| Product safety | Electrical, thermal, and fire-safety design of the heater and console. | Test reports and certificates for the exact model, heater assembly, and intended sales market. | Confirm the applicable market standards with your importer or certification body. IEC 60335-1 and IEC 60335-2-30 are relevant standards to discuss for household appliances and room heaters; applicability depends on the product and market. | 20% |
| Heating performance | Rated voltage, wattage, heating modes, thermostat, and overheat protection. | Electrical specification, operating instructions, and test results for each offered configuration. | Compare wattage with the target market’s supply. For reference, 1,500 W is approximately 5,118 BTU/h (using 1 W ≈ 3.412 BTU/h); this figure alone does not guarantee suitability for a particular room. | 15% |
| Size and fit | Overall dimensions, fireplace opening, cable exit, ventilation clearances, and TV placement. | Dimensioned product drawings, installation instructions, and a sample-unit measurement record. | Check the drawing against your required footprint, TV size and mounting plan, wall layout, and the heater’s specified clearances. There is no single universal console size. | 10% |
| Materials and construction | Panel material, thickness, edge finishing, surface coating, hardware, and load capacity. | Bill of materials, material specifications, finish samples, and documented shelf-load test method and results. | Match the approved sample and written specifications to the purchase order. Confirm that the stated TV load and any heater-related spacing are supported by product documentation. | 10% |
| Quality control | Incoming-material checks, in-process controls, final inspection, and traceability. | Quality-control plan, inspection checklist, defect-handling procedure, and recent sample inspection records. | Ask how defects are recorded and corrected, and whether production units can be traced by batch or date code. ISO 9001 certification relates to a quality-management system; it is not by itself proof that a product is safe or compliant. | 15% |
| Compliance documentation | Market-specific electrical, chemical, labeling, and user-documentation requirements. | Model-matched reports, declarations, labels, manuals, and material declarations as required for the destination market. | Verify document scope, model numbers, issuing body, and validity. For EU sales, assess applicable obligations such as RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; applicability and required evidence depend on the product and supply chain. | 10% |
| Customization control | Available finishes, dimensions, control features, packaging, and change-management process. | Written specification, approved drawings and samples, change-approval procedure, and confirmation of any compliance impact. | Require written approval before material, component, finish, or design substitutions. Reassess testing and documentation when a change could affect safety or compliance. | 8% |
| Packaging and shipping | Carton dimensions, packed weight, protective materials, labeling, and shipment terms. | Packaging specification, carton measurements, packing photos, and a written quotation stating the agreed Incoterm and named place. | Check whether the packed unit fits your freight and storage constraints. Approve packaging after reviewing a shipment-ready sample or documented drop/transport tests where appropriate. | 5% |
| Warranty and spare parts | Warranty scope, claim process, replacement components, and service response arrangements. | Written warranty terms, parts list, claim procedure, and confirmation of parts availability and pricing. | Clarify start date, exclusions, labor and freight responsibility, and remedies for defective units before placing an order. | 4% |
| Communication and order readiness | Response quality, specification accuracy, sample process, and production schedule visibility. | Written answers to technical questions, sample timeline, production milestones, and agreed inspection arrangements. | Use the same checklist for each candidate. Prefer documented, consistent answers over verbal assurances. | 3% |
| Total evaluation weight | 100% |