Know who you are buying from
Ask for the legal business name, trading address, registration details where applicable, invoice details and a named contact. Compare those with the website and the relevant official register. A Companies House entry shows registration information; it does not endorse product quality or prove that the person contacting you represents that company. A sole trader may legitimately have no company number. For regulated financial services, use the FCA’s official tools and check the exact firm and permissions.
Verify the money route independently
Confirm the supplier’s account details using contact information you already trust. If a known supplier emails a new account number, call the established contact using your existing record. Do not call a number supplied only in the change request. Be cautious about payment to an unrelated individual, urgency around a large deposit or an explanation that cannot be checked. Record the confirmation and the agreed payment schedule.
Test the product and delivery promise
Order a sample or a small batch first. Inspect materials, packaging, sizing, branding and actual delivery time. Confirm product safety documents and labelling relevant to what you sell. Ask who makes the product, where it ships from, who pays import costs and who handles defects. A platform integration does not prove that the supplier or product meets marketplace rules or UK requirements.
Agree what happens when it goes wrong
Get the specification, minimum order, price, lead time, cancellation terms, ownership of designs, defect procedure and returns responsibilities in writing. Work out the landed cost and the cash needed while waiting for production. Treat customer reviews as clues rather than guarantees. Expand only after the sample and first order match your expectations. If the deal is too complex to explain on one page, ask an appropriate professional to review the terms before paying a large deposit.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Make the next move a clearer one.
- Match the legal business, contact and payment recipient.
- Verify changed bank details through an established contact.
- Inspect a sample and record the agreed specification.
- Confirm safety, imports, defects and returns responsibilities.
- Start with a manageable commitment and model the landed cost.
Where we checked the details
Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Rules, prices and eligibility can change. Confirm current terms with the official service.
General UK guidance and editorial checklists. Apply the official rules to your circumstances and seek qualified help where needed. This is researched guidance, not a claim that we have tested every provider or situation.
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