Buying direct from a true manufacturer can cut costs, improve quality control, and speed up custom work. But online, manufacturers, trading companies, wholesalers, and dropshippers often look the same. This guide gives you a practical, proof-based method to tell them apart—fast.

TL;DR: The 3-Step “Proof, Process, Paperwork” Test

Start with a quick triage. If a site fails any one of these, proceed with caution.

1. Proof: Can they show credible evidence of production (factory address, equipment, in-house QC, production team, OEM/ODM)?
2. Process: Do MOQs, lead times, and engineering support match a factory’s reality (not a reseller’s)?
3. Paperwork: Do legal records, compliance certificates, and identifiers (VAT/EIN, ISO, CE/FCC/UL, GS1 barcodes, trademarks) trace back to them?

If all three align, you’re likely dealing with a real manufacturer.

Why distinguishing matters

A real manufacturer usually gives better unit economics at scale, tighter quality control, and faster customizations. An intermediary can be useful for small runs or multi-category sourcing, but you’ll pay extra margins, face inconsistent quality, and rely on second-hand information for compliance and warranty. Knowing which is which lets you set the right expectations (and contracts).

Evidence on the website: signals that actually prove things

Look for specific, verifiable details—not vague claims.

• Factory footprint: Street-addressed facilities, floor area, machinery lists, process photos/videos, and in-house lab/QC descriptions.
• People & roles: Named engineers, production managers, and quality leads; a careers page hiring machinists, operators, SMT techs—not only sales reps.
• Process depth: BOM materials, tolerances, certifications mentioned by scope (e.g., “Design & manufacture of…”), and QC stages tied to standards.
• Narrow specialization: Focused product families and deep technical pages (drawings, CAD notes, maintenance specs) beat “we sell everything” catalogs.

The table you can actually use

A step-by-step due-diligence workflow (works for B2B and advanced B2C)

Follow these steps; you’ll filter 80–90% of risky suppliers in days, not weeks.

1. Identity & ownership
   • Match website name, legal company name, and registered address.
   • Confirm VAT/EIN (or local equivalents).
   • Optional: check the D-U-N-S number (Dun & Bradstreet) for a quick credit/identity snapshot.
2. Brand & product ownership
   • Search the brand in national/international trademark databases.
   • For packaged goods, check GS1 (UPC/EAN/GTIN) ownership for the brand/prefix.
3. Compliance trail
   • Request ISO 9001/14001 certificate with scope that includes manufacturing.
   • For regulated goods, ask for CE DoC, FCC ID, or UL file number (as applicable) and verify them in the official directories.
   • Ask for supporting lab reports (test house, date, model, standard).
4. Production reality check
   • Ask for a 10–15 minute live video walk-through: materials receiving → production → QC → packing.
   • Request production photos with today’s date/PO number on a whiteboard to avoid stock photos.
   • Probe capacity: lines, shifts, monthly units, bottlenecks.
5. Technical depth
   • Send a short spec sheet and ask three precise questions (e.g., tolerance, finish, test method).
   • Ask for a sample control plan or PFMEA summary for your SKU type.
6. Commercials
   • Compare quoted MOQs and lead times by customization level.
   • Request tiered pricing with material and process levers called out.
   • Confirm RMA/Warranty procedures and failure analysis capability.
7. Pilot before commitment
   • Place a small, instrumented pilot order with measurable acceptance criteria.
   • Inspect incoming goods (AQL), document defects, and review their corrective action.

Marketplace reality: reading signals on platforms

Marketplaces blur lines between factories and traders. Here’s how to read them.

• Business type vs reality: Profiles may show “Manufacturer & Trading”; judge by catalog focus, factory content, and engineering replies.
• SKU focus: Source manufacturers usually cluster around a narrow family (e.g., only injection-molded organizers). Traders list unrelated categories.
• Certificates & audits: Favor suppliers whose certificates and factory audits name the same company as the storefront.
• OEM/ODM confidence: Real OEM/ODM can explain tooling, DFM, and change control; traders repeat marketing phrases.

Red flags that scream “intermediary”

• “We can make anything” catalogs with inconsistent specs.
• Certificates without file numbers, wrong company names, or missing test reports.
• Returns routed to a different company/country than the seller.
• Only sales contacts, zero production or quality contacts.
• Prices change wildly with no explanation tied to materials or process.
• Reluctance to show the factory on live video or to share capacity numbers.

What manufacturers typically look like

• Focused product lines, deep spec pages, and process transparency.
• In-house or formally contracted QC/lab capabilities.
• OEM/ODM documentation (tooling ownership, DFM notes, ECN/change logs).
• Career postings for production and engineering roles.
• Stable pricing tiers linked to material and throughput, not guesswork.

What intermediaries often look like

• “Everything store” catalogs, stock photos, and generic descriptions.
• Certificates that don’t verify or belong to someone else.
• No factory walk-throughs, no production roles, only responsive sales chat.
• MOQs and lead times that magically fit any buyer’s request.
• Warranty handled by “partner warehouses” with no root-cause analysis.

Buyer checklists you can copy

Documents to request (and verify):

• Legal: registration extract, VAT/EIN (local equivalent).
• Ownership: trademark registration for the brand you’ll buy; GS1 prefix/GTIN ownership for the barcode on packaging.
• Quality: ISO 9001 certificate with scope, recent audit summary.
• Safety/Regulatory (as applicable): CE Declaration of Conformity + test reports; FCC ID grant and test reports; UL file number; material certificates.
• Operations: capacity statement (lines, shifts, monthly units), lead time ladder, RMA workflow.

Questions for your first call:

1. What’s your monthly capacity for this exact product family?
2. What’s your typical first-article lead time and tooling ownership policy?
3. Which standards do you test to, and where are tests performed?
4. Can we set up a 10-minute live video walk-through this week?
5. Who is the engineering contact for DFM and change control?