/ sales office / production address / supplier role
How to Handle a Supplier That Uses a Sales Office Address
A sales office address can be legitimate, but buyers need the production site and contracting entity mapped.
Many suppliers use a city sales office while production happens in an industrial area elsewhere. That setup can help communication and export work. It becomes risky only when the sales office replaces the production address in every document and nobody explains where the goods will be made.
Ask the supplier to label each address. Which address is registered? Which address receives visitors? Which address produces your goods? Which address will the inspector visit? The answer should be short enough to place in a table.
Check the sales office entity against the invoice issuer. If the office belongs to a trading company, ask whether it owns, controls, or contracts the factory. A trading role may be acceptable when the buyer understands who handles quality, replacement, and warranty.
Do not force every supplier into a factory-direct box. A good trading company with clear control can outperform a weak factory. The buyer's job is to know the role before payment and to preserve evidence of that role.
Add the sales office address to the file without letting it become the only address. A complete address map reduces confusion when inspection, shipment, or dispute questions appear later.
Working checklist
- Label registered, sales, and production addresses.
- Confirm inspection address.
- Ask whether the sales entity owns production.
- Record quality responsibility.
- Keep address explanations with order records.