How to Find and Vet a Dropshipping Supplier in Ukraine

Choose a dropshipping supplier after checking its business details, product documents, and several test orders. Before you start selling, agree in writing on purchase prices, extra charges, stock confirmation, dispatch times, and the returns process. Calculate how much your store earns after accounting for customer refusals and order handling costs.

Determine separately who sells the product to the customer, accepts payment, provides documents, and handles complaints. If your store is the seller, organize your operations so you can meet your obligations even when the supplier delays dispatch or cannot confirm that a product is in stock.

First, define your store’s role and supplier requirements

Prepare a short description of your planned operation to screen potential partners: which products you will sell, where orders need to be delivered, how many shipments you expect at the start, and what delivery times you can tell customers to expect. Add requirements for packaging, documents inside the parcel, warranty service, and the returns address.

Clarify the role your business will play. If your store enters into a contract with the customer in its own name, your offer, order confirmation, and documents should make clear who the seller is. If you only refer customers to another company, agree on how the parties will be presented, how you will be paid, and how customer enquiries will be handled before launch.

Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine “On E-Commerce” requires sellers to make their identifying and contact details accessible. Meanwhile, Part 2 of Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” requires customers to be told the seller’s name, location, and complaints process before a distance sale. A store name on social media alone does not settle who is responsible to the customer.

Where to find candidates and get in touch with them directly

A practical way to start looking is to make a list of manufacturers, importers, and wholesalers in your product category. Use their own websites, contact details on product packaging, and professional referrals. In search queries, combine the category name with terms such as “manufacturer,” “wholesale,” “distributor,” “dropshipping,” or “ship to customer.”

Use a directory or listing as a source of contact details. Then verify the specific sole proprietor or company: who will sign the contract, whom you will pay, and where the product will ship from. Another seller’s review can help you formulate questions, but it does not confirm the current terms of your own arrangement.

1. Find a phone number or email address on the candidate’s own website.
2. Contact them using those details and confirm that the manager who sent the offer represents that company.
3. Ask for the written dropshipping terms, business details, a sample invoice, and a draft contract.
4. Record the answers in one spreadsheet so you can compare the same terms: price, dispatch, returns, payment, and stock confirmation.

Do not rule out a candidate solely because it charges a fee for order handling or catalogue access. To decide, find out exactly what you are paying for, what services you receive, how the arrangement can be ended, and whether the financial result remains acceptable.

How to check the company, business details, and invoice

Ask for the full legal entity name or the first name, patronymic, and surname of the individual entrepreneur, its identification code, address, and bank details. Independently check the registration information against the official source—the Unified State Register. If you use an extract supplied by the partner, verify it through the issuer’s official resource rather than relying only on an image of the document in a message.

Then compare the details in the contract, invoice, and payment recipient’s bank information. If one company issues the documents but you are asked to transfer money to another person, request a written explanation and documents confirming that person’s role in the payments. It is better to hold the payment until the reason is clear. If a representative signs the contract, ask what confirms their authority to do so.

Check these details again if you are told that the bank account has changed. Before paying, confirm the new details through a contact you have already verified. Registration details confirm information about the business entity, but they do not prove product quality or the ability to fulfil orders on time.

What product documents and information to request

For each category, prepare a list of what you need before publishing product listings. Ask for documents showing the product’s origin and the basis for its supply, information about the manufacturer and importer, specifications, labelling, instructions for use, warranty terms, and conformity documents if required for the specific product. Separately, agree on permission to use the supplier’s photos and descriptions.

Article 15 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” provides for giving customers the necessary, accurate, and timely information about products. It also takes into account special requirements for certain types of goods, including technical regulations. So do not adopt a blanket rule that “every product needs a certificate”: first find out what applies to your chosen category.

• Match the document to the product. Check the model, item number, manufacturer, and scope of the document. A document for a different model does not confirm the specifications of your item.
• Check that the information is complete. Compare the catalogue description, sample labelling, and instructions. Ask how the customer will receive the information in Ukrainian.
• Clarify storage requirements. For products with an expiry date or special storage conditions, agree on the minimum remaining shelf life and how it will be checked before dispatch.
• Agree on what happens when a problem is found. Decide who will stop dispatch, provide corrected documents, and notify you about unsafe or incorrectly described goods.

Do not publish unverified product claims. Under Part 8 of Article 15, a seller is not relieved of liability because the manufacturer or importer failed to provide the relevant information.

Check a sample and the full order journey

First, place an order to your own address using the supplier’s standard process. Keep a record of the agreed price, the time stock availability was confirmed, and the promised dispatch time. When the product arrives, compare it with the listing: model, size, colour, contents, condition, labelling, and documents.

Check the packaging separately: whether it protects the product, whether it is damaged, and whether it contains the agreed documents. Find out whether the supplier can ship without third-party advertising materials if your store needs that. Do not assume this service is available until the partner confirms it.

Compare the time you receive a tracking number with the time the parcel is actually handed to the carrier. Creating a shipping label does not tell you when the product was dispatched to the customer. Also check how the manager will notify you of a delay and whether they can provide a revised timeline.

Agree on the sample return process in advance. An entrepreneur buying a product for business use cannot assume that consumer return rules apply. For the test, it is enough to check the agreed process without inventing a defect complaint.

How to manage stock and price changes

Agree on how your store will receive stock figures and price lists: by file, through an account portal, or by written confirmation from a manager. Whichever method you use, you need to know when the information was last updated, have stable item numbers, and understand what the statuses “in stock,” “available to order,” and “out of stock” mean.

A practical recommendation is to set the maximum acceptable time without an update for your category. If that period passes, temporarily stop confirming availability for the affected items and request stock figures manually. For fast-selling products, agree on a reservation: when it starts, how long it lasts, and what happens when it expires.

1. Before confirming an order, check the current purchase price and available quantity.
2. Get confirmation of the reservation if the partner offers one.
3. If the information has not arrived, tell the customer when you can confirm availability.
4. If the product is out of stock, offer the customer the option to approve an alternative or cancel the order, with the payment settled appropriately.

Under Part 6 of Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection”, unless the distance contract provides otherwise, the product must be delivered within a reasonable time and no later than thirty days after the consumer agrees to enter into the contract. If the seller cannot fulfil the order because the product is unavailable, the seller must notify the consumer immediately, and no later than the end of that thirty-day period.

The same provision permits a standard replacement term agreed in advance only if specific requirements are met: the replacement serves the intended purpose, is of the same or better quality, and does not cost more. The customer must be informed of this term before entering into the contract. For day-to-day operations, it is advisable to agree on a specific replacement with the customer separately.

What to put in the supplier contract

Ask the partner to agree in writing on the matters below. This is a practical list to help prepare a contract; adapt it to the product, sales method, and payment arrangements.

If you accept an electronic offer, save its text along with the appendices and fee schedules that were in effect at the time you accepted it. Article 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On E-Commerce” governs offers and acceptance of electronic contracts, including access to documents they refer to. Check which specific action constitutes your acceptance before taking it.

How to manage payment, complaints, and customer returns

Give your store manager one clear process: receive the enquiry, find the order, clarify what the customer wants, explain the next steps, and send the supplier the information they need. Internal discussions between partners should not leave the customer without a response from the seller.

Articles 11 and 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On E-Commerce” provide for confirmation of an electronic transaction and receipt of funds. Agree before launch who will provide the relevant documents to the customer and how. The transaction confirmation must include information such as the seller’s details, how to submit a complaint, exchange and return terms, and warranty obligations.

For distance sales, Part 4 of Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” provides for a consumer’s right to notify the seller of cancellation within fourteen days from when the information is confirmed or the goods or first delivery are received. If confirmation of the information does not meet the requirements of Part 3 of Article 13, the consumer has ninety days to cancel the contract from the date they receive that information; for physical goods, the period runs from receipt of the goods or first delivery. If the seller corrects the confirmation during those ninety days, the consumer has fourteen days from receipt of the corrected confirmation. Returning physical goods also indicates cancellation of the contract.

Take account of the exceptions in Part 5 of Article 13. In particular, unless the contract provides otherwise, the right to cancel does not apply to goods made or modified to order that cannot be sold to another person or can be sold only at a significant financial loss. A separate exception applies to sealed computer software media that have been opened. Check whether an exception applies to the specific product before adding a restriction to your store’s terms.

Part 7 of Article 13 applies Parts 5–9 of Article 12 to distance contracts. When a contract is cancelled this way, the seller pays for the return of the goods and reimburses the customer’s related costs. The customer must keep the goods in unchanged condition, but opening the packaging, inspecting, and checking the goods do not by themselves remove the right to cancel. The right also remains if the goods are destroyed, damaged, or spoiled through no fault of the customer.

The customer tells the seller where the goods can be collected. If the seller does not take steps to collect them within sixty days after the customer receives them, the goods become the customer’s property with no obligation to pay. Agree with your supplier on the address, method, and deadlines for accepting returns and reimbursing the store’s expenses, so you can arrange the return on time.

Agreements between businesses do not change the customer’s rights.

Separately agree with the supplier how your store will receive the funds needed to refund the customer. Under Part 6 of Article 12, which also applies to distance contracts, if the seller did not provide a document or confirmation of the information, the consumer notifies the seller that the contract is invalid. Within thirty days of receiving that notice, the seller must return the funds received and reimburse the consumer’s costs of returning the goods. Under Part 9 of Article 12, if the refund is delayed beyond the prescribed period, the consumer is entitled to a penalty of one percent of the product’s value for each day of delay.

For orders passed to the supplier, specify the minimum data set: for example, the recipient’s name, phone number, delivery address, and order contents. Part 4 of Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine “On E-Commerce” allows sellers to request only information necessary to enter into and fulfil an electronic contract. In practice, limit employees’ access to the data and agree in writing that the partner will use it to fulfil the order.

The consumer rules described here are based on Law No. 1023-XII. Law No. 3153-IX has a delayed entry into force tied to the termination or cancellation of martial law. Do not include its future rules in your store’s terms as obligations already in effect.

How to calculate costs, accounting for refusals and returns

To compare suppliers, calculate the result for a completed group of orders. From the money received, subtract the purchase cost of products sold, handling, packaging, fees, advertising, delivery paid by the store, taxes under your arrangements, and actual losses from unsuccessful orders. Refunds to customers should reduce revenue; account for product costs based on whether the supplier reimbursed you and whether the product remains fit for sale.

Illustrative example. The store dispatched 12 orders: customers kept 10 products, refused one shipment, and returned another product for a full refund. The price for each of the 10 completed sales was UAH 1,000. All expenses below are fictional for calculation purposes; the tax amount does not represent a universal tax rate.

In this example, customers pay the carrier separately for successful deliveries, and the supplier fully refunds the purchase cost of the two returned products. For simplicity, there are no other expenses for those two orders. If the partner withholds part of the cost or a product is damaged, add that loss. To assess the business as a whole, also subtract fixed costs, including wages and service fees.

Run a small test and decide whether to continue

After checking the sample, limit the first phase to a small number of products and orders and a modest budget. One practical option is to agree on a test of ten orders and set a maximum prepayment amount in advance. This is a recommendation for organizing the check, not a regulation or sufficient proof of future reliability.

For each order, record the agreed price, time of stock confirmation, promised and actual time the parcel was handed to the carrier, order accuracy, customer enquiries, and expenses. Agree on assessment criteria before the test starts so the decision does not depend only on a general impression.

For internal comparison, give each criterion 0 points if the requirement was not met, 1 if the problem was fixed after you raised it, and 2 if everything was done correctly the first time. Compare the original records as well: the total score should not hide a problem with product safety, payment details, or refunds. After pausing new orders, complete service for the orders already accepted.

Manage suppliers and analyse sales in Torgsoft

If your store already keeps its records in Torgsoft, create a separate counterparty for each supplier via “Налаштування → Контрагент” (Settings → Counterparty) and select the appropriate partnership type. The official counterparty instructions describe saving the name, address, email, phone number, and bank account. In practice, this helps you use the agreed contact and payment details when working with a partner. Check them against verified documents before entering them, and update the record if the details change. If one counterparty acts as both supplier and buyer, the program lets you select the relevant partnership type. A record in the program does not by itself verify the company: keep the documents and test order results in an organized work archive.

To assess completed trading activity, use “Аналіз → Аналіз виручки за постачальниками” (Analysis → Revenue Analysis by Suppliers): select a period and, if needed, an accounting centre, then review sales, returns, and cost of goods sold. If automatic updating is disabled, click “Оновити” (Update) after changing the filters. Accurate comparisons are possible when actual product receipts are linked to the appropriate suppliers and sales and returns have been entered correctly. Goods recorded through an inventory count will appear in this analysis under the supplier “ПРИХІД ВІД ІНВЕНТАРИЗАЦІЇ” (Inventory Receipt). Use the report as a sales history; assess dispatch times, stock accuracy, and compliance with agreements using separate order records. Check advertising, logistics, and other expenses in your own calculations before drawing a conclusion about the overall value of the arrangement.

Template message to a supplier before a test order

Adapt this draft to your product category and send it to selected candidates to get written answers you can compare.

“Hello! We plan to sell [product category] through [sales channel], with your warehouse dispatching orders to customers. Our approximate initial volume is [number] orders. Please provide the following information:

1. Full legal name, identification code, business details, contact details for the responsible manager, a draft contract, and a sample invoice.
2. List of available products, purchase prices, how long the prices remain in effect, and all additional fees.
3. How stock figures are provided, how often they are updated, and the process for confirming availability and reservations.
4. Payment terms, the purpose of any deposit, and the process for returning unused funds.
5. Deadlines for handing orders to the carrier, packaging terms, documents inside the parcel, and how the tracking number is communicated.
6. Documents and information about product origin, specifications, safety, and conformity that apply to this category; terms for using your photos and descriptions.
7. Process for a refused parcel, return, order containing incorrect or missing items, and warranty claim: addresses, timelines, costs, and refunds.
8. Who accepts customer payments, provides customer documents, and handles complaints.
9. What customer data is needed to fulfil an order and how you restrict access to it.
10. Whether you agree to a test order and a subsequent limited trial under terms defined in writing.

Once we receive your answers, we will agree on the products to check, the budget, and the criteria for moving to regular sales.”

How to prepare a backup supplier

For your most important items, check another partner using the same process. Compare the exact model, specifications, documents, total cost, and actual dispatch time. Before sending an order to the backup partner, confirm stock and terms again.

Decide in advance which orders can be transferred without changing the terms agreed with the customer and which will need the customer’s approval again. If neither supplier confirms a product, pause sales of that item and contact customers with open orders. A backup partner gives you another way to fulfil orders, but you still need to check their stock.