Buying parts from China is not difficult, and it is not risky in the way people assume. The failures are almost always the same four: the wrong number was confirmed by nobody, the packaging was never specified, the freight method was chosen by the seller rather than the buyer, and the money was sent before any of that was settled. Here is the sequence that avoids them.
1 · Start with a sample, not a container
Order one piece. Fit it. Check the casting, the machining, the threads, the box it arrived in. A single unit tells you more about a supplier than any certificate, and it costs a fraction of the container you were about to commit to.
A supplier who refuses a one-piece order is telling you they sell volume rather than parts. That may be fine for a commodity line; it is not what you want for a component you have to warranty to a customer.
2 · Confirm the number in writing
Send the OE number *and* the VIN. Ask the supplier to state, in writing, which part number they are supplying and what it supersedes. "Fits W205" is not a confirmation; "supplies 205 240 42 00, replaces A 205 240 36 00" is.
- The OE number you need, plus any supersession chain you know about.
- Photos of the old part, including any casting or stamp marks.
- The VIN, so the match can be checked against the build record.
- Left or right, where it matters. It matters more often than people think.
3 · Specify the packaging
This is the step everybody skips and everybody regrets. Packaging is part of the product when it crosses an ocean. Say what you want explicitly:
- Individual printed box, plain box, or bulk-packed — and if you retail them, whether you need your own label and barcode.
- Internal protection for machined faces, threads and rubber components.
- Palletised or loose-loaded. Loose cartons in a shared container arrive crushed.
- Whether you want the part number on the outside of the carton. For a workshop stockroom, this is the difference between a two-minute pick and a twenty-minute one.
4 · Agree the commercial terms
| Term | What to settle | Typical practice |
|---|---|---|
| Incoterm | Who pays freight and where risk transfers | EXW or FOB for most buyers; CIF if you want the seller to handle freight |
| Payment | Deposit, balance, and what triggers the balance | T/T deposit with balance before shipment; letter of credit for large orders |
| Lead time | Production time plus freight time, separately | Stated in working days for production, calendar days for freight |
| Warranty | What is covered, for how long, and who pays freight | Against manufacturing defects, in writing, before you order |
5 · Choose the freight yourself
If you let the seller pick the freight, you will get whatever is cheapest for them. Decide based on the part and the schedule:
| Method | Use when | Rough door-to-door |
|---|---|---|
| Air express | Samples, urgent jobs, small and light parts | About 5–10 days |
| Air freight | Mid-size urgent consignments | About 8–15 days plus handling |
| Sea, LCL | A pallet of mixed parts, not time-critical | About 25–45 days |
| Sea, FCL | Full container, planned stock | About 25–45 days |
Transit times are indicative and move with the route, the season and customs. Plan against the upper end. Consolidating several suppliers into one container is usually where the real saving is — but only once you trust each of them, because one bad supplier in a shared container delays all of it.
6 · Inspect before it ships
- Ask for photographs of your actual cartons, sealed, with the shipping marks visible.
- For a first container, a third-party pre-shipment inspection is cheap relative to the order and it is the only independent check you will get.
- Spot-check part numbers and finish on arrival before the cartons go into stock — a mismatch found on day one is a claim, a mismatch found in month three is your problem.
7 · Know the red flags
- Cannot or will not check a VIN.
- Only ever shows catalogue images or renders, never stock.
- A price far below every other quote for the same part — it is a different part, or there is no part.
- Warranty described as "guaranteed quality" with nothing in writing.
- Pressure to pay in full before anything has been confirmed.
Our own terms are on one page: minimum one piece, a quote with price and lead time inside four business hours, and warranty and returns stated in writing. Start with a single part and judge us on it — send the number.
Common questions
- What is a realistic minimum order for a first order?
- One piece is enough to test a fit, and a good supplier will accept it. The commercial minimum rises with the freight method, not with the supplier's willingness: a single part by air express is viable, a single part booked as sea freight is usually not worth the paperwork.
- Which HS code covers car parts?
- Most parts and accessories of motor vehicles fall in Chapter 87, heading 8708, with the sub-heading depending on the component. The exact sub-heading determines your duty rate, so confirm it with your broker rather than with the seller — the seller is not the importer of record and does not carry the liability.
- Air or sea?
- Air express for samples and urgent jobs where the part is small and light; sea for anything bulky, heavy, or where the schedule allows. A pallet of mixed parts by sea is usually cheaper per kilo than any air option, but you are committing to a much longer lead time.
Got a part number or a VIN? Get availability and price — we reply within four business hours with price and lead time attached.