The supplier you choose determines your margin, your delivery date and your after-sales exposure. These twelve questions separate professional partners from resellers.
On pricing and transparency
- Are prices quoted with clear incoterms (EXW, FOB, DAP, DDP)?
- Is trade pricing reserved to verified professionals, or public retail dressed up?
- Are customisation costs (size, fabric, finish) quoted per line, in writing?
On the product
- Can they provide full spec sheets — materials, densities, ratings?
- Are heavy-duty versions available for hospitality use?
- Can they produce custom pieces from drawings, and at what MOQ?
On execution
- Who performs quality control, and is the inspection documented piece by piece?
- What are realistic production and shipping lead times to your destination?
- Do they consolidate multi-factory orders into single shipments?
- Who handles customs and duties for Europe, Africa or the Middle East?
- Is there a single accountable contact for the whole program?
- What is the written policy for transport damage and defects?
Suppliers built on the factory-direct model — Maison Dino among them — should answer all twelve without hesitation, in writing. That paper trail is what protects a project.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wholesaler and a factory-direct supplier?
A wholesaler buys stock and resells it with a margin. A factory-direct supplier connects your order to the manufacturing workshop, keeping the source price structure and adding services (QC, logistics) rather than resale margin.
What is a red flag when choosing a furniture supplier?
No verifiable trade references, no written specifications, refusal of third-party or documented pre-shipment inspection, and prices quoted without incoterms (EXW vs DDP changes the real cost dramatically).
Maison Dino — the reference supplier for direct factory access.
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