Start with the legal seller and the actual production site
A polished catalog does not establish manufacturing capacity. Ask for the seller’s registered company name, the name and address of the production site, and an explanation if the two names differ. Record which entity will sign the sales contract and which will make the mirrors. A factory, trading company and hybrid supplier can each be useful; the audit is about knowing the arrangement before money or drawings change hands.
Request a live video walk-through or an independent inspection at the address supplied. On the call, ask the host to move from incoming materials to work in progress, functional checks and packed goods. A prerecorded tour shows far less than a buyer-directed walk-through. If a third party visits, give the inspector the exact model list and questions rather than ordering an untargeted building tour.
Match catalog claims to specific models
Choose three models from the product catalog: one standard shape, one framed design and one option with a different mounting layout. Ask for the current dimension drawing, rear view, component specification, packaging method and sample availability for each. A supplier who can discuss only photographs but cannot identify the construction behind a model needs further checking.
Confirm what is standard, what is optional and what requires a new drawing. Do not treat every feature shown in a sales image as available on every SKU. Keep the answer beside the model number so later quotations can be compared with the same configuration.
Inspect the process evidence and OEM route
Ask who approves cut dimensions, who assembles electrical parts, how the rear structure is fixed and where finished mirrors are checked. The objective is a traceable process, not a particular machine brand. For OEM work, request the drawing revision, sample approval method and the person responsible for communicating changes to production.
Order one representative sample before committing to a custom production specification. Compare it with the approved drawing, packaging proposal and functional requirements. See the separate sample inspection checklist for physical review; this factory audit also checks whether the sample can be reproduced and recorded.
Close the first-order evidence gaps
Keep a short audit file: registered seller, site address, dated video or inspection notes, model drawings, component list, sample decision, quotation, packing proposal and named contacts. Resolve mismatched company names, unspecified component substitutions and missing drawing revisions before deposit or production approval.
For a first shipment, agree what evidence the buyer will see at the pre-shipment stage and who may authorize a release if a defect is found. Use the company information as a starting point, then contact the team with a model-specific request. The same checklist is useful whether a buyer ultimately chooses direct manufacture or a managed trading arrangement.
A five-document request that tests the factory claim
Send one email requesting the business identity, current catalog with model codes, front and rear drawings for three shortlisted mirrors, a sample specification and a packing specification. Ask the supplier to mark which company performs each production stage. If those documents name different entities, ask for the relationship in writing. This is a more reliable start than a long questionnaire full of yes-or-no questions.
During a live video call, choose a model from the catalog and ask the host to find its material or production record, point out its mounting detail and show how the finished carton is identified. A third-party inspector can repeat the same model trace. Record what was shown, what remains unanswered and the date. An unresolved item is a follow-up task, not automatic proof of misconduct.
