A quality agreement is the contract with a charger factory that defines what counts as a defect, how shipments are judged, and what the factory must do when quality fails — sort, rework, replace or credit. It is not the product warranty — that protects the end user; the quality agreement governs acceptance and remedies between the two businesses. It only works if five things are pinned down before the first order: defect classes, the sampling basis, a defect-rate clause, the remedy ladder, and the claim window with its evidence format.
Key Takeaways
- A quality agreement is a B2B contract, separate from the end-user warranty.
- Define defect classes and the sampling basis; the method itself lives in the inspection guide.
- Defect rates are negotiated, never copied; example wording is only a starting point.
- Pin down the remedy ladder, the claim window and the evidence format before the first order.
Start With Definitions and the Sampling Basis
The agreement’s first job is vocabulary. It defines critical, major and minor defects tied to your product, with a photographic annexe of agreed examples. It then names the sampling standard and inspection level used to judge lots, and the acceptance limit per defect class.
How that sampling works in practice is covered in our guide to pre-shipment inspection and AQL sampling. The agreement makes it contractual, so the same yardstick applies to every order. Attach the checklist and defect list as annexes so all parties judge by the same documents.
Defect-Rate Language: A Target You Negotiate
Rate commitments come in two forms: lot acceptance judges each shipment by sampling before it leaves; field performance tracks confirmed failures after sale, catching what sampling cannot see. A serious agreement uses both, with counting rules defined: what counts as a confirmed failure, who confirms it, over what window.
There is no industry-standard defect rate to copy. The figure depends on the product class, your return and support costs, and your history with the factory. Treat any number as a negotiation, not a benchmark — including this example, which is wording to adapt:
Example clause language (illustrative only — set your own figure, with advice): “If confirmed field failures exceed 1% of units shipped in a calendar quarter, the factory will agree a corrective plan and replacement stock within 30 days.”
Add certification upkeep: the factory maintains the safety listings your market requires and notifies you of any change affecting them.
The Remedy Ladder
Remedies work as a ladder — each step has a trigger, an action and a cost owner:
| Trigger | Remedy | Details to pin down |
|---|---|---|
| A lot fails inspection | Sort or rework at the factory’s cost, then re-inspection | Who pays for re-inspection; retries allowed before rejection |
| Dead-on-arrival units above the agreed threshold | Replacement units | With the next order or separately; who pays that freight |
| Confirmed field failures above the agreed rate | Replacement stock or credit | How failures are confirmed; the counting window |
| A defect that cannot be corrected | Credit or refund for the affected units | How affected units are identified, usually by serial range |
Claim Windows and Evidence
Set the claim window from a clear start point — delivery or lot acceptance — and diarize it. A late claim fails regardless of its merits, so the start point deserves the same care as the remedies.
Agree the evidence format in advance: serial numbers, photographs or video, a short failure description, and quantities. Spare parts belong in the same conversation — which parts, supplied how, at whose cost: specify it, do not assume it. Our guide to spare parts and the RMA process shows the distributor side.
Quality Terms With EVDANCE
EVDANCE, a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011 and exporting to more than 30 countries, gives its chargers a 3-year standard warranty.
A quality agreement sits alongside that warranty as a separate B2B document: raise defect definitions, the sampling basis and the remedy ladder before the first order, not after the first failure. Have the final text reviewed by your own legal adviser — this article explains the method, not legal advice. Start through the resellers and distributors program or contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a quality agreement the same as a warranty?
No. A warranty — EVDANCE’s standard term is 3 years — covers repair or replacement. A quality agreement is a B2B contract: it governs lot acceptance and the remedies between buyer and factory.
What defect rate should I demand?
Base it on your return and support costs, the product class and your trading history, and define how failures are counted. Example wording is a starting point, not a norm.
Do I need a lawyer for a quality agreement?
Yes — have your own legal adviser review the final text before signing; small wording differences change who pays when a lot fails.
Related Reading
- Pre-Shipment Inspection and AQL Sampling for EV Charger Orders
- EV Charger Warranty and After-Sales Terms: A Distributor’s Checklist
- EV Charger Spare Parts and RMA Process for Distributors
- Common EV Charger Faults and How Suppliers Should Handle Them
