How to vet a new supplier before you spend a dollar

Every reseller eventually meets a supplier who answers fast, quotes low and then goes quiet the moment money moves. The difference between a source you can build on and one you cannot is almost always visible before your first order — if you know what to look for.

Start with consistency. Ask the same three questions a week apart: what is the minimum order, what is the lead time, and what happens if an item arrives damaged. A real operation gives you the same answers twice. A reseller flipping someone else's inventory usually does not.

Next, ask for a small paid sample rather than free photos. Photos travel; inventory does not. A supplier willing to ship you one unit at a fair price is telling you they expect a long relationship.

Check how they handle a problem you invent. Tell them a hypothetical shipment arrived two units short and ask what they would do. The answer reveals their process — or the absence of one.

Confirm how they take payment. Established sources have a normal, boring answer. Pressure to use an unusual payment route on a first order is the single most common warning sign we hear about.

Finally, start small and scale on performance. Your first order is not about margin, it is about information. Buy the smallest viable quantity, track the lead time against what you were quoted, and only increase volume once the second order matches the first.