Your project needs equipment quickly, and a Chinese supplier says, “This model is in stock. We can ship as soon as you pay.”
The machine in the photographs is assembled. You still need to know which unit the quotation covers, whether its condition and configuration meet your requirements, and what must happen before it can be handed to the carrier.
To assess an in-stock lift's delivery date, check the specific unit, its current condition and the remaining delivery tasks—in that order. Knowing that the model is available is not enough to arrange payment and transport.
1. Identify the unit that will actually be supplied
Photographs of the same model can help you understand a product. When buying stock equipment, the quotation needs to be linked to a specific machine.
See the guide to remote factory video checks for the relevant checks.
Ask for the full model designation, serial number, current location, and overall and data-plate photographs that can be matched to one another. If a serial number has not yet been assigned, establish how the proposed unit will be identified and tracked. A set of generic product photographs is not a substitute.
Once you select a unit, confirm how it will be allocated to your order, the reservation terms and expiry date, and what happens if the supplier proposes another machine.
The purpose is straightforward: the photographs, inspection records and quotation you review should continue to refer to the same unit.
2. Ask about history, configuration and condition—not just whether it is new
Descriptions such as “brand-new,” “stock unit” and “demonstration machine” need to be supported by specific information.
Information request for an in-stock lift
| Question | What to request | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What has the machine been used for? | Year of manufacture; any display, demonstration, rental, repairs or component replacements; available operating records | Compare its actual history with the offer and your requirements |
| What is fitted now? | Current configuration, modification records and corresponding evidence from the machine | Identify adjustments needed for this order rather than assuming suitability |
| How has it been stored? | Available storage, charging, maintenance and recent inspection records | Identify condition information that still needs checking |
| What has recently been inspected? | Date, scope, results and unresolved findings for this unit | Establish what still needs inspection, correction or reinspection |
| Do accessories and documents match? | Accessory list, manual version and status of documents needed for the destination | Identify outstanding delivery requirements |
Do not decide on the year of manufacture or hour-meter reading alone. Consider these alongside the machine's history, maintenance and current inspection records.
For an electric lift, ask specifically about battery management during storage. IPAF's guidance treats charging, storage, inspection and maintenance as distinct matters; “the machine has never been sold” does not establish any of them. IPAF battery guidance
Review the available evidence first, then inspect the gaps. Use the pre-shipment inspection guide to help define the work rather than imposing the same extra tests on every stock unit.
3. Communication tip: ask the equipment custodian to check, with sales coordinating
“There are three units in the warehouse” does not identify which one suits your order.
Try a more precise request:
Please ask the warehouse or equipment custodian to confirm the proposed unit's serial number, location and current condition. Please have the technical team check its configuration. If several units are available, list the differences and identify which one the quotation covers.
Sales remains the main contact, but the information comes from the people who actually hold it.
Organise photographs by purpose too: overall and data-plate views identify the machine; component photographs address configuration questions. Date existing images. If identity or condition remains unclear, arrange a focused live viewing rather than collecting more similar photographs.
After selection, ask the supplier to use the same identifier in order-allocation, inspection and loading records. Do not let later paperwork revert to “one unit of model X.”
4. Replace “ready to ship” with the remaining tasks
A machine can exist without all delivery work being complete.
The useful question is:
Once payment has been made under the current contract, what still needs to happen before this unit is handed to the nominated carrier? Who will complete each task, and when can its result be checked?
Dispatch-readiness checklist for stock equipment
Record at the top: order number, machine identifier, review date and agreed delivery location.
| Requirement | Result to establish | Who follows up if incomplete? |
|---|---|---|
| Final configuration meets the order | Any modification, replacement or addition still required, and how it will be rechecked | Technical or production lead |
| Agreed inspection and corrective work are complete | Items completed and outstanding matters affecting delivery | Factory and agreed inspection personnel |
| Accessories and required documents are ready | What ships with the machine and what remains outstanding | Warehouse, spare-parts and documentation staff |
| Packing and collection can proceed | Packing, handling, collection vehicle and handover arrangements | Supplier and logistics coordinator |
| Commercial release conditions are satisfied | Payment, collection notice and other contractual delivery conditions | The parties' designated representatives |
Beside each row, record the current status, remaining task and next confirmation date. Every date the supplier gives should identify whether it means “inspection completed,” “available for collection” or “expected dispatch.”
Consider this hypothetical situation:
The machine is in stock, but the charger needs replacing, the correct manual is outstanding and a recheck is required. The supplier has not confirmed when the replacement charger will arrive.
You can confirm that a stock machine exists. You cannot yet confirm that it will be ready for dispatch immediately after payment.
Compare stock offers using the delivery arrangements after necessary adjustments, including additional costs and the warranty start date. The scissor lift quotation comparison guide can help you check the scope.
5. Decide what to do with the completed checklists
Identity and condition are clear, with checkable arrangements for the remaining work: compare price and delivery timing on that basis and proceed under the contract. Confirm transport arrangements separately.
Adjustments, corrections or reinspection are still needed: include them in the schedule instead of relying on the original “immediate shipment” promise. Compare offers on the conditions under which they will actually meet your requirements.
Identity, history or current condition remains unclear: obtain the missing information before treating the offer as a verified stock option. Missing evidence does not establish a defect, but it does leave you without sufficient support for the promised timing.
Have a stock quotation but cannot tell whether the dispatch date is realistic?
Start by sending Levantis one quotation or a set of machine photographs, together with the destination and your preferred collection date. We can help identify the quoted unit, clarify outstanding delivery tasks and discuss whether a physical check in China is needed. Any on-site scope is agreed separately.