How to Prevent QC Inspectors Being Bribed in China?

You have found a factory and negotiated a good price. You have received a product sample in advance and you also hired a third-party inspection company. Then, after the goods arrive and have been distributed, you find that the goods have serious quality problems. How can you prevent this from happening to you? How to prevent QC inspectors from being bribed in China? Who is liable when a QC inspector is bribed?

QC inspectors are bribed everyday in Asia. If you have been on a buying trip in China, you have probably experienced the overbearing hospitality. It is this aggressive relationship-building characteristic of Chinese culture that allows for the wide-spread bribery of QC inspectors.

What can you do to prevent this from damaging your shipments? Remember to question your third- party QC company about the measures they take. When you talk to them, here are some points to consider:

• Do they have evidence to prove their ethics standards?
• Do they have their own internal auditing system? And, do they perform spot-checks on senior staff inspection after a certain time?
• Do they rotate QC inspectors in different factories? This is used by professional QC companies to avoid letting any inspector feel “comfortable” with any one factory.
• Do they tell you how much training their junior staff receive before they go to a factory on their own?
Furthermore, communicate clearly with your factory, agent, and the trading company, by phone and by email. Tell them that bribery to your third-party inspector is prohibited. Have all parties come back to you in writing confirming their understanding.

If a QC inspector is bribed, who is liable for that？The answer is the factory.
Bribery is illegal in China the same way as in the western countries. You may consider making a claim against the factory. However, a claim of bribery is very difficult to pursue in a Chinese court of law. And, it does not solve the problem that you now have received bad products.

Knowing that it is difficult to get remedy after the fact, your best way is to avoid ever getting into a situation that requires legal remedy. Working with a strong QC company can substantially reduce the chances of these problems happening to you.