Identify the company and its role
Ask for the registered company name in Vietnamese and any English name used, the enterprise registration code and the contact’s role. Keep the spelling supplied by the company rather than relying only on a brand name or marketplace display name.
Manufacturer, trading company and mixed operation describe roles; use them to clarify responsibility rather than rank quality. A trading company may propose production at another business. A company describing itself as a factory may also buy components or subcontract particular processes.
- Which legal entity issues the quotation and would sign the order?
- Which business operates the proposed production site?
- Which entity invoices and is named as the intended payment recipient?
- If these entities differ, what is their relationship and who handles changes or problems?
Compare identity information with official records
The current English National Business Registration Portal exposes an Enterprise search option. Start there using the supplier’s stated legal name and identifying details. When a result is available, compare the name, enterprise code, head-office address and status wherever those fields are displayed. Record the URL, access date and exactly what you saw.
If the search is unavailable, inconclusive or produces several possible matches, leave the identity question open. Ask the supplier to clarify the identifying details; do not convert a missing search result into a fraud allegation. A matching registration record addresses identity only. It does not establish production capability, financial reliability or document authenticity.
Clarify office, registered and production addresses
Record each address separately: registered/head office, sales office, sample site, production site and any disclosed subcontractor location. Ask which company operates each location and which stages of your order would occur there.
If a visit is useful, confirm the exact site, host, agenda and access restrictions beforehand. Ask whether the proposed sample and production order would use the same location. Maps, photographs and video can inform follow-up questions; label their source and date rather than treating them as proof of who operates a site.
Request documents and record what they do not prove
Request documents that answer a specific question, such as company registration information or a report offered to support a stated process. Log the document title, named entity, site, issuer, issue date, reference number and relevant scope. Keep an original copy and note who provided it.
A supplied copy has not been authenticated merely because you recorded it. Where authenticity or technical applicability matters, use an issuer’s official confirmation route or qualified specialist review. SGS describes technical audits examining equipment, control processes and qualifications; the checklist here does not perform that work. Ask a qualified adviser about legal authority or contractual responsibility.
- Does the document name the entity and site relevant to this order?
- Does its product or process scope address the claim being made?
- Which parts require issuer confirmation or technical interpretation?
- What does the document leave unanswered about your proposed order?
Investigate inconsistent information before proceeding
Treat red flags as questions requiring resolution: conflicting company names, unexplained site changes, a quotation describing a different product, or pressure to commit while identity questions remain open. A low quotation or slow reply alone is not a fraud finding.
Before a deposit decision, reconcile any unexplained mismatch between the order entity and intended recipient. For a changed payment instruction, confirm through an already-established contact route and use any additional review your organization requires. Keep the explanation and its supporting evidence; pressure to proceed does not resolve the gap.
Keep an evidence-and-open-questions log
Use one row per claim. Separate supplier-stated information, registry-seen information, personally observed details and specialist-assessed findings. Record the limits of each source and who will follow up. Choose continue, seek more evidence or set aside based on the importance of the unresolved requirement; this remains the buyer’s decision.
WORKING CHECKLIST
- Company name/code: [ ] | Claimed role: [ ]
- Address type and operator: [ ] | Order stage at this site: [ ]
- Claim or question: [ ] | Information received: [ ]
- Evidence category: [supplier-stated / registry-seen / personally observed / specialist-assessed]
- Source or document reference: [ ] | Source/access date: [ ]
- Discrepancy or limit: [ ] | Required next action: [ ]
- Responsible person: [ ] | Follow-up date: [ ]
- Buyer decision and unresolved conditions: [ ]