Most disputes between importers and stone exporters trace back to something that was never actually agreed on upfront — an assumption one side made that the other side never confirmed. These five questions close most of those gaps before a contract is signed, not after a container arrives.
1. Is grading based on a written standard, or a verbal assurance?
“Grade A” means nothing enforceable unless it’s tied to a defined standard — soundness classification, a reference sample, or specific defect tolerances written into the order. If a supplier’s grading commitment is a spoken assurance with nothing in writing, that’s not a standard, it’s a hope. Ask for the grading criteria in writing, attached to the purchase order. For a deeper look at what a real grade report should include, see our guide on reading a marble grade report.
2. Do you inspect before or after payment clears?
This tells you whether inspection is a genuine quality checkpoint or a formality that happens after the outcome is already locked in. A supplier who inspects and shares results before final payment is structured to catch problems while they still matter. A supplier who inspects only after full payment has less incentive to flag anything that might delay the shipment they’ve already been paid for. It’s worth understanding what a proper pre-dispatch inspection actually involves before you evaluate a supplier’s answer here.
3. Can I get batch-specific photos, not catalog photos?
Catalog images show what a stone type can look like, not what your specific batch actually looks like. Natural stone varies slab to slab and lot to lot — ask specifically for photos of the batch being prepared for your order, ideally timestamped, before it’s packed. If a supplier can only offer generic marketing photography, that’s worth noting. This matters even more if you haven’t yet confirmed which marble belt or quarry the batch is actually coming from.
4. What happens if a shipment doesn’t match the approved sample?
This is the question that matters most and gets asked least. Get a specific answer, in writing, before you sign — not a vague “we’ll take care of it.” Ask directly: replacement, refund, or credit? Who bears the cost of return freight if it comes to that? A supplier confident in their process should have a clear answer already, not one they’re improvising on the spot.
5. Who is my point of contact after the container leaves port?
A lot of exporters are attentive right up until the sale closes, then hand you off to a generic support inbox the moment the container ships. Ask specifically whether you’ll have a single named contact for the life of the order — including after delivery, if something needs resolving — or whether post-shipment issues route through a shared queue with no continuity.
A bonus question worth asking, especially on a first order
Who’s actually loading and paying for this shipment — FOB or CIF? It’s easy to treat this as a logistics footnote rather than a contract term, but it determines who controls insurance, carrier choice, and risk timing. If you’re not sure which one you’re being quoted, or what the difference means for you, it’s worth understanding FOB vs CIF before you sign anything, not after a dispute forces you to look it up.
Why these five, specifically
Each of these questions targets a point where trust is usually assumed rather than confirmed — grading criteria, inspection timing, photo evidence, remedy terms, and post-shipment accountability. None of them are aggressive or unusual to ask. A supplier who answers all five clearly, specifically, and without hesitation has almost certainly already built their sourcing and quality process around getting these right — which is, in the end, what you’re actually trying to find out before you sign anything.
Quick Questions Buyers Ask
Q: Should these questions go into the actual purchase contract, or is a verbal answer enough?
A: Get the answers in writing, ideally as terms in the purchase order or contract itself — a verbal assurance carries no weight if a dispute actually happens.
Q: Is it reasonable to ask all five questions before even getting a quote?
A: Yes — a serious supplier won’t be put off by these questions, and their willingness to answer clearly before you’ve even placed an order is itself a useful signal.
Q: What’s the biggest red flag among these five?
A: Vague or evasive answers on remedy terms (question 4) tend to be the clearest warning sign — a supplier without a ready answer here likely hasn’t thought through what happens when something goes wrong, which is exactly when you’ll need that answer most.
