Pre-shipment inspection is the last chance to catch quality issues before the container ships from China. The standard is AQL 2.5 (“Acceptable Quality Limit 2.5%”). It is just a statistical sampling rule — how many chairs to physically inspect, and how many defects mean you stop the shipment.

How AQL 2.5 works on a 400-unit chair order

For 400 units, the AQL 2.5 sample size is 50 chairs. The inspector pulls 50 random chairs from the production run (not stacked at the front — that biases toward the freshest, cleanest output).

The inspector then checks each of the 50 chairs against a defect checklist. The 50 chairs produce a count: how many “major” defects, how many “minor” defects, how many “critical” defects.

Pass threshold: 5 minor defects allowed, 3 major allowed, 0 critical allowed. Exceed any threshold and the lot is rejected.

Defect categories — chair-specific

Critical (lot fails immediately)

• Gas lift falling apart in inspector’s hand
• Cracked base or backrest frame
• Sharp edges that could injure the user
• Wrong product (factory shipped Model A instead of Model B)
• Missing parts in the carton

Major (3 allowed in sample of 50)

• Backrest wobble > 5mm at the headrest
• Tilt mechanism doesn’t lock
• Wheel doesn’t spin freely
• Armrest delamination
• Stitching coming apart
• Stain or scuff visible at arm’s length

Minor (5 allowed in sample of 50)

• Cosmetic blemish not visible at arm’s length
• Hardware bag missing one bolt
• Manual missing or in wrong language
• Label crooked
• Slight colour variation between batches

Who does the inspection

Three options:

1. Third-party inspection: SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, QIMA. US$200-400 for a single chair lot. Most professional buyers use this.
2. Buyer’s own inspector: if you have a sourcing agent in China, they can inspect. Cheaper but harder to verify independence.
3. Factory self-inspection with photo report: free, but the factory is grading their own work. Only acceptable for established relationships.

What the inspection report looks like

A professional inspection report is 15-30 pages: cover page with order details, defect summary, photos of every defect found, photos of random sample of good chairs, carton specifications, label specifications, and a final PASS / FAIL recommendation.

You receive this report within 24 hours of the inspection. You then decide: pay the balance and ship, or hold the order until the factory reworks.

The hidden value of inspection

Beyond catching defects, the inspection creates accountability. The factory knows an independent third party is checking. Production discipline goes up. We have seen first-time buyers who skipped inspection get 8-12% return rates from end customers. Buyers who use SGS or QIMA see 1-3%.

For any order over US$15,000, inspection cost is well under 1% of order value. Skip it only if you’re confident in the factory from prior orders.

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