How do you find a reliable clothing manufacturer and avoid getting scammed?
Finding a genuine manufacturer requires verifying legitimacy before sending money and knowing which wholesale markets or cities are worth visiting. Without reliable verification, brand owners face the risk of losing significant funds while trying to produce custom designs in bulk.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1searching on Alibaba or 1688Did this help you?
- 2using a sourcing agentDid this help you?
- 3attending trade showsDid this help you?
- 4contacting factories directlyDid this help you?
- 5Searching online platforms like IndiaMARTDid this help you?
- 6Visiting wholesale markets and cities in personDid this help you?
- 7Asking for personal referencesDid this help you?
- 8Using video feedsDid this help you?
- 9Requesting testimonialsDid this help you?
- 10Starting with a small test orderDid this help you?
- 11Getting inspection reportsDid this help you?
- 12Ordering samples from multiple suppliersDid this help you?
- 13Switching to alternative materials like cotton drawstring bagsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've tried ordering plastic poly bags for clothing on Alibaba from two different suppliers, but the feel of the plastic is not exactly what I'm after.”source ↗
“I'd like something that feels smooth and a bit thicker but have no idea what I should be looking for and it's honestly hard to judge the feel and quality of the plastic from pics.”source ↗
“How do I find a reliable clothing manufacturer? Looking for experiences from brand owners who produce custom designs in bulk”source ↗
“Most importantly, how did you verify that the manufacturer was legitimate and reliable before sending a significant amount of money?”source ↗
“Where should a beginner source from? Which wholesale markets/cities are worth visiting?”source ↗
“How do you find genuine and reliable wholesalers/manufacturers?”source ↗
“How do you check quality and pricing and avoid getting scammed?”source ↗
“China's problem is not only low quality but the ghost shift. That is shipping out products made on third shift -- if they think it is lucrative.”source ↗
“I want to start selling custom name plates in 14K or 18K, but I’m having a hard time finding a vendor that offers this.”source ↗
“i am completely new to this and am open to all advices on where to start and what to study.”source ↗
“i need advice and intel of where to find karigars and fabrics around delhi NCR to start the same”source ↗
“i dont know how to find sourcers for baby tee's etc that can print my designs onto tees only when a order is placed, for a good price. any help!?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 3Where to find low MOQ custom packaging for small runs