Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)
Your factory says the goods are ready and wants the balance. We inspect the packed cartons to AQL and hand you a PASS or FAIL within 24 hours — before you pay.
38
Cities Covered
24h
Deployment & Report
Aligned
ISO 17020
Two
Refund Commitments
Understanding the Service
What Is Pre-Shipment Inspection?
By the time the factory asks for the balance, the goods are made, packed and out of your reach — the payment is your last piece of leverage. PSI uses that moment. Our inspector attends once production is finished and 80% is packed, draws a random sample under ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (ISO 2859-1), and checks appearance, function, dimensions, packaging and labeling against your specification. You get a PASS or FAIL with the defect counts set against the AQL limits.
A $268 inspection would have prevented this. Instead, a first-time importer paid $47,000 in returns, Amazon penalties, and emergency re-sourcing after 3,200 LED desk lamps arrived with flickering defects. The factory had confirmed '100% quality guaranteed.
James Liu
Founder & CEO
Our Protocol
What Our Inspector Checks
Every checkpoint verified on every inspection.
Random sample selection per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (AQL sampling)
Visual appearance and cosmetic quality
Functional testing against your specifications
Dimensional accuracy with calibrated tools
Packaging integrity (inner protection, outer carton, barcodes)
Regulatory compliance marks verified (CE, FCC, RoHS)
Shipping marks, quantities, and carton weight
Amazon FBA-specific checks if applicable
PASS/FAIL determination within 24 hours
Photo report within 24 hours
Use Cases
When You Need This Service
Every single order — no exceptions, even trusted suppliers
First orders with new suppliers (highest risk)
High-value orders where failure cost exceeds $10,000
Amazon FBA shipments (account suspension risk)
Book 5-7 business days before ship date
Process
How It Works
From booking to report in 5 simple steps.
01
Book Online
Factory address, product details, quantity, specifications. Inspector deployed within 24 hours.
02
Production Status Verified
Inspector arrives, verifies quantity matches PO, 80%+ packed, goods accessible.
03
Random Sampling
Sample selection per AQL/ISO 2859-1 from sealed cartons throughout the warehouse.
04
Comprehensive Testing
Visual, functional, dimensional testing. Defects categorized Critical/Major/Minor.
05
Report Delivered
PASS/FAIL/PENDING report with photos, measurements, and recommendation within 24 hours.
From $268/day — Report within 24 hours
Money-back commitmentDeliverables
What You Receive
Detailed inspection report (PDF, 15-40 pages)
Defect classification: Critical, Major, Minor vs. AQL limits
Dimensional measurement data vs. specifications
PASS / FAIL / PENDING determination
Photos with timestamps and GPS
Ship / hold / rework recommendation
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 & safety checks passed — all sampled units met electrical, drop-test and labelling requirements. No Critical defects found.
Common Concerns
Honest Answers to Tough Questions
$268 is a published, flat man-day rate. It buys the one decision you cannot make from factory photographs.
A reputable factory has no reason to refuse an outside inspection. If yours does, treat it as a serious red flag — we help you raise it with the supplier, and we can also arrange inspection at the port or a neutral warehouse before goods ship.
Our inspectors work exclusively for you, never the factory, and are rotated so no relationship forms with any supplier. Every report includes timestamped, GPS-tagged photos so you can verify the findings yourself.
For small lots we scale the sample down or move to 100% inspection so coverage stays meaningful. We'll recommend the right approach for your quantity when you book.
We caught 340 defective units in a 5,000-unit shipment. Saved us $47,000 in returns.
— Supply Chain Manager, US Electronics Importer
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It varies by product and factory. Your result is the defect count against your AQL.
Within 24 hours across all 38 cities we cover, and your report arrives within 24 hours of the on-site visit. Book 5-7 business days ahead of your ship date for the smoothest scheduling.
We follow ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (ISO 2859-1): 0 for critical, 2.5 for major, 4.0 for minor — tuned to your product and destination market and confirmed with you before the inspection.
You get a clear FAIL determination with the defect breakdown before the goods ship, so you can hold the shipment, negotiate rework, or re-inspect after the fix — exactly what the $268 is for.
What's Next?
Add DUPRO for orders above 1,000 units to catch defects at 30% instead of 100%.
Download sample report
First-time importer?See our starter guide
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