Starlink accessories are one of those categories where the product itself is simple and the buying decision is not. A roof mount is a bracket. A power supply is a regulated converter. What separates a good supplier from a bad one is whether they can hold a specification across three hundred units, tell you honestly what will not work, and still answer an email within one working day. After a decade supplying installers, resellers and marketplace sellers, we have distilled the first purchase into eight questions. Ask them in this order and you will quickly sort serious factories from trading companies.

1. What is the actual MOQ, and does it change per SKU?

MOQ is where most first-time buyers get caught. A factory may quote 100 pieces for a catalogue item and 500 pieces for anything with your logo on it. The reason is simple: custom branding needs a laser marking setup or a screen-printed plate, and a colour change needs a new powder-coating batch. Both carry a fixed cost that has to be spread across units. Ask for the MOQ in writing, per SKU, and separate it from the "sample MOQ" — most factories will happily send one sample at no charge and then quote a completely different number for the run. PLZTECH keeps catalogue items at 50–100 pieces and branded runs from 500 pieces, and we will tell you which category a given part falls into before you ask.

2. Who owns the tooling, and can you get it back?

If a custom mould or jig is produced for your order, the ownership terms should be explicit. A reputable factory either retains the tool and continues producing for you, or transfers the tool to you on final payment so you are not locked in. What you want to avoid is a factory that holds your tool hostage because you want a second colourway. Put the clause in the purchase order.

3. What is the lead time, measured from what?

"15 days" is meaningless without an anchor point. The realistic chain is: artwork approval (1–2 days), tooling or sample confirmation (3–7 days), production (10–20 days), and QC plus packing (2–3 days). Add 5–10 days for sea freight from Shenzhen to Europe or North America. A factory that quotes lead time from the day you send the purchase order rather than the day you approve the pre-production sample is telling you something. Ours runs from pre-production sample approval, and we send photos of the actual production line to the container loading.

4. Can you see a pre-production sample before mass production?

Samples cost both sides money, so a good factory is not precious about them — but a good factory will also tell you what a sample can and cannot prove. A sample proves dimensions, finish quality and assembly sequence. It does not prove batch-to-batch consistency, and it does not prove your packaging will survive a drop test. Ask whether the sample is hand-finished or pulled from the same line as production. For a first order, we recommend paying for a run of 20–50 pre-production units rather than a single hand-built sample, because that is the only way to see real variance.

5. What certifications do the parts actually carry?

For accessories in this category, the realistic list is short: RoHS and REACH for material compliance, CE for European markets, FCC for the United States, and for anything mounted outdoors or used in a vehicle, an IP rating backed by a test report rather than a marketing claim. The question that separates real suppliers from sellers is simple: can you send the test report, and does the model number on the report match the model number on the invoice? A factory that answers "we have CE" without a document number is telling you the certificate belongs to somebody else's product.

6. How is the power supply specified?

This is where accessory sourcing goes wrong most often. The requirement is not "a 36V adapter" — it is a regulated output, a defined input range, defined over-current and over-temperature protection, and a stated operating temperature. For vehicle and marine use, the operating temperature range matters more than any other single spec, because a car dashboard in summer and a boat in the tropics will both exceed a naive design point. Ask for the input voltage range, the output tolerance, the ripple figure, and the temperature range in writing, and check that the connector matches the Starlink kit you are actually selling.

7. What is your defect rate, and what is the claim process?

Every factory has a defect rate. The useful question is what happens when a customer opens a box with a defective unit. Look for three things: a documented incoming QC checklist, a photographic AQL report before shipment, and a claim window stated in the contract. At PLZTECH we run incoming inspection on components, in-process checks at assembly, and a final AQL pass at 2.5 on the shipment batch, with the report and photographs sent before the container is sealed. That report is also your ammunition when you need evidence in a marketplace dispute.

8. How fast do you answer, and do you answer properly?

Send a technical question — a real one, not "how much is your mount" — and time the reply. A factory that answers technical questions properly within one working day is a factory that will not disappear when a batch has an issue. This is the cheapest possible due diligence, and it correlates with everything else on this list. You can also read the answer itself: if a supplier explains why a mount would not be right for your application, they are probably more reliable than one who agrees with everything you say.

What PLZTECH commits to for wholesale orders

Send us the Starlink models you plan to support, the target quantity, the destination country and the packaging you need. You will get a feasibility assessment and indicative pricing back within one working day, usually with the MOQ tier spelled out, the lead time broken into production and shipping, and a list of what we can customise. If a request is not workable at your volume, we will say so and suggest a design or a quantity that is — because a stalled project costs you shelf space and a customer who has already bought the competitor's version.