A quiet reminder from one business owner to another.
A few weeks ago, I received a message from a German buyer I didn’t know.
She wasn’t writing to place an order.
She was writing because she was frustrated—and maybe a little heartbroken.
Her company had just ordered 2,000 umbrellas from a supplier on a large global platform. When the shipment arrived, about 40% of the umbrellas had broken frames.
She showed me pictures.
Bent ribs. Handles falling off. Frames that couldn’t even open properly.
“I’m done with this supplier,” she wrote. “I need a new one. Can we work together?”
I’ve been in this business long enough to know that switching suppliers is often the first reaction.
But I also know that the real problem often lies deeper.
So I didn’t send her a quote right away.
Instead, I asked her a few questions:
- Had she visited the supplier’s factory?
- Did she ask for a pre-shipment inspection?
- Did she get a testing report for the umbrella frame?
- Why did she choose this supplier in the first place?
She was honest:
“The price was low. They had good ratings on the platform. And I was in a rush.”
I understood.
We all want things fast, and we all want things cheap.
But as I told her, in this industry—and in many others—you can’t cheat quality.
The hard truth?
- Not all factories listed online are real manufacturers.
- Not all “5-star suppliers” have 5-star materials.
- And “cheaper” is only cheap until the complaints start coming in.
Her team lost not just money, but time, reputation, and client trust.
And all because of a decision that looked smart on paper.
We did end up working together.
But before we talked products, we talked process.
We walked through specs, discussed testing, and clarified expectations.
She said something at the end of our first call that stuck with me:
“I don’t just want a new supplier. I want a partner I don’t have to worry about.”
That, I thought, is the real shift.
So if you’ve been burned by a bad order,
Or you’re considering switching suppliers right now—
Just a quiet reminder from someone who’s been here a while:
✅ Don’t just look at price. Look at process.
✅ Don’t just look at platforms. Look at people.
✅ Don’t just switch. Choose better.
Because in the long run, trust is the most expensive thing to lose.
If you ever want to talk about how to find the right umbrella supplier—not a perfect one, but a responsible one—
I’m here. No pressure. No pitch.
Just a note from someone who cares about the same things you do. Want to avoid these painful mistakes in your next order? Here’s a free checklist we give to all our clients before production starts. Talk to Us