{"id":407,"date":"2026-06-18T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/?p=407"},"modified":"2026-09-23T13:03:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T13:03:23","slug":"foshan-furniture-factory-pricing-traps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/blog\/foshan-furniture-factory-pricing-traps\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying Furniture Direct From Foshan Factories: Four Pricing Traps One Homeowner Paid \u00a510,000 For"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-group sf-key-takeaways\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"sf-key-takeaways__title wp-block-paragraph\">In short<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Chinese homeowner budgeted \u00a520,000 (\u2248US$2,800) for three bedrooms of furniture bought &#8220;direct from Foshan factories&#8221; and paid over \u00a530,000 (\u2248US$4,200). Nothing illegal happened; every extra was in the small print.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The four traps were: a bait price with add-ons after signing (\u2248\u00a510,000), &#8220;freight collect&#8221; with no rate (\u2248\u00a58,000 for freight, crate and stairs), fees missing from the quote (\u00a51,200 for one curved modification), and material grades that were never written down.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Every one of these is harder to catch from overseas: you cannot re-visit the workshop, you cannot argue a &#8220;top-grain&#8221; translation in Chinese, and your money has already crossed a border.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The fix is boring and works: a written spec per item, an itemised quotation with every service line, a contract cap on non-buyer add-ons (\u22645%), a workshop visit before the deposit, and an inspection before the balance.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>That is the job Source Foshan does for overseas buyers. This article shows what it looks like when nobody does it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Buying furniture straight from a Foshan factory is not automatically cheap.<\/strong> The quoted price is the opening move in a negotiation most first-time buyers do not know they are in. The account below was posted by a homeowner in China in September 2026 after furnishing a three-bedroom flat from Foshan, and after later supervising two purchases for a friend that went smoothly. We have translated and condensed it, kept the numbers, and added what each trap means when the buyer is 8,000 km away \u2014 and how we close it. Source Foshan is a sourcing agent based in Foshan, China; these four traps are the ones we most often find in the quotations clients send us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"sf-source-note\">Source: a first-person account shared on a Chinese social platform, September 2026, by a homeowner in Guangdong. Translated, condensed and annotated by the Source Foshan sourcing team. Prices are as reported, in RMB, with approximate USD at \u00a57.1. Names withheld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-order\">The order: three bedrooms, a \u00a520,000 budget, a \u00a530,000 bill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homeowner did what the internet tells you to do: skip the malls, go to the source, buy a whole home of furniture from Foshan factories at factory prices. The opening quotation was for a full set in leather, &#8220;everything included&#8221;, at \u00a520,000. That number was real. It was also the last number that stayed still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-post-stats\">\n  <div><b>\u00a520,000<\/b><span>Original budget and opening quote, &#8220;whole home in leather, all included&#8221;<\/span><small>\u2248 US$2,800<\/small><\/div>\n  <div><b><em>\u00a530,000+<\/em><\/b><span>Final spend after add-ons, freight, crating, stairs and modification fees<\/span><small>\u2248 US$4,200 \u00b7 +50%<\/small><\/div>\n  <div><b>\u2248\u00a510,000<\/b><span>Add-ons invoiced after signing: sofa resizing, &#8220;upgrade to solid frame&#8221;, higher-density cushions<\/span><small>\u2248 US$1,400<\/small><\/div>\n  <div><b>\u2248\u00a58,000<\/b><span>Freight collect, wooden crating &#8220;compulsory for long distance&#8221;, and carrying upstairs<\/span><small>\u2248 US$1,100<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nothing here required a scam. It required a quotation with blanks in it, a buyer who trusted the headline number, and a factory that priced the blanks after the deposit had cleared. Later, supervising a friend&#8217;s two orders, the same person used four checks and a two-line contract clause, and both orders arrived as specified. The difference was not the factory. It was the paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"four-traps\">The four pricing traps, one by one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each card shows what was said, what happened, the number it cost, why it is worse from overseas, and how we handle it on a Source Foshan order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-traps\">\n  <article class=\"sf-trap\">\n    <span class=\"sf-trap__num\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 56 56\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M28 6v22\"\/><path d=\"M28 28c0 9-5 14-12 14s-10-5-10-10\"\/><path d=\"M6 32l-3 4 5 1\"\/><circle cx=\"28\" cy=\"5\" r=\"2.5\"\/><path d=\"M40 20l6-4 3 7-6 4-3-7z\"\/><path d=\"M43 23l-8 6\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n    <h3>1 \u00b7 The bait price, then the add-ons<\/h3>\n    <p class=\"sf-trap__said\"><b>Said before signing:<\/b> &#8220;Whole home in genuine leather, \u00a520,000, everything included.&#8221; <b>After signing:<\/b> resizing the sofa to fit the wall costs extra; the &#8220;solid wood frame&#8221; is an upgrade; higher-density seat foam is an upgrade. About \u00a510,000 of extras, none of which the buyer had chosen.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"sf-trap__cols\">\n      <div class=\"is-number\"><b>The number<\/b><strong>\u2248 \u00a510,000<\/strong>in add-ons on a \u00a520,000 order<\/div>\n      <div><b>From overseas<\/b>You approve add-ons by chat message with production already started. Refusing means losing the deposit and the lead time; accepting means the &#8220;factory price&#8221; is gone.<\/div>\n      <div class=\"is-us\"><b>How we close it<\/b>Every item gets a one-page spec before quotation: dimensions, frame timber, foam density, cover grade, hardware. The quote is against that spec. Anything not on the sheet is not an &#8220;upgrade&#8221;, it is a change order that needs your written yes.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/article>\n\n  <article class=\"sf-trap\">\n    <span class=\"sf-trap__num\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 56 56\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M4 36h32l6-9h6v13H4z\"\/><path d=\"M8 36V18h24v18\"\/><circle cx=\"14\" cy=\"44\" r=\"3.5\"\/><circle cx=\"40\" cy=\"44\" r=\"3.5\"\/><path d=\"M20 24c0-3 2-4 4-4s4 1 4 3-2 3-4 4v2\"\/><circle cx=\"24\" cy=\"32\" r=\"1\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n    <h3>2 \u00b7 &#8220;Freight collect&#8221; with no rate<\/h3>\n    <p class=\"sf-trap__said\"><b>The contract said:<\/b> &#8220;Freight collect.&#8221; Nothing about the rate, the volume, crating or delivery to the door. <b>What arrived:<\/b> a freight bill, a wooden-crate bill (&#8220;compulsory for long distance, several hundred yuan per cubic metre&#8221;) and a carrying-upstairs bill \u2014 close to \u00a58,000 together.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"sf-trap__cols\">\n      <div class=\"is-number\"><b>The number<\/b><strong>\u2248 \u00a58,000<\/strong>freight + crating + stairs, priced after dispatch<\/div>\n      <div><b>From overseas<\/b>Replace &#8220;freight collect&#8221; with &#8220;FOB&#8221; or &#8220;EXW&#8221; and this becomes the whole landed-cost problem: export packing, trucking, ocean freight, destination handling, duty, last mile. Domestic showrooms do not export-pack as a routine; someone has to.<\/div>\n      <div class=\"is-us\"><b>How we close it<\/b>Before you order, we quote the cubic metres per item, the export packing standard (foam, corner protection, crates for stone and glass) and the freight to your port or door. The number moves only if the volume moves.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/article>\n\n  <article class=\"sf-trap\">\n    <span class=\"sf-trap__num\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 56 56\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 6h24l8 8v36H12z\"\/><path d=\"M36 6v8h8\"\/><path d=\"M18 22h20M18 30h12M18 38h20\"\/><circle cx=\"35\" cy=\"30\" r=\"4\" stroke-dasharray=\"2 2\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n    <h3>3 \u00b7 Lines missing from the quotation<\/h3>\n    <p class=\"sf-trap__said\"><b>Not on the quote:<\/b> modification fees, storage, installation, hardware upgrades, protective film. <b>Discovered later:<\/b> a curved section to suit the flat&#8217;s layout cost \u00a51,200 on its own; hardware and film were billed afterwards.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"sf-trap__cols\">\n      <div class=\"is-number\"><b>The number<\/b><strong>\u00a51,200<\/strong>for one curve, plus hardware and film billed later<\/div>\n      <div><b>From overseas<\/b>A quote with missing lines looks cheaper than a complete one, so the honest supplier loses the comparison. And &#8220;installation&#8221; means nothing for an export order unless someone says who assembles at destination.<\/div>\n      <div class=\"is-us\"><b>How we close it<\/b>Our quotation has a fixed set of lines for every item and the order as a whole: unit price, modification, packing, inland trucking, freight, insurance, destination handling, duty estimate, delivery, assembly. A line reads &#8220;0&#8221; or &#8220;not included&#8221;, never blank.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/article>\n\n  <article class=\"sf-trap\">\n    <span class=\"sf-trap__num\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 56 56\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M8 14h40v10H8z\"\/><path d=\"M8 24h40v10H8z\"\/><path d=\"M8 34h40v10H8z\"\/><path d=\"M14 19h10M14 29h6M14 39h14\"\/><path d=\"M40 8l6 6\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n    <h3>4 \u00b7 Material grades that were never written down<\/h3>\n    <p class=\"sf-trap__said\"><b>The contract said:<\/b> &#8220;top-grain leather&#8221;, &#8220;imported solid wood&#8221;. <b>Delivered:<\/b> bonded (composite) leather and medium-density fibreboard, with offcuts joined in the frame. The contract never named a grade, a thickness, a species or a density, so nothing in it was technically breached.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"sf-trap__cols\">\n      <div class=\"is-number\"><b>The number<\/b><strong>3\u00d7<\/strong>typical price gap between full-grain and embossed split leather<\/div>\n      <div><b>From overseas<\/b>&#8220;Genuine leather&#8221; survives translation; the grade does not. You will not open the frame in your living room, and by then the balance has been paid.<\/div>\n      <div class=\"is-us\"><b>How we close it<\/b>Materials are written as grades and numbers: full-grain \/ top-grain \/ split; foam 35\u201345 kg\/m\u00b3; birch or beech vs pine; E1\/E0 board \u2014 the four things that <a href=\"\/fr\/blog\/foshan-sofa-factory-price-vs-mall-price\/\">separate a \u00a54,500 sofa from a \u00a59,000 one<\/a>. We open a cushion and photograph the frame at the workshop, then inspect the finished pieces before the balance is released.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/article>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-figures\">\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/cf-design-sheet-sofa.webp\" alt=\"Sofa design sheet with dimensions and construction notes lying on a workshop table\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>What a fixed spec looks like.<\/b> Dimensions, frame, foam and cover on one sheet before any price is quoted. Add-ons cannot appear later because the sheet already says what the piece is.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/qc-foam-layers-bare.webp\" alt=\"Bare sofa seat showing foam layers before the cover is fitted\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>What &#8220;higher-density foam&#8221; hides.<\/b> The layers are only visible before the cover goes on. Density is a number on the sheet, not a word in a sales pitch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"worse-from-overseas\">Why the same traps hit harder when you buy from another country<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homeowner in this story lives a few hours from Foshan, speaks the language, and could go back. Most of our clients cannot. Five things change when the buyer is overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"sf-points\">\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><circle cx=\"24\" cy=\"24\" r=\"18\"\/><path d=\"M6 24h36M24 6c6 6 6 30 0 36M24 6c-6 6-6 30 0 36\"\/><\/svg><div><b>No second visit<\/b><p>You cannot drop by the workshop when the add-on message arrives. Whatever you did not see before the deposit, you will not see until the container opens.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M8 10h22v18H16l-8 6z\"\/><path d=\"M40 20v18H26l8 6v-6\"\/><path d=\"M14 17h10M14 22h6\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Words that survive translation, grades that do not<\/b><p>&#8220;Genuine leather&#8221; and &#8220;solid wood&#8221; translate cleanly. &#8220;Full-grain, 1.4 mm, corrected&#8221; and &#8220;beech frame, kiln-dried&#8221; do not appear unless someone writes them in both languages.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><rect x=\"6\" y=\"14\" width=\"36\" height=\"24\" rx=\"3\"\/><path d=\"M6 22h36\"\/><path d=\"M12 31h8\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Money that has crossed a border<\/b><p>A domestic buyer can withhold the balance, complain to the local consumer bureau (12315) and negotiate face to face. A wire transfer from abroad to an unknown account has none of those levers.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M8 18l16-8 16 8v16l-16 8-16-8z\"\/><path d=\"M8 18l16 8 16-8M24 26v16\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Export packing is nobody&#8217;s routine<\/b><p>Foshan&#8217;s domestic showrooms and small factories pack for a truck, not for six weeks at sea. Underpacked goods are the single biggest cause of transit damage we see.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M10 40V14l14-6 14 6v26\"\/><path d=\"M18 40V26h12v14\"\/><path d=\"M6 40h36\"\/><\/svg><div><b>The last mile is on another continent<\/b><p>&#8220;Delivered&#8221; in Foshan means the truck left. Your cost includes destination handling, duty, delivery to the room and assembly \u2014 none of which a factory quote mentions.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><circle cx=\"24\" cy=\"24\" r=\"17\"\/><path d=\"M24 12v12l8 5\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Time zones and lead times<\/b><p>An add-on message at 09:00 Foshan time lands at 02:00 in London or 21:00 in New York. Production does not wait for the reply; the deadline you were told rarely includes the argument.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reliable-factory\">How to tell a reliable Foshan factory from a risky one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homeowner&#8217;s four checks, used on the friend&#8217;s two orders, are the ones we use too. We have added the three physical tests our inspectors run on every upholstered piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"sf-checks\">\n  <li><b>Ask for recent delivery photos of the same size and style.<\/b> Not the catalogue, not the showroom: pieces that shipped in the last month, in the spec you are buying.<small>A factory that cannot show last month&#8217;s output of your model may not make it in-house.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Walk the production floor, not the showroom.<\/b> Cutting, frame assembly, edge wrapping, upholstery \u2014 <a href=\"\/fr\/blog\/inside-a-foshan-furniture-factory\/\">the seven zones and what to ask in each<\/a>. Look at the workers&#8217; hands and the stock of frames waiting for covers.<small>The showroom is lit to flatter. The workshop is where the frame timber and the foam are visible before the cover goes on.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Demand an itemised quotation.<\/b> Dimensions, material, grade, unit price and the services included, per line. Vague lines are the add-ons of next month.<small>See the quotation anatomy below.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Put two sentences in the contract.<\/b> &#8220;Add-ons not requested by the buyer are capped at 5% of the order value.&#8221; and &#8220;Goods that do not match the written specification may be returned at the supplier&#8217;s cost.&#8221;<small>The friend&#8217;s orders had both lines. The homeowner&#8217;s did not.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Sit on the sofa for five full minutes, phone away.<\/b> Lumbar support and seat depth problems show up at minute three, not minute one.<small>Showroom lighting and styling create a halo; the body notices what the eye does not.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Flip it, pull the drawers, press the cushions.<\/b> Frame joints (mortise or dowel vs staples), drawer bottoms (solid board vs chip), foam rebound (fast vs sluggish).<small>Three checks, two minutes, no tools.<\/small><\/li>\n  <li><b>Verify the company, not the brand.<\/b> A real Foshan manufacturer&#8217;s licence reads &#8220;\u4f5b\u5c71\u5e02 \u2026 \u5bb6\u5177\u6709\u9650\u516c\u53f8&#8221; with a factory address you can visit. &#8220;Foshan brand&#8221; showrooms may be registered elsewhere and buy in.<small>We check the licence, the tax registration and the site before a supplier goes on a shortlist \u2014 the method is in <a href=\"\/fr\/china-furniture-manufacturers\/\">finding and vetting manufacturers<\/a>.<\/small><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-figures\">\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/fg-factory-sofa-check.webp\" alt=\"Inspector checking a sofa frame on the factory floor in Foshan\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>Check 2, in practice.<\/b> Frames on the floor before upholstery, with the timber and the joints visible. This is the visit that turns &#8220;solid wood frame&#8221; into a fact.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/qc-webbing.webp\" alt=\"Underside of a sofa showing elastic webbing and frame construction during inspection\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>Check 6, in practice.<\/b> Turned over at inspection: webbing tension, frame joints and staples versus dowels are all visible from underneath.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quotation-anatomy\">What an itemised quotation should look like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the same sofa quoted two ways (the full ten-step sequence, with payment and Incoterms, is in <a href=\"\/fr\/buy-furniture-from-china\/\">how to buy furniture from China<\/a>). The left column is the kind of line that produced the \u00a510,000 of add-ons. The right column is what we send. Neither is more expensive to write; only one of them can be compared and enforced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-quote\">\n  <div class=\"sf-quote__head\">Three-seat sofa, 2,400 mm <span>Quotation line comparison<\/span><\/div>\n  <table>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr><th>Description<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;3-seat leather sofa&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">3-seat sofa, 2,400 \u00d7 950 \u00d7 820 mm, seat height 430 mm, seat depth 560 mm<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Frame<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;solid wood&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Kiln-dried beech frame, dowelled and glued; plywood only on non-structural panels<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Seat &amp; back<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;high-density foam&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Seat foam 40 kg\/m\u00b3 HR with 5 cm 28 kg\/m\u00b3 top layer; back foam 25 kg\/m\u00b3; elastic webbing 50 mm at 60 mm spacing<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Cover<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;genuine top-grain leather&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Full-grain cowhide, 1.2\u20131.4 mm, aniline finish, colour ref. L-207, all seat and contact surfaces; split leather nowhere<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Legs \/ hardware<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">\u2014<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Black powder-coated steel, 150 mm, adjustable glides<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Modifications<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">\u2014 (billed later: \u00a51,200)<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Left-arm chaise variant: +\u00a50 (included in unit price)<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Unit price<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">\u00a5 \u2014 &#8220;in package&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">\u00a56,850 EXW Foshan, incl. protective film and standard hardware<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Export packing<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">\u2014 (&#8220;crate compulsory&#8221;, priced after dispatch)<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Foam wrap + corner protection + carton; 1.95 m\u00b3; \u00a5180<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Freight to your door<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;freight collect&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">LCL Shenzhen \u2192 destination port, destination handling, kerbside delivery: quoted per m\u00b3 on the order summary<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Payment<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">&#8220;deposit, balance before delivery&#8221;<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">30% deposit to company account; 70% after inspection report, before loading<\/td><\/tr>\n      <tr><th>Warranty<\/th><td class=\"is-bad\">\u2014<\/td><td class=\"is-good\">Frame 10 years, foam and cover 5 years, written into the contract<\/td><\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n    <tfoot><tr><td colspan=\"3\">Indicative 2026 figures for a mid-range Foshan factory sofa; your quote will differ. The point is the shape of the lines, not the numbers.<\/td><\/tr><\/tfoot>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"already-caught\">If you have already been caught<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homeowner&#8217;s advice, and what changes for an overseas buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep everything.<\/strong> Quotation, contract, chat history, showroom sample photos, the unboxing video, payment records. Chat screenshots with timestamps are accepted as evidence in Chinese consumer disputes.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Argue from the contract, not from fairness.<\/strong> An add-on needs a basis. If it is not in the contract, refuse it in writing and keep the refusal.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Use the complaint channel.<\/strong> Domestic buyers use the 12315 consumer hotline and the local market supervision bureau. From overseas your levers are the balance you have not paid, the platform or agent you paid through, and a local representative who can attend in person.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Cut losses early.<\/strong> A supplier who is stonewalling in week two will not improve in week eight. Every week of delay is a week without a home to move into.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are in this position with a Foshan supplier now, <a href=\"\/fr\/commencez-votre-projet\/\">send us the quotation and the chat history<\/a>. We will tell you within a business day what the contract actually supports and, if it helps, visit the factory on your behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"before-you-go\">The pre-trip checklist, with the extras we would add<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"sf-points\">\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M10 6h28v36H10z\"\/><path d=\"M16 14h16M16 22h16M16 30h10\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Write the list first<\/b><p>Sizes, materials and style per piece before you talk to anyone. A supplier who sees the list quotes the list; a supplier who sees a hesitant buyer quotes the hesitation.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><circle cx=\"24\" cy=\"24\" r=\"17\"\/><path d=\"M24 14v20M18 20h9a4 4 0 0 1 0 8h-6a4 4 0 0 0 0 8h9\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Keep 10% in reserve<\/b><p>The homeowner&#8217;s budget was \u00a520,000; the bill was over \u00a530,000. With a complete quotation the reserve is rarely used; without one it is never enough.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M8 40V10h10v30M19 40V18h10v22M30 40V26h10v14\"\/><path d=\"M4 40h40\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Compare three, and be wary of introductions<\/b><p>Foshan&#8217;s supplier base is mixed. Influencer &#8220;factory tours&#8221; and friends-of-friends earn commission; the price you pay includes it.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M8 12h32v24H8z\"\/><path d=\"M8 20h32\"\/><path d=\"M14 30h8\"\/><path d=\"M30 30h4\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Pin the service scope<\/b><p>Ask what is included and what is not: packing, freight, delivery to the room, assembly, warranty. Get the answer on the quotation, not in a voice message.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M24 6l4 10 11 1-8 7 3 11-10-6-10 6 3-11-8-7 11-1z\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Do not follow the touts<\/b><p>Outside Lecong&#8217;s malls (which ones, and their hours, are in the <a href=\"\/fr\/foshan-guide\/\">Foshan market guide<\/a>), men with business cards offer &#8220;our factory, just over there&#8221;. Visitors report walking a kilometre to a reseller&#8217;s warehouse. Go to addresses you have verified.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n  <li><svg viewbox=\"0 0 48 48\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M8 34l10-12 8 8 6-6 8 10\"\/><rect x=\"6\" y=\"8\" width=\"36\" height=\"32\" rx=\"3\"\/><\/svg><div><b>Discount the showroom lighting<\/b><p>Spotlights and styled sets flatter every sofa. Test the piece with your body and your hands, then ask to see the same model unfinished in the workshop.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-source-foshan-prevents-this\">How Source Foshan prevents each of these on your order<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are a sourcing team in Foshan working for the buyer, paid a stated fee, with no commission from suppliers. The value is not access to secret factories. It is doing the boring parts on the ground so that the story above cannot happen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-map\">\n  <div><span><b>Trap<\/b>Bait price, add-ons after signing<\/span><i>\u2192<\/i><span><b>Our practice<\/b>One-page spec per item before quotation; any change after that is a written change order you approve, with its price.<\/span><\/div>\n  <div><span><b>Trap<\/b>&#8220;Freight collect&#8221;, crating priced after dispatch<\/span><i>\u2192<\/i><span><b>Our practice<\/b>Cubic metres, export packing standard and freight to your port or door quoted before you order. Stone and glass are crated by default.<\/span><\/div>\n  <div><span><b>Trap<\/b>Missing lines on the quotation<\/span><i>\u2192<\/i><span><b>Our practice<\/b>A fixed quotation template: every service line reads a number or &#8220;not included&#8221;. Duty is estimated by HS code before you decide.<\/span><\/div>\n  <div><span><b>Trap<\/b>Material words instead of grades<\/span><i>\u2192<\/i><span><b>Our practice<\/b>Grades and numbers in both languages; a workshop visit with photos of frames and foam; a final inspection report before the 70% balance is released.<\/span><\/div>\n  <div><span><b>Trap<\/b>Money to a stranger&#8217;s account, no recourse<\/span><i>\u2192<\/i><span><b>Our practice<\/b>Payments go to registered company accounts under one English contract, 30% deposit and 70% after inspection. We are here in Foshan if something needs a visit.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sf-figures\">\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/qc-spec-sheet-lounge-chair.webp\" alt=\"Printed lounge chair specification sheet held next to the finished chair during inspection\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>The sheet travels with the piece.<\/b> Inspection is a comparison between the spec you approved and the object on the floor, not an opinion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n  <figure><img src=\"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/wp-content\/themes\/source-foshan-v101\/assets\/images\/export-cartons-labelled.webp\" alt=\"Export cartons labelled and stacked in the consolidation warehouse before loading\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><b>Packing is a quoted line, not a surprise.<\/b> Labelled export cartons in our consolidation warehouse, priced per cubic metre before the order was placed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The complete process, fees and payment safeguards are on the <a href=\"\/fr\/approvisionnement-en-mobilier\/\">furniture sourcing and consolidation<\/a> page. If you want to check a quotation you already have, <a href=\"\/fr\/commencez-votre-projet\/\">send it through the project form<\/a> \u2014 attachments are welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"sf-read-next\" aria-label=\"Related reading\">\n  <p class=\"sf-read-next__title\">Keep reading<\/p>\n  <div class=\"sf-read-next__grid\">\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/blog\/foshan-furniture-buying-traps\/\"><span>Article<\/span><b>Eight Foshan buying traps and the fix for each<\/b><small>Resellers as factories, unnamed leather, kerbside delivery, toothless contracts \u2014 with the contract clauses written out.<\/small><\/a>\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/blog\/foshan-sofa-factory-price-vs-mall-price\/\"><span>Article<\/span><b>One sofa, three prices: \u00a54,500 \/ \u00a56,800 \/ \u00a512,800<\/b><small>Where the mall\u2019s \u00a56,000 goes, and the four things that separate one factory\u2019s price from another\u2019s.<\/small><\/a>\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/blog\/factory-direct-furniture-foshan-sop\/\"><span>Article<\/span><b>Factory-direct furniture: a six-step SOP<\/b><small>Value \u00f7 price, the six-layer mark-up, five quality indicators, four traps \u2014 and the control for each.<\/small><\/a>\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/buy-furniture-from-china\/\"><span>Guide<\/span><b>How to buy furniture from China<\/b><small>Ten steps, landed cost, MOQ, payment, Incoterms, transit times and compliance.<\/small><\/a>\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/qualite-et-livraison\/\"><span>Guide<\/span><b>Quality control and shipping<\/b><small>The 7-checkpoint inspection, export packing and the photo-and-video report before the balance.<\/small><\/a>\n    <a href=\"\/fr\/commencez-votre-projet\/\"><span>Guide<\/span><b>Send your list or quotation<\/b><small>A reply within one business day: which route, which sellers, what it should cost.<\/small><\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Questions buyers ask after reading this<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Is buying direct from a Foshan factory cheaper than buying through a sourcing agent?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Often not, once the order is complete. A factory quote covers the piece; an agent&#8217;s quote covers the piece, the spec, the packing, the freight and the inspection, with a stated fee. In the case above, the &#8220;direct&#8221; order cost 50% more than its own quotation. A transparent fee on a complete quotation is usually less than the add-ons on an incomplete one.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How much should I expect add-ons to cost on a Foshan furniture order?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a written spec and an itemised quotation: close to zero, because there is nothing left to add. Without them, buyers in Foshan commonly report 20\u201350% over the opening price once resizing, &#8220;upgrades&#8221;, crating, freight and delivery are billed. Cap non-buyer add-ons at 5% in the contract.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What is the difference between &#8220;genuine leather&#8221;, &#8220;top-grain&#8221; and &#8220;full-grain&#8221; on a Chinese quotation?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Genuine leather&#8221; (\u771f\u76ae) only means the material contains leather; bonded and split leathers qualify. &#8220;Top-grain&#8221; (\u5934\u5c42\u76ae) should mean the outer layer of the hide, corrected or not. &#8220;Full-grain&#8221; (\u5168\u9752\u76ae) is the uncorrected outer layer and is typically about three times the price of embossed split leather. Ask for the grade, the thickness in millimetres and the surfaces it covers, in writing.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What payment terms are normal for furniture from Foshan?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 30% deposit on order confirmation and the 70% balance before shipment, after an inspection report, paid to a registered company account. Refuse &#8220;pay in full for a discount&#8221;: whoever holds the money holds the leverage. Some domestic buyers use 50\/50; for export orders 30\/70 after inspection is the standard we work to.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Can I get compensation from a Foshan supplier if the furniture is not as described?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only against something written. If the contract names the grade, the dimensions and a return clause, yes, and the unpaid balance is your leverage. If it says &#8220;leather sofa, \u00a520,000&#8221;, the supplier has delivered a leather sofa. Domestic buyers can also complain to the 12315 consumer line; overseas buyers rely on the contract, the payment structure and a local representative.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Does Source Foshan take commission from factories?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. We charge the buyer a stated service fee and pass supplier prices through as quoted. That is why the quotation can list every line, including the ones that make a piece look more expensive than a competitor&#8217;s bait price.<\/p>\n<\/details>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Chinese homeowner budgeted \u00a520,000 for three bedrooms of furniture bought direct from Foshan factories and paid over \u00a530,000. Here are the four traps, the numbers, why each is worse from overseas, and how to close them.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pitfalls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":686,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407\/revisions\/686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcefoshan.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}