Stin Purchasing Agent Service -- Your Own Sourcing Office, Assitants and Eyes in China!

Stin Purchasing Agent or Buying Office Service means Stin company shall work as the clients' own buying office in China and cope with all the issues regarding the procurement and import of their goods in person.

  Why do you need a Purchasing Agent service in China?
  On the one hand most of the small and mid-scale factories do not have a direct Export License at present and the buyer cannot purchase legally and directly from them. Those factories will use their own Export Agent in China to protect their interests.The buyers are suggested to use their own export or import agent to protect their own interests in China in such cases. On the other hand, a qualified sourcing agent will act as your own assistants and eyes, they will help you keep sourcing better qualified factories, control the busines risks, control the quality,check the documents, arrange shipment and even offer after-sale services etc here in China, by this way the client can save much more time and cost.

 What can Stin Purchasing Agent Service bring you in China?
 Stin purchasing agent service can offer at least following work or services for their clients worldwide on the ground:
Sourcing new suppliers or factories;
Sampling or prototyping;
Verification or Inspection of your suppliers
Management of suppliers in China
Project management
Price negotiation
Delivery support (Shipping and Logistic Support)
Customs clearance
Formal contract documentation support
Quality control management
Loading process supervision
After-sale service support
Other services may be available upon request

   What the clients have to do is simply to tell STIN their detailed buying information (product name, descriptions, specifications, applications, package, quantity and quality requirements etc) and then receive and sell the goods at their end. This service is catered for project procurement and large orders. STIN staff shall work for the clients formally after they sign a Cooperation Agreement with them by fax or email. STIN is simply acting as your own eyes, assistants and office and her mission is to save you more and reduce the risks in your business in China !

China Purchasing Agent Service

How to Find a Good China Buying Office, Sourcing Agent or Purchasing Agent

A good Buying Office, Sourcing Agent or Purchasing Agent plays a very important role in doing safe and smooth business in China, especially when you're placing a large order: Sourcing and Verifying qualified suppliers, Quality Control, Loading Process Supervision, Warehousing, Shipping Support, Business Risk Control, Legal Contract Support and After-sale service etc. However, It is NOT easy to find a right one. If you don’t make an informed decision when selecting a buying office or purchasing agent you might end up losing a lot more than the commission or service fee.

What is a purchasing agent and why do I need one?

A purchasing agent could be an individual, a group of team or a company, helping companies overseas to import from China. So sometimes buying office service can also refer to 'purchasing agent', Buying Office service will be supported by a team of experts in each field: sourcing, verification, procurement, quality control, business risk control etc. A good agent can be an extremely valuable asset in your overall product procurement strategy. Here are the main services offered by your qualified ‘buying office’ or ‘purchasing agent’ in China:  

I. Keeping finding new products and suppliers.

II. Verify, inspect or audit existing suppliers.

III. Price negotiations and Supply Chain Management

IV. Draft formal Purchase Contract (Business Risk Control)

V. Quality Control Management

VI. Shipping Supp ort and Loading Process Supervision

VII.Customs Clearance Support

VIII.Offer After-sale Service

Dealing with Chinese suppliers is very time consuming. Working with a qualified Buying Office or Purchasing Agent can save you much time, cost and energy etc in China. For example, 90% of the suppliers you met online or at local trade fairs might be a typical trade company while the local sourcing specialists can go to the real manufacturing bases to find out some qualified factories for you in person. Apparently the factory price is much more competitive than that of the trader’s anywhere on the globe, by this way you can save more cost in the business. 

How to choose a right buying office or purchasing agent from China?

I. Ask them for at least 3 client references from your country or area.
Check them out before any cooperation. Trust is very important, especially for long term cooperation. 

II.Choose a right buying office or purchasing agent who is near to the manufacturing base ( industry cluster) of your industry. 

In China, almost every city has their pillar industry and each product has one or several manufacturing bases. Say, if you're buying Fireworks, you can simply go to Liuyang city, which is called 'Home of Fireworks' or 'Capital of Fireworks', where there are more than 400,000 people directly or indirectly engaging in this business in China. 'Liuyang-made' fireworks account for 70% of China market and 50% of global market at present. Another two famous manufacturing bases for this product is Liling, Hunan and Wanzai, Jiangxi, these three manufacturing bases are near to each other. This is the same situation to most of the products in China. Your agent’s proximity to a certain industrial cluster can certainly help out when things go wrong during production. It may also cut traveling and transportation costs.

III.Ask them for their Business License and Export License in China, check them out with local officials or third-party verification service company first before formal cooperation. 

IV. Ask them for the measures on how to avoid ‘kickbacks’ from the suppliers. 

When you are working with a small buying office, especially for individual purchasing agent, they may choose the supplier based on the kickback amount and will not protect the client’s interests in China. This is a problem of management issue. It is very hard to eradicate ‘kickback’ but if some well-known ‘buying office’ may have lot of experience in avoiding it. 

V. Ask them enough professional questions regarding the coming orders in China.

Many sourcing agents are also lacking expertise about product safety regulations in overseas markets. Working with a buying office or procurement agent lacking such knowledge is a serious liability. Keep in mind that in the end, you are going to be held financially responsible if your products turn out to be non-compliant with the relevant standards. Importing from China can be a completely different story depending on the product. Certain products are very complicated (i.e. machinery ) while others a fairly easy to get right (i.e. indoor furniture). Hiring the a purchasing and procurement agent with the right product knowledge is critical and can make the difference between a successful business transaction and complete disaster.

If they are able to satisfy you from above five aspects and if they are familiar with the manufacturing bases in China, then you can feel assured to work with them in China. STIN Buying Office service has served more than 2000 clients from over 80 countries and areas on the globe so far. You can have a look at their website for details:  www.chinabizservices.com   You can also watch their services online:  http://youtu.be/IaoSngoycIo  

STIN (CHINA) BUSINESS SERVICE CO., LIMITED

Tips for you to do safe and smooth business in China....

Doing business in China is profitable but also a challenge for some businessmen worldwide as there are too much trouble involved without enough Due Diligence work. 90% of the Chinese suppliers require 30% deposit before production and 70% of rest balance before delivery in China. Also sometimes the supplier use high-quality samples to attract the order but use worse materials for bulk production, we have witnessed countless trade disputes every year in China and sometimes it is quite risky for a foreign enterprise to purchase directly from a Chinese supplier. Here are the right steps for you to do safe and smooth business in China: 

 

First, if you have not found any reliable suppliers, then you’d better book an On-site Professional Sourcing service from a third-party local service company like:

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Suppliers/On_Site_Sourcing_Service/

Sometimes only local experts can find out the truth for you in China. 

 

Second, if you have sourced some suppliers by yourself, before you pay any deposit, you'd better book a third-party Basic Verification or Factory Inspection service like below to fully check out your suppliers.

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Verification_and_Investigation/Basic_Verif/ 

Or 

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Verification_and_Investigation/Factory_Ins/

The purpose of any verification service is to discover their real registered information and export qualifications etc in order to avoid future trouble. 

Third, if your order is very big, sign a formal Purchase Contract with them before paying the deposit. A formal Purchase Contract both in Chinese and English is very important as China is NOT an English speaking country, local courts only regard Chinese version of contracts as the official ones. 

Fourth, if your order is very big, book a third-party During-production or Pre-shipment QC Inspection service like below before paying them the rest balance.

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Management/Pre_shipment_QC_Inspection_Serv/ 

Fifth, book a third-party Loading Process Supervision service to protect your interests after you pay them the rest balance in China.

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Management/Loading_Process_Supervision_Ser/ 

Sixth, try to use your own 'shipping forwarder' like STIN in China ( STIN can contact a shipping agent, arrange shipment and clear the customs for you for FREE if you use STIN 'purchasing agent' service in China, by this way you will control everything at your end.)

 

Of course if you need a ONE-STOP business solution service from China, you can simply book a third-party ‘purchasing agent’ service, then they shall act as your own buying office and all above services can be covered in this service. 

http://www.chinabizservices.com/service/Purchasing_Agent_Service/ 

A qualified professional purchasing agent service may help you smooth every step in following aspects in China in person: 

Sourcing new suppliers or factories; 

Sampling; 

Supplier verification and auditing; 

Management of suppliers; Price negotiation; 

Delivery support (Logistics); 

Formal contract documentation support; 

Quality Control management; 

Loading process supervision; 

After-sale Service support; 

Other services may be available upon request. 

A good purchasing agent service is different from a trade company and they can benefit you much more from following two points: 

1. A trade company will protect their own interests at any time during the business in China. They will not allow the clients to buy directly from their verified factories. They will 'buy' from the factories and add their own profit, then 'resell' the products to the clients worldwide, the profit of trade companies is normally 10-50% against invoice value in China, varied in different products. While a purchasing agent service, take STIN (www.chinabizservices.com) for example, will simply act as their own 'assistants, office and eyes 'etc in China, STIN service will protect the customers' interests from the beginning to the end during any business activities in China. All the service charges are fixed and transparent and the commission for STIN service is only around 5%. They only charge a small amount of service fee order by order or case by case, apparently the customer can profit more as they can buy directly from any qualified factory sourced and verified by STIN in China. The client is free to contact the factories for any question related. 

2. Trade companies normally do not have their own team of quality control inspectors, factory auditors and lawyers etc. STIN has a team of professional quality control inspectors, auditors, buyers and lawyers etc in China and apparently STIN can offer better ONE-STOP business solution services for their clients worldwide.

Tips for you to verify your Chinese suppliers online...

We have checked out hundredss of Chinese companies for clients worldwide this year. Some of the companies, even the Gold members of Alibaba turned out to be a business scammer in China. Your business cannot legally protected by Chinese government authorities if you're dealing with illegal Chinese companies. Hence, it's very important to verify your business partner as there are more and more business frauds coming forth in China. Here are my tips for you to verify a Chinese company:

Generally speaking, there are some links online for you to check out companies in China:
www.yp.net.cn
www.chinaeall.com
www.cnaic.org.cn
www.114win.com
etc
However, there is no English version of above services so far in China, you have to know a little Chinese to check it all by yourself. Also some of the companies did not register themselves with above yellow pages. So yellow page is not the key way to judge a business scammer in China! The best way to check out a supplier in China is to visit them in person or check them out with local government authorities in China or you can book a Basic Verification or Supplier Inspection service from a third-party service company like STIN: www.chinabizservices.com

If you don't know Chinese, still you can pre-verify your business partners from following aspects:

1. Contact information
Please note that whether their contact information is right or not, most of the scammers don't offer a right address, tel and fax number online. Some of the tel numbers are empty and some add and tel don't exist at all, they don't offer a company tel number, a private number or mobile phone number instead.

2. Registered corporate number
Every legal company in China has to register itself with Chinese government authortities and obtain an unique company number. If your business partner cannot offer you a unique registered corporate number, definitely he is a scammer, of course, he may submit you a fake number, so you have to check it out with local administrative government organs with the number he offered. There is a Chinese organ called Bureau of Industry & Commerce ( have branches at all levels ), which is the only government organ responsible for the registration of legitimate companies or enterprises in China. For example, for any legitimate companies from Changsha or Hunan province, you can contact the local administrative organ for confirmation: http://www.csaic.gov.cn/ Tel: 86-731-2891606 or http://www.hunancom.gov.cn/ Tel: 86-731-2287058 , the problem is you have to report your case in Chinese sometimes because most of the local officials do not know too much English in China.

3. Incredibly low prices, esp for international brands
Most of Chinese scammers usually entice foreigners with a very low price. If the prices they offered is too low to believe, you may have a further investigationon your partner to know why their prices are so low. Most of the scammers in China profit a lot by selling  or fakes of some branded goods to the overseas market, this is very risky because the goods shall be confiscated or detained by Chinese customs houses in case it considered illegal in China. By the way, please remember that the price for authentic /original brands like Sony, Apple, Nokia, Dell etc should be almost the same at anywhere on the globe. You cannot import from the unthorized brands distributors with cheaper price in China. They must be selling relicas,  ones or copies of brands etc ! Please simply forget such suppliers in China !

4. Payment and shipment terms
The scammers never accept L/C as their payment terms, they prefer Western Union, Paypal and T/T etc. Also they never deliver goods through formal channels in China, they prefer to deliver samples by Express like Fedex, TNT, EMS to avoid more examinations from Chinese customs house. Most of the scammers use Private Bank Accounts in China!

5. Warranty and after sale services
Scammers never take some measures to guarantee their quality and after-sale services after your payment, they may promise you a lot before payment. It's lip-services only!!!

Be careful with some of the Chinese suppliers!
By the way, I have to mention that, it does not mean the manufacturer has the right to sell or buy in case he has obtained a legitimate unique company number from local BIC in China. In China, all the enterprises with the right to import and export has to apply and obtain a certificate called Certificate of Import & Export from Ministry of Commerce of PRC and its authorized local organs in China after their registration at local BIC. Also a formal trade company has to register with Chinese Customs House and its branches before his formal business with foreign counterparts in China. Then he has to register himself with local Bureau of Inspection & Quarantine in case his products are in need of quality control. Without the registration from above local government authorities from China, no company can deal with you in formal channels in China. STIN verification or auditing service (www.bizinchina.cc or www.chinabizservices.com ) can help you out if you know nothing about Chinese!

Why do you need a purchasing agent in China?

Why do you need a purchasing agent service in China?
It is not easy for a foreigner to work directly with a qualified factory in China due to the language culture and MOQ barriers etc sometimes. There are lots of ‘fake’ factories online, 90% of the suppliers you met online or at local trade fairs might be a typical trade company in China but you’re never aware of it. The reason is very simple, on the one hand, more than 80% of real factories still do not have their own Export License, on the other hand, there are NOT enough good English speaking staff working with small-mid scale factories in China. According to the verification results from STIN client data, 90% of the suppliers they verified turned to be a trade company in China but online they pretended to be a real factory and the clients cannot tell them from the fake information online.

STIN purchasing agent (buying office) service is becoming more and more popular among our clients worldwide this year. A good one-stop purchasing agent service can not only reduce the risks in their business in China but also save them lot of time, cost and energy etc in sourcing, verification, quality control and after-sale services etc. A well-qualified purchasing agent can act as your own Office, Assistants and Eyes etc in China and they can solve all the issues regarding your import. They may help you smooth every step in following aspects in China in person:
Sourcing new suppliers or factories;
Sampling;
Supplier verification and auditing;
Management of suppliers;
Price negotiation;
Delivery support (Logistics);
Formal contract documentation support;
Quality Control management;
Loading process supervision;
After-sale Service support;
Other services may be available upon request.

What is the difference between ' purchasing agent' service and trade company service ?

A good purchasing agent service can benefit you much more from following two points: 1. A trade company will protect their own interests at any time during the business in China. They will not allow the clients to buy directly from their verified factories. They will 'buy' from the factories and add their own profit, then 'resell' the products to the clients worldwide, the profit of trade companies is normally 10 – 50% against invoice value in China, varied in different products. While STIN (www.chinabizservices.com) purchasing agent service will simply act as their own 'assistants, office and eyes 'etc in China, STIN service will protect the customers' interests from the beginning to the end during any business activities in China. All the service charges are fixed and transparent and the commission for STIN service is only around 5%. They only charge a small amount of service fee order by order or case by case, apparently the customer can profit more as they can buy directly from any qualified factory sourced and verified by STIN in China. The client is free to contact the factories for any question related. 2. Trade companies normally do not have their own team of quality control inspectors, factory auditors and lawyers etc. STIN has a team of professional quality control inspectors, auditors, buyers and lawyers etc in China and apparently STIN can offer better ONE-STOP business solution services for their clients worldwide. If you’re now still working with a trade company, you're suggeted to work with a professional buying office now in China.

How to choose a right purchasing agent from China?
1. Ask them for at least 3 references from your country or area. Check them out before any cooperation.
2. Ask them for their Business License and Export License in China, check them out with local officials or third-party verification service company first before formal cooperation.
3. Ask them enough professional questions regarding the coming orders in China. If they are able to satisfy you from above three aspects and if they are familiar with the manufacturing bases in China, then you can feel assured to work with them in China. Please note that 99.99% of Chinese businessmen are honest and reliable enough on the globe.

How to source from China smoothly?

Sourcing suppliers
There are many resources to help you find suppliers. Twenty years ago, you’d mainly rely on trade magazines or other published information about manufacturers and suppliers. 
Today the process usually starts online. Supplier directories like Alibaba or Global Sources provide information about thousands of verified China suppliers and their thousands of products. When using online directories, check what steps the directory owner has taken to ensure suppliers are real. For instance, Global Sources verified suppliers have been visited at least three times, so you can be comfortable they are real companies, with real people and real offices.
Trade shows provide another opportunity to meet suppliers face to face while looking at and touching their products; the U.S. and European trade shows have a small number of China manufacturers while shows in Hong Kong and China have a greater depth of China Suppliers. 

The China Sourcing Fairs, held in Hong Kong every April and October, include an Electronics show with over 2,200 booths of suppliers, Gifts and Home show with 3,800 booths of suppliers, as well as Fashion Accessories and an Underwear & Swimwear show. The Trade Show Center here will update you on recent and future trade shows.

If you’d like to save more time, cost and energy, you can also book an On-site Sourcing service from a third-party service company like STIN: www.chinabizservices.com or  www.bizinchina.cc  they can help you out with your detailed sourcing requirements in China. 

Selecting suppliers
If you’re only going to buy 10 pieces, you’re unlikely to get either domestic or overseas manufacturers’ attention. You’ll have to go through trading companies or distributors. If you have an established business that sells good volumes through your existing sales channels, and have the potential to become a good long-term business partner for the manufacturer, you’ll be able to get their attention.
When contacting the supplier, start by explaining your business and then request samples of the products you’re interested in. You’ll likely have to pay for shipping and the product, typically via wire transfer. In reviewing the samples, don’t forget to review the packaging and instructions in addition to the product itself. And remember, as the importer you are responsible for ensuring the product you are importing meets all relevant regulations. Learn what these are, in part by asking suppliers that manufacture these products whether they’ve previously exported to your region and what certifications are required for that market. You can also go to your local big box retailer and see what certifications are on similar products. 
Finally, communicate frequently with the supplier about all details of the transaction – not just the product, but also lead times and manufacturing completion dates. If you’re new to importing, think of your first order as a small initial order that helps you learn how to import from China, rather than an order that will make a profit. 

Paying suppliers

You’ll need to determine the terms of trade. Typical would be “FOB Hong Kong” which means the supplier pays to get the goods to the port of Hong Kong, and you pay to get them from Hong Kong to your warehouse. More detail on FOB and other incoterms is available on this incoterms chart.

While everything is negotiable, common payment terms are 30% at time of order and 70% when goods are shipped. The 30% payment at time of placing the order gives the manufacturer the money he needs to purchase the raw materials necessary for your order. Some buyers have negotiated other terms, like 30% at time of placing the order, 55% at time the goods ship, and 15% when the goods are received. The payment before shipping mitigates risk that the buyer won’t pay, but then puts financial risk on you as the buyer. Understand and mitigate this risk through communications with the supplier (does he seem professional) and by starting with a small order. Typical payment method is via wire transfer. Shop around – international wire transfer fees vary quite a bit from bank to bank.

When you write your purchase order or contract, make sure you have clear options including outs and specific penalties if problems (such as delays) arise.

Quality control

Having selected a supplier, placed an order, and made an initial payment, you now have to decide what you’re going to do to manage quality control. Quality control generally begins before manufacturing starts, so after having seen the sample ask the supplier what steps he takes to ensure quality control. This can include both the raw materials he’s using in the product, and also any continuous improvement to the manufacturing process. Once your order is ready, you have three choices for managing the quality of products.

(a) rely on the supplier’s quality control,
(b) have someone in your company do it,
(c) hire a third party to do it.
If you’re placing a small order (a few thousand dollars), you may choose to rely on the supplier’s quality control; for large orders this probably isn’t your best choice. If you have in-country resources, you may use those resources to inspect products on your behalf, including not just the end products, but also intermediate products during the production process and even raw materials. If you’re placing a larger order and need the products inspected, you may use a local third party inspection company like:www.chinabizservices.com , cost typically starts at several hundred US dollars) or find a third party project management company.
Regardless of who does the inspection, companies that are successfully working with China suppliers on large dollar volume orders seem to share one characteristic in common. They invest in quality assurance and quality control. This means talking to the factory in order to assess whether they have quality assurance practices in place that result in continuous improvement, and also developing extremely specific product inspection criteria. Inspection criteria may include not just the end product, but also raw materials and components.

3 out of 3 Gold or Trust Pass Members fail site Inspection

Last week I paid several factory visitations to some Shenzhen-based companies in China upon request of some foreign buyers.

All the three companies are Gold member or Trust pass members in Shenzhen, who all claimed that they were real manufacturers of electronics in China. I’m sure most of the foreign businessmen will be astonished at the result of my visitation in Shenzhen; here is the basic information from our On-site Factory Inspection Report:

Company One: 
Declined my visitation on the pretext of goods shortage, but they promised to receive us before our departure to Shenzhen. 

Company Two: 
Received us at an office in a hotel, there are 3 salespersons working in the office. We cannot even find a Logo on their company in the office and on the door. They are checked out to be a small offshore trading company in HK. 

Company Three: 
This is the best one among the three. They are a registered small trading company in China, however, they do not have their own right to export ( I mean they do not have the Certificate of Import & Export issued by local government authorities ), they normally export their goods via Freight Forwarders, for which the buyer may bear some risks.

They registered only on 2005.08.26; however, they claimed themselves they registered in 1999 online. They do not have any factories at all. They cannot show me any quality control measures and after sale services in written forms; they cannot even show me a formal sales contract!! 

My suggestion:

You’d better deal with larger trading companies or manufacturers directly for sake of better quality control and after-sale service in China. Lot of trading companies disguise to be a real manufacturer in China, so a factory auditing or inspection service is very necessary for a large order in China! A factory inspection can tell you everything about the supplier and it’s one of the best way to verify your Chinese supplier at present ! 

What can a factory inspection performed by a local bring you? 
As we all know, there are many false things on the web, which perplex us often when we are going to make a decision. The case is also true with buyers who are going to buy from oversea suppliers. Here I bet a factory visitation (better by a local person) is a second-to-none solution.

1.Genuine or False? 
The local person can go and check the company (the potential seller) and all its factory registration information to see if it’s a genuine and serious enterprise. This is the basic thing that any buyer has to do before any sincere cooperation!

2.Production Competence (Throughput)? 
The inspector can enquire about the factory’s production capacity (also known as throughput) with the director of Production Department. How much can they produce in a month or a quarter? By learning their production competence, the buyer can avoid the risk of a delayed delivery to some extent.

3.Quality Control? 
The inspector can try to get to know the factory’s quality control system with the help from the director of Quality Control Department. He can also get to know more by inspecting their assembly lines or work shops. Good quality is always one of the crucial things that buyers are always pursuing.

4.After-sale Service? 
After-sale service is also important for buyers. Here the visitor or inspector can make sure if the factory can offer good and effective after-sale services and also confirm if they can include after-sale services as one clause in the contract? After-sale services can keep you free from some troubles.

5.Export License? 
Some suppliers do not really have export license. Here the inspector can check the supplier’s registration information with the local customs to see if it can really export directly to the buyer’s country. This is also one of the factors that can free you from being scammed. Other qualifications of the supplier can also be checked out by a local expert in this field in China. 

STIN (China) Business Service Co., Ltd (www.chinabizservices.com or www.bizinchina.cc ) offers a ONE-STOP business solution services for their clients worldwide,covering Sourcing, Quality Control, Verification, Factory Inspection, Shipping etc. Any question is welcome. 

Tips for how to find a good purchasing agent in China!

Should I work with a Chinese purchasing agent or buying office? Lot of foreign clients raised this question to me. Actually a good purchasing agent service plays a very important role among international trade nowadays in China, it's a bridge for sellers and buyers, however, it's hard for foreign buyers to choose a good purchasing agent in China too. A good purchasing agent can act as your own 'buying office, assistants and eyes' etc. There are not only lot of Chinese individuals working as a purchasing agent but also lot of service companies like STIN offering‘Purchasing Agent’or‘Buying Office’ service in China. Of course it is better to work with a company as they are a team of professionals or local experts. I also heard that an individual purchasing agent in Guangzhou disappeared suddenly after he got lot of deposit from a French client last year.

Please also have a look at these posts: Why do You Need a Purchasing Agent and How to Find a ONE in China:

Any qualified purchasing or sourcing agent in China must feature as following:
1. Good morality and Reliability
There is a Chinese saying goes as 'All the business shall be built based on reliability and credit.’So the good agent will take‘credit, reliability and reputation’as their life, they should never cheat their clients during any formal business. How to check the credit of your‘agent’service? Ask them for references at your end and fully check them out before formal cooperation.

As a sourcing or purchasing agent, they should behave well and protect foreign buyers' interests in China at all times. He should never 'sell' his buyers to scammers in China, and never eat his own words, never cheat buyers as well as sellers. As far as I know, some purchasing agents even ask for kickbacks (commission) from both sides (the seller and buyer). This is terrible for a good purchasing agent service in China but those agents are mostly individuals as every formal service company has strict regulations on such cases in China, this is another important reason that you'd better work with a service company instead of an individual in China.

2. High-quality Service
High-quality service features as: Smooth Communication, Efficient Work, Fast Feedback etc. Some service companies require instant communication with their clients and some require 12-hour-feedback, which means all the inquiries shall be replied within 12 hours.
Good command of English or other foreign languages, both in written and verbal forms are also required. Language is very important in communication among businessmen worldwide. However, there are not so many people speaking fluent English or other foreign languages in China, esp for some individual purchasing agents.

3. Rich import and export experience
Rich experience in this field can result in a fast solution for some problem in your business in China: sourcing, quality control, shipping, customs clearance, documentation, insurance etc. Any qualified purchasing agent should also have good relationship with local government authorities and have rich knowledge on China's policies in import and export business; All the latest regulations or laws regarding export and import in China should be kept in mind.

4. Rich experience in sourcing and purchasing the target product.
As a purchasing agent he should be very familiar the target product in this field, say, how to source and purchase the target item as soon as possible?
Where is the best place for this product?
How many well-known trade fairs are linked with this product?
How can I obtain the most favourable prices? Etc
Where are the manufacturing bases for this product?
Actually each city or province in China has their own pillar industry, so you can check the market information first before sourcing suppiers or purchasing agents. For example, Liuyang is called ‘Home of Fireworks', there are more than 400000 peole directly or indirectly engaging in fireworks production or sales in China, ‘Liuyang-made’fireworks account for 70% of China market and more than 40% of global market at present. So when you're sourcing fireworks, you can simply come to Liuyang and work with some local purchasing agents there when necessary.
You can raise as many questions as possible to check your agent whether they have enough experience in this field or not before formal cooperation.

5. Be familiar with your product or industry.
Try to work with a professional agent. You have to forget them if they know nothing about the product specifications, technical descriptions or industry associations etc. For instance, if you're buying ductile iron castings, you'd better find a service company with rich experience in this field because there are so many terminology in this field. Of course there are some terminology in any other field, the same word may carry different meanings in different fields.

6. Have a good knowledge of international laws and regulations related.
As a purchasing agent, he has to learn much about some international practice, including the quota issue, certificates issue, anti-dumping issue and tax issue etc. For instance, if you sell beef to Musilin countries, your products have to been certified with a special label and ratified from your target country.

Please also have a look at this post: What is a Professional Sourcing and Why?

So when you choose a purchasing agent in China, you'd better ask more questions and be careful as well! As a professional sourcing, purchasing, business services office located in China, STIN (www.chinabizservices.com or www.bizinchina.cc) warmly welcome any reliable foreign buyer to visit and have business.Our mission is to save you more and reduce the risks in your business in China!