Our 15-Point QC Checklist: Complete QC Guide from China

Picture this: a batch of 2,000 units leaves a factory in China, spends three weeks on the water, and arrives at your FBA warehouse or your customer’s door.

You open the first carton. A third of the products have surface scratches. The charging ports are tight on some units, loose on others. The barcodes on two outer cartons won’t scan.

All you have from the factory is a set of photos sent before shipment: pristine products, neatly stacked cartons, a stamped “passed” inspection sheet.

The gap is in the part you never saw. The photos are real, but they show hand-picked samples. The bulk shipment is real too, it’s just that nobody looked at it on your behalf.

That is exactly what QC inspection in China is for. A day of product inspection at the factory typically costs a few hundred dollars. A failed batch costs the goods, the freight, your platform performance score, and your reviews. This guide publishes the full 15-point quality control checklist we use ourselves, explains when to book DUPRO vs FRI, how to read an AQL report, and what to do when inspection finds problems.

Why inspection matters when you source from China

1. There is a gap between the listing photos and the bulk goods

The samples the factory sends, the photos on the listing, the products you see on a video call are usually picked for the purpose. The bulk run is made by a different shift, on a different machine, on a different day. Color drift on plastic parts, shifted silk-screen printing, flash on molded edges, you only see these in the bulk.

2. Batch variation is normal, not exceptional

The same supplier can run a perfect batch and then a weak one: a new raw material lot, a night shift rushing the deadline, three compressed production days. If nobody inspects, your customers’ negative reviews are doing the factory’s quality control for you.

3. If you are not on site, you have no evidence

Find the problem after the goods land overseas and your negotiating position is zero. The factory can blame freight damage or improper storage. A photo report produced on site, before the goods leave the factory, is your only leverage for rework, replacement, or a price deduction.

4. Small sellers are the most exposed

Large sellers have sourcing teams and returns buffers. For a small seller, one batch can be most of the working capital, and one quality incident can stall the store. Inspection is insurance for a big seller. For a small one, it is survival.

The three inspection timings: DUPRO, FRI, and full inspection

How to choose:

• First order with custom goods: book both DUPRO and FRI. A problem caught mid-production costs a line adjustment. The same problem found after packing means reworking the whole batch.
• Repeat order, standard product, clean factory record: a single FRI is usually enough.
• High-value or safety-sensitive category: FRI alone is not enough; go straight to full inspection, or switch to full sorting if the FRI shows excess major defects.
• Loading supervision is a separate option: the inspector watches the container loaded, photographs the seal and seal number, and prevents substitution or short loading. Worth it for full-container orders.

The 15-point QC checklist (published in full)

The checklist is organized in five groups. Each point says what to check and what counts as a fail.

A. Product & Appearance

1. Appearance — scratches, stains, sink marks, flash, molding defects, shifted or blurry silk-screen printing. Compare each sampled unit against the approved sample.
2. Function — power, switches, charging, pairing, buttons, app connection: every function point is actually tested, not just “it switches on.” Electronics are tested on a sample ratio, with the most common real-use actions.
3. Color consistency — check units against the signed sample or Pantone card, unit to unit and batch to batch. The color approved on a screen and the color that comes out of printing or injection molding are two different things.

B. Durability & Safety

1. Safety — sharp edges and points, loose small parts (a choking hazard on children’s products), electrical safety, abnormal heat or leakage. Where a certification mark is required, check it is actually printed where it should be.
2. Aging and durability — simulated use by category: repeated opening/inserting/folding dozens of times, seam pull, button life, zipper smoothness. (Optional: performed based on product category and client request; tell us the product type when booking so we can confirm whether it applies.)
3. Odor — chemical smells from plastic, glue, or textiles. Odor drives a large share of return reasons, and it cannot be photographed. Someone has to be there to smell it. (Optional: performed based on product category and client request; tell us the product type when booking so we can confirm whether it applies.)

C. Packaging & Labels

1. Packaging — outer cartons intact with no moisture damage or deformation; inner protection and cushioning adequate; packaging method matches what was approved.
2. Drop test — a one-corner, three-edge, six-face drop from the standard height, then open and check the product. (Optional: performed based on product category and client request; tell us the product type when booking so we can confirm whether it applies.)
3. Labels — product labels, country-of-origin marking (Made in China), warning text, age grading, and FBA-required FNSKU and carton labels, all in the right place with the right content.
4. Barcodes — UPC/EAN/FNSKU scanned batch by batch: they must scan and the result must match. Blurry, duplicated, or mismatched codes are flagged on the spot.

D. Quantity & Documents

1. Quantity — total cartons, units per carton, and the loose end-carton counted against the packing list. Short shipments and mixed models are not rare at smaller factories.
2. Accessories — manuals, accessory packs, cables, gifts, warranty cards: complete counts and the correct versions (this matters in multilingual markets).
3. Certification verification — CE, FCC, RoHS, CPC and similar documents checked as originals or copies: the certificate is genuine, the holder matches the factory, and the covered model list includes your product. A photo of a certificate does not mean that certificate covers your goods.

E. Logistics Fit

1. Dimensions — actual length, width, and height of product and packaging measured against the spec sheet. One centimeter off can change FBA chargeable weight or the warehouse shelf slot.
2. Weight — unit weight and carton weight measured. It drives freight quotes, FBA inbound limits, and the weight-related shipping surcharges we covered in our packaging guide.

Quick logic: group A decides whether the customer can use the product, group B decides whether it causes harm or returns, group C decides whether it can be received and shelved, group D decides whether the money and the goods match, group E decides whether the freight bill blows the budget.

Quick-reference table: the 15 points

AQL explained: sampling standards and how to read the report

AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) is the internationally used sampling standard for inspection (ISO 2859-1, the US ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 standard is the same table). You do not need to memorize the whole table. Three concepts matter.

1. Sample size follows the batch size; the usual inspection level is General II

For a batch of 501–1,200 units, the standard sample is 80 units. For 1,201–3,200 units, it is 125. The inspector draws units randomly across cartons, not from whatever the factory hands over.

2. Defects come in three classes, each with its own tolerance

• Critical: safety hazards, regulatory violations, units that cannot be used at all. Usually limited at AQL 0.65; if you want it stricter, zero tolerance can be agreed in advance (one critical defect means FAIL).
• Major: defects that affect use or are obvious on appearance, the kind customers return or complain about. Commonly set at AQL 2.5.
• Minor: small flaws that do not affect use. Commonly set at AQL 4.0.

3. The verdict uses Ac/Re (accept/reject numbers)

Take a sample of 80 units at AQL 2.5: up to 5 major defects and the batch passes; 6 or more and it is rejected. Report verdicts read PASS, HOLD (conditional, awaiting your decision), or FAIL.

What an inspection report contains: a usable report includes the sampling details (batch size, sample size, location, date), photographs of each defect category (close-up of the defect plus the whole unit with its row number), the quantity count, the AQL tally, the verdict, and the inspector’s signature. Within 24 hours of the inspection being completed, the photo-and-text report lands directly in your WhatsApp group: which carton, what problem, how many units, all in writing.

The key thing to understand: AQL is a probability tool, not a zero-defect guarantee. A clean sample of 80 does not mean the remaining units are perfect. It turns “is this batch above the agreed quality level” into a defensible yes/no verdict. If you need certainty on high-value goods, use full inspection.

When inspection finds problems: on-site handling and the evidence chain

Half the value of inspection is finding problems. The other half is finding them while the goods are still in the factory.

1. Hold the goods. Once the report is out, the goods are at the factory and the balance payment has not been made (or your agent is still holding it). You hold all the leverage.
2. Match the action to the defect level:
3. Minor, low proportion: the factory reworks or sorts on site, at the factory’s cost.
4. Major defects over the limit: the batch is reworked or sorted, and only released after re-check passes.
5. Critical defects or defects that cannot be reworked (wrong version, wrong material, a fake certificate): reject, demand replacement or a price deduction, and switch factories if necessary.
6. Keep the evidence chain complete. The inspection report, defect photos and video, and the quantity record are the entire basis for negotiating with the factory. This is where supplier negotiation skill meets reality: without on-site evidence, every deduction conversation is just asking for a favor.
7. Passed goods go to the agent’s warehouse. Inspected and approved stock moves straight into our warehouse for free storage and per-order fulfillment, so you are not paying for overseas storage on stock that has not sold yet.

How PT5 handles QC: four layers, priced transparently

Four layers, picked as needed, never bundled:

Reports are photo and video throughout, delivered to your WhatsApp group within 24 hours of inspection completion. Inspected goods move straight into our warehouse for free storage and per-order fulfillment, and any issues are driven to resolution inside the WhatsApp group.

FAQ

Get inspection before the goods move

Before a bulk order ships, put a pair of eyes on the factory floor on your behalf.

Send the product link and order quantity over WhatsApp. We will tell you which checkpoints apply to your product type, whether DUPRO or FRI fits, roughly how many hours or person-days it takes, and the total cost: transparent per-day or per-hour pricing, with you deciding whether to inspect and how much.

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Have you ever received a batch that looked nothing like the samples? Which checkpoint has saved you the most money?

Leave a comment below. We read every message and update this guide based on real seller feedback.

Sources (transparency note)

1. ISO 2859-1 / ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — the public source for AQL sample sizes, inspection levels, and accept/reject numbers used in this guide.
2. PT5 internal QC operating procedures and inspection reports — the 15-point checklist, the four service layers, and pricing (pricing source archived in company/ quality-control feature documentation, confirmed by the business).