LEGAL · TERMS
Terms of Service
These terms apply when you use milebond.com or engage Milebond for sourcing, supplier verification, factory audit, production follow-up or shipping coordination. By sending an inquiry or placing an order, you accept them. If you need a signed agreement, we are happy to work from your template or ours.
1. Who we are
Milebond is a sourcing, supplier verification and factory audit company operating from Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, China. In these terms, “we” and “us” mean Milebond; “you” means the business buyer using our services. Contact: [email protected].
2. Scope of services
- Sourcing and shortlisting suppliers for the products you describe.
- Price, MOQ and lead-time checks with those suppliers.
- Sample coordination and consolidation of orders.
- Supplier verification: a free desk check, and an on-site factory audit when you order one.
- Production follow-up and pre-shipment inspection as agreed in writing.
- Shipping coordination through the forwarder you choose or one we recommend.
We work as an independent sourcing partner. We are not the manufacturer and do not own the factories we assess; goods are supplied by third-party factories and their own warranties apply.
3. Quotes and pricing
Quotes are based on the information you provide and on the prices available from suppliers at that time. They are valid for the period stated on the quote. Product prices are exclusive of freight, insurance, duties, taxes and bank charges unless the quote says otherwise. If specifications, quantities or materials change, we will re-quote.
4. Orders and payment
An order becomes binding when you confirm it in writing and we issue a proforma invoice or order confirmation. Production normally starts after the deposit shown on that document has cleared. Payment terms, currencies and balances are those stated in the proforma invoice. Third-party bank charges are borne by the payer.
5. Samples
Sample costs, tooling costs and courier charges are payable by you unless we agree otherwise in writing. Samples are produced by the factory and may differ slightly from mass production because of normal manufacturing tolerances.
6. Lead times
Lead times are estimates given by the factory. They depend on material availability, factory capacity, customization and your approvals, and are not a guaranteed delivery date unless we confirm one in writing.
7. Shipping, delivery and risk
Delivery terms follow the Incoterms stated on the proforma invoice or service agreement. Risk in the goods passes as set out in that Incoterm. Import duties, taxes and destination clearance are your responsibility unless agreed otherwise. Where we coordinate freight, we do so on your behalf and the carrier’s terms apply.
8. Inspection and acceptance
Inspection scope, sampling plan and reporting format are those agreed for your order. Please raise any shortage, damage or quality claim promptly after delivery and before the goods are resold, altered or installed, so we can investigate with the factory while evidence is still available.
9. Supplier verification and factory audits
The desk check is free and results in a Pass / Not Pass view based on the documents and information available. An on-site audit is a paid service; you receive a written report with findings and photographs. Both are professional opinions formed at the time of the check or visit, based on the factory we saw and the evidence supplied. They are not a guarantee of a supplier’s future conduct, financial standing or product quality, and they do not replace your own commercial judgement.
10. Your responsibilities
- Give us accurate product specifications, target quantities and deadlines.
- Respond to approvals, artwork and sample feedback in time to keep the schedule.
- Hold the rights to any brand, logo, design, patent or copyright you ask us to use, and ensure the product meets the safety and labelling rules of the destination market.
- Comply with import, customs, sanctions and product-compliance obligations in your market.
11. Intellectual property
The content of this website — text, photographs, layout and catalog data — belongs to Milebond and may not be copied for commercial use without permission. Your trademarks, artwork and product designs remain yours. We use them only to source, quote and produce your order.
12. Confidentiality
Each side keeps the other’s commercial information confidential and uses it only for the purpose of the engagement. We share only what a supplier needs to quote or produce your order. If you require a formal NDA, tell us and we will sign one before detailed specifications are exchanged.
13. Limitation of liability
To the extent permitted by law, our total liability arising from a service is limited to the fees you paid us for that specific service. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including lost profit, lost marketplace ranking or loss of goodwill. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.
14. Force majeure
Neither side is liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond reasonable control, including natural events, epidemics, port closures, customs action, strikes or changes in law. We will tell you promptly and work on a practical alternative.
15. Suspension and termination
Either side may end an engagement in writing. Orders already in production remain payable, and obligations that by nature survive termination — confidentiality, intellectual property, liability and payment of outstanding invoices — continue to apply.
16. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of the People’s Republic of China. We will always try to resolve an issue commercially first. If that fails, disputes are submitted to the competent court at our place of business in Zhejiang, China, unless a signed agreement provides for arbitration or another forum.
17. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms as our services or legal requirements change. The version published on this page, with the date at the top, applies to new inquiries and orders.