Terms of Service

Plain-English summary: You pay a fixed flat service fee. We do not take commissions on your product cost. We act as your sourcing agent — not as a buyer, reseller, or guarantor of third-party factories. Read Section 6 and Section 10 carefully to understand what we are and are not responsible for.

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the FlatFee Sourcing website at FlatFeeSourcing.com or engaging any of our sourcing services, you ("Client," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference.

If you are using our services on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our services.

These Terms apply to all a-la-carte services offered by FlatFee Sourcing, including but not limited to product sourcing reports, factory inspections, sample consolidation, lab testing coordination, order management, pre-shipment QC, private label setup, Amazon FBA preparation, and logistics booking.

Our Services

FlatFee Sourcing provides China sourcing agent services on an a-la-carte, flat-fee basis. Our current service menu includes:

Service fees are subject to change. The prices applicable to your engagement are those confirmed in your written service agreement or quote at the time of order. Custom flat-rate plans for high-volume or OEM projects are available upon request.

Fees & Payment

Service fees

All service fees listed are our flat agency fees only. They do not include product costs, actual shipping costs, official laboratory testing fees, duties, taxes, or any other third-party costs, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Product costs and factory invoices

FlatFee Sourcing operates on a zero-commission, open-book model. We forward the exact, unmodified 1688 factory invoice to you. You pay the factory's actual price. We do not add markups to product costs under any circumstances.

Payment terms

• Service fees are due in advance before work commences on each phase, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

• Product costs and third-party fees (shipping, lab testing) are billed at cost and payable upon invoice presentation.

• All fees are quoted and payable in USD unless otherwise specified.

• We accept payments via bank transfer (wire), PayPal, and other methods as confirmed at the time of engagement.

Late payment

Work may be paused if payment is not received within 5 business days of the due date. We reserve the right to charge a late fee of 1.5% per month on outstanding balances beyond 30 days.

Refund Policy

Due to the nature of our services — which involve significant labor, travel, and third-party coordination — refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis.

• Full refund: Available if you cancel before work has commenced on the relevant service phase.

• Partial refund: If work is in progress, a prorated refund may be issued for the portion of work not yet completed, at our reasonable discretion.

• No refund: Once a deliverable has been issued (e.g., sourcing report delivered, factory inspection completed, QC report sent), no refund is available for that service.

• Third-party costs: Costs already incurred with third parties (labs, freight forwarders, factories) are non-refundable.

If you believe a deliverable does not meet the scope described in these Terms or your service agreement, please contact us within 7 days of receipt. We will review and, where warranted, provide a remedy at no additional charge.

Client Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and timely product specifications, target pricing, order volumes, and any other information necessary for us to perform the services.

• Review sourcing reports, factory recommendations, and invoices promptly and communicate your decisions clearly.

• Ensure that the products you are sourcing comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your destination market, including import restrictions, labeling requirements, and safety standards.

• Obtain any required import licenses, permits, or certifications independently or notify us if you require our assistance as a separate service.

• Pay all fees, product costs, and third-party expenses in accordance with Section 3.

• Not engage with factories or suppliers introduced by FlatFee Sourcing independently to circumvent our service fees for a period of 12 months following the introduction.

Our Role & Limitations

Important: FlatFee Sourcing acts solely as your sourcing agent. We are not the manufacturer, seller, importer, or guarantor of any products. The contract of sale for goods is between you and the factory directly.

Specifically:

• We are an agent, not a reseller. We facilitate the relationship between you and Chinese factories. We do not take title to goods at any point.

• Factory performance. While we conduct due diligence (sourcing reports, inspections, QC), we cannot guarantee factory performance, delivery schedules, or product quality beyond what our inspection or QC service covers at the time of assessment.

• Regulatory compliance. We can coordinate lab testing and assist with documentation, but the ultimate responsibility for ensuring products comply with import, safety, and labeling laws in your target market rests with you.

• Shipping and customs. We coordinate logistics but do not control shipping times, customs clearance outcomes, or import duties. We are not liable for delays or costs arising from customs holds, port congestion, or force majeure events.

• 1688 platform risk. 1688.com is a third-party platform operated by Alibaba Group. FlatFee Sourcing is not affiliated with or endorsed by Alibaba Group. Platform outages, policy changes, or factory listing changes on 1688.com are outside our control.

Intellectual Property

Our content

All content on FlatFeeSourcing.com — including text, graphics, service descriptions, pricing tools, and branding — is the intellectual property of FlatFee Sourcing and is protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our content without prior written consent.

Client materials

You retain ownership of all product designs, branding, specifications, and other materials you provide to us. By sharing these materials, you grant FlatFee Sourcing a limited, non-exclusive license to use them solely for the purpose of delivering your requested services.

Sourcing deliverables

Sourcing reports, factory profiles, QC reports, and other deliverables produced by FlatFee Sourcing for your engagement are provided for your exclusive use and may not be resold or shared with third parties without our written consent.

Confidentiality

Both parties agree to keep confidential any non-public information shared during the engagement, including product designs, pricing strategies, supplier relationships, and business plans.

FlatFee Sourcing will not disclose your product specifications, factory contacts, or pricing data to any third party except as necessary to deliver your services (e.g., sharing specs with a factory you have approved) or as required by law.

This obligation survives the termination of these Terms for a period of 3 years.

Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, FlatFee Sourcing provides its services "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory.

We do not warrant that:

• Factory sourcing results will meet every specification or quality expectation.

• Products sourced through our introductions will be free from defects.

• Lab testing results will guarantee regulatory approval in all jurisdictions.

• Logistics arrangements will be free from delays or additional costs.

• Our website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.

We make commercially reasonable efforts to deliver accurate, high-quality work — but no service can eliminate all risk inherent in international manufacturing and trade.

Limitation of Liability

Please read this section carefully. It limits the remedies available to you if something goes wrong.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, FlatFee Sourcing's total cumulative liability to you for any claims arising out of or related to these Terms or our services — regardless of the form of action (contract, tort, or otherwise) — shall not exceed the total service fees actually paid by you to FlatFee Sourcing in the 3 months immediately preceding the claim.

In no event shall FlatFee Sourcing be liable for:

• Loss of profits, revenue, or business opportunities.

• Loss of or damage to goods while in the possession of a third-party factory, freight forwarder, or customs authority.

• Consequential, incidental, indirect, special, or punitive damages.

• Costs arising from product recalls, regulatory non-compliance, or market withdrawal.

• Delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control (force majeure), including natural disasters, strikes, government actions, pandemic restrictions, or platform outages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of liability for certain types of damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FlatFee Sourcing and its officers, employees, and contractors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms.

• Products you source, import, sell, or distribute.

• Your failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

• Any inaccurate or incomplete information you provided to us during the engagement.

• Infringement of any third-party intellectual property rights through product designs or branding you supply.

Prohibited Uses

You may not use FlatFee Sourcing's services to:

• Source, manufacture, or import products that are illegal under Chinese law or the laws of your destination country.

• Source counterfeit, trademark-infringing, or pirated goods.

• Source products that are subject to international arms embargoes, sanctions, or export control restrictions.

• Deceive, defraud, or misrepresent your identity or business purpose to us or to factories.

• Attempt to directly contact or circumvent factories introduced by us during an active engagement or within 12 months of introduction, for the purpose of avoiding service fees.

• Resell our sourcing reports, QC reports, or other deliverables without written consent.

We reserve the right to immediately terminate services and retain any fees paid if we determine, at our reasonable discretion, that you have violated this section.

Termination

By you

You may cancel an engagement at any time by written notice to us. Refunds will be handled per Section 4. Fees for work already completed are non-refundable.

By us

FlatFee Sourcing may suspend or terminate services immediately, without liability, if:

1. You breach any material provision of these Terms and fail to remedy the breach within 5 business days of notice.

2. You engage in any prohibited use described in Section 12.

3. Payment is more than 15 business days overdue.

4. Continuing the engagement would expose FlatFee Sourcing to legal, reputational, or ethical risk.

Effect of termination

Upon termination, all outstanding fees for work performed become immediately due. Sections 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, and 15 survive termination.

Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.

If you are located in the European Union or United States, nothing in this clause limits your rights under mandatory consumer protection or data-protection laws applicable in your jurisdiction.

Dispute Resolution

We prefer to resolve disputes amicably. If you have a concern, please contact us first at [email protected]. We commit to responding within 3 business days and working in good faith to reach a fair resolution.

If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, it shall be submitted to binding arbitration administered by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) under its then-current arbitration rules. The arbitration shall take place in Guangzhou, China. The language of arbitration shall be English.

The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding on both parties. Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, pricing, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

• Post a notice on our homepage for at least 14 days.

• Where required, notify you by email.

Your continued use of our services after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using our services.

Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? We're happy to explain anything in plain language.

FlatFee Sourcing

Email: [email protected]

Telegram: @Julian_Dong

WhatsApp: +852 5709 3280

We aim to respond to all legal inquiries within 2 business days.