Is this supplier a manufacturer or a trader?
If the site does not answer this in the first screen, treat that as a finding rather than an oversight. Suppliers that are clear about their type say so early, because it is the first thing that determines whether you are talking to the right party at all.
Signals worth reading: does the site describe production capability with specifics such as lines, capacity, testing and quality process, or only in adjectives? Are the certifications shown with issuing body, scope and number, or as logos? Does the same company describe itself differently on its own site and on a marketplace page?
None of these prove dishonesty. A trading company can be an excellent partner. What matters is that you know which one you are dealing with before you scope risk, because the questions you should ask next are entirely different.
Recent judgements
Registered statements used here
- The overseas buyer trust chain has three gates: understand, verify, buy. They are sequential; a break in one makes everything after it irrelevant.[public]
- Trust evidence splits three ways: confirmed fact, candidate fact awaiting proof, and claims barred from use. Inside most companies all three sit in the same brochure. Separating them is the main work of this gate.[public]