How to Order & Pay — Deposits, T/T Payment and Shipping Terms

The payment schedule

Where money moves, and what you hold first

Two payments. Nothing before a quotation, and the second only after you have seen the finished, lit piece on video.

Stage	What happens	You pay
1 · Enquiry	You send a brief, a photo, a drawing or just a description. We confirm feasibility in writing — including saying no, if that is the honest answer.	Nothing
2 · Itemised quotation	Line-by-line pricing: material, finish, light source, packing, unit price, MOQ and lead time. Valid for 30 days.	Nothing
3 · Scaled drawing	The piece drawn against your ceiling height and footprint, with load per fixing point, so you approve real proportions.	Nothing
4 · Order confirmed	We issue a proforma invoice with full company and bank details, itemised exactly as quoted. Paying it books your production slot.	50% by T/T
5 · Prototype	A sample or representative section built in 15–20 days, photographed and filmed under light for your written approval. That is the single-sample period — several samples running together take longer, and we confirm the date in writing before we start.	Included
6 · Production	Frame welding, polishing, plating, wiring and assembly in our own workshop. Stage photographs as it progresses.	—
7 · Inspection	Full electrical safety test and a burn-in on every unit; finish checked against the retained sample.	—
8 · Pre-shipment proof	Photographs and video of the finished, lit piece, plus crate photographs. This is your final approval point before paying the balance.	—
9 · Balance & shipment	The 50% balance is settled by T/T against that proof. Documents are issued and the goods released to your forwarder.	50% by T/T

Freight, insurance and destination duties are quoted separately and clearly labelled, either as separate line items or built into a CIF / DDP figure if you prefer one number.

Why a deposit, and why 50%

You are not paying for a promise. You are paying for a booked slot.

Every fixture we make is made for one customer and cannot be sold to anyone else. The deposit is what turns a quotation into a place in the production queue — and it is why we can afford to start building before you have paid the balance.

The deposit is only due after you have approved a scaled drawing — not at enquiry
A prototype is photographed and filmed under light for your written approval before mass production starts
You see the finished, lit piece on photographs and video before paying the 50% balance
If a design is not buildable, you are told at the quotation stage and pay nothing at all
Every approval point is recorded in writing, so both sides are looking at the same image

Start with an enquiry See the production process

Electrical safety and burn-in test before shipment

How you pay

Three ways, and one thing we will not do

Standard

Bank transfer (T/T)

Our normal method for every production order. Bank details are issued on the proforma invoice, in the company name — never to a personal account.

USD or EUR, quoted in your currency
Company account only, named on the invoice
Bank charges split as is customary, or stated in the PI

Large orders

Letter of credit

For high-value project orders we will work against an irrevocable L/C at sight. Tell us at the enquiry stage so it can be priced into the terms.

L/C at sight, issued by a bank we can verify
Documents agreed in advance so nothing is rejected on wording
Also available: longer terms for established accounts

Not available

Cards and payment platforms

We do not take card payments or third-party platform payments for production orders. For made-to-order goods, a card chargeback cannot be resolved fairly by either side.

Card payments: not accepted for production
Small sample fees may be payable by arrangement
Sample cost is credited against the order that follows

Documentation

The proforma invoice, and why it matters

Before you send any money, you receive a proforma invoice (PI). It is the document your finance team will check, so it is worth knowing what is on it.

On the PI	Why
Full company name and address	So your bank and your customs can verify who you are paying
Bank details in the company name	Never a personal account. Confirm them by replying to our email, not by clicking a link
Itemised lines and specification	The same lines as the quotation, so nothing changes between quote and invoice
Payment schedule	Deposit amount, balance amount and the point at which each falls due
Incoterm and destination	Exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins
Lead time and validity	How long the price holds, and when production starts

On shipment, the PI becomes the commercial invoice. A packing list and certificate of origin are issued with it, so your customs clearance has a complete set from the first submission.

Shipping terms

FOB, CIF, DDP — what they actually mean

These three letters decide who books the ship, who insures the goods and who is standing there if it goes wrong. Here is the plain version.

Term	What it means	Who arranges what
EXW	Ex Works — your forwarder collects from our factory in Guzhen.	You arrange everything from our gate.
FOB	Free On Board — we deliver to the port and clear export. The most common choice.	You book and pay the sea freight.
CIF	Cost, Insurance and Freight — we arrange freight and marine insurance to your port.	We quote it into the price.
DDP	Delivered Duty Paid — door to door, duties included. Available where we can clear reliably.	Everything arranged, one number.

You are welcome to use your own forwarder on any term — many trade buyers prefer it, because the freight is then on their own account and their own consolidation.

What the price covers

What is in the number, and what is not

The two lists below are the same ones we use internally when we build a quotation. Nothing appears on your invoice that is not on them.

Materials, finishes and the light source specified in the drawing
Laboratory-tested LEDs, drivers and cables from approved suppliers
Prototype or representative sample, and the photographs of it
Electrical test, burn-in and finish inspection on every unit
Export packing, crates and component numbering
Rigging and wiring drawings, packing list, invoice and certificate of origin

Not included unless quoted: sea or air freight and marine insurance above EXW; import duties, VAT and customs fees at destination; local installation labour; and certification fees for schemes where your importer is legally the applicant, such as Saudi SABER. These are always named in the quotation rather than discovered later.

Glass pendant lights packed in individual foam cradles, ready for export

Changes, samples and problems

The awkward questions, answered in advance

Can I change the order after paying?

Before production starts, yes — changes to size, finish or quantity are normally free of charge, and simply move the delivery date. Once frames are cut and plating has begun, changes are limited to what the materials allow, and we will tell you the cost before doing anything.

What if the finished piece is wrong?

That is what the prototype and the pre-shipment proof are for. If the finished piece does not match the drawing you approved, we correct or remake it before shipment. Our interest is in the piece leaving right, not in arguing after it lands.

What if it breaks in transit?

Damage noted at delivery and photographed is replaced free of charge. Spare glass and crystal parts are included with graded orders, so a single break does not hold up your handover. We crate to export standard precisely because this is when projects lose time.

Can I cancel?

Before production starts, the deposit is refundable less design work already completed. Once production has begun, the deposit covers materials and labour already committed, so it is not refundable. We will say which stage you are at, in writing, whenever you ask.

Share your installation — save 5%

Send us photographs of the finished installation and we will credit 5% off your next commission. Your real-world photos help the next client see how the work lands, and it is our way of thanking you for coming back.

Payment, shipping and warranty

What are your payment terms?

For new customers: 50% deposit by T/T confirms the order and books the production slot, with the 50% balance settled before shipment — we send pre-shipment inspection photos and video before you pay it. We do not take card payments for production orders. For long-term accounts we can discuss other terms, and for large value orders an L/C is acceptable.

Do you make a prototype or sample first?

Yes, on custom work this is standard. We build a sample or a representative section, photograph and video it under light, and send it to you for written approval. Nothing goes into mass production until you sign off. On large or complex pieces we may also send a physical finish sample by courier. Allow 15–20 days for a single sample.

How long does a sample take, and will it be rushed?

15–20 days for a single sample, counted from the drawing you approve. A sample is a hand-made one-off, not a production-line item: it takes a skilled pair of hands for most of a working day, and we run samples for more than one customer at a time. So the honest date depends on how much workshop time your piece needs. If you send several samples together, or the piece involves hand-blown glass, custom plating or an unusual frame, we will quote a longer date at the start rather than promise a week and hand you something you cannot approve. If you have a fixed deadline, say so at enquiry stage and we will tell you plainly whether we can meet it — we would rather decline a date than miss one. What we will not do is shorten the sample to hit a number and leave you to discover the problems at production stage.

Do you ship worldwide, and who arranges it?

We ship worldwide. You can use your own forwarder, or we will quote FOB, CIF or DDP with ours — whichever you prefer. Large fixtures are crate-packed to export standard and split into modules where transport requires it. Every shipment goes out with a packing list, commercial invoice and certificate of origin.

What warranty do you offer?

Standard warranty is 12 months on the fixture and its electrical components. Breakage in transit is replaced free of charge provided the damage is noted at delivery and photographed. Wear parts such as bulbs are excluded. For project orders we will agree a longer warranty period in writing if your contract requires it.

All questions

How to order, and exactly how the money works