Frequently Asked
Questions, including the awkward ones.
If something you need to know is not answered here, ask directly — we would rather answer it before an engagement than have it become a problem during one.
How is Field Diligence different from a sourcing agent or trading company?+
Sourcing agents and trading companies earn their margin from the transaction — an order placed, a container shipped. We are engaged and paid directly by you, for the verification itself, regardless of whether you proceed with a factory. We have no financial interest in your decision, and we never source or introduce manufacturers on commission.
Do you help me find a manufacturer?+
No. Identifying candidate manufacturers stays with you, your sourcing team, or a sourcing agent. Keeping that role separate from ours is what makes the verification independent — a firm paid to find you a supplier has a reason to want that supplier to pass. Once you have a manufacturer in mind, we verify it.
Do you perform quality control or pre-shipment inspection?+
No. Product quality control and pre-shipment inspection are separate disciplines from compliance verification, with different liability. We refer you to specialist partners such as QIMA or SGS for that work. We do not perform it and take no responsibility for it.
What does a verification cost?+
A Compliance Verification is USD 2,200 — a fixed published price, not a starting point. Our founding client rate is currently USD 1,800. A document-only Preliminary Check is USD 500. The only variable is location: Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Tam Kỳ, Huế, Quảng Ngãi and Quy Nhơn are included, and a facility anywhere else in Vietnam adds a flat USD 350. The fee does not change based on what we find, and we are never paid by the factory in any form.
Why is there a founding client rate?+
Field Diligence is a new practice. The founding rate reflects that we are early, not that the work is lighter — the scope, the site visit, and the report are identical at either price. It will rise to the published rate as our engagement record builds, and clients engaged at the founding rate keep it for subsequent work.
How long does it take?+
A Preliminary Check is returned in 3–5 business days and a Remote Verification in 5–7. A full Compliance Verification, including the site visit and report, takes 2–3 weeks from scoping. Extended Counterparty Due Diligence takes 3–4 weeks.
Do you have existing clients I can speak to?+
Field Diligence is a new practice, and we will not invent a client list to look established. What we can show you instead is the methodology and a full anonymised sample report, so you can judge the work rather than the reference. First engagements are quoted accordingly.
What regulatory frameworks does a report address?+
Findings are mapped to EUDR Article 9 due diligence requirements, the US Lacey Act, and UFLPA transshipment risk, so your compliance or legal team can act on them without translation. Social and management-system findings are mapped to BSCI, SMETA (Sedex), ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or SA8000 as applicable.
Who actually performs the site visit?+
Alex Sav conducts the visits personally, with a Vietnamese-speaking assistant where language access is needed. You know in advance who will be on site — the work is not subcontracted to an anonymous inspector pool.
Does the factory know you are coming?+
That depends on the scope you choose. Announced visits give access to documents and management; unannounced visits show conditions as they normally are. We advise on which fits the decision in front of you, and we never notify intermediaries you have not approved.
What happens if the factory fails verification?+
You receive the same report, at the same fee, documenting exactly what we found. That is the point of a fixed fee — a negative finding costs us nothing and saves you a deposit. What you do next, including requesting corrective action or walking away, is entirely your decision.
Which regions of Vietnam do you cover?+
All of Vietnam. We are based in Đà Nẵng, and the coastal manufacturing corridor — Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Tam Kỳ, Huế, Quảng Ngãi and Quy Nhơn — is included in the published prices. A facility anywhere else in Vietnam, including Hồ Chí Minh City and the northern hubs, adds a flat USD 350. That is the only travel charge, and it covers everything.
Is my sourcing activity kept confidential?+
Yes. Findings go to you alone. We do not disclose your identity, your product, or your sourcing plans to the factory beyond what the visit requires, and never to its competitors or any third party.
What language is the report in?+
English by default. Source documents in Vietnamese are reproduced alongside a translation, so your compliance team can see the original rather than only our reading of it.
Can you re-verify a supplier we already use?+
Yes, and it is a common engagement — particularly where a supplier passed a check years ago, has since expanded, or now falls under a regulation that did not previously apply. Extended Counterparty Due Diligence is the deeper version of this.
Are you a certification body?+
No, and this matters. We are not accredited to issue BSCI, ISO, or FSC certificates, and we never will be — issuing a certificate to a factory would make that factory our client. We verify against those standards on your behalf and report what we find.