A sample tells you two things: whether the product is right, and whether the supplier can repeat it. Most buyers only check the first — which is why the second batch disappoints.
Buyers often expect free samples. In this category a sample is a real unit plus a real air freight bill, so the honest structure is: you pay unit cost plus freight, and the unit cost is credited against your bulk order. Freight is not credited — it was spent.
| Item | Who pays | Typical figure |
|---|---|---|
| Sample unit (stock colour) | Buyer, credited on bulk | Bulk unit price + 20-40% |
| Sample unit (custom colour or logo) | Buyer, credited on bulk | As above, plus setup if a print plate is needed |
| Air freight to your door | Buyer, not credited | Depends on destination and boxed volume |
| Third-party lab test on the sample | Buyer | Quoted by the lab, per test |
One scooter boxes at roughly 0.141 CBM and about 20.5 kg gross. That weight is what makes sample freight expensive for a single unit — which is why buyers often order three or four models at once and share the freight.
| Sample type | Ready to ship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stock colour, current shell | 5-7 days | Pulled from production, not from a showroom |
| Logo print on deck | 7-10 days | Silk screen or heat transfer, no tooling charge |
| New colour way on existing shell | 12-18 days | Masterbatch and a short paint run |
| Printed colour box | 20-25 days | Carton printer runs a minimum, so this is a bulk-stage item |
If a supplier promises a custom-printed carton sample in a week, either the printer is idle or the carton does not exist yet. Ask which.
Unbox the sample the way your customer will, then inspect in this order — the sequence matters, because each step assumes the previous one passed.
The gap between sample and production is where most disappointment lives. Three habits close it:
Because every model in this range shares the same platform — 3-8 years, 50 kg load, adjustable stem, PU light-up wheels — a four-model sample set tests the whole platform rather than four unrelated products. A practical first set: V6333 for the character front, V3011 as the classic reference, V1566 for the wider carton at 70 x 30 x 66 cm, and V1570 for the animal-front series.
Four units share one air freight bill, and you learn which shell photographs best for your market before committing to 4,600 pieces.
Straight answers to what buyers ask before the first order.
No. You pay the unit cost plus air freight; the unit cost is credited against your bulk order, the freight is not. Many buyers share one shipment across three or four models to spread the cost.
5-7 days for a stock colour, 7-10 with a deck logo, 12-18 for a new colour way on an existing shell, and 20-25 days if a printed colour box is involved.
Carton condition, then whether the stem ships attached, then joint play. Loose joints are the most common warranty claim and the fastest thing to test.
Yes, from 50 pieces per model — silk screen or heat transfer on the deck, no tooling charge. A custom printed colour box needs 500 pieces per model.
It should, if you approve it in writing and keep it as a golden sample. Ask which processes change between a one-off unit and a 500-piece run — assembly stations can differ.
Send the models and quantity you have in mind. You get carton size, CBM, gross weight and FOB Tianjin price in writing, usually within one working day.