One-off service

Pre-shipment inspection in China: the last moment you can still say no

Quantities, packing, marking, container condition and a photo report, before the goods leave.

€229Excluding tax

per loading

Launch pricing until 31 December 2026Lead timeOn loading day
Book the inspectionWhatsApp

Once the container has sailed, your leverage is gone: the balance is paid and the goods are at sea.

  • A pre-shipment inspection is the last point at which a defect costs the factory money rather than you.
  • We count, we open cartons, we photograph, and the report leaves the same evening.
What you receive
  • An actual count of cartons and pieces, set against the order and the packing list.
  • Cartons opened at random and photographed piece by piece.
  • A packing check: carton strength, internal protection, strapping, palletising, shipping marks.
  • A marking check: references, barcodes, labels and any mandatory wording you give us.
  • The container's condition: cleanliness, watertightness, smell, doors, floor, container and seal numbers.
  • A written verdict: cleared to load, reservation to lift, or loading to be stopped.
Included
  • Travel to the loading site, anywhere in Guangdong.
  • Attendance throughout loading, until the doors close and the seal goes on.
  • Dealing with the factory and the carrier in Mandarin, handled by our Chinese-speaking team.
  • A comparison against your paperwork: order, packing list, packing spec, label artwork.
  • An immediate alert if something is wrong, while you can still act on it.
Not included
  • Laboratory testing and certificates from an accredited body.
  • During-production inspection: that belongs to the Produce and deliver package.
  • Freight negotiation, booking and customs clearance.
  • Loadings outside Guangdong: we quote the journey before you order.
  • A refund once we have travelled: the service is owed as soon as the trip is made, and a documented failure report counts as delivery.
What you send us
  • The planned loading date and the exact location.
  • Your purchase order, the packing list and your packing and labelling specifications.
  • A contact at the factory, and the points you will not compromise on.
After payment
  1. 01
    Within the hour

    Acknowledgement and a request for your order paperwork.

  2. 02
    Within 24 hours

    Date confirmed with the factory, checklist sent to you for approval.

  3. 03
    On loading day

    Live photographs and an immediate alert before the container is closed.

  4. 04
    That evening

    Full report, dated photographs and written verdict.

When it applies

  • A first order with a factory you have never used before.
  • Production restarting after a dispute: dated evidence before you pay the balance.
  • A full container whose balance falls due before it sails.

Who carries it out

Carried out by Sorva's management, based in Guangzhou, with our Chinese-speaking team dealing with the factory and the carrier in their own language. Report written in English.

Frequently asked

01When should I book the inspection?
As soon as the factory gives you a date. A week's notice is enough, and we can step in at short notice when the date is already fixed.
02What if the loading is not compliant?
You hear about it during loading, not afterwards. You decide: lift the reservation, have the packing redone, or stop it. The dated report is your evidence with the factory.
03Is this a standards inspection?
No. We record what can be verified by eye and by counting. Laboratory testing and certification are the business of an accredited body.
04The factory has postponed the loading. What now?
The inspection follows the new date at no extra cost, as long as we have not already travelled. If the trip was made for nothing, the service is owed and the report documents why: a refused entry is itself information worth paying for.
Bespoke

Large programmes stay bespoke

A continuous buying programme, a large volume or an unusual arrangement will not fit into a box. The pricing page carries the initial pack, the monthly retainer and the success fee.

See bespoke pricing

Not sure which service fits your case? Write to us: we answer within twenty-four working hours.

Excluding tax
€229