When a Supplier Cheats – How We Saved Our Client 30K(USD) and Their Trust

家

調達専門家の名前

クライアント名/会社名

Canadian buyer at Canton Fair

業界

Premium handbags

節約したコスト

30K(USD)

プロジェクトの背景:

Our client, smitten by the bags, placed a $60k order and paid a $1k deposit, planning to return two days later for more. But when I reviewed the pricing—though I’m no bag expert—it screamed red flags. After consulting industry contacts, I learned the supplier’s margin was at least 60%—that meant $36k profit on a $60k order. Clearly, they were overcharging our client, exploiting the allure of the design.

困難点:

Our Options

Do nothing. Let the deal go through—after all, we earn commissions on every order under our procurement agreement. More volume equals more commission, right?
Intervene and switch suppliers. That meant more work, lower immediate profit, and risk: would the client suspect we had ulterior motives?

I didn’t hesitate—I chose to protect the client. Overcharging is against our core values.

当社のソリューション:

Our Strategic Move

• Contacted trusted factories to get competitive quotes.
• Arranged a site visit for our client and procurement team on the same day as their second visit to the overpriced supplier.
• Prepared our team to negotiate deposit refunds or adjustments.

結果：

What We Discovered During the Visit

The original supplier’s approach was all about emotional manipulation (“PUA” tactics):

The owner calmly said, “If you think it’s expensive, don’t buy”—and the client’s agent immediately replied, “No, the price is good,” despite our warnings to stay silent.
She claimed, “These are only sold to the Brunei princess—only five in the world.” (I mean, seriously?) The agent kept falling for it.
When we suggested ordering fewer bags, she raged, “That’s too small—I’ve never done a small order!” She stormed off, only to sneakily hand us her card later, hoping for future referrals.

We left feeling sick—but our client soon realized they’d been duped. The $1k deposit? Gone. But we secured 30k in savings by negotiating better pricing, or double the quantity for the same spend—and cut ties with a toxic supplier.

お客様からのレビュー:

What This Proves

Values matter—and true values are revealed during conflict. When client interests clash with supplier profit, our stance is unwavering:

Our Core Values:

Client First
Humble & pragmatic
Curious & thoughtful
Adaptive & courageous
Generous with knowledge

Above all, “Client First” means when their interests conflict with ours—or the supplier’s—we side with the client, every single time. We believe B2B success is long-term: when our clients win, we win.