Defect Sorting Service
The shipment failed and your date hasn't moved. We screen every unit by hand against criteria you set, and you keep the ones that pass.
600+
Completed
24-48h
Deployment
41x
ROI / IMPACT
86%
Pass Rate
Understanding the Service
What Is Defect Sorting Service?
A failed lot is rarely all bad — it's usually a good lot with a bad percentage in it, and the question is who decides where the line falls. We screen every unit by hand against defect criteria agreed with you in writing, re-inspect the units that pass under AQL sampling, re-pack them to your specification, and reconcile the counts.
If the same lot is also the subject of a claim against the supplier, the sort is not the record you need. Supplier dispute evidence is a dated, counted record of the goods taken at the factory.
A promotional products company received a PSI failure on 12,000 printed mugs — 14% defect rate, mostly print alignment issues. They were about to reject the entire lot ($86,000). Our sorting team separated good from bad in 3 days. Result: 86% salvaged, $74,000 recovered, for a $1,800 sorting cost.
James Liu
Founder & CEO
Our Protocol
What Our Inspector Checks
Every checkpoint verified on every inspection.
100% unit-by-unit screening
Defect categorization by your criteria
Good units re-inspected and re-packed
Defective units segregated and documented
Sorting statistics report
Root cause identification support
Rework coordination (if applicable)
Re-inspection of sorted good units
Re-packaging to your specifications
Final quantity reconciliation
Use Cases
When You Need This Service
After a failed PSI or DUPRO inspection
When rejection means missing a critical deadline
High-value lots where partial recovery is valuable
When re-ordering is not feasible (time or cost)
Specific defect types that can be visually identified
Process
How It Works
From booking to report in 5 simple steps.
01
Assess the Situation
Review failed inspection report. Define defect criteria and sorting parameters.
02
Deploy Sorting Team
Team deployed to factory within 24-48 hours. Size based on lot size and urgency.
03
100% Screening
Every unit inspected against defect criteria. Good and defective units separated.
04
Re-Inspection & Re-Pack
Good units re-inspected to confirm quality, then re-packed to your specifications.
05
Sorting Report
Detailed statistics: total screened, passed, failed, defect breakdown, salvage rate.
From $0.03/unit — Salvage your shipment
Money-back commitmentDeliverables
What You Receive
Sorting results report
Defect category breakdown
Good vs. defective unit counts
Root cause analysis
Re-inspection confirmation
Photo documentation
Inspection Report
PASSED232 000
PASS
132
FAIL
156
PENDING
Key findings
Dimensional variance — 2 units exceeded ±0.3 mm tolerance on housing width. Classified as Major per ISO 2859-1.
Function & finish — all screened units passed power-on and surface checks. No defects found. Classified as Pass.
Common Concerns
Honest Answers to Tough Questions
Re-ordering means paying twice and waiting for a new slot. Sorting starts in 24-48 hours; we project the salvage rate off the first cartons before you commit.
Every unit is screened by hand against defect criteria we agree with you in writing, then the units that pass are re-inspected under AQL sampling as a second gate.
Sorting saved 86% of a failed 12,000-unit lot. $74,000 recovered.
— Operations Manager, Promotional Products Company
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
From $0.03 per unit with a minimum fee depending on lot size and location. We provide a fixed quote before deployment.
Most lots are sorted in 3-5 days once the team is on-site, and the team deploys within 24-48 hours of your request. Very large or urgent lots may be scaled with a bigger team to hit your ship date.
Yes. Where a defect is fixable — re-printing, re-labeling, re-packing, minor repair — we coordinate rework at the factory and re-inspect the reworked units so you recover even more of the lot, not just the units that passed first time.
We give you a projected salvage rate from the first cartons screened, before committing to the full sort. If recovery would be too low to justify the cost, we tell you up front so you can decide to reject, rework, or re-order instead — you never pay to sort a lot that can't be saved.
What's Next?
After sorting, schedule a re-inspection (PSI) on the good units before shipping to confirm quality.
Download sample report
First-time importer?See our starter guide
SERVICES
Pre-Shipment InspectionDuring ProductionPre-ProductionFactory AuditLab TestingSupplier VerificationContainer LoadingSocial ComplianceProduction MonitoringDefect SortingSample TestingFirst Article InspectionINDUSTRIES
ElectronicsTextiles & GarmentsFurniture & HomeToys & Children'sAutomotiveMedical DevicesFood & AgricultureBuilding MaterialsCosmeticsPromotionalSports & OutdoorsBags, Luggage & CasesHome & KitchenLightingHardware & ToolsCOMPANY
About UsOur StoryOur TeamCertificationsPartnersCase StudiesTestimonialsCareersPress & MediaOur GuaranteeWhen We're the Wrong ChoicePartner With UsRefer & SaveShare Your StoryTruMark vs SGSTruMark vs QIMAEnterprise ProcurementRESOURCES
BlogAQL CalculatorSample ReportsQC ChecklistsGlossaryFAQService FinderBusiness Case ToolAmazon FBA InspectionFirst-Time ImportersInspection Tool StorePPWR Packaging CheckHow We InspectQuality FadePassed But DefectiveDispute EvidenceWho Pays UsFirst Order From ChinaShipping DeadlinesGolden Week 2026Spring Festival 2027Retailer Requires a ReportCPSC eFilingEUDR Timber CheckShipping to North AmericaShipping to the EU & UKShipping to ANZ & the GulfStay informed on QC insights
Weekly tips on inspections, supplier management, and importing from China.
ISO 17020 methodology
CNAS-accredited partner labs
Money-back commitment© 2026 TruMark QC. All rights reserved. Quality You Can Trust. Verified.