If you are intending to import products from China, then understanding how the cost of inspection works is essential. Understandably, Quality Inspection is not a free service because it takes time, money, and effort to carry out a proper inspection.
The cost of an inspection in China ranges from $180 to $320 per man day. This typically includes the cost of travel for the inspector.
Note that Inspectors charge per man-day, so it will depend on how much time it takes to review all your products.
To help you choose the right partner for your quality assurance needs in China, we compared the cost among the top leading inspections services in China.
We experimented to determine how long it would take each inspection company to respond to our email and if the companies would satisfyingly answer the following questions:
- What is the price of a pre-shipment inspection for:
a) an AQL sample inspection (How many products will you inspect)?
b) Full inspection?
- How many days notice do you need for you to go to the factory?
- When will I receive the inspection report? How long after the inspection
- Please verify that the inspection will take place at the factory.
- Are you also able to provide us with a video of the inspection?
We needed the models to determine the quality of their information. Our experiment was as follows:
- We sent out the same email ( see the screenshot of the email below) to 5 inspection companies, namely, Inspectaman, V-Trust, QST, KRT Audit, and CCIC. The email had a few general questions that any seller would typically ask.
2. Next, we timed how long it took the inspection companies to respond and whether they answered our questions satisfactorily. The email was sent at 2:41 PM CAT. (The time zone used in this article for each correspondence was CAT)
3. Finally, we compiled the data about each company that responded to come up with a conclusive result. For the companies that did not respond, we researched and visited their websites to get information about those companies.
Let us focus on the findings for each company.
1.INSPECTAMAN SERVICE COMPANY
Inspectaman is the cream of the crop of all inspection companies. It is perfect for both small and large businesses. With over ten years of experience and more than 400 Amazon Sellers using Inspectaman, you can be sure of a comprehensive inspection carried out at a very affordable price.
What is the cost of an Inspectaman Inspection service?
As you will see in the screenshot below, the cost of an inspection by Inspectaman is as low as $165. This price includes:
- Comprehensive inspection
- An inspector onsite within 12-24 hours
- You will receive the inspection reports 24-48 hours after the inspection is done.
- Easy online scheduling of services
- A detailed dashboard of quality trends, available in real-time
Where will be the focus of Inspectaman Inspectors during an inspection?
During an inspection, your inspector will be looking at:
- Quantity confirmation
- Conformity inspection (style, colour, label, packing, and shipping conformity)
- Quality inspection (appearance and basic function)
- Function inspection (more in-depth functionality)
- Contract product quality
Please click the link below to book Inspectaman for your inspection services.
How good is Inspectaman’s response time to queries?
You will be glad to know that Inspectaman was the first company to respond to our email! We received their reply at 3:56 pm on the same day. If you do some simple math, you will find that it took them only 1 hour 15 minutes to respond to our email. This should encourage you to contact Inspectaman for all your Inspection service queries. See the screenshot below.
Did Inspectaman give a comprehensive answer to our queries? From the screenshot above, you will notice that Inspectaman answered all our questions clearly and concisely. And what’s more, they even gave us a sample of their inspection report, as shown below.
Inspectaman Inspection report: Cover Page
Inspectaman Inspection Report: Page 1
When you look at the quality of Inspectaman’s report and compare it to the more expensive ones, you’ll find that it is precisely the same.
2.V-TRUST INSPECTION COMPANY
V-Trust is another China-based Quality Control and Inspection company that offers a wide range of QC services to Chinese importers. As an independent third-party inspection company, V-Trust has a sound inspection network covering most of China’s coastal areas. They have 110+ full-time inspectors who are well trained, reliable and experienced in inspecting a wide product range.
What is the cost of a V-Trust Inspection service?
As shown in the screenshot below, a V-trust Inspection is as low as $268. For this price, you will get:
- An inspector on-site within 24 hours
- A comprehensive inspection
- An inspection report 24 hours after the inspection is carried out. Sometimes, even on the same day, the review is done.
- Use of full-time inspectors for your inspection.
Where will be the focus of V-Trust Inspectors during an inspection?
During an inspection, V-trust inspectors will be looking at:
- Quantity confirmation
- Conformity inspection (style, colour, label, packing, and shipping conformity)
- Quality inspection (appearance and primary function)
How good is V-Trust’s response time to queries?
V-Trust was the second inspection company to respond to our email. It took V-Trust 3 hours and 22 minutes to respond to our email. We received their reply at CAT 6:03 pm. See below,
Did V-Trust give a comprehensive answer to our queries?
From the screenshot above, you will note that V-trust did try to answer most of the questions but not in an obvious way. V-trust did not even include a sample inspection report soo it would be hard to determine the quality of their inspection report beforehand.
3.CCIC INSPECTION COMPANY
China Certification & Inspection Group Shaanxi Co., Ltd (CCIC SHAANXI) is one of the trained assistants of CCIC Group. With the solid specialised background and consent of CCIC and CQI (China Inspection and Quarantine), CCIC Shaanxi will make constant endeavours to expand its business capacity. Enhance its service quality and facilitate CCIC and CQI as trustworthy brands to nourish its customer’s needs with its operation knowledge, cutting-edge technologies, and global business.
Their attainment of the decisive goal is to persistently give qualified and trained personnel local service for international customers.
What is the cost of a CCIC Inspection Service?
From the screenshot below, a CCIC inspection is $240, and it includes:
- On-site inspection
- An inspection report 24 hours after the inspection
- Comprehensive inspection
What does the CCIC offer?
- The most reliable, impartial and cost-effective services
- Quality Control (Consumer Goods Inspection)
- Supplier Evaluation and Audit
- Government and Trade Service
- Returned Cargo Identification
- Lab Testing.
What is CCIC’s response time to queries?
CCIC took 19 hours and 9 minutes to respond to our email. They responded at 9:50 AM the next day. Note the screenshot below:
Did CCIC give a comprehensive answer to our queries?
As highlighted above, CCIC did try to answer our queries, but they did not give a complete comprehensive response. They did not even include a sample inspection report in their reply.
4.QSI TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Qi Sheng Inspection Technology (QSI) is an inspection company based in China, providing professional quality control service and production monitoring throughout the whole supply chain, from product development, sourcing, quality control to shipping and delivery;
They strive to offer the most reliable, impartial, and flexible quality control services for clients. Sellers should focus on serving importers, retailers, and trading companies of all sizes, which have one thing in common: importing goods from China, even Asia.
What is the cost of a QSI Inspection Service?
A little research showed that the cost of QSI inspection is $196. At that price, you will get:
- A standardised on-site inspection
- Inspection report within 24 hours of inspection
What does QSI offer?
- Provide standardised inspection services
- Fast report delivery
- Product certification
What is QSI’s response time to queries?
QSI took 1 hour 27 minutes to respond to our email. They responded at 3:58 PM on the same day, as shown below.
Did QSI give a comprehensive response to all our queries?
Unfortunately, QSI did not give us the much-needed information that would have answered our questions. But, they did provide us with a sample inspection report which helped us see the quality of their work. Please see the sample pages of the inspection report below.
You may agree that the report is a simple design that puts the information plainly for the reader to see. But, the report lacks a cover page which would have added appeal to the account.
5.KRT AUDIT COMPANY
KRT Audits is a US-based company that offers a wide range of quality control and inspection services to importers in China and other Asian countries. KRT Audits include final shipment inspection, in-process inspection, container loading supervision, first article inspection, manufacturing process monitoring, defect sorting inspection, complete factory audit, comprehensive reseller audit, basic factory audit, thorough social, business license check, and anti-terrorism audit.
What is the Cost of a KRT Audit?
From the research we undertook, we discovered that a comprehensive KRT inspection would cost you $375.
NOTE: At the time this article was written, we had received no response to our email request.
What does the KRT audit offer?
- Provides highly in-depth supplier/factory audits.
- Exceedingly detailed product/shipment inspections.
- Globally accredited lab testing services
SUMMARY OF INSPECTION COSTS
| Inspection Service Company | Time the Company responded to our email( Time in CAT)(our email was sent to them at 2:41pm) | Response Time to Emails | Time it takes for them to send an inspection report after the inspection is done | Sample Of Inspection Report Given | Estimated Cost of inspection per man-day |
| Inspectaman | 3:56pm the same day | 1 hour 15 minutes | 24-48 hours | ✓ | $165 |
| V-Trust | 6:03 pm the same day | 3 hours 22 minutes | 24 hours | X | $268 |
| KRT Audit | No response | No response | No response | X | $375 |
| China Certification and Inspection Company (CCIC) | 9:50am the next day. | 19 hours 9 minutes | 24 hours | X | $240 |
| QST Inspection Limited company | 3:58pm the same day | 1 Hour 27 minutes | 24 hours | ✓ | $196 |
As you have noticed from the screenshots and the table above, 4 out of 5 companies sent a reply. Out of the four that replied, only two companies had included sample inspection reports.
REVIEW
A quality inspection helps you prevent extra costs like product rework. But product inspections do cost money. It Isn’t worth it spending over $300+ for review unless you have a very technical product. For many sellers, these expenses are low as compared to their purchase orders. But for others, the costs are higher than they need to be. It’s always a great idea to work with Inspectaman, who offers quality inspection at an affordable price.