You found a supplier on Alibaba. Their page looks great. 15 years in business. 500+ products. Factory-owned. CE and FDA certified. Testimonials from 47 countries.
You’ve never met them in person. And you’ve already wired $3,000.
This article is a step-by-step guide to verifying a China factory without buying a plane ticket — using free tools, WhatsApp, and about 30 minutes of focused work.
This is part of our How to Import Sex Toys from China guide. Start there for the full import context.
Why Factory Vetting Matters More Than Anything Else
In the adult toy trade, the single biggest reason first-time importers lose money isn’t price — it’s trust.
They order from a supplier who looks legitimate. They wire 30% deposit. The supplier disappears. Or worse: they receive a shipment where 40% of the products have broken motors, wrong colors, and packaging in a language that doesn’t match their order.
The adult toy industry in China has more bad actors than most. Low barriers to entry, high margins on cheap product, and buyers who are often too embarrassed to complain publicly when they get scammed.
Vetting exists to catch problems before they become your problem.
Step 1: Get the Business License Number
Every legitimate Chinese manufacturer has a Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码), equivalent to a business license number. It’s 18 characters.
Ask your supplier: “Please send your business license in full, including the Unified Social Credit Code.”
Most fake factories will stall or send a blurry image. Real factories have this ready within an hour.
How to verify it online (free)
- Go to: http://www.gsxt.gov.cn (China’s National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System)
- Enter the 18-character credit code or the company name
- You’ll see: registration date, registered capital, legal representative, business scope, annual reports
Red flags on the license:
- Company age < 2 years (too new to be reliable)
- Registered capital under ¥100,000 (means almost nothing legally, but tells you something)
- Business scope doesn’t mention adult products or sex toys
- Address in a residential area instead of an industrial zone
For example, most Shenzhen adult toy factories are registered in Bao’an or Longhua districts — industrial zones with factory addresses, not residential towers.
Step 2: Google Earth / Satellite Image the Address
Ask the supplier for their factory address. Then paste it into Google Maps or Google Earth.
What you’re looking for:
- Is it actually a factory? You should see a building complex, not a residential apartment block
- How big is it? Compare it to the scale of what they claim. A “15,000 sqm factory” should look enormous from above
- Street view: Does the entrance match the factory photos they’ve sent?
- Recent activity: You can’t always tell from imagery alone, but multiple satellite images over time show whether construction is ongoing or if it’s an abandoned building
This takes 5 minutes and has caught more than a few liars.
Step 3: Cross-Reference Their Certifications
From the Certifications Guide, you know what to ask for. Now verify:
CE Certificate
The manufacturer name on the CE certificate must match the company name on their business license — character for character. One different character means it’s someone else’s certificate.
FDA Registration
Look up the FDA registration number on accessdata.fda.gov. Does it list the same product category? Same manufacturer? Same address?
Factory photos that are actually theirs
Ask for photos with a specific requirement: “Please send a photo of your factory gate with today’s newspaper visible.” Or: “A 30-second video walk-through of the production line.”
If they can’t or won’t — that’s your answer.
Step 4: Check Their Online Presence
Real factories that export have a digital footprint. Fake ones usually don’t.
| Platform | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Does the company have a verified page? Are there employees listed with manufacturing job titles? | |
| Alibaba/Made-in-China | How long have they been verified? What’s their transaction history? |
| Search for the factory name + “review” or “scam” or “complaint” | |
| 1688.com | (Chinese wholesale platform) — search for the same company. Real factories sell on 1688. Scammers often don’t bother. |
| TÜV/SGS verification | If they claim SGS or TÜV audited them, verify it on their websites directly |
Step 5: The Reference Call
Ask: “Can you give me contact details for 2-3 existing clients in [your country or nearby]?”
A supplier with zero references is a supplier with zero track record. Every legitimate exporter has at least some clients they can reference.
When you call:
- Ask about order accuracy (right products, right quantities)
- Ask about defect rate
- Ask if pre-shipment inspection was available
- Ask if they’d order again
Step 6: Order Samples — The Ultimate Test
No vetting process replaces actually testing the product. Order 3-5 samples from different suppliers if possible. Here’s how to test them properly:
Functional testing
- Run every mode and speed setting
- Leave it running for the full claimed battery life — note if it’s less
- Charge fully, use until dead, repeat
Material testing
- Smell it — real medical-grade silicone has little to no odor. Cheap TPR or jelly silicone smells chemically.
- Press and twist the silicone — does it return to shape? Does it leave a mark?
- Submerge it in water for 10 minutes if “waterproof” is claimed
Packaging testing
- Is the packaging clean, discreet, and professional?
- Is the language correct for your market?
- Does the box match the product inside?
If samples fail, don’t order. Full stop.
For more on testing and quality before you pay, see Section 5 of our Complete Import Guide.
The Factory vs Trading Company Question
If you’ve done the vetting above and concluded the supplier is a trading company (not a factory) — that’s not automatically a problem. Here’s how to think about it:
| Factory | Trading Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower unit price | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lower MOQ | ❌ | ✅ (we offer 10 pcs mixed) |
| English communication | ❌ | ✅ |
| Pre-shipment QC | ❌ (extra cost) | ✅ (usually included) |
| Mixed orders | ❌ | ✅ |
| Our model | — | ✅ |
A trading company that has done the vetting work and has real factory relationships is often better for first-time importers than a direct factory that communicates in Mandarin and requires 500 units per SKU.
Vetting Checklist (Save This)
- Unified Social Credit Code verified on gsxt.gov.cn
- Factory address confirmed on Google Maps/Earth
- CE certificate matches company name exactly
- FDA registration number verified online
- Recent photos with today’s date or video walk-through requested
- 2-3 reference clients provided and contacted
- LinkedIn/Alibaba profile reviewed for legitimacy
- Samples ordered and tested (functional, material, packaging)
Ready to talk to a supplier who’s already vetted? Contact us with your product requirements.
