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Part of Promotional product distributor questions: 10 checks before you order
Promotional product distributor questions: 10 checks before you order
Ten checks UK buyers can run before ordering branded merchandise, from Companies House and VAT verification to product safety certificates and sample costs.
What to take away
- Ten written questions cover the company, its tax status, safety paperwork, price and lead time.
- Verify a supplier's registration number and VAT number yourself before paying a deposit.
- Safety evidence matters most for children's items, electricals and anything placed near food.
- Fix sampler costs, carriage and artwork ownership in the quote rather than a phone call.
- A distributor slow to answer before the order is usually slow after it.
Start with the company, not the catalogue
A catalogue tells you what a distributor can source. It says nothing about whether the business will still be trading when your delivery is due. Two public records settle most of that doubt in ten minutes.
Pre-order company checks
- Companies House filing history and accounts
- Insolvency notices and late accounts
- Registered address changes
- Directors resigning in a hurry
- VAT registration number
- Confirm VAT against HMRC records
Companies House shows filing history, accounts and insolvency notices. Late accounts, a registered address that changes every few months, or directors who resign in a hurry are all worth a second look.
VAT is the second check. A supplier quoting prices plus VAT should be able to show a registration number, and you can confirm it against HMRC records before the invoice arrives. UK business tax guidance sets out what registered businesses must file and when.
If the goods are client gifts rather than staff rewards, the tax treatment shifts. Our guide to promotional product tax rules sets out where input tax and benefit rules bite for UK buyers.
Safety evidence for the GB market
Ask for test reports that cover the exact item, not the product family. A certificate for a similar mug or cable does not protect the item on your quote.
Children's items, electricals and anything placed near food carry the highest risk. Suppliers should hold conformity documentation and be able to name the standards applied. BSI publishes the British standards behind much of that testing.
Where branded goods reach consumers, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the baseline for description, quality and fitness for purpose.
Keep the specification sheet with the purchase order. If a batch arrives short of the agreed material or print colour, that sheet is your evidence.
Ten questions to put in writing
- What is your Companies House number and registered address?
- Are you VAT registered, and does the number appear on your invoices?
- Which factory or importer makes the product, and in which country?
- Which test reports or declarations of conformity cover this exact item?
- Is your price landed, and what carriage or setup charges sit outside it?
- What is the minimum order quantity per colour and per print position?
- How long from artwork approval to delivery, and what is your Christmas cut-off?
- If the print is wrong, do you reprint, credit or refund?
- Who owns the artwork and the screen or embroidery file after the job?
- Can you supply a pre-production sample, and what does it cost?
Samples, quotes and delivery terms
Ask for a stock sample before a printed one. A plain item shows weight, finish and packing, which is where cheap merchandise usually disappoints.
Put carriage, origination and screen charges in the written quote. A verbal promise that carriage is included has a habit of reappearing on the invoice.
Decoration method changes both unit cost and wash life. If the order includes clothing, read how embroidery and screen printing compare on setup, unit cost and durability.
Lead times stretch in the final quarter. Book print slots early for a December event, and check whether the distributor holds stock or orders it in after you confirm.
Common questions
Do I need to verify a supplier's VAT number before ordering?
Yes, if the quote carries VAT. A number that does not check out against HMRC records is a reason to pause before paying a deposit.
Is a Companies House number enough to show a supplier is reliable?
No. Registration only confirms the company exists and files accounts. References from two similar-sized clients, plus a stock sample, tell you more about delivery.
How many distributors should I ask to quote?
Three is usually enough to test the market rate without stalling the project. Send each the same specification, quantity and delivery postcode so the numbers compare.
What if a distributor will not share test reports?
Treat it as a warning sign for children's items, electricals and food-adjacent goods. Ask the importer directly or buy the plain version from a supplier that will.
