Certificates do not match the seller
The named legal entity, factory, certificate holder, bank beneficiary, exporter, and warranty provider differ without a documented relationship.
Supplier evidence hierarchy.
A polished storefront may justify a question. It does not answer one. Grade each material claim by the evidence that actually supports it.
Five evidence classifications.
Apply the grade to individual claims—not automatically to the supplier as a whole.
| Grade | Evidence class | Examples | Decision use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Verified primary evidence | Current business license, accredited test report, third-party factory audit, engineering calculation, shop drawing, customs or shipment record. | May support a material decision after authenticity, scope, date, and legal-entity alignment are reviewed. |
| B | Platform-verified evidence | Current verified-supplier inspection, verified production lines, platform transaction history, or authenticated certification record. | Useful corroboration, but confirm what was inspected, by whom, when, and under which legal entity. |
| C | Supplier written declaration | A project-specific written answer, capability statement, proposed material, lead time, or acceptance of a contractual requirement. | Creates accountability and directs document requests; it is not independent proof by itself. |
| D | Storefront or marketing claim | Catalog text, promotional photographs, product titles, badges without underlying documents, broad “we can do everything” statements. | May identify a candidate or question. Insufficient for technical or commercial reliance. |
| U | Unverified or unanswered | Ambiguous, rejected, incomplete, contradictory, or unsupported responses. | Treat as unresolved. Do not silently convert absence of evidence into acceptance. |
Red flags that require escalation.
Agreement without calculation
The supplier accepts every requirement immediately but cannot provide section properties, reaction loads, test data, drawings, or a responsible engineer.
The proposal quietly changes the product
Required materials, glazing, profiles, standards, finishes, components, or performance values are replaced without an explicit exception.
Money is requested before approval
A production deposit is demanded before the agreed drawings, calculations, samples, milestones, or contractual hold points are accepted.
The decision rule.
The larger the consequence of failure, the stronger the evidence required before commitment. Record what was requested, what was received, the grade assigned, the exception identified, and who accepted the remaining risk.
Make supplier claims reviewable.
A defensible shortlist explains why each candidate advanced and what remains unproven.