How to check a supplier before your first order

What are you trying to verify?

Separate three questions: who is making the offer, whether that business can supply your specification, and what happens if the order goes wrong. A website or registration record answers only part of the first question. A polished catalogue does not establish current stock, production capacity or authority to sell a particular brand.

Start with a small evidence file: the dated quotation, the business’s stated identity, the product specification and a list of open questions. Keep an item marked “unconfirmed” until you have an answer you can trace. You do not need to collect someone’s private identity documents to ask for ordinary business details.

Checking an Armenian business record

For a supplier presenting itself as an Armenian business, begin with the Ministry of Justice’s current digital registry portal. It lists company information and registration-information services. Use the exact legal name and identifier supplied by the business; a familiar trading name alone can be ambiguous.

The portal distinguishes its current services from an older website whose information is dated 25 December 2025. Do not treat a result from that archive as proof of current status. Check the current service’s access requirements and record the date and scope of the information you obtained.

A registry check is an identity step, not a recommendation. If the offer is from a business registered elsewhere, use that jurisdiction’s official source. Do not force a foreign business into an Armenian-only check.

Source: Armenian Ministry of Justice: current registry portal

Ask for evidence tied to your order

Send a short, numbered specification. If you need a particular size, material or compatible model, ask the seller to confirm each point against the exact item offered. Ask which details are measured, which come from the manufacturer and which are still awaiting confirmation.

For example, a photo of a sealed carton may show packaging but not the number or condition of items inside. Write down the remaining question and agree how it will be answered. For products that require specialist safety or compliance checks, use a qualified reviewer; a photo or sample inspection is not a substitute.

When should you pause the purchase?

Pause when a material detail conflicts across the quotation, business record and conversation, or when the seller will not clarify the exact item and delivery scope. A mismatch is a reason to investigate, not proof of wrongdoing. Ask for a corrected quotation that resolves the discrepancy.

If payment instructions change, verify the change through a business contact channel you already established independently. Do not rely only on replying to the same message that announced the change. Before committing, retain the final specification and the terms both sides accepted.

Turn the evidence into a next step

Use one of three decisions: ready to discuss an order, waiting for named evidence, or unsuitable for this purchase. Add a short reason and an owner for the next action. This is more useful than assigning an unexplained “trusted supplier” score.

General supplier-selection guidance also recommends comparing suitability beyond price and maintaining clear supplier arrangements. The checklist here is our editorial purchasing aid; it is not a certification process or a claim that iEquity Market has verified a named seller.

Source: business.gov.au: working with suppliers