Before paying, define what the sample fee buys and set a spending limit. Agree the garment, materials, physical sample quantity, revisions, shipping and any production credit. Work outside that scope needs new approval.
Buy an identifiable result
A swatch helps select structure, not finished fit. A substitute-colour prototype leaves final colour open; a size set answers more than a reference-size sample. Record stage, yarn assumptions, size, colour, finishing, trims and quantity. Identify which decisions still require production materials. Add this commercial scope to the WTBF sampling brief.
Define what a revision includes
Does a revision mean consolidated comments, programming or a newly made garment? Is another shipment included?
| Situation | Agreement needed |
|---|---|
| Sample departs from agreed requirements | Correction responsibility, charges and timing |
| Buyer changes silhouette | New development quotation before work |
| Buyer changes yarn or decoration | Additional trials, materials and setup |
| Reviewers give conflicting comments | One buyer contact consolidates instructions |
| One detail remains open | Detail trial, revised garment or documented exception |
These are proposed controls, not WTBF charging policies. Confirm included revisions and correction costs in the quotation.
Separate charges and credit conditions
Itemize development, materials, sample quantities, agreed tests and courier costs; state currency and payment or delivery charges. Distinguish a development fee from a refundable deposit. Specify deliverables and usage rights; paying for samples does not automatically transfer knitting programs or supplier working files.
For production credit, agree qualifying order, amount, expiry if any and where it appears. Budget the sample payment until written credit applies. The WTBF pricing page establishes neither fixed sample fees nor automatic refunds.
Turn a sample quotation into a comparison sheet
Ask each supplier to answer the same brief. Record the style revision, purpose of the sample, proposed yarn, actual colour, size, finishing and trims in separate fields. Add the physical garments delivered, work included, excluded work, shipment arrangements and the person authorized to approve extras. Leave unanswered fields marked as open; an empty price cell does not mean the item is free.
Compare what each proposal allows you to decide. An early swatch might resolve stitch appearance while leaving garment balance, neck access and wash behaviour unapproved. A substitute-yarn prototype may help discuss proportions but cannot establish the final material's handfeel. If a decision remains open, put the next required sample beside it and ask whether its cost is included. This makes a low initial quote comparable with a more complete development proposal.
Work through the budget before approving extras
The following amounts are hypothetical planning figures in one agreed currency, not WTBF prices. Suppose development costs 500, physical prototypes cost 2 × 60, and the first courier shipment costs 80. The initial commitment is 500 + 120 + 80 = 700. Before accepting that total, confirm that the prototype charge is additional to development rather than already included.
After the fit review, suppose the buyer changes the neckline. An approved extra revision costs 150 and its shipment costs 60, adding 210. The revised cash budget is 700 + 210 = 910. A proposed production credit of 200 would reduce the combined net outlay to 710 only if its written conditions are met and it is actually applied. Until then, the buyer still needs to fund 910. This illustration assumes no other charges; taxes, payment fees, testing and further samples must be added if applicable.
| Budget line | What to record before approval |
|---|---|
| Initial scope | Deliverables, amount, currency, exclusions and acceptance stage |
| Additional revision | Changed requirement, new output, price and approver |
| Shipping | Origin, destination, included shipment and extra dispatch cost |
| Conditional credit | Qualifying order, amount, expiry and invoice treatment |
| Remaining uncertainty | Next decision, required evidence and unquoted work |
If the total exceeds the budget, choose which decision to postpone rather than asking for an undefined cheaper sample. Reducing colour variations may preserve the fit review; replacing the intended material may leave material approval unresolved. Record the consequence of the chosen reduction.
Close a revision with evidence, not an informal message
Keep the supplier's quotation, sample identifier and dated comment sheet together. Separate a discrepancy against the agreed specification from a new buyer preference: include the original requirement, observation and requested result. A photograph can locate a problem, but add the measurement point or construction detail needed to reproduce the instruction. Let the supplier confirm the proposed correction, commercial responsibility and revised delivery before work starts.
Nominate one person to resolve conflicting comments from design, buying and technical teams. At the next review, mark each point accepted, rejected or still open. When only a detail is pending, decide whether a local trial, replacement garment or explicitly limited approval is sufficient; do not silently treat a partial approval as permission for production. This record gives the next payment a defined purpose and prevents the same unresolved issue being charged or sampled again without explanation.
Release the next stage deliberately
Hypothetical example, not a WTBF offer: after a prototype and consolidated fit revision, a brand requests another neckline, colour and size set. It approves a separate price and delivery plan first. Close comments after each review and name who may authorize further charges.
Sampling does not reserve production capacity unless expressly agreed. Compare quotes by deliverables and unresolved decisions. Send references, yarn, stage, quantities, size chart, priorities and address through the WTBF inquiry; confirm scope, fees, courier and credit terms before starting.