You've found a supplier with stock you want — but all you've got is a Facebook page and a WhatsApp number. No website, no fancy branding, nothing that looks like a "proper" business online.
That's completely normal. Most wholesalers and suppliers have never needed a polished online presence — they've built their business on trade relationships and word of mouth, and they've rarely had to chase new customers. It's only with the rise of live selling and platforms like Whatnot that some of them are starting to appear online at all, often for the first time, and it can look a bit rough around the edges even when the business behind it is completely genuine.
So the goal here isn't to treat every supplier like a suspect. It's to do a few simple checks that confirm what you're already likely dealing with: a real business that just hasn't caught up with modern marketing yet. Here's how to do that properly, step by step.
Step 1: Get their business details, not just a friendly chat
Before you talk numbers, ask for the basics. A genuine supplier won't mind giving you this — it's normal business practice, not an interrogation.
"What's your registered business name?" If they give you a limited company name, check it on the Companies House website (free, takes under a minute). This only confirms one thing: a company with that name exists and is active. It does not confirm the person messaging you actually runs it — real, genuine company names and numbers get copied and reused by people with no connection to that business.
Not everyone will have a Companies House listing, and that's normal. Plenty of legitimate wholesalers are sole traders, not limited companies, and sole traders don't appear on Companies House at all. If that's the case, ask instead for their full name and trading address, and whether they're registered for Self Assessment with HMRC — you won't be able to verify that directly, but a supplier who answers plainly and without hesitation is behaving very differently to one who dodges the question.
The trading name and the registered name are often different — ask about this directly. A supplier might be known in the trade or on Facebook as one name, while their actual registered business (company or sole trader) is called something else entirely. This is completely normal and not a red flag by itself. Ask:
"What name is the business actually registered or trading under, if it's different to your page name?"
Then check whichever name they give you, and make sure any invoice or payment request later on uses that same name consistently — not a third, different name that hasn't come up before.
"Do you have a VAT number, and can you provide an invoice?" Many smaller wholesalers won't be VAT registered, which is entirely normal below the VAT threshold — this alone tells you nothing bad. An invoice, VAT-registered or not, is still just a document someone has typed up. It is not proof of anything on its own.
The part that actually matters: verify independently, not through the same channel they contacted you on. Anyone can send you a real name and a convincing invoice. What's much harder to fake is an independent trail back to that person or business. Try one or more of these:
Search the business or trading name plus words like "reviews" or "reselling" and see if other resellers mention buying from them.
If they've given you a company name, look up its official contact details separately — not the number they've given you — and call that number directly to confirm they're the ones selling to you.
If they're a limited company, check how long it's actually been trading (Companies House shows the incorporation date). A business with years of normal filing history is a stronger signal than one set up a few weeks ago. This check simply won't apply to sole traders, which is fine — use the other checks instead.
Whatever name they've given you — company, trading name, or personal name — ask to pay into an account that matches it exactly, and treat any mismatch (a different personal name, an unrelated business name, or an account abroad) as a serious warning sign, not a minor inconsistency.
A name and an invoice tell you a story is consistent. Independent verification tells you whether that story is actually true..
Step 2: Ask to see the actual stock
Photos on a Facebook page are often generic or reused across posts, which is normal for someone who isn't a marketing person. So ask for something more specific:
"Can you send me a photo or short video of the stock you have available right now?" Real pallets, real boxes, ideally with today's date visible somewhere in shot. A genuine supplier will usually be happy to do this because it's their actual stock sitting in their actual warehouse or unit.
"Where are you based, and can I collect or view stock in person?" You don't need to actually go — but a supplier who's open to this, or has a physical unit they can describe or reference, is generally more reassuring than one who's cagey about location.
Step 3: Ask about what happens if something goes wrong
This tells you a lot, and it's a fair question to ask anyone you're about to send money to.
"What's your process if items arrive damaged or the quantity's short?" Established suppliers will have an answer, even if it's informal ("just message me and I'll sort it"). Reluctance or vagueness here is worth noting more than the lack of a website ever would be.
Step 4: Pay in a way that protects you
This matters regardless of how legitimate the supplier turns out to be — it's just good practice.
Where possible, pay into a business bank account rather than what looks like a personal account, and ask for that if it's not offered upfront.
Use a payment method with some protection where you can — a proper invoice and bank transfer to a business account is standard in this trade, but if you're ever offered a card payment or PayPal option, that adds a layer of protection for a first order.
If you're ever pushed to pay unusually fast, with urgency that doesn't match how relaxed the rest of the conversation has been, slow down and ask why.
Step 5: Start with a small first order
Even once everything checks out, treat your first order as the real test.
Order a modest amount first — enough to judge quality, accuracy, and how smoothly the whole process goes.
Compare what arrives to what was described and photographed.
Once that's gone well, you can order with confidence — and you've likely found a supplier worth building a long-term relationship with, which in this trade is often more valuable than chasing the next cheapest deal.
The takeaway
An informal Facebook page and a WhatsApp number aren't a red flag on their own — they're often just what a genuine, old-school supplier looks like when they're dipping a toe into online selling for the first time. A few honest questions and a small first order will tell you almost everything you need to know, without treating a legitimate trader like a criminal.