Three Quotes, Compared

Three Quotes, Compared approaches three suppliers with one written spec, gathers real quotes, and rebuilds them on the same incoterm and quantity so you can see the true market price in ten working days.

You have three quotes in your inbox and they do not line up. One is FOB, one is EXW, one says CIF and negotiable. One is for 1,000 units, one for 5,000. One includes the mould, one never mentions it. You cannot tell which is cheapest, so you take the lowest number and find out later what it left out.

Asking for quotes yourself is free, and that is exactly why they do not line up: a supplier who knows you cannot compare has no reason to make it easy. We approach the suppliers ourselves with one written spec, so every quote answers the same question. Then we rebuild all three on the same incoterm and the same quantity, put tooling, packaging, freight and payment terms in one table, and tell you what the real gap is.

Price: $1,500 — fixed price. Turnaround: 10 working days.

The verdict you get: Closes with a clear GEB verdict — which quote to take, what to push back on and what to walk away from — plus a confidence level and the cost line most likely to move after you order. Not a data dump; a decision.

What you receive

• 3 suppliers approached with 1 written spec, so every quote answers the same question
• All 3 quotes normalised to the same incoterm and the same quantity
• Tooling, packaging, freight, payment terms and lead time set out side by side
• The true landed cost per unit, and the point where the cheapest quote stops being cheapest
• A reviewer's read on which quote to take and what to negotiate, in 10 working days

Best for

• A spec that is fixed enough to quote and an order big enough to matter
• Buyers who suspect they are being quoted a beginner's price
• Choosing between suppliers you already trust, on price and terms alone

Not for: Not a negotiation service, and not a guarantee that any supplier will hold the quoted price. We gather and compare; we do not sign on your behalf. If your spec is still moving, fix it first. For vetting, samples and negotiation together, go to the Full Sourcing Pack.

Natural next step: Full Sourcing Pack.

Frequently asked questions

What do you need from me?

One spec, one quantity and one destination port. If the spec is not written down yet, the checkout questionnaire walks you through the parts that matter and we write it up before approaching anyone.

How fast is it?

Ten working days. Most of the wait is the suppliers, not us.

What if a supplier will not quote?

We replace them and say so in the report. You get three real quotes, or a plain explanation of why the market would not give a third.