Buyer protection guide
Chinese supplier not shipping goods after payment?
When a China steel order stalls after a deposit or balance payment, the difference between a genuine delay and a non-delivery scam comes down to verifiable proof. Here is why suppliers stall or disappear after payment, how to tell which one you're facing, and the time-critical steps to get your goods shipped or your money back.
Order placed and the ship date is slipping
Demand verifiable proof of production and shipment now, and hold any balance payment until you have it. The steps below separate a real delay from a scam before more money is lost.
Run the verification checklistSupplier has gone quiet after payment
Treat it as non-delivery fraud and act on recovery immediately — wire recalls and disputes are only realistic in the first hours and days.
How to recover your moneyWhen “not shipping yet” becomes a non-delivery scam
A non-delivery scam is any deal where you pay a Chinese supplier and the goods never ship. It usually starts as what looks like a delayed shipment after payment: a China supplier takes your deposit with no shipment following, or a factory keeps promising a sail date that never arrives. At some point a stalling supplier is no longer late — they are holding your money with no intention of delivering.
The tell is verifiable proof. A genuine delay is backed by dated production photos, a shipping-line booking, and a bill of lading you can confirm with the carrier. When a Chinese supplier is not shipping goods and can only offer excuses — or has disappeared after receiving the balance payment — the order has crossed from delay into fraud, and your response should change accordingly.
How non-delivery after payment actually happens
Non-delivery shows up in a few recurring forms. Recognising which one you’re in tells you how urgently to act.
Deposit-then-disappear
The supplier takes a 30% deposit, confirms the order, then slows down: production photos are delayed, the ship date slips, and eventually the messages stop. Nothing was ever going to ship — the deposit was the whole objective.
Balance-then-vanish
A genuine-looking order runs normally until the balance is due. Once the final payment lands, the supplier goes quiet and the goods never leave the port. This is why releasing the balance before proof of shipment is so dangerous.
Full payment before shipment
A supplier who insists on 100% up front, or converts a deposit deal into full prepayment at the last minute, removes your only leverage. Legitimate mills rarely need the entire sum before a single coil is loaded.
Endless new fees
The goods are “ready,” but first there is a customs fee, then an inspection fee, then a storage charge — each one required before shipment. The order never sails; the fees are the scam.
Documented non-delivery fraud patterns
These documented cases share the non-delivery mechanism — each links to a full breakdown with red flags and defenses.
How to tell a real delay from non-delivery fraud
One question settles it: can the supplier prove the goods exist and are moving? These checks turn “still waiting” into a clear answer.
- Ask for dated production photos holding today's newspaper — a stalling scammer cannot produce goods that were never made.
- Request the shipping-line booking and a bill of lading, then verify the B/L number directly with the carrier — fake B/Ls are common.
- Watch for shifting demands: full payment before shipment, or new customs/inspection/storage fees required before they will ship.
- Note communication changes — slower replies, switched contacts, or a new bank account are classic pre-disappearance signals.
How to avoid a non-delivery scam
Non-delivery is preventable with payment terms and proof requirements that keep your leverage until the goods are actually moving.
- 1Never pay 100% up front — use a deposit with the balance against a copy bill of lading, or a letter of credit for large orders.
- 2Write a firm shipment date and a proof-of-shipment requirement into the contract before you send any money.
- 3Verify the supplier is a real, registered mill or trader before the first payment, not after the goods are late.
- 4Pay through channels with recourse (Trade Assurance, letter of credit, or card) rather than an irreversible wire where possible.
Order never delivered? Do this now
If a China steel order was never delivered and the supplier is stalling or silent, work through these in order — the first 24-72 hours matter most.
- 1Put every request in writing and set a firm shipment deadline referencing the contract — a stalling supplier often goes quiet the moment demands are documented.
- 2Ask for verifiable proof of production and shipment: dated photos with today's newspaper, the booking with the shipping line, and a bill of lading you can check with the carrier.
- 3If you paid by bank wire (T/T), contact your bank immediately about a wire recall — this is only realistic in the first 24-72 hours.
- 4Open a dispute on the platform (Trade Assurance / Alibaba) or your card issuer if you paid through those channels, citing non-delivery.
- 5File a fraud report in your home country for an official case number, and report the supplier so other importers are warned.
Supplier not shipping goods: frequently asked questions
My Chinese supplier is not shipping goods after payment — is it a scam or a delay?
Treat it as a potential non-delivery scam once verifiable proof stops. A genuine delay comes with dated production photos, a shipping-line booking, and a bill of lading you can check with the carrier. A supplier that only offers excuses, keeps moving the ship date, or goes quiet after payment is showing the deposit-then-disappear pattern — act on recovery quickly rather than waiting.
I paid a China steel supplier and there is no delivery — what should I do first?
Move fast. Put a firm written shipment deadline in writing, demand verifiable proof of shipment, and if you paid by bank wire, contact your bank about a recall within the first 24-72 hours. If you used Trade Assurance or a credit card, open a non-delivery dispute. The sooner you act, the more of your money is recoverable.
The supplier took my deposit and there is no shipment — can I get the deposit back?
Sometimes, if you act immediately. A T/T wire can occasionally be recalled or frozen within the first few days, and platform or card disputes can claw back a deposit paid through those channels. Once the funds are withdrawn or moved offshore, recovery usually needs a formal fraud report and, for larger sums, legal action in China. See our guide on recovering money from a Chinese supplier.
My Chinese supplier wants full payment before shipment — is that normal?
It is a major red flag. Standard steel trade terms are a deposit (often 30%) with the balance against a copy bill of lading or a letter of credit — not 100% up front. A supplier who demands full prepayment, or switches to it at the last minute, is removing your leverage and matching the profile of a non-delivery scam.
The supplier disappeared after receiving the balance payment — what now?
Treat it as fraud, not a delay. Preserve every message, invoice, and payment record, start a bank wire recall if the transfer is recent, file a fraud report for a case number, and report the supplier. If the loss is large, recovery may require arbitration or litigation in China — our recovery guide explains the realistic options by payment method.