Transit times that will not get your store suspended, blind packing done properly, tracking imports that do not break, and the damage policy you need in writing before order one.
Dropshipping paint by numbers kits is not difficult, but it is unusually easy to get wrong in ways customers notice: crushed canvases, missing tracking, parcels that arrive with the factory's invoice inside. This is the checklist we run with every dropship account, written so you can run it against any supplier.
1. Confirm the supplier manufactures, not resells
Ask for a video walkthrough of the production floor and the packing station. A trading company can still be a good partner, but you need to know who controls quality when a batch of paint leaks. Verify the address on the invoice matches the factory you were shown.
2. Get real transit windows in writing
The most common mistake is advertising 5-day delivery from China. Production alone is 8–15 days. Here is what a realistic schedule looks like:
| Destination | Production | Transit after dispatch | Realistic promise |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8–12 days | 5–8 days | 14–20 working days |
| United Kingdom / EU | 8–12 days | 5–8 days | 14–20 working days |
| Australia / NZ | 8–12 days | 6–10 days | 15–22 working days |
| Japan / Korea / Singapore | 8–12 days | 3–6 days | 12–18 working days |
Set your store's shipping profile to the upper bound. Under-promise and over-deliver is worth more than a fine-tuned ETA that generates disputes.
3. Insist on blind packing
Your parcel should contain no supplier invoice, no price list, no catalogue and no third-party branding. Ask specifically about the customs description too: it should describe the goods (art canvas kit, acrylic paint set) rather than your brand.
4. Test the packing, not just the product
Order one kit to your own address and drop it from waist height onto a hard floor. Then open it. If the box dents enough to crease the canvas or a paint pot is loose enough to leak, that is a conversation with your supplier before you send a thousand parcels.
5. Agree the damage and defect policy in writing
Returns to China are rarely economical, so the practical policy is replacement or refund on photo evidence, with a reporting window (we use 7 days) and a clear definition of what counts as damage. Get that in an email, not in a chat window.
6. Set up tracking imports that will not break
Ask for a CSV with four columns: your order reference, carrier, tracking number and dispatch date. Test the import with two orders before you rely on it. If you use a third-party fulfilment app, check it supports the carrier names your supplier actually provides.
7. Declare goods correctly
Under-declaring puts the customs exposure on you as the importer. Ask what value will be declared, and expect the answer to match the real commercial value. Cheap declared value is not a discount, it is deferred risk.
8. Add something only you can send
The cheapest upgrade to a dropshipped kit is a printed insert: a thank-you card with a discount code for the next purchase. It costs cents, it lifts repeat purchase rates, and it makes a generic parcel feel like your brand.
9. Check replacement stock availability
If a design sells out mid-campaign, how long until it ships again? Ask for the current stock list and how often it is refreshed. Selling a kit you cannot fulfil for three weeks is a refund you did not need to give.
10. Run a paid test before scaling
Send ten real orders through the flow — addresses in different countries, one order with an insert, one to your own address. Compare the parcel your customer receives with the listing photo. Only then scale ad spend.
If you are also deciding whether to hold inventory, the private label vs white label comparison explains when it becomes worth buying stock instead. And if a design tests well, our wholesale tiers start at 50 kits with a clear price break at 300.