Quality Inspections
Your goods are manufactured thousands of miles away. The only way to know what’s actually leaving the factory is to check before the container is sealed — and see the evidence live, while you still have leverage with the supplier.
ARDI Logistics organizes independent third-party inspection in China: factory audits, during-production inspections (DUPRO), and pre-shipment inspections (PSI) across Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Yiwu, and other manufacturing regions. Sampling follows the AQL method (ISO 2859-1), the photo report with a Pass / Fail / Hold result is delivered within 24 hours, and packages start from $200. Findings feed directly into the shipment decision — ship, hold, rework, or split the cargo.
Why inspect
Most quality problems surface after the goods arrive in the US — when freight, customs, and drayage are already paid and the supplier has moved on to the next order. At that point, every fix is at your expense. An inspection costs a fraction of a bad shipment and catches the problem while the goods are still on the factory floor — the one moment when the supplier still has to answer for them.
Inspection checkpoints
A China factory audit verifies who you’re actually working with before money moves:
Written pass/fail assessment with risk notes.
The inspector checks work-in-progress units against your specs mid-run:
A wrong color or label found now is a correction; found at the port, it’s a crisis.
The final checkpoint before the container is sealed:
| Criterion | Factory Audit | During Production | Pre-Shipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| When? | Before production | 20–50% complete | 100% produced / 80% packed |
| What’s checked? | Factory & supplier | Semi-finished goods | Finished, packed goods |
| Fixes issues… | Before order placed | While in production | Before freight is committed |
| Report | 1–2 business days | Same / next day | Within 24 hours |
| Amazon FBA check | — | Partial | Full |
Sampling standard
Inspectors don’t open every carton — they draw a statistically valid random sample under the AQL method defined by ISO 2859-1, the same standard used across the inspection industry. Every defect found is classified as Critical, Major, or Minor, counted against agreed acceptance limits, and the batch gets an unambiguous result: Pass, Fail, or Hold. You approve the AQL levels before the visit, so the acceptance bar is yours, not the factory’s.
Amazon FBA
For FBA-bound orders, the inspection runs a dedicated Amazon checklist — built on what Amazon’s receiving actually rejects, informed by the daily FBA prep operation at the group’s own US warehouses run by ARDI Express:
Live participation
Most inspection companies send you a report after the fact. Here you can join while it happens: chat with the inspector, receive photos and video in real time, and steer attention to what worries you — “open that carton”, “measure that unit”. All media lands in a shared folder the same day; the structured report with the Pass / Fail / Hold result follows within 24 hours.
Failed result
A failed result at the factory is a negotiation position, not a disaster. Typical paths: supplier rework with re-inspection, sorting defective units, partial shipment of passing stock, renegotiating terms, or rejecting the batch before final payment. Because ARDI also coordinates the freight, the finding turns into a shipping decision the same day — hold the booking, split the cargo, or release it — with one point of contact from the factory floor to the destination warehouse.
Process
Factory address, product specs, inspection type, your checklist if you have one.
Factory access is coordinated; standard lead time 3–5 business days, TOP URGENT — next business day.
The inspector works the checklist independently, with AQL sampling.
Photos, video, and chat during the visit; media in a shared folder the same day.
Pass / Fail / Hold within 24 hours — and if issues surface, next-step advice: rework, partial acceptance, or rejection.
Coverage
Inspectors operate in all major manufacturing regions — Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Yiwu, Dongguan, Foshan, Qingdao — and surrounding industrial areas. Factory outside these hubs? Send the address; coverage is confirmed together with the quote.
Pricing
Inspection packages start from $200. The final price depends on the inspection type, factory location, and inspector-days required. Urgency options: standard scheduling in 3–5 business days, or TOP URGENT with an inspector on-site the next business day. A fixed quote comes back the same business day.
Inspection FAQ
AQL — Acceptable Quality Limit — defines how many defects a random sample may contain before the whole batch fails. Most consumer-goods importers use AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor ones, while critical defects are normally set to zero acceptance.
Packages start from $200 per inspection, fixed in the quote before the visit. For comparison, leading China inspection companies publish rates of $240–$299 per man-day — so the pricing is competitive while the scope stays the same.
Standard scheduling takes 3–5 business days to coordinate factory access and dispatch the inspector. A TOP URGENT option puts an inspector at the factory the next business day, subject to inspector availability in that region.
The factory is notified to arrange access, but the inspector works independently: random sample selection, your checklist, and photo documentation are controlled by the inspector, not the factory.
Yes — by chat, with photos and video streaming from the factory floor as the inspector works. You can ask questions or point the inspector at specific cartons and units in real time.
You get the defect evidence while the goods are still at the factory — which is exactly when you have leverage. Typical paths: supplier rework and re-inspection, sorting out defective units, partial shipment, renegotiation, or rejection. We advise on the option that fits your timeline and order value.
Yes — FBA-bound orders get a dedicated checklist covering FNSKU labels, poly bags and suffocation warnings, carton marks, and oversize limits, so problems are caught at the factory instead of at Amazon’s receiving dock.
Yes — inspectors are routed from regional hubs, so factories in surrounding industrial areas are usually reachable. Send the exact address: the quote confirms coverage and whether additional inspector travel days apply.
Book an inspection
Send the factory address, product type, and target dates — you’ll get a fixed inspection quote the same business day.
Thanks — we've got your shipment details. An ARDI freight specialist will reply within one business day with your route-specific quote.