Top 30 Third-Party Inspection companies in China You can Trust

TESTCOO/October 11, 2024
top-30-inspection-company-in-china

Buyers always suffer huge losses due to quality problems with goods purchased overseas. An obvious way to control the problem is to find an inspection company in China to check the quality before shipping.

An effective way to solve this issue is to find a Chinese inspection company to conduct a pre-shipment inspection. A professional third-party inspection company can effectively help you reduce risks, avoid shipping delays, reduce return rates and so on.

With numerous inspection companies in China, how do you choose the right one for your business? Here is a comprehensive guide covering costs, types of inspections, and tips for working effectively with inspection companies.

How much does an inspection cost in China?

The China inspection service rates range from $149 to $320 per man-day which simply means you’ll be looking to pay this rate per product quality inspector per day. On average, this pays for 8-12 hours of product quality inspections time.

Note that inspectors are charged per person per day, so the inspection fees will depend on how long it takes to perform inspection for your goods.

It’s worth noting that all product quality inspections will be priced differently depending on what you need. Some reputable third-party inspection companies will charge additional fees depending on how far their inspector has to travel, which may involve you needing to pay for additional man-days.

This goes without saying, but as part of your inspection, sampling, photographs, and your product inspection report should be included in the price. If the third-party inspection company you’ve chosen tries to charge you more for a report, larger sampling sizes, or product photographs, then this is a red flag.

Note:Third Party Inspection Company charges for per man per day.

Understanding the Cost of Quality Inspections in China Service

MAN-DAYS DEFINITION

This general man-day definition: "a unit of one day's work by one person" seems to be the most suitable for all cases. In the quality control industry the man-day is considered as a workload unit, which is very similar. From the buyer's point of view, the "man-day" is a system that allows direct and quick QC cost calculations.

"Man": both women and men work as inspectors. Qualified staff is crucial for reliable quality control. Inspectors spend their time checking products quality and conformity in factories in order to protect the importers' interests.
​​​​​​​
"Days": a meaningful inspection takes four to six hours. Inspectors should only perform one QC per day, to ensure reliable results.

Most third-party QC providers, including TESTCOO, will bill you for their inspection services using what are called “man-days”. Man-days are a unit of time for measuring how long one inspector is needed for a service. The number of hours in a man-day can vary by QC provider.

  
  • QC inspection budget
  • Traveling to the factory or inspection site (often for an hour or more)
  • Preparing the inspection area, which can vary depending on the readiness of the facility
  • Pulling a random sample of goods (when using acceptance sampling)
  • Writing the inspection report on-site
  • Submitting the report to technical staff in the home office for review and approval
  • Returning from the factory or inspection site

All of these activities take time and all contribute to the time allotted in a standard man-day. It’s a 12-hour job that involves a lot more than one typically thinks. And depending on the time needed for these, your inspector may have less time to actually examine and test your product than you might expect.

In addition to labor costs, travel expenses may also apply if the factory is far from the nearest importer. 

How the Number of Units Inspected Affects Your Inspection Costs

For most consumer goods, it’s usually impractical to inspect 100 percent of an order of hundreds or thousands of units. Instead, third-party Inspection Company will often suggest inspecting a random sample from which the overall quality level of the shipment can be inferred.

What If Your Budget is Low?

What can you do if the budget is too high (maybe your entire order is worth $500)?

Here Are Some Alternatives:

  
  • Find some companies that charge low fees ($249, TESTCOO), but you need to keep your eyes open and carefully identify the quality of their services.
  • Ask the supplier for many photos and possibly a live video showing many photos (easy for WeChat in China).
  • Ask the supplier to send you some production samples.
  • Maybe you can’t buy “Chinese products” directly while keeping the risk low. You need to work with wholesalers.

For most importers, cost is a major factor. You probably don’t want to take the chance of shipping your goods to customers without verifying the quality first. At the same time, you don’t want to pay more than necessary to get a reasonable inspection scope.

Managing costs can be challenging for importers working with one of dozens of professional QC providers offering their services. The best QC provider for you may be one that’s conscious of your budget and willing and able to work with you to accommodate it.

What Are the 4 Types of Quality Inspection?

Initial Product Inspection(IPC)

It is performed at the stage of about 5%-10% of products finished for inspection, to allow the revision of product quality requirements before the start of mass production. It allows timely corrections of any non-conformities detected, and improvement actions to be made prior to mass production.

During Production Inspection (DPI)

It is performed at the stage of 30%- 50% goods finished and packed into export cartons. This inspection validates the initial production process has been maintained and that goods being produced continue to meet quality requirements. In the case of new raw materials, new operators, production lines or specification changes, this service can assess if requirements are being met during production.

Final Random Inspection (FRI)

It is the most effective inspection that confirms the whole shipment's quality level. It normally requires the production to be 100% complete and at least 80% of goods to be packed into cartons. The checked samples are randomly selected according to AQL standard.

Loading Supervision

It provides witness to the loading process, to make sure the correct quantity and cartons in good condition are loaded into containers in good condition. Container Loading Supervision is an important step in receiving quality goods.


How to Arrange a China Quality Inspection Service?

Suppose you want to arrange for a quality inspection of your product in China.

  
  • Supplier contact information, factory address (otherwise, they will ask for it from the supplier)
  • Product description, photos, maybe a short video
  • Description of packaging
  • State your quality standards and what you can/can’t accept.
  • Quantity classification (for example, if there are multiple models, sizes, or colors, they need to know)

Also, if possible, make sure they have physical samples on hand. It’s helpful because some aspects of touch and feel don’t communicate well, even in the video…

NumberCompanyMain ServiceCompany LocationContact
1TESTCOOInspection company in China,Hangzhouservice@testcoo.com
product inspection ,  factory audit ,  Amazon FBA inspection
2SGSTesting, inspection, certificationSwitzerland/Shanghai+86 400 099 6058
online@sgs.com
3IntertekAssurance, testing, inspection, certificationUK/Shenzhenservice.china@intertek.com
4TÜV RheinlandTesting/assessment, certification/auditing, training, inspection/Supervision, consulting/project managementGermany/Beijing4001183833
5TÜV SÜDTesting and product certification, Auditing and system certification, Inspection, training, advisoryGermany /Shanghaiinfo@tuvsud.com
+86 21 6141 0123
6UICertification, testingBeijingcustomerservice.cn@ul.com
7CCICChina certification and inspection Company;Beijingccic@ccic.com
inspection, identification, certification and testingccic-insp@ccic.com
8CTITesting company in China,Shenzheninfo@cti-cert.com
Testing, certification, inspection, training, audit
9QIMATesting, inspection, audit, certification, professional services, software solutionsHong Kong400 009 8282
10V-TrustInspection company in China,Guangzhoucs@v-trust.com
Quality control, supplier evaluation, laboratory-89089814
11GRGTESTTesting company in China,Guangdonggrgtest@grgtest.com
Measurement and Calibration, Environmental and Reliability Testing, Safety Test and Certification
12TradeAiderInspection company in China,Hangzhouservice@tradeaider.com
product inspection, factory audit-88397267
13TTS3rd quality control company in ChinaGuangzhouservice@ttsglobal.net
Inspection, Suppliers Audit, Testing Services
14CIS China Inspection ServiceInspection company in China,Hong Konginfo@china-inspection-service.com
Factory Audit and Product Inspection services
15AQFInspection company in China,Shenzhenasia@asiaqualityfocus.com
Product Inspection, Supplier Audit, Lab Expertisesales@asiaqualityfocus.com
16SofestSupply chain management, product engineering, quality assuranceHongKonginquiries@sofeast.com
+852 8175 8177
17AQI ServiceProduct inspection, audit and testingHongKonginfo@aqiservice.com
18Pro QCProduct quality, factory & supplier audits, management system auditsShenzhen+86 755-2681 7742
19Tetra InspectionProduct inspection, supplier audit, CertificateShenzhensales@tetrainspection.com
20AmSpecTesting, inspection, certificationHong Konginternationaldesk@amspecgroup.com
21CIS Commodity Inspection ServicesInspections, analysis, CU TR Certification, Sudan SSMONetherlandsinfo@cis-inspections.com
22CotecnaTailor-made inspection, audit, certification and testingSwitzerlandcotecna.shanghai@cotecna.com.cn
23eurofinsA world leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences.Franceinfo@eurofins.com
24ViccInspection company in China,Beijinginfo@vicc.com
Inspection, audit, testing, certification
25InspectamanInspection company in China,Guangdongbook@inspectaman.com
Product inspection
26VIS Quality ControlProduct inspections, testing, factory audits, certificationsVietnamInfo@vnvis.com
+84 28 2218 0050
27Global Inspection ManagingManufacturing audits, onsite inspectionsHong Kong(+852) 8176 7196
28INSIGHT Quality ServiceProduct inspection, factory auditsUS/Shenzheninfo@insight-quality.com
29QGSProduct quality inspection services, factory auditHong Kongivan@qgs.com.cn
+86 18929520552
30Global Trade SpecialistsProduct design, engineering, prototyping, and production sourcingItaly888-203-2833
31 Supplyia Full inspectionChina full inspection serviceYiwu+86 17280580283

How To Work with an Inspection Company in China?

Following these advices can be very helpful for your business.

1. Choose a China Inspection Agent that Understands Your Specifications and Standards 

2. Make Sure the People Working in the Factory Know What You Can’t Accept 

What types of defects are acceptable, what problems must be kept to a tiny number, and what is an absolute disaster. (This is part of a good spec.)

3. Develop a Proper Inspection Plan 

It may include inspection of major components, the first finished product, or final sampling. The goal is to cover the main risks identified. 

4. Communicate in the Right Way

Don’t say, “We will send a third party QC company,” as this may scare some suppliers. Instead, it should say, “We are working with China inspection agents to confirm the quality of the goods prior to dispatch.” 

5. Agree on Who Should Pay and How Much. 

There are two corners here. If your order is over $10,000, you may be able to get your supplier to agree in writing that they will reimburse you for re-inspections in case serious quality issues are discovered. 

I suggest simple wording like this:

[Buyer] reserves the right to perform the following quality control activities and any other activities not described below.

China Quality Control Inspection Services:Random inspection of products according to ISO2859-1 standard (single-stage,normal severity,level depends on the situation).The Acceptance Quality Limit(AQL) is 0% critical defects,2.5% major defects,and 4.0% minor defects.

If products inspection is rejected,[Buyer] has the right to request a re-inspection,the cost of which will be re-invoiced to [Supplier].And so on until [Buyer] accepts inspection.

If found defective or out of specification,[Supplier] will inspect the entire quantity and sort it from the bulk quantity,if re-production is not possible,[Supplier] shall notify [Buyer] immediately.

On the other hand, if your order is very low, the opposite may result in you may have to pay the supplier $20-$50 for extra (someone to help unpack and repack the shipment, coordinate dates with the QA agent, etc.). 

6. Provide Feedback on the QC Report

If inspectors are too lax or too strict, make sure their standards are adjusted appropriately in the future. We often see QA as a facilitator of communication if done well. Feedback is immediately passed on to all employees in the plant. 

7. Remain Firm on Quality Standards

If suppliers push back, reiterate that quality inspections are non-negotiable. Frame them as company policy or a client requirement.

Conclusion

Collaborating with a reliable inspection company in China can save time, reduce risks, and ensure consistent product quality. Whether you're dealing with large or small orders, developing a basic quality control plan tailored to your needs is essential.

For professional inspection services, factory audits, or Amazon FBA inspections, contact TESTCOO. Let us help you achieve quality excellence. Submit an inquiry today to receive a customized quote!

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ABOUT TESTCOO
TESTCOO is a leading third-party quality control inspection company headquartered in China and we are accredited by ISO9001, CNAS, AQSIQ, and IS0 27001. We provide product inspection, factory audit, testing, and certification in every sector around the world. With 500 full-time qualified inspectors and auditors, TESTCOO performs over 100,000 inspections annually and is trusted by more than 5000 global retailers, brands, and suppliers worldwide.
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