Why can't I pay 100% after arrival?
You can't pay 100% after arrival because no factory or trading company can survive shipping a full container on pure trust for 25-40 days with zero funds in hand. Apex Home Export uses a 30% deposit and 70% against Bill of Lading copy, released only after you see the loading and run-test video. This protects your cash better than a 100%-on-arrival promise ever could.
Why this concern is real
Buyers in Lagos, Accra, Mombasa, Baghdad and Manila have been burned twice: some paid 100% upfront to a supplier who vanished before loading, others were told "pay on arrival" by a broker who then disappeared with a container that was never actually built or loaded. A genuine "100% after arrival" deal is rare in real China-Africa/Iraq/Philippines trade because the supplier carries all the risk for 4-6 weeks with no security. When you hear that offer, it usually means one of two things: the goods don't exist yet, or the price is inflated to cover the risk the seller is quietly taking on.
How it actually works
Standard B2B practice on mixed containers of tested used and new white-label appliances is a split payment tied to verifiable checkpoints, not to the ship's arrival date. Under our terms: 30% USD T/T deposit confirms your order and starts production/sourcing across our network of 184 pre-scanned factories. The remaining 70% is paid only after you receive a video and B/L copy proving the container is loaded and the units run-tested - typically 3-10 days before the vessel departs Guangzhou, not 25-40 days later at Lagos, Tema, Mombasa, Umm Qasr or Manila. This means your balance payment and the loading proof happen almost simultaneously, closing the trust gap without asking either side to carry all the risk.
How we handle it at Apex Home Export
Step 1: You confirm SKUs and grades - twin tubs, microwaves, blenders, water heaters, solar fans or portable ACs - and we issue a signed Proforma Invoice (PI) with bank details, confirmed by a recorded video call. Step 2: You send 30% deposit to our corporate trade account matching the contract entity name on the PI. Step 3: We pull stock from our A-list suppliers, and every used unit goes through a 27-point bench test with serial number logged (Grade A ≤3 years/90-day warranty, Grade B ≤5 years/30-day warranty, Grade C tested-working as-is). Step 4: Before the container closes, you get a loading and run-test video plus the draft Bill of Lading. Step 5: You release the 70% balance against that B/L copy. Step 6: Container ships to your port - freight bands run $1,000-1,800 to Manila, $2,500-3,500 to Mombasa, $2,800-3,500 to Tema, $2,500-4,500 to Umm Qasr, $3,000-4,000 to Lagos.
What you should do before you pay
- Confirm the bank account name matches the contract entity exactly - never pay a personal account.
- Get the PI signed and the bank details reconfirmed on a recorded video call.
- Ask for serial numbers and grade (A/B/C) on every used unit before deposit.
- Request SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek inspection at your cost if the order value justifies it.
- Insist on the loading + run-test video before sending the 70% balance - never after the ship has sailed.
Bottom line: 30% deposit plus 70% against a verified loading video protects your money far better than any promise of 100% after arrival. Message us on WhatsApp to walk through the payment schedule on your next container.