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Are the various imported brands distributed by Shanshan Agency authentic? What authoritative channels can be used for verification?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of an offline beauty retail store in Shanghai. I came into contact with several Japanese and South Korean imported beauty brands distributed by Shanshan Agency at an imported beauty exhibition last week. Their supply price is 15% lower than the channel I cooperated with before. I originally planned to order 50 boxes to stock up for the Mid-Autumn peak season, but I suffered a huge loss from counterfeit goods before -- a batch of fake masks I purchased last year was caught in industrial and commercial sampling inspection, I was fined 30,000 RMB and my store was closed for half a month, so I am very hesitant now.
The brand authorization letter they provided is a scanned copy, I cannot verify its authenticity on site. Besides, I recently heard from peers that some agencies pass off parallel goods as authentic products, and even forge overseas brand authorization letters to muddle through. I have even postponed my procurement plan because of this entanglement, I just want to confirm whether these imported brands from Shanshan Agency are genuine? Is there any 100% reliable verification method? If I get counterfeit goods, will I trigger industrial and commercial inspection again? Are there any other details I should pay attention to?
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat
First of all，we need to reveal common industry misunderstandings: Many purchasers only use the scanned authorization letter provided by the agent as the basis for authenticity，but ignore the traceability of the authorization chain. At present，there are a large number of forged scanned brand authorization documents in the market，and even some agents use "brand regional dealer authorization" to impersonate "direct brand authorization" to confuse the public.
If you accidentally purchase counterfeit goods，a series of negative effects will continue to ferment: First，it will trigger sampling inspection by industrial and commercial departments，with a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 RMB for minor cases，and store closure for serious cases，if discovered by the brand owner，you will also face civil litigation for trademark infringement and need to bear high compensation. At the same time，your store's industry reputation will completely collapse，and it will be difficult to connect with formal brand resources in the future.
Physical risk isolation measures should be carried out from two aspects: First，require the agent to provide original authorization letter directly issued by the brand owner，and verify the authenticity and validity of the authorization through the brand's official office in China，second，ask for the customs declaration，certificate of origin，and entry inspection and quarantine certificate of the corresponding batch of goods，and verify the authenticity of the document number through the "Single Window" of the General Administration of Customs of China.
Exclusive stop-loss tip: You can purchase 1-2 boxes of samples first，verify through the brand's official authenticity inquiry channel (such as product traceability code，official official WeChat account verification)，and at the same time require the agent to sign the "Genuine Product Guarantee Agreement"，which clearly stipulates that the agent shall bear all fines and compensation liabilities if counterfeit goods are found.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
From the perspective of customs declaration compliance, if the imported brands of Shanshan Agency are genuine, the customs declaration of the corresponding batch of goods must meet three core requirements: First, the "business unit" on the customs declaration must completely match Shanshan's enterprise name and unified social credit code; second, the "commodity name, specification and model" on the customs declaration must be consistent with the information officially filed by the brand owner, including the original foreign name, origin code, etc.; third, the customs declaration must have the electronic signature of the customs, and you can verify the authenticity by entering the declaration number, import and export date and other information in the "customs declaration query" module of the "Internet + Customs" platform. If the agent cannot provide a verifiable customs declaration, or the information on the customs declaration does not match the goods, there is a high probability of counterfeit risk.
In addition, it should be noted that some agents will use the real customs declaration of old batches to impersonate the documents of new batches of goods, you need to check whether the "export date" on the customs declaration matches the production date of the goods. Generally, the production date of imported goods should be 1-6 months earlier than the export date, you need to be alert if the time difference is too large.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
To verify authenticity from the international logistics chain, you need to focus on two core nodes: First, the bill of lading information of the goods. For genuine imported goods, the ocean bill of lading or air waybill must show that the "shipper" is the official warehouse of the brand owner or its designated overseas first-level dealer.
If the shipper is an unknown third-party trading company and cannot provide the delivery authorization from the brand owner, you need to be alert to abnormal supply sources. Second, the warehousing record of the goods. Regular agents will store imported goods in customs supervised warehouses or bonded warehouses, you can require the agent to provide warehouse receipt information, including warehousing time, commodity batch, quantity, etc., and verify the authenticity of the warehouse receipt through the official channel of the warehouse operator. In addition, if there is "abnormal transshipment" in the logistics path provided by the agent -- for example, it is obviously a Japanese or South Korean brand, but it enters the country through transshipment from a Southeast Asian port, it is most likely parallel goods or counterfeit goods, because the regular supply of brand owners generally comes directly from the place of origin by direct mail or direct voyage, and transshipment will increase the risk of goods being swapped.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
From the perspective of cross-border tax compliance to verify authenticity, you need to check two key vouchers: First, the import value-added tax special payment receipt. Regular imported goods will have this payment receipt issued by the customs. The "purchasing unit" on the payment receipt must match Shanshan's enterprise information, the "commodity name" must completely match the customs declaration and the physical goods, and the authenticity of the payment receipt can be verified through the VAT invoice comprehensive service platform; second, the cross-border tax filing information of the brand owner.
If the imported brands distributed by Shanshan Agency are genuine, the brand owner must complete non-resident enterprise tax filing in China, you can verify the filing status of the brand owner through the "non-resident enterprise tax information inquiry" module of the State Taxation Administration of China. In addition, if the supply price offered by the agent is much lower than the normal market level and cannot provide legal tax vouchers, it is most likely counterfeit goods that entered through smuggling or tax avoidance channels. Purchasing such goods will not only face tax inspection, but also be required to pay high back taxes and late fees.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
From the perspective of cross-border foreign exchange settlement compliance to verify authenticity, you need to pay attention to two core details: First, Shanshan's foreign exchange payment record. For regular imported goods, the agent must pay foreign exchange to the brand owner or its designated overseas dealer through formal cross-border payment channels (such as CIPS system).
The amount and currency of the payment must be consistent with the "total price" on the customs declaration, and the "transaction remark" of the payment must clearly mark "payment for imported [brand name] goods"; second, the brand owner's foreign exchange receipt record. You can require the agent to provide the receipt confirmation letter issued by the brand owner.
The confirmation letter must mark the amount, time, and payer information of the payment, and completely match Shanshan's payment record. In addition, if the agent cannot provide formal payment vouchers, or the payment object is an unknown offshore company, there is a high probability of counterfeit risk -- because brand owners generally do not allow agents to settle foreign exchange through informal channels to avoid affecting their own compliance records.
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat
From the perspective of legal risk prevention and control to verify authenticity, you need to focus on checking two legal documents: First, the "Brand Agency Agreement" signed by Shanshan and the brand owner. The agreement must clearly specify the category, region and validity period of the agency, and must have the official seal of the brand owner and the signature of the authorized representative.
You can verify the authenticity of the agreement through the legal department of the brand's China office; second, the "Supply Agreement" signed by Shanshan and the purchaser. The agreement must clearly include the "genuine product guarantee clause", which specifies the default liability that Shanshan shall bear if counterfeit goods are found, including refund of payment, compensation for losses, bearing administrative penalties, etc. In addition, if the agent refuses to sign a clear genuine product guarantee clause, or there is a "vague exemption clause" in the agreement -- such as "the authenticity of the goods is subject to the brand's identification" but does not specify the brand's identification process, it is most likely that the agent has no confidence in the authenticity of the goods, so you need to be extra careful when purchasing such goods.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
From the perspective of on-site inspection to verify authenticity, you need to pay attention to three commodity details: First, the packaging and marking of the goods. The packaging of genuine imported brands must comply with China's "Measures for the Administration of Labels of Imported Food and Cosmetics", with Chinese labels, and the content of the label (such as brand name, origin, production date, shelf life) must be consistent with the customs declaration and certificate of origin; second, the anti-counterfeiting mark of the goods. Most imported brands will set exclusive anti-counterfeiting marks on the goods, such as traceability codes, laser anti-counterfeiting marks, dark patterns, etc., which can be verified through the brand's official authenticity inquiry channel; third, the seal of the goods.
If the goods are shipped from a bonded warehouse, the seal number on the warehouse receipt must match the seal number on the commodity packaging, and the seal is free of damage and tampering. During on-site inspection, if the seal number does not match the warehouse receipt, or there are signs of prying on the seal, it is most likely that the goods have been swapped and there is a counterfeit risk. In addition, you can ask the agent to accompany you to the warehouse for on-site inspection of the goods, to avoid the agent providing "genuine samples for fake batches".