What to Ask a Furniture Procurement Company Before Signing

The furniture procurement market has a transparency problem. Some companies show you supplier pricing directly. Others buy from the supplier, mark it up 40%, and call themselves 'procurement.' You're paying the same fee in both cases — but the base price is very different. These six questions cut through the structure.

1. Do you show me the supplier invoice?

A real procurement service shows you what the supplier charges. Your contract should have two columns: supplier cost and the procurement fee. If a company won't show you the supplier invoice, they're not procuring — they're reselling. The markup is your fee, and it's not disclosed.

2. Who are your suppliers?

Legitimate procurement companies have direct relationships with manufacturers and workshops. They can name them, describe the production quality, and tell you what lead times look like at a production level. A company that describes suppliers vaguely as 'our network of vetted partners' is aggregating from other dealers — not sourcing directly.

3. What is your fee structure, and what does it apply to?

Fee structures vary significantly. A flat percentage on supplier cost (like DAF's 20%) is transparent and scales predictably. Hourly design fees plus a markup on goods means you pay twice. A 'project management fee' plus goods is often not disclosed as a markup. Ask the specific question: what is the all-in cost, and how is it broken down?

4. Who holds the supplier contracts?

When a supplier delivers defective goods or misses a lead time, who is responsible? If the procurement company holds the contract with the supplier, they're responsible for resolution. If you hold the contract directly, you're managing the supplier dispute yourself — with the procurement company acting as a matchmaker, not a contractor.

5. What is your lead time confirmation process?

Lead times quoted by sales reps are not the same as lead times confirmed by production. A good procurement company gets written production confirmation from the factory before telling you when things will arrive. Ask how they verify lead times — and what happens if a supplier misses.

6. What happens after delivery?

Warranty claims, damage in transit, incorrect pieces — these are the moments where the procurement relationship either holds or falls apart. Ask specifically: if a piece arrives damaged, who files the warranty claim, how long does resolution typically take, and what are your options if the supplier won't resolve it?

DAF answers: supplier invoice shown in every contract, direct manufacturer relationships, 20% flat on supplier cost, DAF holds the supplier contracts, written lead time confirmation before signing, and DAF files every warranty claim on the client's behalf.