL sampling, defect classification, audit protocol and report discipline. We do not sub-contract visits to freelancers booked for the day.

USD 130 per man-day, anywhere in mainland China. That number includes the inspector's day at the factory, travel to site, photographs, and the English report — there is no separate report fee, no mileage line, no weekend supplement and no distance surcharge. A standard pre-shipment inspection of a single product at one factory is normally one man-day. Large international agencies typically run USD 250–350 per man-day with travel billed on top.

Included, and it does not change with distance. Our inspectors are full-time staff based across China rather than dispatched from a few regional offices, so a factory four provinces away costs the same as one in the next district. Nothing is added to the invoice after a report is delivered.

No. Our inspectors are salaried staff and their day rate is our only revenue. We do not source for you, negotiate for you, handle your payments, or mark up your goods, and we take no fee from your factory on any account. Nothing sits on the other side of the scale when a report is written — which is the only thing that makes an independent report worth anything.

The most useful details to include are: supplier name and factory address, product type and order quantity, required service (pre-shipment inspection, factory audit, production follow-up, etc.), expected inspection date or shipment deadline, and any specific checkpoints, label requirements, or known issues. The more context you provide, the faster SSTI can confirm scope and schedule.

For standard pre-shipment inspections and factory audits, SSTI typically confirms scheduling within one to two business days of receiving a clear request. On-site execution can often be arranged within two to five business days depending on factory location and inspector availability. Urgent requests should be flagged clearly when contacting SSTI.

Reports are typically delivered the same day as the inspection or the following morning, depending on inspection scope and findings. SSTI sends reports directly to the buyer in English with photo evidence and practical findings. Rush delivery for time-sensitive shipment decisions can be discussed at the time of booking.

Yes. All SSTI inspection reports, audit reports, and production follow-up notes are written in clear English for overseas buyers. Reports include organized findings, photo evidence, defect classifications where applicable, and practical comments to support shipment decisions. Chinese-language communication with suppliers is handled by SSTI on site.

Mainland China. Our inspectors are full-time staff based in the regions they cover rather than dispatched from a few regional offices, which is why the day rate is the same wherever the factory is. Coverage is strongest across the main export manufacturing belts — Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shandong and the areas around Shanghai — and we arrange visits outside those regions as well. If we cannot reach a location within a reasonable schedule, we say so when you enquire rather than after you book.

A factory audit reviews the supplier's overall facility, management, production capability, and quality systems — it is about evaluating whether a supplier is suitable to work with. A pre-shipment inspection checks a specific batch of finished goods against your order requirements — it is about confirming whether a specific shipment is ready to release. Both services provide independent English-language reports for buyer decisions.

Yes. SSTI supports international buyers, importers, brand owners, and sourcing teams regardless of their country. Communication is handled in English throughout — from initial inquiry to report delivery — so distance and time-zone differences do not affect the process.