Why Choosing A Supplier Beats Buying Medals Direct

You’re looking to buy custom medals for your next event.

After a quick online search, you notice something: they're a lot cheaper to buy from factories overseas. 

Your excitement builds as you think, "Why not just order from them?

"Most suppliers just resell the same medals anyway. This way I cut out the middleman and save more money!" 

But while buying directly might look like a smart move on paper, the reality is far more complicated. 

Sure, if you’ve got a team handling logistics, design, and customer relations, buying direct might work for you.

But for most, it usually ends up being more hassle than help.

Many of our customers here at Badges And Medals used to buy direct but switched to us after ending up with medals they regretted. 

We want to stop that from happening to you. 

In this article, you'll discover why choosing a medal supplier ultimately delivers more value, even if it means paying a little extra.

Risks Of Buying Medals Direct:

• Questionable ethics

Sure, you might save money buying direct, but it's important to ask, "Why is it so cheap?" 

Child labour, slave labour, poor working conditions, and wages that barely let people survive are still a reality in many countries. 

And let's not forget about the environment. 

Is the factory you're eyeing up taking steps to be sustainable? 

Or do they put profit above all else? 

When you buy directly, these questions are often left unanswered.

You place your order and hope for the best, but the truth is, you have no real idea of what’s going on behind the scenes. 

A supplier, on the other hand, can’t afford to ignore these issues. 

Their reputation is tied to the products they deliver, and they know that if a factory they work with cuts corners ethically, it could come back to bite them. 

That’s why they’re much more selective about the factories they partner with. 

For example, we at Badges And Medals only work with suppliers that are certified as ethically and environmentally friendly.

• No design support

If you buy direct, the factory probably won’t design the medals for you. 

That means you’ll either need to design them yourself or hire someone to do it, which eats up time and money. 

And, even if that person nails the design, there's no guarantee it’ll come out the way you wanted. 

We’ve seen this play out before. 

One of our clients used to design their medals in-house and send the designs to a factory in China.

But what they got back didn't always look like what they'd sent over. 

Why? Because their designer didn’t understand how medals are made, or what can or can't be done. 

The factory did its best to interpret the design, but never hit the mark. 

This is where suppliers shine. 

Most suppliers have design teams that specialise in medals and awards. 

They know exactly what's possible and what's not, saving you the guesswork.

Supplier design teams specialise in award design, so know what can and can’t be done.

• You pay upfront

Most factories expect you to pay in full before they even start making your medals. 

That means you're taking a gamble. 

You send the money, and then you’re left hoping that everything turns out the way you envisioned. 

But if it doesn’t? 

Well, at that point, you’ve already paid, and getting a refund or fixing the issue can be a nightmare. 

This “pay upfront” model puts all the risk on you as the customer, and the factory has no real incentive to make adjustments if something goes wrong. 

Now, compare that to working with a medal supplier. 

Many suppliers understand that their success hinges on providing you exactly what you ordered, and they back that up by letting you pay after your custom medals arrive. 

If you’re unsatisfied with the final product, you don’t have to pay until it’s right. 

That’s a safety net you won’t get when dealing directly with a factory.

• Lack of responsibility

When you buy direct, it’s pretty much a one-way street. 

You place the order, they make it and, once the medals are out the door, they wash their hands of it.

If something goes wrong or your vision isn’t fully understood, they have no real sense of urgency or responsibility to fix it. 

After all, they’ve already got your money.

One of our clients found themselves in exactly this position. 

They received their medals, but the ribbons were all wrong. 

They sent them back with new instructions, and while the factory did fix the ribbons, they didn’t reattach them to the medals. 

Instead, every medal and ribbon came was returned to the client in its own individual bag.

Because of this, the client spent the night before their event putting everything together, stressed and upset. 

The factory didn’t take responsibility for their mistake, leaving the client to deal with the mess. 

This wouldn't have happened with a supplier.

A supplier takes ownership of the entire process. 

They work with you to ensure every detail aligns with your vision, and if something’s not right, they fix it. 

That's why many suppliers let you pay at the end - because they stand behind their product.

• Delivery difficulties

The lack of responsibility factories take can also lead to shipping headaches.

Because once they ship your medals, they consider their job done, leaving you to deal with the rest. 

This means it's often up to you to ensure the medals arrive in time for your event. 

If there are any unexpected import fees and shipping hold-ups, they fall straight on your shoulders, which costs you time and money. 

Suppliers, on the other hand, handle all of this for you. 

They take care of communications, paperwork, and fees, saving you the headache.

Plus, some even offer a discount if your medals don’t arrive on time.

Now that’s peace of mind!

• No quality guarantee

Factory-made medals are a lot like a lucky dip: you never know what kind of quality you’ll end up with.

Unfortunately, many people don't realise this until it’s too late to do anything about it.

We have dozens of clients who used to go straight to factories, only to be disappointed when the product didn’t match their expectations. 

One client told us how they ordered what they thought were solid, hefty medals, only to receive something much thinner than what they saw online. 

Another client was sent medals with colours that were nothing like their artwork. 

When you go direct, you’re taking a gamble on quality. 

There’s no guarantee that what you receive will match what was promised, and if it doesn’t, fixing the issue can be a long and frustrating process. 

On the other hand, suppliers take pride in guaranteeing the quality of your medals. 

If something doesn’t meet the standard, they fix it before it reaches your hands.

This means you get exactly what you paid for. 

Some will even go the extra mile by making samples so you can see and feel the quality of your medals before committing to the full order (like us at Badges And Medals). 

Many suppliers can send you a sample so you can see what your medal will look like ahead of time.

• No follow-up support

Once your medals are delivered, the difference between buying directly and working with a supplier becomes even clearer.

When you buy direct from a factory, they don’t follow up to see whether the medals meet your expectations. 

With a supplier, it's completely different. 

Suppliers want to build a long-term relationship with you. 

They’ll check in after your event to see how everything turned out and ask for feedback on the medals. 

Here at Badges And Medals, we take it a step further by also providing marketing materials to help you promote your event. 

That's the kind of aftercare you won't find when buying direct.

Make the right decision for your event:

While buying directly from factories might seem like the cheaper, easier option, the risks far outweigh the savings. 

From questionable ethics to delivery delays, it's easy to see that buying direct is full of avoidable headaches. 

At Badges And Medals, we’ve shown you how working with a reliable supplier can save you time, money and stress. 

So why take chances when you can work with a team that handles everything for you?

Reach out today, and let’s do this right.