A few days ago, we received an email that read something like this:
"I am looking to purchase 1 million packs of A4 80 GSM paper to be shipped to the Dominican Republic. Please provide me with your best price, including shipping and payment terms. For faster communication, feel free to call me at..."
Sounds exciting, right? A million packs of A4 paper. Probably a million-dollar order. Except—it’s not. Let me be clear: we didn't reply to this email. And we won’t. Here's why.
First, we don’t even sell paper. We’re a professional printing company. But even if we did, no experienced sales rep—especially in international trade—should waste time on these types of emails. Why? Because this isn’t a real client. No one places a seven-figure order on their first contact. No one serious writes a three-line message asking for a full quote, shipping included, across continents.
Second, the inquiry is totally vague and technically meaningless. For those not in the industry, “A4 80 GSM paper” sounds straightforward. But in reality, even this common spec varies greatly by brand, whiteness, thickness, and stiffness. Prices differ accordingly. A request for the “best price” means absolutely nothing unless you also define whether you want the cheapest stuff out there—or the highest quality. You can’t have both.
Third, calculating international freight is a time-consuming process. Factories and forwarders need to evaluate volume, weight, shipping method, and destination logistics. But here's the harsh truth: this guy is never going to place an actual order.
And here's where things get more serious.
Experienced salespeople in China have seen this movie before. These types of emails often escalate into strange requests—like “please send an official factory invitation letter so I can visit.” Spoiler alert: their real goal is not to buy your product. It’s to get a visa. Once they land in China, they disappear. It's a subtle form of illegal immigration, using fake purchasing interest to get past the visa system. It’s happened before. It'll happen again.
Now, to be clear, I’m not here to expose scams or name names. This blog is a gentle (okay, maybe not so gentle) reminder to the younger generation in our business and anyone new to international trade: use your brain. Don’t chase fantasy orders. Focus on real customers—the ones who ask good questions, give specific specs, understand the industry, and genuinely want solutions.
That’s how you build trust. That’s how you build long-term business. That’s how you make a difference.
So no, we won’t quote your “1 million packs of paper.” But if you’re a serious client with a real printing need—we’ll move mountains for you.