Once the container leaves the port, there is no negotiation left.
While the goods are still in the factory and a payment is still outstanding, you have leverage. The moment it ships, you have lost it. That is why inspection happens before shipment and not when the order reaches your warehouse and it is already too late.
Three moments, and they are not worth the same.
Inspection is not one single thing. Depending on when it happens, it either prevents a problem or merely documents it.
- Before production: validating the pre-production sample against the agreed specification. It is the cheapest moment to correct: nothing has been made in series yet.
- During production: inspection with the line part-way through, typically around 20–30 % of the order. It catches a systematic deviation while it can still be stopped.
- Before shipment: the classic inspection, with the order finished and packed. Product, quantity, packaging and marking are checked, and it is the last real chance to hold a shipment.
- And one distinction that matters: not every non-conformity justifies stopping a container. We give you the criteria: what counts as a critical defect, what is major and what is minor, and what each one means in your specific case.
Scope and sampling plan are agreed in writing before the visit. SGI inspects and documents; the decision to accept, reject or renegotiate is always the buyer's.
From agreed criteria to a photographic report.
Criteria
First, in writing: what is inspected, under which sampling plan, and what counts as a critical, major or minor defect.
Visit
Physical inspection at the factory: product, quantity, packaging, marking and the documentation that travels with the order.
Report
A report with photographs, classified defects and the result against the agreed criteria. Within 24–48 h of the visit.
Decision
We tell you what we recommend and why. You accept, reject or renegotiate — with the report in front of you and the payment not yet released.
What we deliver, specifically.
What people ask
Can I contract just one inspection, without the rest?
Yes. It is in fact the most common way to start with us: one inspection of one specific order, with no further commitment.
How long does it take once I ask?
The visit is usually coordinated within a few working days depending on the factory's location and availability; the report reaches you 24–48 hours after the visit.
What happens if the inspection goes badly?
You get the report with the defects classified and our recommendation. The decision is yours: hold the shipment, accept with a discount, or demand correction. What matters is that you take it with the payment not yet released.
Do you also inspect a supplier I already have?
Yes — the factory does not have to be part of our network. Auditing or inspecting the supplier you already work with is one of the most frequent briefs we get.