Frequently asked questions
MOQ, pricing, samples, approvals, tooling, documentation, quality and delivery — answered before the first call.
Reviewed by the Anbo United export team · Page last updated:
Direct answer
The questions below are the ones buyers ask most often in a first programme: MOQ, sample lead time, tooling, certification, packaging, payment and delivery, and what happens when something goes wrong in a market where you are not present. Answers state the position and the reasoning, so a position can be argued with rather than merely accepted. The catalogue behind them runs to 7 categories and 22 models.
- MOQ is per model and per level of customisation, not a single site-wide number. A stock-platform model with logo and colour changes sits at a lower entry quantity than a model with new tooling, and a mixed container across several models is quoted separately from a single-model run. The figure that matters is the one for your exact configuration, so send the model list and we quote per model rather than quoting a headline number.
- A certificate only covers the exact model, voltage, power rating and configuration named on it, issued by the laboratory named on it. Changing the heating element, the control board or the power rating can invalidate the file, so compliance is agreed against the final specification rather than the sample. Ask for the report that matches your build, not a certificate for a neighbouring model.
- Lead time is quoted per model and counted from the approved sample, not from the order date. It separates into three parts — new tooling, the certification route, and production against the approved sample — and only the third is affected by how busy the factory is. Artwork approval sits on the critical path too, which is why an artwork change after plates are made costs more than the same change a week earlier.
Frequently asked questions
MOQ, pricing, samples, tooling, documentation, quality, spare parts and delivery — answered before the first call rather than during it.
Ordering and MOQ
What is your minimum order quantity?
MOQ is set per model and per programme, not held as one published figure — because one model and a six-model range are different commitments. Send the model list and target market and MOQ per line comes back with the quotation.
Can we mix models and categories in one order?
Yes. Mixed-category orders are normal. A range sharing platforms ships on a better lead time than the same number of unrelated models.
Can we order a small first batch to test?
Usually. Below a practical batch size, material and setup costs dominate the unit cost, so it is worth discussing volume rather than negotiating price.
Do you supply one model or a full range?
Both. A single-model order is normal as a start, and the programme is structured so the specification, artwork and documentation are reusable when the range extends.
Pricing and payment
Why don't you publish prices?
Because price moves with order quantity, packaging specification, voltage build and freight terms. A published figure would be wrong for most enquiries, so the quotation is built from your specification list instead.
What currency do you quote in?
Either, following your preference. The commercial terms are what matter, and those are stated explicitly.
What are your payment terms?
Agreed at contract stage and stated in the quotation. Typical structures combine a deposit with a balance before shipment.
Are sample costs credited against the first order?
Samples are chargeable, and the cost is normally credited against a first production order. This is stated on the sample plan rather than left ambiguous.
Is tooling charged separately?
Yes. Tooling is a non-recurring item, shown as its own line so it is visible. Where a programme covers several models on one platform, it can be amortised across the range.
Samples and approvals
What is a first article sample?
A unit built on production tooling rather than on soft prototypes. Approving it means approving what the line will actually build — which is why approving a prototype photo is the most common cause of a dispute later.
How long does a sample take?
It depends on whether the model is already in production. An existing model is a matter of scheduling; a new model waits on tooling and first article.
What are the four approvals before production?
Specification sheet, approved sample, approved artwork and packing configuration. All four, in that order. Each locks a cost or a date.
Can we change the specification after the sample?
Yes, as a change request with a stated cost and schedule impact. That is cheaper for both sides than discovering the change after mass production starts.
Do we need an NDA?
If you are sending a drawing or a reference product under confidentiality, the NDA comes before the technical review.
Compliance and documentation
What documentation do we receive?
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin where required, test reports, food-contact declarations where applicable, declarations of conformity where required, and packing lists matching the confirmed artwork.
Who handles market registration?
In most markets the importer or the party placing the product on the market. We support the documentation; registrations are normally buyer-side.
Can you certify for our market?
Yes, with the cost shown as a separate line because it is market-dependent and buyer-funded.
Do your test reports work in multiple markets?
Sometimes, where standards align. Worth asking, because a shared file is cheaper — and worth knowing before testing if they do not.
Production, quality and delivery
Do you test every unit?
Functional and safety checks appropriate to the model run on every unit. Batch-level and destructive testing runs on samples per the agreed plan, which is standard practice and defined in the quality agreement.
Can we inspect before shipment?
Yes. Pre-shipment inspection by your own inspector or an appointed third party is a normal part of the programme. Book it with enough notice to fall inside the production window.
How is quality controlled?
Six gates: incoming material inspection, in-process line checks, functional and safety testing, final inspection with AQL sampling, pre-shipment verification, and batch traceability for corrective action.
What lead time should we expect?
Lead time is stated per model, based on its platform and its position in the queue — because factory-wide figures hide what actually determines your date.
What affects lead time?
The number of distinct platforms in the range, tooling, certification route, artwork approval, order quantity and peak-season position. The first item is usually the biggest lever, and it is a design decision rather than an operational one.
What happens if a defect is found after arrival?
Batch traceability from incoming material to shipment lets a field issue be traced to a production window and answered with a corrective action rather than a guess.
Spare parts and after-sales
Do you supply spare parts separately?
Yes, quoted per model and per part, for the models we build. Fit is guaranteed, which is the reason to source them from the manufacturer rather than from a third party.
Do you supply parts for models you did not build?
No. We do not represent third-party parts as compatible.
Can you supply accessories under our brand?
Yes. Branded accessories and replacement parts are part of a private-label programme rather than a later addition.
What should a distributor hold in stock?
The parts list for the models they sell — cord, plug, basket, seal and control parts are the ones that decide downtime and return volume.
Logistics and commercial
Which freight terms do you work with?
FOB, CIF and DDP. They change the risk profile and the paperwork, so they are settled at quotation stage rather than after production.
Can you ship to our warehouse?
Yes, subject to the destination market's labelling being met on the carton. Specify the consignee at quotation stage.
Can we hold stock with you?
Stock-holding terms depend on the programme and are discussed separately from manufacturing terms.
Do you handle container loading planning?
Yes. Carton dimensions are fixed at the drawing stage because they determine container utilisation and the loading plan.
Not answered here?
These are the questions we are asked most. Anything specific to your programme — a certification route, a market requirement, a tooling question on a particular part — is answered in the reply to your enquiry, because the answer depends on the destination market and the model.
Ask the question directly
If it is not answered here, send it with your destination market and model list — you get a specific answer rather than a brochure.
At a glance
- Page subject
- Ningbo Anbo United Electric Appliance Co.,ltd (Anbo United)
- Location
- Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Primary product lines
- Coffee machines, pizza makers, electric grills
- Core category built alongside
- Air fryers — single basket, dual basket, oven type, smart
- Also manufactures
- Grills & baking, small home appliances, garment care, spare parts
- Services
- OEM / ODM manufacturing, private label, tool& moulds, compliance support
- Official links
- Alibaba.com · LinkedIn
- Sales contacts
- AMY (General Manager / CEO) ceo@anbolife.com · Tony (International Sales) tony@anbolife.com
- Contact
- +86-15355158390 · ceo@anbolife.com
- Content updated