An enthusiastic buyer enquiry feels like progress, but enthusiasm alone is not verification — and shipping against an unverified buyer is one of the costliest mistakes a new exporter can make.
Confirm the Business Is Actually Registered
Request the buyer's business registration details and cross-check them against the relevant national business registry where possible. A buyer unwilling to share basic registration details is a warning sign on its own.
Check for a Real Import History
Where trade data is available, a buyer with an existing import history in your product category is a materially lower risk than one with none — it suggests genuine, ongoing demand rather than a one-off enquiry.
Verify Direct, Reachable Contact
Speak to a named decision-maker directly, not only through a general enquiry inbox. Legitimate buyers are typically willing to get on a call and answer specific questions about volume, timeline and payment terms.
Start with Safer Payment Terms
For a first order with a new buyer, prefer advance payment, a letter of credit, or a documented partial-advance arrangement over open credit terms — you can revisit terms once a trading relationship is established.
How We Handle This
Every lead introduced through our Cross-Border Lead Generation process has already been through company registration checks, import history review and direct contact verification — so by the time a buyer reaches you, the groundwork is already done.