Home Questions buyers ask
Questions buyers ask
What importers, brand owners and first-time sellers ask before they order from India, answered plainly. Where an answer rests on a rule, we read it at its source on 5 November 2026; the two answers on the ISO inspection standard and the ICC letter-of-credit rules were last read on 23 September 2026.
We are new, and some answers depend on the order, so we do not publish prices, lead times or minimums; ask us for a written quote. If your question is not here, ask us.
Getting started
How do I start importing leather goods from India?
Start with a written specification: the product, material, size, finish, quantity and destination. Then ask for a sample, agree the price and payment terms in writing, and decide who arranges the freight. In your own country you may need an importer number (in the UK, an EORI number) and a customs broker. We handle the India side: the maker, the checks and the export papers.
Should I buy from a trader or direct from a factory in India?
Buying direct can cost less if you can find, check and manage the maker yourself, from abroad. A trader is paid to do that work. We are export traders: we find a maker that fits, agree the specification with you in writing, inspect the goods before they leave, and prepare the export papers in our name.
Can you send a price list or a catalogue?
Not a priced one. Our product pages list what the makers produce, with what to tell us for each item, for example card slots and edge finish for a wallet. Send us your list, quantities and destination, and we reply with questions and then a written quote.
Where is your office in Kolkata?
We are in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. We do not publish a street address online; it appears on our invoices and export papers, and we give it in writing to any buyer who needs it for an order.
Are you real?
Is Vaishvik Exports legitimate? Where are the reviews?
We are new, and we say so. Vaishvik Exports LLP was incorporated in Kolkata in March 2026 (LLPIN ACW-7074; GSTIN 19ABBFV8955D1ZR). You can check both yourself: the LLPIN on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, and the GSTIN with Search Taxpayer on the GST portal. We have not shipped an order yet, so there are no reviews or client names to show. What we offer instead: a written specification, a sample before any order, a small first order, and inspection before the goods leave the maker.
Are vaishviks.com and Vaishvik Exports LLP the same company?
Yes. The company is Vaishvik Exports LLP, registered in Kolkata (LLPIN ACW-7074), and that full name is on all our papers. vaishviks.com is only our web and email address, chosen because it was the closest name available; it is not a separate business or brand.
Can I visit you, and the maker, in Kolkata?
Yes, you are welcome to meet us in Kolkata; tell us your dates. We are traders, so a factory visit means going together to the workshop or mill that would make your goods. We arrange it with the maker in advance.
What certificates do you hold?
We hold no certificates ourselves. Certificates such as the Leather Working Group's cover leather makers: LWG sets audit standards for leather manufacturers. If your brand needs one, such as leather from an LWG-rated tannery, tell us before sampling and we will ask the maker to show the current certificate.
A supplier wants an advance payment. How do I avoid a scam?
A UK National Crime Agency guide lists the warning signs: pressure to make a large or unusual payment urgently, a request to change a supplier's bank details, and emails with odd wording or spelling mistakes. Its advice is to double-check any payment request by a second route, using contact details from another source, such as a phone call or a meeting. If in doubt, do not send the money.
Samples and quality
What does AQL mean in an inspection?
AQL means acceptance quality limit, from the sampling tables in ISO 2859-1, now in its 2026 edition. The right level depends on your product and market; tell us yours and we write it into the specification.
Payment
What is a letter of credit, and how does it work?
A letter of credit is a bank's promise to pay the seller when the seller presents documents that match its terms exactly. The bank checks the documents, not the goods, so ask for the documents that protect you, such as an inspection certificate. Most letters of credit are issued under the International Chamber of Commerce rules known as UCP 600.
Your brand, your packaging
Can you make goods under my own brand (private label)?
Private label means the goods carry your brand, made to a specification you approve. Every category on our site can be made that way. The minimum for a branded run depends on the item and the logo method; tell us the quantity you have in mind and we check it with the maker before any sample money is spent.
Starting an online shop
Do you dropship to my customers?
No. We ship in bulk on FCA Kolkata terms to you or your forwarder, not single parcels to your customers. If you plan to sell single orders across borders, check the small-parcel rules first: the US has suspended duty-free entry for low-value shipments from every country, and the EU charges €3 per item on small consumer parcels from 1 July 2026.
What is landed cost, and what is in your price?
Landed cost is the price of the goods plus everything to your door: freight from Kolkata, insurance, import duty, import VAT or sales tax, broker fees and local delivery. On our FCA terms, freight starts at the handover in Kolkata, so ask your forwarder to quote from there. Our quote covers the goods, cleared for export and handed over.
Ask us yours
If your question is not here, write to us or send a WhatsApp message. We reply by email within a working day.