- 1
Business license, matched
Ask for the 营业执照 (business license) and check the company name matches the bank beneficiary exactly. Mismatched names are the #1 fraud tell.
- 2
Factory or trader: just ask
Both can serve you well; lying about it can’t. A trader claiming to be a factory will dodge a live video tour of “their” production line.
- 3
Dated video, not a showreel
Request a video shot today: your model, current date spoken or written on paper, walk from gate sign to assembly line. Five minutes of effort filters out most fakes.
- 4
Cross-check the paper trail
Verified supplier badges and years-on-platform are weak signals alone; combine with license, export records and consistent contact domains.
- 5
Start below your pain threshold
First order sized so total loss is survivable. MOQ-1 sample or small mixed container first; scale on evidence.
- 6
Escrow or staged payment
Trade-assurance escrow, or 30/70 with the balance released against PDI evidence. Anyone demanding 100% upfront on a first order is answering your question for you.
- 7
Beneficiary never changes
A mid-transaction email announcing “new bank account” is a hijacked deal until proven otherwise; confirm by video call on a known number before sending anything.
- 8
PDI in writing
Agree the pre-delivery inspection checklist and evidence format (video per VIN) before deposit, not after a dispute.
- 9
Loading photos, layer by layer
Photos during container stuffing are your evidence for transit-damage claims. No photos, no claim.
- 10
Parts commitment
A supplier who won’t quote a spare-parts kit with the bikes is planning a one-time sale, not a relationship.
- 11
Incoterm clarity
Know exactly what FOB vs CIF covers in your quote, which port, and who books the vessel. Ambiguity here is where surprise costs live.
- 12
Talk to a reference
Ask for one existing customer in your region you can contact. Refusal isn’t automatically disqualifying, but silence plus other flags is.
The pattern behind all twelve points: make dishonesty expensive early. Every check costs an honest supplier minutes and a dishonest one their deal. Suppliers who resist cheap verification are telling you how the expensive parts will go.
Yangtze Moto is an independent export company based in Chongqing. We are not a manufacturer and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any motorcycle brand mentioned for reference, including ZXMOTO (Zhang Xue Moto), KOVE, VOGE, Zongshen, Loncin, Lifan and KEWS. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. FOB bands are indicative market figures observed in supplier quotations (July–September 2026); allocation-based models carry no published export price. Every order is quoted line by line before you commit.