You wired the deposit. Thirty percent of a $60,000 order, which means $18,000 is already out the door. And the factory’s sales agent? Silent for six straight days. No production update, no photos, nothing. I’ve watched this exact scenario unfold more times than I can count over ten years in China sourcing. The blunt reason it keeps happening: most importers can’t name five duties their sales rep actually owes them. Factories pick up on that fast. It’s why your emails sit unanswered and why defective cargo still lands on your dock. Once you can list the responsibility of a sales agent in checklist form, you hold the upper hand at every stage of the order. What follows is that list, built on real numbers and real failures.