Most corporate gifting failures aren't about the gift — they're about the vendor. Late dispatch, unclear pricing, or a branding job that doesn't match the mockup can undo months of planning in one delivery cycle. A short procurement checklist prevents most of this.
Start with sourcing legitimacy: is the vendor selling authorised brand stock, or grey-market imports with no warranty? Ask directly, and ask for proof. Next, pricing transparency — a genuine bulk vendor should quote tiered pricing by quantity upfront, not negotiate blind over email threads.
Check GST invoicing capability before you place any order. This sounds basic, but a surprising number of smaller gifting vendors operate informally and can't issue a compliant invoice, which creates real problems for your finance team at audit time.
On branding: ask to see samples of laser engraving, UV printing or embroidery on the actual product category you're ordering, not a generic portfolio. Branding quality varies wildly between materials — what looks crisp on a steel bottle can look poor on plastic.
Finally, pin down delivery SLAs in writing, especially for pan-India orders around festival season when courier networks get congested. A vendor who can't commit to a dispatch date shouldn't get your festival order.