Sample Orders: What a Legitimate Supplier Will (and Won't) Agree To

• A small quantity (commonly 200g–500g) representative of the actual lot you'd be buying in bulk, not a specially curated “show” sample
• Basic specification data alongside the sample — moisture, relevant quality parameters — so you can compare the physical sample against a stated spec
• A reasonable turnaround time for dispatch, communicated upfront rather than left vague

Charging for the sample itself and/or shipping cost is standard and not a red flag — a supplier absorbing sample costs for every inbound enquiry, especially international ones, isn't a sustainable business practice. What's worth questioning is a sample cost disproportionate to a reasonable material and courier cost, or a requirement to pay a large deposit before the sample is even sent.

• Being asked for full advance payment on a bulk order before a sample has even been sent or approved
• A refusal to provide any specification data alongside the physical sample
• Pressure to skip the sample and commit to a container order directly, especially on a first transaction

Compare it against the specification you were given, not just against your general expectation of the product — colour, aroma, and texture matter, but so does whether the numbers match what was quoted. If you have access to testing (in-house or third-party), this is the point to use it. A mismatch at sample stage is a far cheaper problem than the same mismatch discovered in a full container.