In custom development of silicone sealing plugs and silicone dust plugs, design services are supposed to improve functional fit and appearance. Yet many buyers encounter unexpected add-on fees that undermine trust. This article is compiled from our real project experience and helps you assess suppliers before committing. Some clients report that hidden charges are more common in this niche: for example, a silicone plug costing only RMB 1.2–1.8 per piece comes with a design fee of RMB 2,000–4,000. At a MOQ of 1,000 units, the design cost becomes 1.5–2.5× the total product cost. What frustrates buyers most are undisclosed items—such as being told only at the sampling stage that “structural optimization requires an extra fee,” which severely damages the cooperation experience and raises concerns over pricing transparency.
Three Common Traps Behind Hidden Charges: Revision Fees, Concealed Workflow Items, and Low-Price Bait
Hidden charges are often buried inside service details, making them difficult for clients to anticipate.
1. “Revision = Extra Fee” — The Most Frequent Issue
One client developing a silicone dust plug for a smartwatch charging port assumed that basic adjustments were included. After three revisions, they were asked to pay RMB 100–300 per additional round. Ultimately, the total design fee exceeded the product’s manufacturing cost.
2. Concealed Chargeable Steps Throughout the Workflow
This scenario is common: a provider quotes a “basic design fee” of RMB 600–1,200 but avoids mentioning essential steps like CAD modeling or color adjustment. When the buyer later requests refinements—such as precision 3D CAD modeling for medical-grade silicone plugs or Pantone color-matching during sampling—additional charges appear: RMB 800–1,500 for modeling and RMB 300–600 for color adjustment.
3. Low-Price Bait with High Back-End Charges
Some service providers quote an abnormally low fee—e.g., RMB 500 (well below the market average of RMB 1,000–1,600). After signing, even previously “included” optimization work—such as adjusting sealing-lip curvature—gets reclassified as an add-on (RMB 800 per round), causing total cost overrun.
Core Client Pain Points: Vague Pricing and High Communication Cost
The essence of hidden charges lies in unclear rules upfront and extra fees added later.
Buyers are most concerned about undefined boundaries:
- Does the design fee include 3D CAD modeling?
- Is Pantone color-matching included?
- How many free revision rounds are provided?
Such ambiguity leads to disputes. One client reported that confirming whether “modeling is included” took five rounds of communication (over 10 hours), delaying the project by seven days. Unclear revision rules also create dilemmas: revising may incur new costs (e.g., RMB 300 after the third revision), while not revising may compromise product fit.
Industry Causes: Cost Pressure and Lack of Standardized Pricing
1. Cost Pressure on Design Service Providers
Design work covers concept development, 3D modeling, color tuning, and prototype creation. Costs include designer labor (RMB 120–280/hour), software licenses (e.g., SolidWorks), and silicone sampling (RMB 200–500 per attempt). Smaller studios often adopt a “low entry price + back-end compensation” model to compete in the market.
2. Lack of Nationwide Pricing Standards
The silicone product design industry has no unified pricing guideline. Companies may adopt package-based or workflow-based pricing, and most do not proactively disclose full workflow costs or revision rules—creating room for hidden charges.
Avoiding Hidden Charges: What Clients Recommend
1. Request an Itemized Quotation Before Signing
Ask the design provider to clearly state whether the following steps are included or separately charged:
- Basic design
- 3D CAD modeling
- Pantone color-matching
- Prototype/sample fees
2. Specify a Free Revision Limit
A common approach is: “Up to 3 revisions included; additional revisions at RMB 200–300 each.”
3. Choose Providers with Clean Complaint Records
Check industry platforms for complaint history to reduce risk.
Conclusion
The true value of design services is to solve problems, not create friction. Buyers expect a fully itemized quotation (including modeling, color adjustments, and sampling fees) and a transparent revision policy (“3 free revisions + paid extras”). Industry results show that clear pricing significantly reduces disputes and improves delivery efficiency. Transparency allows design services to return to their essential purpose—supporting product optimization and building trustworthy cooperation.
Quick Checklist to Avoid Hidden Charges
- Request a full workflow quotation before signing
- Confirm free revision limits and extra revision fees
- Review the provider’s complaint and service history
