Three Quotations. Three Different Prices.
This happens almost every week.
A buyer sends the same RFQ to several factories.
A few days later, the quotations arrive.
One supplier is noticeably cheaper.
The products look almost identical.
So why is there such a big difference?
Sometimes the answer is simple.
The factories aren’t quoting the same project.
The Product May Not Actually Be the Same
A quotation is much more than a unit price.
It’s a combination of materials, production methods, packaging, quality requirements, and service.
Two suppliers might both describe the product as a custom swim vest, while quoting completely different specifications.
For example…
One factory may quote solid-dyed fabric.
Another may quote custom printed fabric.
Both are swim vests.
The production cost isn’t the same.
The same applies to printing.
A quotation based on position printing won’t cost the same as one using full-surface printing.
Even if the artwork looks similar, the production process is very different.
The Lowest Price Doesn’t Always Include Everything
Before comparing prices, make sure you’re comparing the same scope.
It’s worth asking questions like:
- Is the quotation based on position printing or full-surface printing?
- Does the factory guarantee consistent logo placement in bulk production?
- Is custom fabric dyeing included?
- Is Pantone color matching included?
- Are screen printing setup (film) charges included?
- Are cutting die or mold costs included, if required?
- Does the quotation include PP samples?
- Are sample revisions included?
- Are hang tags, care labels, warning labels, and barcode labels included?
- Is individual polybag packaging included?
- Are export cartons included?
- Are testing fees included, or quoted separately?
- If testing is required, can the factory review the design before testing starts and identify potential risks?
- Does the quotation include third-party inspection support?
- Could there be additional freight or destination surcharges later?
The more transparent the quotation is, the easier it becomes to compare suppliers fairly.
Some Costs Don’t Appear Until Later
Not every cost appears on the quotation.
Some only become visible after sampling, during production, or even after shipment.
Common examples include:
- Sample revisions
- Fabric dyeing
- Printing setup
- Testing
- Packaging upgrades
- Urgent production
- Freight surcharges
- Destination handling charges
Sometimes the product is cheaper.
The project isn’t.
A Real Example
We recently compared freight quotations from two different freight forwarders for the same shipment.
One quotation was clearly lower.
At first, it looked like the better option.
The second quotation was slightly higher.
After reviewing both quotations, we noticed one important difference.
The lower quotation didn’t include the expected textile surcharge.
The higher quotation already did.
After the shipment arrived, the buyer received an additional USD 2,000 textile surcharge that hadn’t been mentioned in the original quotation.
The other forwarder had already included an estimated surcharge of around USD 570.
The initial freight looked more expensive.
The final shipping cost wasn’t.
Testing Is Easier When It’s Planned Early
Testing is usually quoted separately because every market has different requirements.
That doesn’t mean testing should wait until the product is finished.
If the factory knows your testing requirements before sampling, they can often review the design first.
Sometimes a small adjustment to the material, construction, labeling, or artwork is enough to avoid repeating laboratory testing later.
It’s much easier to solve these issues before production than after a failed test report.
Before We Prepare a Quotation
These are usually the first questions we ask before preparing a quotation:
- Which market will the product be sold in?
- Does it require any specific testing?
- Is the print position fixed, or can it vary slightly?
- Will the fabric be custom dyed?
- Is the packaging already finalized?
- When is the target shipment date?
The answers often explain why two quotations don’t look the same.
One Last Thought
A lower price isn’t necessarily a bad sign.
Sometimes it simply reflects a different specification.
The important part is understanding what you’re paying for before production starts.
When two quotations are several dollars apart, the difference is usually easy to spot.
When they’re only a few cents apart, it’s worth looking much closer.
That’s often where the real differences are.