Most disputes in the claw machine trade do not start at shipment - they start at the deposit. Once money leaves your account, your leverage changes. This checklist covers what to verify in the 48 hours before you pay, so the deposit buys you a machine and not a lesson.

1. Confirm who you are actually paying

• The bank account name must match the company name on the contract and the business licence. A mismatch - "pay our boss's personal account" - is the single most common warning sign.
• Check the business licence's registered scope includes amusement equipment manufacturing or sales, and that the export licence is valid.
• Confirm the company name on the proforma invoice matches the beneficiary exactly. Third-party accounts in a different province deserve an explanation in writing.

2. Demand an itemised quotation, not a lump sum

A lump-sum price hides the specification. The quotation should separate: cabinet, claw assembly, controller board, payment hardware, lighting, artwork, packing, and any customisation. Only an itemised quote can be compared between suppliers and can be attached to the contract as the agreed specification.

3. Approve a sample or a documented golden unit

If you cannot physically receive a sample, require a golden-unit record: detailed photographs of the actual unit assigned to you, a video of the machine running, the serial number, the full BOM, and a signed spec sheet. Reference that record in the purchase order. "As per sample" without documentation is unenforceable.

4. Lock the specification into the contract

Attach to the PO and the contract:

• Model, quantity, unit price, total value, Incoterm and port.
• BOM with key component brands and models.
• Voltage, plug type, coin/bill acceptor currency and denominations.
• Software defaults: payout rate range, claw strength settings, language of prompts.
• Packing standard: carton, foam, plywood frame, ISPM-15 marking where applicable.
• Documentation: manual, wiring diagram, certificates, packing list.

5. Keep inspection rights explicit

State in the contract that you or your nominated third-party inspector may inspect before loading, and that the supplier will provide loading photos with the container seal number. Container loading photos are cheap insurance: they prove what went in, and how it was braced.

6. Get the payment schedule and channel right

Pay by bank transfer to the company account. Avoid unregulated channels and avoid cash-in-hand arrangements - they remove your ability to dispute. For a first order with a stranger, consider an escrow service or a trade assurance platform where available.

7. Write the warranty in numbers, not adjectives

"Good after-sales service" is not a warranty. Specify: duration (for example 12 months from arrival), covered parts (mainboard, motors, claw assembly, power supply), exclusions (glass, consumables, damage from misuse or unstable power), remedy (replacement parts shipped free, or credit), response time (for example within 24 hours on business days), and the spare-parts price basis after the warranty ends. Ask for the spare-parts list with prices as an annex.

8. Agree the lead time and the delay consequence

Lead times slip. Fix the production lead time in the contract, and agree what happens if it is exceeded: a shipping-date commitment, a penalty or discount, or a cancellation right after a defined delay. Vague "about 25 days" commitments cannot be enforced.

9. Check the compliance document trail matches the model

If you need CE, FCC, RoHS or a certificate of origin, confirm the certificate's model designation matches what you are buying, and that the supplier will provide the document set with the shipment. A certificate for a sibling model can create problems at customs and with your own customers.

10. Red flags that justify walking away

• Pressure to pay today because "the price is only valid until tomorrow" - on a standard model.
• Refusal to name the controller board or the claw motor.
• No factory video call, no loading photos, no wiring diagram.
• Personal bank account, or an account in a completely different company name.
• Warranty offered verbally only, with "we have never had a problem" as the justification.

Deposit-day checklist

Conclusion

Paying a deposit is a risk transfer, and it should be a documented one. Verify the entity, itemise the specification, approve a golden unit, write the warranty in numbers, and keep inspection rights. Buyers who do this rarely need lawyers - and when they do, they have the paperwork.

Guangzhou Shicheng Technology Co., Ltd. issues itemised quotations with BOM, accepts pre-shipment inspection and loading photo documentation, and provides written warranty terms with a priced spare-parts list. Request a quotation package before you commit a deposit.