Knowledge base · Technical note
How to evaluate a self storage lock supplier
Most buyers ask about price and MOQ. Those are the two questions a supplier is most prepared for. These nine are the ones that reveal how the order will actually go.
1. Can I see the inspection record for a batch you shipped?
Not the certificate on the wall — the actual record for a specific batch. A supplier with a working quality system can produce one. A trader will offer to send the factory's certificate instead.
2. What is your first-article process?
If the answer is 'we check the first one', ask what happens if it fails. The answer you want is that the batch does not start. Anything vaguer means you are the quality control.
3. How is the keying recorded, and can you reproduce it in three years?
Keying cannot be changed after production. A supplier who stores the keying schedule against your account can supply a matching cylinder later. One who does not will ask you to rekey the site.
4. Is the MOQ on your website the MOQ I will be quoted?
This question exists because the answer is sometimes no. A published MOQ of 500 that becomes 1,008 at quotation is a broken commitment, not a rounding error. Ask before you build a budget on it.
5. Who handles freight, clearance and duties?
If the answer is 'that is your side', you need a forwarder before you can compare prices at all. A supplier who can quote DDP gives you a landed number you can actually compare.
6. What happens if the goods are wrong?
The answer should reference a specification and an inspection record — not a promise. 'We will sort it out' is not a process.
7. Which parts of the product are made in-house?
Casting, punching, plating and assembly are the ones that determine batch consistency. A supplier who outsources everything is a coordinator, which is fine — as long as they say so.
8. Can you send a physical sample before I order?
And is the sample from the same line as the production run? A sample built by hand in an office is not evidence about a production batch.
9. What certifications apply to this specific product?
ISO, CE and RoHS apply to a company and a product family. If your project needs ANSI/BHMA, UL or a local approval, ask which documentation exists for the model you are ordering — and expect 'none' to be an acceptable answer. It is more useful than a vague yes.
Confirm it on your own doors
Send a door photo, the cylinder size or the mounting dimensions. We confirm fit with a physical sample before you commit to a quantity.
What readers ask next
Turning the nine answers into a decision.
Will you answer all nine questions in writing?
Yes. Send them in one email and we reply point by point, which is also how two suppliers can be compared on identical terms. Typical reply time is within four business hours.
Can we see an inspection record before we order?
Yes, for a batch that has already shipped. It shows what was checked and what was recorded, which is a different document from a certificate.
What if you cannot evidence one of the nine?
We say so. Where a test or an approval does not exist for your model, the honest answer is that it does not, and that answer is more useful before the order than after it.