Importing help from Pakistan

I have been ordering my products from my supplier in Pakistan and they always seem to make some sort of mistake. To avoid this I was thinking maybe I could hire someone in Pakistan to simply go to their factory and check all the products, pretty much give him a checklist and if everything checks out then my supplier can ship the products.

Is there a name for this type of person I need. And does anyone have this sort of experience that can give me any inputs, of importing from any country?

 

It would be a a Agent. A agent to work for you out there. I work for a company, and we have about three-four agents of our own in a different country doing all the overseeing, and searching for anything we ask for also from Southern Asia. Depending on the minimum wage in Pakistan, it is supposed to be around 8000 PKR, so equates to about $96 a month, so a wage of $3.20 a day. Shouldn't cost too much.

 

How exactly would I go about finding these agents, a trustworthy one to work for me out there?

 

Go to the local Pakistan forums, I'm sure you'll find something. I was able to find help in Indo the same way, just searched out local forums for a guy to help with sourcing of products.

 

^ The way he said it would be the correct way of doing. Look around, I will see if I can help you out at all and get you in contact with someone. If you need more help PM me, and we can talk via that or MSN.

 

Minimum wage will get you an illiterate person. And he won't be able to speak in English.

The sort of person the OP is looking for will cost at least $1000 per month in wages. Its not simply a matter of going to the factory and getting a guided tour. What's to stop the factory owners from switching products once the agent has left? Sounds like bloody complicated business to me. Its like that over here. You have to wade through a lot of bull shit before you can get what you want.

 

I never said that he would get away with paying minimum wage for an agent, I was just giving him a general term to base his costs off of. And in no way will it cost him at least $1000 per month in wages, much much less then that.. I know how business is when it comes to Asia. I work everyday with suppliers from both India, and China, and we have a few agents, one in particular that does most of our work out there.

 

Well I live in Pakistan and used to live in Sri Lanka. Both countries are home to huge garments factories. I think the person he is looking for is someone who is called a merchandiser. An individual, often hired by garment exporters, who deals with foreign clients. In his case he is looking for a merchandiser who will act as his purchasing agent. Experienced merchandisers can demand $1000 per month in wages.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_role_of_merchandiser_in_garment_industry