What’s the Difference Between Pre-Shipment Inspection and Final Random Inspection? | Reliable Handbag Manufacturer for Luxury Brands

1 —

January 2025.

An Italian luxury startup messaged me on LinkedIn:

“Jimmy, we failed inspection with our last factory.

Samples were great.

Bulk was a disaster.”

One week later, a UK brand told me almost the same story.

Beautiful prototypes.

Perfect presentations.

But when 2,000 bags across 5 styles arrived…

-Stitching not controlled at 6.5–7 stitches per inch

-Stitch length uneven

-Leather panels not color-matched before cutting (especially front & back panels)

-Hardware scratched

-Turn-lock hardware shipped without protective film or foam

I asked the client:

“Did you push the factory to an unrealistically low price?”

They replied:

“No. We paid a reasonable industry margin. We never trade quality for price.”

That told me everything.

As a Custom Handbag Manufacturer and Luxury Handbag OEM ODM Supplier, I see this pattern more often than people realize.

Most quality disasters don’t start in production.

They start with a broken quality control system.

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Many buyers believe:

“If I do a final inspection before shipment, I’m safe.”

That’s only half true.

Professional manufacturing has two very different checkpoints:

-Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)

-Final Random Inspection (FRI)

Factories that treat these as the same thing usually cut corners.

Brands pay the price later.

For brands working with a Private Label Bag Manufacturer or a Custom Leather Belt OEM Factory, misunderstanding this difference can lead to:

-Delayed launches

-Rework costs

-Returned inventory

-Lost retail partners

-Damaged brand reputation

3 —

Here’s the simple difference.

Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)

Done when production is 100% finished and fully packed.

Focuses on:

-Appearance

-Workmanship

-Quantity

-Labeling

-Packaging

-Basic functions

PSI answers one question:

“Does everything look okay?”

Final Random Inspection (FRI)

Based on international AQL standards (we run AQL 2.5).

Random cartons and pieces are selected from the batch.

Focuses on:

-Defect rate

-Consistency

-Risk level of shipment

-FRI answers a different question:

“Is this batch statistically safe to ship?”

At Jiean Bags, we don’t choose one.

We run both.

That’s why brands call us a Reliable Handbag Manufacturer.

4 —

Inside our factory, quality is not a department.

It’s a system.

-Incoming material inspection (leather, PU, recycled fabrics, hardware)

-Color-matching and panel pairing before cutting

-Inline inspections during sewing, edge painting, and assembly

-Pre-Shipment Inspection before packing

-Final Random Inspection based on AQL 2.5

One EU brand recently reduced return rates by 70% after switching to us.

Same designs.

Same market.

Different system.

Whether we produce handbags, wallets, or operate as a Custom Leather Belt OEM Factory, we apply the same control logic:

Design locked → Materials verified → Process monitored → Batch validated

This is what separates a factory from a long-term manufacturing partner.

5 —

If you’re evaluating a Custom Handbag Manufacturer or Luxury Handbag OEM ODM Supplier, understanding this difference can save months of delays and thousands in losses.

If you’re looking for:

-A Custom Handbag Manufacturer who understands luxury standards

-A Luxury Handbag OEM ODM Supplier who prevents problems before they ship

-A Private Label Bag Manufacturer that protects your brand reputation

-A Reliable Handbag Manufacturer for handbags, wallets, and belts

Let’s talk.

Share your concept, target market, and expected volume.

If you already have tech packs or reference samples, send them over — I’ll review and tell you honestly where risks usually hide.

Jimmy Zheng

Founder & CEO, Jiean Bags

Trusted Manufacturing Partner to 15+ Luxury Brands | GRS 4.0 Certified